The Bryan Peck Memorial Scholarship was established in May 2000 in memory of Bryan Peck, a cadet at Wentworth from 1998-1999. Cadet Peck was a member of the WMA band. During his time at Wentworth, Cadet Peck displayed the hightest standards traditions of the Corps of Cadets. The 2012 recipient for the Bryan Peck Memorial Scholarship is Cadet Sarah Shepherd from Aurora, Colorado.
13 Ekim 2012 Cumartesi
2012 Bryan Peck Memorial Scholarship
To contact us Click HERE
The Bryan Peck Memorial Scholarship was established in May 2000 in memory of Bryan Peck, a cadet at Wentworth from 1998-1999. Cadet Peck was a member of the WMA band. During his time at Wentworth, Cadet Peck displayed the hightest standards traditions of the Corps of Cadets. The 2012 recipient for the Bryan Peck Memorial Scholarship is Cadet Sarah Shepherd from Aurora, Colorado.
The Bryan Peck Memorial Scholarship was established in May 2000 in memory of Bryan Peck, a cadet at Wentworth from 1998-1999. Cadet Peck was a member of the WMA band. During his time at Wentworth, Cadet Peck displayed the hightest standards traditions of the Corps of Cadets. The 2012 recipient for the Bryan Peck Memorial Scholarship is Cadet Sarah Shepherd from Aurora, Colorado.
2012 Major Keith Maring Math Scholarship
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Major Keith Maring Math Scholarship was established in 1989 in memory of MAJ Keith L. Maring, the mathematics instructor at Wentworth from 1957-1988.
The scholarship is awarded to a college freshman cadet pursuing the field of mathematics or science and returning to Wentworth for their sophomore year.
The 2012 recipient of the Major Keith Maring Math Scholarship is Cadet Captain Dean Schevker of San Diego, California.
Major Keith Maring Math Scholarship was established in 1989 in memory of MAJ Keith L. Maring, the mathematics instructor at Wentworth from 1957-1988. The scholarship is awarded to a college freshman cadet pursuing the field of mathematics or science and returning to Wentworth for their sophomore year.
The 2012 recipient of the Major Keith Maring Math Scholarship is Cadet Captain Dean Schevker of San Diego, California.
2012 Russ Hamblin Band Scholarship
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The Russ Hamblin Band Scholarship is presented in memory of Nelson Russell "Russ" Hamblin who attended Wentworth Military Academy & College from 1960-62 and graduated as a Junior College Cadet.
Russ entered the United States Army and became a Drum Major in a U.S. Army Ceremonial Band due to his experience with the Wentworth Band while he was a Cadet. His family and former band members are proud to honor the memory of Russ and his admiration of the Wentworht Marching Bands with this Scholarship.
The 2012 recipients of the Russ Hamblin Band Scholarship are: Cadet Staff Sergeant Ian Allard
Cadet 1st Sergeant Charles Hunkles
The Russ Hamblin Band Scholarship is presented in memory of Nelson Russell "Russ" Hamblin who attended Wentworth Military Academy & College from 1960-62 and graduated as a Junior College Cadet. Russ entered the United States Army and became a Drum Major in a U.S. Army Ceremonial Band due to his experience with the Wentworth Band while he was a Cadet. His family and former band members are proud to honor the memory of Russ and his admiration of the Wentworht Marching Bands with this Scholarship.
The 2012 recipients of the Russ Hamblin Band Scholarship are: Cadet Staff Sergeant Ian Allard
Cadet 1st Sergeant Charles Hunkles
2012 Department of the Army Superior Cadet Decorations Awarded
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The Department of the Army Superior Cadet Decoration is presented to JROTC cadets at each leadership education and training level, who is in the top 25% of their JROTC class and their high school academic class. The candidate must also have demonstrated qualities of discipline, military proficiency and leadership.
The recipients for the Department of the Army Superior Cadet Decoration are:
MS4- Cadet Captain Ryne Relford from St. Joseph, Missouri.
