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2017 TASK FORCE HINES | March Back for USMA 2021

Derek kept a war journal. Within its pages he foreshadowed his fate. He also seemed to ponder his legacy, but not in a selfish way. He merely wanted the sacrifices of his men to matter. He wanted their, and ultimately his work to matter. He wanted it to last. He wanted to live on. That’s a human condition and Derek was deeply human. Derek’s journal entries tell of a human conflicted. They tell the story of a man who had a deep sense of compassion in an arena that gave very little in return. He cared about the humanity around him. He struggled to make sense of the horrors he faced during his time in Afghanistan and he struggled to make sense of himself within that space.

Derek lives on today through his family and his friends,  his parents Steve and Susan (pictured above) his classmates, teammates, and his Army Hockey Coach, Brian Riley. Through the annual Derek Hines Unsung Hero Award, he lives on through names like Cavallini, Vidal, Musico and O’Connor. His compassion is carried forward by Murphy, Farnham, Schmidt and Pietrus. His scrappy work ethic continues through Phillipich, Podsiad and Shribman. 

Now his story has resonated with over 1,000 new names — West Point’s class of 2021.

Task Force Hines is the name of the final 3 weeks of the United States Military Academy’s Cadet Basic Training. The final leg of Task Force Hines is a 12.2-mile foot march. 

In the summer of 2017, this foot march acted as a rite of passage for the class of 2021. But they weren’t alone in this rite. 274 Old Grads representing 44 classes from ’58 through ’16 marched the route from the training grounds at Camp Buckner to the steps of Washington Hall with the members of the Class of 2021.

The largest group of graduates (67 total) to join the march were from the Class of ‘71, the 50-Year Affiliation Class. Another group of graduates on the march were 20 of Derek’s classmates from the class of ‘03. 

These affiliations and tributes and legacies form a connective tissue that was felt in every step of that march. These crucial links within the greater West Point community serve as a reflection on the past and an inspiration for the future of the Long Gray Line.

FROM THE DEREK HINES FUND

A 2003 graduate of the United States Military Academy, 1LT Derek S. Hines, 25, died on September 1, 2005, in Baylough, Afghanistan. His unit was conducting security operations and came under attack by enemy forces using small arms fire. Even after he had been fatally shot, 1LT Hines continued to fire at the insurgents. Derek showed that same fortitude in everything he did.

Growing up in Amesbury and Newburyport, Massachusetts, he attended Immaculate Conception School until the fourth grade. He went to the Nock Middle school through eighth grade at which point he decided to attend St. John’s Prep School in Danvers, MA.

Derek thrived at St. John’s both academically and athletically. He was a four year starter on the varsity hockey team and a three year starter on the lacrosse team. He participated in a number of service projects at St. John’s distinguishing himself amongst his peers. He graduated as a member of the National Honor Society having made the honor roll through most of his career at St. John’s. In the spring of 1999 Derek made the difficult decision to attend the United States Military Academy.

At West Point Derek encountered many of the typical hardships felt by new students. He did not use the hardships as an excuse, however. Derek used any setback as motivation to eventually succeed. He succeeded in the classroom and as a member of the hockey team. By his senior year Derek was captain of a team that at one point he wasn’t sure if he would make. All who knew Derek were not surprised. He possessed the inherent ability to triumph even though odds might be against him. He was strong in every sense of the word.

September 11, 2001 changed the complexion of the world for everyone, especially those in the military. This did not deter Derek from seeking positions that might put him in harm’s way. Upon graduation from West Point, Derek continued his training with completion of Ranger and Airborne School after briefly serving as the Graduate Assitant to the Army hockey team.

Soon after completing the rigorous test of Ranger School, Derek joined the 173rd Airborne Division in Vicenza, Italy before being deployed to his unit in Afghanistan. After arriving in Afghanistan Derek joined his unit in their attempt to eradicate the country of terrorists and insurgents.

Derek is survived by his parents, Steve and Susan, and his younger siblings Michael, Ashley, and Trevor.

CADET

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