Date: 
Friday, March 18, 2022

Every Friday the Fork Union Military Faculty and Staff meet to nominate a few who have exceeded the standards and demonstrated superlative performance. Whilst we have various awards and recognitions - a simple "Well Done!" we hope, is also appreciated. The combination of the Bravo and Zulu nautical signal flags, i.e., Bravo Zulu, also referred to as "BZ," is a naval signal, typically conveyed by flag hoist or voice radio, meaning "Well Done" with regard to actions, operations or performance.

The following are the Bravo Zulu awards for this week:

Cadet Sergeant Lance Tyler Gowans is a junior and first-year cadet in Alpha Company. He is a day-student from Palmyra, VA, and plays football and baseball. Cadet Gowans has been a model cadet all year and demonstrates his desire to be a leader at FUMA. He has proactively taken on more responsibilities in hopes of earning a higher role in his company next year. Cadet Gowans talks with multiple Veterans here on campus to gain as much knowledge as he can to become a better leader. Bravo Zulu, Cadet Gowans!

Cadet First Sergeant Oliver Hall is senior and second-year cadet in Bravo Company. He is a boarding student from Middle River, MD, a member of our football and track teams, and cadet sports trainer. This week, Cadet Hall witnessed a single vehicle accident and rushed over to help the driver. He was also a wonderful leader during the Sea Quest overnight trip. He made sure all cadets were together and responsible, and he asked insightful and respectful questions to the employees. Bravo Zulu, Cadet Hall!

Cadet Sergeant Eugene Belozerov is an eighth grader and first-year cadet in Charlie Company. He is a boarding student from Rockville, MD, and Squad Leader. His squad is consistently most prepared for daily inspections. Cadet Belozerov has an additional duty as the Company’s Supply NCO. In this role, he is responsible for the oversight of all laundry procedures, work order requests, and key control. In the past weeks, he has developed a systematic procedure to ensure that all linen and uniforms are turned in and redistributed to all cadets in the company. Cadet Belozerov’s process and oversight have been so effective that Charlie Company has earned 100% for several consecutive weeks. This is due to his attention to duty and great effort. Bravo Zulu, Cadet Belozerov!

Cadet Sergeant First Class Aidan Burgess is a senior and second-year cadet who serves as the drum major in the Fork Union Military Academy Band. He is a boarding student from Fredericksburg, VA. Over the last 6 months, Cadet Burgess has worked tirelessly to breathe new life into the band. His leadership was exemplified this week as he split band practices into 3 separate groups to work with each group on their strengths and weaknesses. As a musician, Cadet Burgess was able to see what each of his 25 band members needed to work on. As a leader, he was able to develop and implement a plan to allow everyone to get the most out of their practice time. His leadership continues to be a vital part of the success of the Fork Union Military Academy Band. Bravo Zulu, Cadet Burgess!

Mrs. Kelsey Hill, Director of College Placement and Academic Services, has been working non-stop to meet the academic needs of our cadets. Mrs. Hill was instrumental in securing a guaranteed admissions agreement to The Citadel and Norwich University for qualified FUMA cadets. Over the last few weeks, she has gotten our new Junior Workshop seminar off the ground and met with almost every cadet in the corps to discuss their academic schedules for the 2022-2023 academic year. She has also led several of our Friday advisory sessions, which seek to educate our cadets on post-FUMA options available to them. Her dedication to the academic well-being of our cadets is unsurpassed. Bravo Zulu, Mrs. Hill!

Theodore Wade, Landscaper, has been working tirelessly the past two weeks to maintain our campus almost entirely on his own while taking on additional responsibilities as requested. His positive attitude and work ethic is an encouragement. Bravo Zulu, Mr. Wade

Go FUMA!

Colonel David L. Coggins, USMC (Ret.)
President
Fork Union Military Academy