Meet CDT James Flink, the CTC Cadet of the Month for December 2023. James grew up in Fairfield, Connecticut, and is the son of Abbey and Peter Flink. At West Point, James is a senior majoring in International Affairs with a minor in Terrorism Studies. Additionally, James competes with the Black and Gold Sandhurst Team and is a member of Officers’ Christian Fellowship (OCF) where he serves as a small group mentor. This semester, James served as his company’s Military Development Officer and is looking forward to his role as a platoon leader during the spring term. In his free time, James enjoys spending time outdoors, playing sports and hiking.
Since joining the Terrorism Studies Minor, James has had several opportunities to participate in CTC-sponsored conferences and attend lectures given by top DoD officials as well as military members from partner nations around the globe. James was also selected to participate in a trip to the Middle East this past summer to study the Abraham Accords and the counterterrorism strategies of America’s regional partners there, including Israel and Jordan. James had the chance to speak with top defense, intelligence, and law enforcement officials and learn how the United States can leverage its alliances to combat terrorism even as near-peer competition looms on the horizon.
James branched Infantry in November and looks forward to serving his country as a platoon leader. James hopes to eventually attend graduate school and return to teach at West Point in the Social Sciences Department.
