West Point Military Academy Slated To Have First Female Dean 214 Years After First Opening Doors
President Barack Obama nominated the 1982 West Point graduate Colonel Cindy Jebb for the position of dean for the prestigious military academy following the announced retirement of current dean Brigadier General Tim Trainor. If Congress approves Obama’s nomination, Jebb will become West Point’s first female dean. Despite opening the doors over two centuries ago, West Point Military Academy has never had a woman in the position of dean. However, all of that is slated to change with Colonel Cindy Jebb.
The Army Times reports that Colonel Cindy Jebb has not only been nominated for the title of Brigadier General, but also the prestigious position as West Point Military Academy’s dean. Jebb is slated to become the first female dean of West Point after earning the nomination from President Barack Obama. While Jebb’s nomination must be confirmed by Congress, current West Point dean Brigadier General Tim Trainor says he is extremely happy about Jebb’s nomination calling her a “wealth of experience.”
“I am extremely happy for the Army, the academy, and most of all for our cadets to hear about Col. Jebb’s nomination. She has a wealth of experience, and a breadth and depth of perspective on the needs of the Army and on higher education.”
Jebb does have a rather impressive resume. The colonel is a 1982 West Point graduate and received her masters and doctoral degrees in political science from Duke University. She also holds a masters in national security and strategic studies which she obtained from the Naval War College.
However, her acclaim doesn’t end with her extensive higher studies, Jebb also has extensive real-world experience as well. Jebb was commissioned as a military intelligence officer, serving in the 1st AD, III Corps, and the National Security Agency (NSA). She has also served as a member on the Council for Foreign Relations. She has vast experience working in military intelligence working both for the NSA and as the Deputy Commander of the 704th Military Intelligence Brigade, which supported the NSA. During the summer of 2015, she served as a senior advisor for the Chief of the Office of Security Cooperation-Iraq and has completed study projects in Afghanistan and Iraq and human security research in Africa.
COL Cindy Jebb ’82 nominated as first female @WestPoint_USMA Dean of the Academic Board https://t.co/5s3lB7JSBR #WPW pic.twitter.com/sXUdZxQK2w
— West Point AOG (@WPAOG) May 1, 2016
Her vast knowledge has landed her in numerous teaching positions including serving as a USMA Fellow at the Naval War College teaching Strategy and Force Planning. She is currently a professor at West Point teaching classes on “Comparative Politics, International Security, Cultural Anthropology, Terrorism and Counterterrorism, and Officership” while serving as the head of the department of social sciences.
First woman tapped for dean at West Point https://t.co/vXpcGjKKQu
— parmigiani (@Parmigiani_S) May 1, 2016
Colonel Jebb says that she is honored to be nominated to serve as the dean of West Point and that if Congress will have her, she is ready to lead the team.
“I am honored to have been nominated to serve as the dean of West Point. Should Congress confirm my nomination, I will be privileged to lead a team of professionals who are dedicated to academic excellence in support of our mission to graduate leaders of character.”
In addition to her impressive military career, Jebb is also a mother-of-three, marrying fellow West Point graduate Dr. Joel Jebb. The couple’s son Ben followed in their footsteps by entering West Point Military Academy in 2009.
With such an outstanding resume and glowing review from current West Point dean Trainor, do you think Congress will approve the nomination of the first female dean in West Point’s history?
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