“Learning How To Win (The Right Way)”: Brothers, Football, and Service To The Nation

Rich and Dave Richkowski both attended West Point, Rich graduating in 1992, and Dave in 1996. Rich had graduated from the Military Academy in 1992 by the time Dave started Beast Barracks with the Class of 1996. They both played on the 150 Pound (Sprint) football team, and both branched Armor upon graduating from the Military Academy. A formative experience for both of them was playing 150s at West Point. As Armor Officers, they learned the importance of getting their hands dirty and not being afraid to ask questions in order to learn from Soldiers. Rick returned to West Point to teach in the Systems Engineering Department and coach the Sprint Football team, and was at the Academy on September 11th, 2001, while Dave was serving in Korea. Both brothers eventually deployed to Southwest Asia, and met up with each other in the desert of Kuwait. In 2004, Rich left the military for the business world, while Dave continues to serve in the Operations Research / Systems Analyst field. In this interview, they discuss the commonalities and differences in their upbringing, their West Point experiences, and their careers.