MS3- Cadet 1st sgt Jordan Spence from Mesa, Arizona.
MS2- Cadett Segeant First Class Dalton Striebel from Destin, Florida.
MS1- Cadet Staff Segeant Brant Cross from Caiz, Kentucky.
LET4- Cadet 2nd Lieutenant Matthew Wyman of Springfield, Missouri.
LET3- Cadet Marco Siabatto of Colombia.
LET2- Cadet Command Sergeant Major Ethan Hannan of Arkansas.
LET1- Cadet Segeant Eli Rowell from Ashley, Illinois.
The Department of the Army Superior Cadet Decoration is presented to JROTC cadets at each leadership education and training level, who is in the top 25% of their JROTC class and their high school academic class. The candidate must also have demonstrated qualities of discipline, military proficiency and leadership. The recipients for the Department of the Army Superior Cadet Decoration are:
MS4- Cadet Captain Ryne Relford from St. Joseph, Missouri.
MS3- Cadet 1st sgt Jordan Spence from Mesa, Arizona.
MS2- Cadett Segeant First Class Dalton Striebel from Destin, Florida.
MS1- Cadet Staff Segeant Brant Cross from Caiz, Kentucky.
LET4- Cadet 2nd Lieutenant Matthew Wyman of Springfield, Missouri.
LET3- Cadet Marco Siabatto of Colombia.
LET2- Cadet Command Sergeant Major Ethan Hannan of Arkansas.
LET1- Cadet Segeant Eli Rowell from Ashley, Illinois.
Homecoming Queen 2012
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Queen: Cadet Luamalae Andrea Mapu
1st Princess: Cadet Gordon
Cadet Gordon is a member of the Battalion Staff for the 133rd Corps of Cadets at Wentworth.
In addition to her duties and responsibilities for the 133rd Corps of Cadets and as a student, Ariel works in the Public Affairs Department at Wentworth where her photography and graphic arts skills are put to work on a daily basis.
In her free time, Cadet Gordon’s hobbies are reading, writing and photography.
In 2011, Cadet Gordon was awarded the Lexington Rotary Club “Cadet of the Month” Award.
2nd Princess: Shelby Woodward
During high school Shelby participated in volleyball and basketball receiving many honors. At Wentworth, Shelby is currently one of the captains of the Wentworth Junior College Volleyball Team. In her time participating in volleyball at Wentworth, Woodward has received NJCAA Region 16 All-Region honors, NJCAA Superior Academic Achievement honors and the Wentworth Volleyball Athlete of the Year honors in 2011-2012.
Off the court, Shelby is also the President of Phi Theta Kappa and is a student worker in the Wentworth Admissions office working primarily with the commuter student population. Shelby has also been an intern in the Public Relations office and is the statistician for the college men’s basketball team.
Shelby’s favorite Wentworth memory is of the College Women’s Volleyball teams’ recent trip to Colorado Springs, Colorado where they tied for first in a tournament held at the Air Force Academy Prep School and were able to sightsee around Colorado Springs. She specifically enjoyed the Olympic Training Center and being a part of making volleyball history on campus.
Queen: Cadet Luamalae Andrea Mapu1st Princess: Cadet Gordon
Cadet Gordon is a member of the Battalion Staff for the 133rd Corps of Cadets at Wentworth.
In addition to her duties and responsibilities for the 133rd Corps of Cadets and as a student, Ariel works in the Public Affairs Department at Wentworth where her photography and graphic arts skills are put to work on a daily basis.
In her free time, Cadet Gordon’s hobbies are reading, writing and photography.
In 2011, Cadet Gordon was awarded the Lexington Rotary Club “Cadet of the Month” Award.
2nd Princess: Shelby Woodward
During high school Shelby participated in volleyball and basketball receiving many honors. At Wentworth, Shelby is currently one of the captains of the Wentworth Junior College Volleyball Team. In her time participating in volleyball at Wentworth, Woodward has received NJCAA Region 16 All-Region honors, NJCAA Superior Academic Achievement honors and the Wentworth Volleyball Athlete of the Year honors in 2011-2012.
