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ALLIES SCUSA Guktae An   Reflection on SCUSA               My experience at the Student Conference on United States Affairs at West Point was that of acquiring new information and building friendship among diverse group of college friends. My personal round table was the Middle East Gulf States. It was a topic I wasn’t too familiar with, but I prepared myself for the discussions. The time at the conference brought many emotions, but also new understandings. From just being at a military academy to attending panels on United States policies and challenges, I was exposed to the array of challenges and seriousness of a civil military relationship.             The conference was first that of a culture shock. I learned about the many of the rules and regulations that play a large role in the military’s disciplinary field. Waking up early, dining, and conversing with the military cadets helped me understand more of the mindset behind their actions. During the program, I’ve seen many cadets waiting for orders or stepping up when no one volunteered to take initiative to get things done. The cadets had to train under a rigorous program involving physical challenges as well as academic hardships. I believe all of these activities facilitated in building a serious and focus oriented military academy.             At the conference, I was given the opportunity to acquaintance many students and cadets, but also, listen to the words of world renown leaders. Many of the conference speakers would not the significance of this conference because different professions interact together to solve new challenges of the US foreign affairs. World politics, economy, and culture are changing and current issues cannot be fixed by just an old mindset. Moreover, this conference was re-emphasized the importance of building a civil military relationship. These were the messages given by the Keynote speaker, Ambassador Zalmay Kahalizad.             In my Middle East Gulf States group, we were privileged to have students from around the world as well as a colonel and a Human Terrain analyst. With the experience of being in the military for many years, the colonel challenged us with many issues that as students we would not know of such as issue of building a secure country and counterterrorism. Also, the Human Terrain analyst brought up cultural and other stability challenges in Iraq. The colonel and the analyst were significant to our discussion, and helped us build creative plans for our policies. Personally, I felt the need to have some kind of experience in the army.             SCUSA helped me understand the complex process and difficulties in the making of United States policies. And through building civil military relations, I feel the complex process and new challenges can be met with new and creative ideas. During the conference, I have built many friendships, but also a deeper understanding in the mindset of the military by communicating with one another. By communicating, we became more aware of each other’s viewpoints and thoughts, which brought about various proposals, suggestions, and consensus for our group.