Martha VanDriel (Martha S.H. VanDriel)
Colonel Martha S.H. VanDriel (née Hsu, |許和瑞’s daughter) is a retired U.S. Army officer who served for over 26 years. She is the first Taiwanese-American woman to graduate from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point (1991), graduating in the top 10% of her class. She retired in September 2017 from the Office of the Secretary of Defense.
Identity Snapshot
- English: Martha S.H. VanDriel (née Hsu)
- Chinese: 瑪莎·范德瑞爾
- Born: South Pasadena, California (daughter of Henry Hsu 許和瑞)
- Education: B.S. International Relations and International Strategic History, West Point (1991); M.A. National Security Studies, UNC-Chapel Hill (2000)
- Military Service: 26+ years (1991–2017)
- Rank: Colonel (retired)
- Branch: Military Intelligence; later Cyber Command
- Spouse: Michael VanDriel (fellow Army officer)
- Father: Henry Hsu (許和瑞), community leader; daughter Martha
- Geography: Washington, D.C. / Pentagon / various military assignments
Early Life
Martha’s parents, Henry Hsu and his wife, came to the United States in the early 1960s as graduate students from Taiwan. They met and married in California.
Before Martha was born, her father Henry had written several letters to his family in Taiwan that were critical of the ruling KMT government. The government intercepted the letters, placed Henry on a blacklist, and harassed his family so badly that they told him, “For your safety, do not return to Taiwan. And for our safety, please do not communicate with us any longer.” Henry refocused his future on staying in the United States, where he could earn a living, raise his family in safety, and express his political views peacefully.
Martha grew up in South Pasadena, California, where she excelled in high school. As a straight-A student, Academic Decathlon award winner, head cheerleader, editor of the school literary magazine, and swim team member, she was voted “Most Intelligent” and “Most Likely To Succeed” by her high school class.
When looking at potential colleges to attend, many people encouraged her to become a doctor, a lawyer, or an engineer — the usual accepted occupations for many Asian Americans. But Martha said: “I wanted to be different. I didn’t want to be typical. I felt that I had something to prove, and I wanted to gain the respect of others.”
She was intrigued by West Point and its famous graduates, and by how you couldn’t go there just because you did well academically — you had to do well academically, physically, and leadership-wise.
West Point
Martha’s Christian faith led her to accept West Point’s offer of admission. She said: “I knew that this is where God wanted me to be, and this helped me to stay at West Point, especially when things were very difficult during my first year there.”
The difficult academic, physical, and leadership discipline at West Point scared Martha, because these factors had historically caused about 30% of each West Point freshman class to drop out before graduation. In the end, Martha’s Christian faith led her to accept West Point’s offer.
In 1991, Martha graduated in the top 10% of her West Point class with a Bachelor of Sciences Degree in International Relations and International Strategic History. She was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Military Intelligence branch of the U.S. Army.
Military Career
Early Career
Martha’s early career was marked by success. She was the Honor Graduate of her West Point class. Her early assignments included:
- Company Commander at U.S. and South Korean Forces-Iraq Headquarters, Al Faw Palace, Camp Victory, Baghdad, in 2010
- Multiple leadership positions in Military Intelligence
Cyber Command
In 2011, at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, Martha was appointed the first Chief of Plans and Policy of the newly formed U.S. Army Cyber Command. This was a critical role in establishing the organizational structure and operational framework for the Army’s cyber operations.
Post-West Point Teaching
After company command, Martha married another Army officer, Michael VanDriel. She was accepted into an Army program that paid for her Master’s degree so that she could return to West Point to teach cadets. Therefore, in 2000, Martha earned a M.A. in National Security Studies from UNC-Chapel Hill, then returned to West Point to teach International Relations, International Security Studies, and the Politics and Strategy of Cyberwarfare.
Final Assignments
Martha’s last assignment before retiring in September 2017 was at the Office of the Principal Cyber Advisor at the Pentagon, where she served as the主管 (director) of the office that coordinates the personnel and training of nearly 30 different cyber warfare units under the U.S. Department of Defense.
Her earlier role was at the Office of the Secretary of Defense.
Retirement
Martha VanDriel retired from the U.S. Army in September 2017 after 26 years of service. She was immediately recruited by Merck Pharmaceuticals to serve as the head of their IT risk management department.
Legacy
Martha VanDriel’s story is remarkable for several reasons:
- She was the first Taiwanese-American woman to graduate from West Point
- She served in one of the most physically and mentally demanding roles in the U.S. military
- She rose to the rank of Colonel, one of the highest ranks achievable by a career officer
- She was instrumental in establishing the U.S. Army’s cyber warfare capabilities
- Her father’s experience with political persecution in Taiwan shaped the family’s values of freedom and democracy
From the record
- 2015-12-21 — 台灣公義報「台美人台加人」欄刊出〈Martha VanDriel 上校的西點軍校之路—傑出台美人第二代—台美人歷史協會專訪〉，於該站「西點軍校」標籤頁（Wayback 2024-06-21 快照）條目清楚列出，證明 TAHS 對她的專訪至遲於 2015 年底已在網路媒體發布，並確立她作為「傑出台美人第二代」的公共形象（TJJ 西點軍校標籤頁, 快照 2024-06-21）。
Source Notes and Confidence
- Content priority A: 2017 TAHS Publication (profile Part 2, ~150 lines), self-authored profile with editor’s note
- Content priority A: Contains detailed biographical narrative including early life, West Point, military career, and retirement
- Hub: |2017 TAHS Publication
- Note: The full text includes detailed biographical information including family background, education, and military career.