Off the court, Shelby is also the President of Phi Theta Kappa and is a student worker in the Wentworth Admissions office working primarily with the commuter student population. Shelby has also been an intern in the Public Relations office and is the statistician for the college men’s basketball team.
Shelby’s favorite Wentworth memory is of the College Women’s Volleyball teams’ recent trip to Colorado Springs, Colorado where they tied for first in a tournament held at the Air Force Academy Prep School and were able to sightsee around Colorado Springs. She specifically enjoyed the Olympic Training Center and being a part of making volleyball history on campus.
12 Ekim 2012 Cuma
The Sweet Taste of Freedom
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... tastes remarkably like peanut M&M's.
Today I woke up to a new world... one in which I'm no longer a Basic Training soldier. My AIT (Advanced Individual Training for Psychological Operations) starts a week before Basic Training Graduation, so the Army had no choice but to graduate me early.
After wakeup call, everyone else went down to begin the arduous task of cleaning all of our gear. It has to be turned in just as clean as we got it. I was different. I was shipping out today! Instead of joining the cleaning party, I packed up a few things and walked myself down to chow. A corporal then drove me over to Outprocessing, which took just a few minutes. I was given a Grayhound ticket to get me from Fort Jackson, South Carolina to Fort Bragg, North Carolina. That bus was set to depart at 1700 (that's 5PM for you civilians), and I had about 8 hours of time to fill.
My Class A uniform (the one that looks like a suit with lots of pins and ribbons on it) was still in the cleaners for pressing, so DS Annoyed drove me over to get it out. On that trip, when we were alone, he talked to me like he would to any other adult. It was almost surreal. He constantly hollers and tries to instill discipline, far more so than any other Drill Sergeant. There he was, talking to me like a colleague. Like a fellow soldier. He shared with me that he takes such a strong approach because he feels that soldiers who leave IET (Initial Entry Training = Basic + AIT) without discipline are at risk on the battlefield. I can't argue with that. Many people I saw in Basic are likely to do the wrong thing under pressure. It's widely believed among NCO's that I've met that Jessica Lynch and her unit got into such trouble (and many died) due to lack of discipline.
The laundry facility itself was truely impressive. It reminded me much more of a factory than of the cleaners on the corner. It was huge. There must have been thousands and thousands of uniforms there, being cleaned, pressed, repaired, taken in or taken out.
Class A's in hand, DS Annoyed said I'm officially done with BCT. I asked him if I could walk myself to the PX (kind of like a mall with a Walmart). He thought for a moment, then said "you're officially en route to Ft. Bragg, so you can go where you want".
What a strange feeling. No one looking over my shoulder, free to go where I want at my own pace. Free to eat whatever I want! MRE's come with a piece of candy or a cookie. Back in the day when we were still allowed to eat that treat (before a few girls were caught eating the chicklet-sized rubber - uh, gum - that comes with them), I always hoped to get the Peanut M&M's, but never did. Now, cash in hand, I walked up to the PX and bought some. Oh, boy. Free at last. Free to... eat Peanut M&M's. Freedom never tasted so sweet (and crunchy).
Returning to the barracks to say final farewells, I could not resist the temptation to slide a bit of forbidden fruit under a few friends pillows. I hope they enjoyed it!
Today I woke up to a new world... one in which I'm no longer a Basic Training soldier. My AIT (Advanced Individual Training for Psychological Operations) starts a week before Basic Training Graduation, so the Army had no choice but to graduate me early.
After wakeup call, everyone else went down to begin the arduous task of cleaning all of our gear. It has to be turned in just as clean as we got it. I was different. I was shipping out today! Instead of joining the cleaning party, I packed up a few things and walked myself down to chow. A corporal then drove me over to Outprocessing, which took just a few minutes. I was given a Grayhound ticket to get me from Fort Jackson, South Carolina to Fort Bragg, North Carolina. That bus was set to depart at 1700 (that's 5PM for you civilians), and I had about 8 hours of time to fill.
