The USMA Class of 1999 Sandhurst Conference took place at West Point’s Eisenhower Hall on 28 April 2025. This annual event is part of the General Albert C. Wedermyer Strategic Lecture Series and provides an intellectual counterpart to the Sandhurst military skills competition, serving as a way to further develop competitors’ mental agility and critical thinking skills.
This year’s conference included a panel discussion on the topic of drone warfare on the emerging battlefield, featuring Colonel Russ Lemler and Colonel Scott Wence from the US Army as well as Captain Connor Lister from the UK Army. The panelists shared their recent experiences with drone warfare in places like Iraq, Syria, and Ukraine and answered questions from the audience. Retired Lieutenant General James Jarrard provided the keynote address, and USMA leaders including the superintendent, commandant, and the director of MWI also offered remarks. More than five hundred Sandhurst participants from colleges, universities, and academies around the world, including more than a dozen foreign nations, participated in the conference and the question and answer period.
The Sandhurst Conference is made possible by the generosity of the West Point Class of 1999.
Image credit: United States Military Academy at West Point