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A Graduate of TC's Eisenhower Leader Development Program is Killed in Afghanistan
Thomas Kennedy was a husband and father who had previously served two tours in Iraq
Major Thomas E. Kennedy, a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and a member of the fourth cohort of TC's Eisenhower Leader Development Program (ELDP), died last week in Afghanistan when an insurgent detonated a suicide vest in the town of Sarkowi in the Kunar province.
"TK was, as many of you know, an outstanding member of ELDP Cohort 4, a much respected TAC [tactical] officer, and a beloved husband and father," wrote Warner Burke, TC's Edward Lee Thorndike Professor of Psychology and Education, in a note to participants in the current ELDP cohort. "He, like so many of you who serve in the Armed Forces, had already served his country with great bravery and leadership. We are stunned at his loss. This is indeed a difficult time of sadness for his family and friends, the West Point community, and the Teachers College community."
The ELDP is a master's degree program serving U.S. Army officers, predominantly with the rank of Captain, at West Point. The program, is conducted in collaboration with West Point's Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership.
The 35-year-old Kennedy, whose father is a retired New York City homicide detective, leaves behind a wife and young twins. The younger Kennedy -'" who was posthumously awarded a Bronze Star Medal and Purple Heart -'" served two tours in Iraq before he was deployed to Afghanistan on July 18th.
Published Monday, Aug. 13, 2012