My Class A uniform (the one that looks like a suit with lots of pins and ribbons on it) was still in the cleaners for pressing, so DS Annoyed drove me over to get it out. On that trip, when we were alone, he talked to me like he would to any other adult. It was almost surreal. He constantly hollers and tries to instill discipline, far more so than any other Drill Sergeant. There he was, talking to me like a colleague. Like a fellow soldier. He shared with me that he takes such a strong approach because he feels that soldiers who leave IET (Initial Entry Training = Basic + AIT) without discipline are at risk on the battlefield. I can't argue with that. Many people I saw in Basic are likely to do the wrong thing under pressure. It's widely believed among NCO's that I've met that Jessica Lynch and her unit got into such trouble (and many died) due to lack of discipline.
The laundry facility itself was truely impressive. It reminded me much more of a factory than of the cleaners on the corner. It was huge. There must have been thousands and thousands of uniforms there, being cleaned, pressed, repaired, taken in or taken out.
Class A's in hand, DS Annoyed said I'm officially done with BCT. I asked him if I could walk myself to the PX (kind of like a mall with a Walmart). He thought for a moment, then said "you're officially en route to Ft. Bragg, so you can go where you want".
What a strange feeling. No one looking over my shoulder, free to go where I want at my own pace. Free to eat whatever I want! MRE's come with a piece of candy or a cookie. Back in the day when we were still allowed to eat that treat (before a few girls were caught eating the chicklet-sized rubber - uh, gum - that comes with them), I always hoped to get the Peanut M&M's, but never did. Now, cash in hand, I walked up to the PX and bought some. Oh, boy. Free at last. Free to... eat Peanut M&M's. Freedom never tasted so sweet (and crunchy).
Returning to the barracks to say final farewells, I could not resist the temptation to slide a bit of forbidden fruit under a few friends pillows. I hope they enjoyed it!
The Calm Before the Storm
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The bus ride up to Fort Bragg was uneventful and relaxing. I felt happy, mostly because I was able to spend around two hours on the phone with my fiancee before boarding the Grayhound. As the bus sped through the night, I could not help but wonder what AIT would be like. Many of the guys at Fort Jackson had friends who joined a bit earlier and had already moved on to AIT. We heard that it's pretty much a 9-6, Monday-Friday affair. We heard that they got their cell phones after the first week. We heard that "punishment" was doing 10 pushups, and then everyone could order pizza. We didn't hear wrong (as far as I know). BUT, none of these people were in AIT for Special Operations. That makes a world of difference, as I would discover.
I traveled with one other person, a female whose graduation date also got messed up. We arrived at Fort Bragg late at night. Upon checking in with the Drill Sergeant on duty, I found that I was assigned to a room with three other people. Gone were the 8 man bays of BCT. We each had our own bed, a nightstand, clock, dresser and chair. Something else was different, too - the people. If BCT was like an inner city high school, AIT was turning out to be much more like Freshman year at an ivy league school. I found I was not the only one to score a 99 on the ASVAB. In fact, there were several of us. I also was not the only one to receive a leadership award. The people around me were - sharp.
I fell asleep happy about my situation, and wondering what the next day would bring.
I traveled with one other person, a female whose graduation date also got messed up. We arrived at Fort Bragg late at night. Upon checking in with the Drill Sergeant on duty, I found that I was assigned to a room with three other people. Gone were the 8 man bays of BCT. We each had our own bed, a nightstand, clock, dresser and chair. Something else was different, too - the people. If BCT was like an inner city high school, AIT was turning out to be much more like Freshman year at an ivy league school. I found I was not the only one to score a 99 on the ASVAB. In fact, there were several of us. I also was not the only one to receive a leadership award. The people around me were - sharp.
I fell asleep happy about my situation, and wondering what the next day would bring.
Gettin' Dirty
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The morning started off ... not so well at all. It had rained the night before, the PT field was muddy. (Can you guess where this is going? :-) Somehow whatever we did, we were not fast enough, did not push hard enough, did not try hard enough. After stretching and several rounds of pushups and flutter kicks, the Drill Sergeants told us to run down a hill (to a point where we could no longer see them) and await instructions. They then called "Fall In!" (the command to get into formation). We sprinted as fast as we could, lined up into something vaguely resembling a formation (many would call it a gaggle), and then tried to straighten out into four uniform rows. After we failed miserably for a minute or so, one of the Drill Sergeants would yell out "Too slow! Back down the hill!". After about the fourth iteration, the Drill Sergeant stood so that we would have to stand in deep muddy puddles and called "Fall In!". I thought "sh*t, my socks are going to get wet." Somehow, in the back of my mind, I knew my socks were the least of my worries.
As our feet became wet, the Drill Sergeant called out "Front leaning rest position - Move!". You may recall from a previous blog that the "front leaning rest position" has nothing to do with resting. You get down on hands and feet, body straight, ready to perform the pushup. "Down!" called the Drill Sergeant. We moved down in unison. "Up!" was the next command we expected to hear, but it never came. Instead, we heard "All the way down!" There we were, face down in the puddle. "Roll to the left!", "Roll to the right!", "Roll to the left!", "More to the left!" (to make sure everyone ended up in the deep part of the puddle. "Up!"
After that, we did our final stretches, and were dismissed to go upstairs, shower, and get ready for our first day of HMMWV driving school. You might think that we would be upset, but the opposite was true. In the shower we all kept talking about how much fun it was to roll around in the mud - kind of like being a kid again.
As our feet became wet, the Drill Sergeant called out "Front leaning rest position - Move!". You may recall from a previous blog that the "front leaning rest position" has nothing to do with resting. You get down on hands and feet, body straight, ready to perform the pushup. "Down!" called the Drill Sergeant. We moved down in unison. "Up!" was the next command we expected to hear, but it never came. Instead, we heard "All the way down!" There we were, face down in the puddle. "Roll to the left!", "Roll to the right!", "Roll to the left!", "More to the left!" (to make sure everyone ended up in the deep part of the puddle. "Up!"
After that, we did our final stretches, and were dismissed to go upstairs, shower, and get ready for our first day of HMMWV driving school. You might think that we would be upset, but the opposite was true. In the shower we all kept talking about how much fun it was to roll around in the mud - kind of like being a kid again.
Governor's Race
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While I've been trying to force myself to remember what happens to alcohols in the presence of aqueous sulfuric acid, Kos diarist N in Seattle has been paying attention to the WA Governor's race. Here's his summary of the race as of Tuesday, with 32 of 39 counties reporting:
Here's his summary of Thursday's results, with Skagit, Thurston, and Whatcom Counties reporting in. Which is to say that only 40% of the states votes have been officially recounted to date. So waiting (patiently or not) remains the only option.
...The composite story through Tuesday is that, even with over four-fifths of all counties reporting, only about 32% of Washington's gubernatorial ballots have been recounted. A mere 13% of the recounted ballots were cast in counties where Christine Gregoire outpolled Dino Rossi. Some 439 new for-a-candidate votes have been tallied -- 184 for Gregoire, 248 for Rossi, 7 for Bennett. If we accept all numbers shown on the Secretary of State website, including the clearly-erroneous ballot count from Cowlitz County, the new-found vote rate is now 4.8/10000 ballots. From that value, we can estimate that the total number of new-found votes for a candidate might be 1375. That's down quite a bit from Monday (5.8/10000, 1687) and the weekend (7.1/10000, 2058). However, this estimate doesn't take into account the several hundred improperly-invalidated ballots from King County.
Wait-and-see remains the only rational outlook on the Washington gubernatorial race.
Here's his summary of Thursday's results, with Skagit, Thurston, and Whatcom Counties reporting in. Which is to say that only 40% of the states votes have been officially recounted to date. So waiting (patiently or not) remains the only option.
Secretary's Office on the Recount
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Just talked with a communications staffer in Secretary of State Sam Reed's office regarding the contentious recount appeal currently on the docket of the State Supreme court.
She said that the Secretary of State's current position under CW 29A60210 was "basically requesting that the Supreme Court make it clear that canvassing boards have discretion to correct errors or fix discrepancies in the count." Speaking for the SoS, she said it was their belief that "there is a safety valve", and that a previous Supreme Court ruling didn't say the ballots now in question shouldn't be counted.
To distinguish this motion to clarify from other battles fought over the recount, she said that in the previous State Supreme Court case the Democrats had insisted that all rejected ballots be recanvassed. This case, however, regards only correcting errors or inconsistencies in canvassing.
She said that the Secretary of State's current position under CW 29A60210 was "basically requesting that the Supreme Court make it clear that canvassing boards have discretion to correct errors or fix discrepancies in the count." Speaking for the SoS, she said it was their belief that "there is a safety valve", and that a previous Supreme Court ruling didn't say the ballots now in question shouldn't be counted.
To distinguish this motion to clarify from other battles fought over the recount, she said that in the previous State Supreme Court case the Democrats had insisted that all rejected ballots be recanvassed. This case, however, regards only correcting errors or inconsistencies in canvassing.
11 Ekim 2012 Perşembe
Displaced Civilians
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I arrived at AIT the night before most of my fellow students. When we got up in the morning, a certain Drill Sergeant Barker gathered up the 6 of us who were already at AIT and showed us his standards for cleaning the common areas of the barracks, then gave us MRE's and sent us to relax outside. DS Barker' demeanor was much more Bill Cosby than Sgt. Carter. He seemed like a man who possesses calm authority - like a man who gets his way without ever raising his voice. This suspicion would prove to be true.
A MRE meal in Basic Training was punctuated with people trying to get the best possible trades with their peers, whining and complaining until someone trades away their Peanut M&M's for Cheese with Jalipenos (or until the meal was done, which usually happened first). My first breakfast at AIT was different. People were not trying to eat as much as they possibly could. In fact, many people shared their goodies with the other students, or just plain gave them away. It felt good to be with people who don't place themselves above all else. It showed in the way they shared their food, and would later show in the way they show dedication to the mission and to their battle buddies.
Then came the "shark attack" ... or so we thought. The bus with the rest of the class pulled up, drill sergeants began to gather with stern looks on their face. We tensed, suspecting that the DS's would tear into the class at any moment. What happened next was the first of many events that showed that Psychological Operations is different.
We placed our possessions down in formation, and were instructed to file through a tent to sign in. Then, friendly NCO's in full battle rattle started handing us water, while others walked next to us, asking us innoculous questions about where we're from, what our name is, introducing themselves by first name, and asking us if we have everything we need. It was ... surreal.
They walked us into an area that was enclosed with engineer tape (white cloth tape, about 3" wide). We clearly were being contained, but the "guards" were very friendly. Next we heard a HMMWV (High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle - Hum-vie) fire up it's motor, and it rolled up a small hill into our view. Atop it was a powerful loudspeaker system. And then came ... The Laugh. Sergeant Bowers has a loud, overpowering, manical laugh worthy of a Hollywood movie. It is an incredible tool to demoralize the enemy. He would later show us a video of him sitting in a HMMWV in Fallujah as a 500lb bomb demolished a building in an airstrike his team had called in. In the instant of impact, The Laugh started up - demoralizing all enemy within earshot.
Each Instructor and Drill Sergeant was introduced in turn, then we were instructed to return to our gear. That's when all hell broke loose. We were given our room assignments, then given two minutes flat to get our gear upstairs and secured, then get back down in formation. There was the expected bottleneck at the doorway as everyone tried to get in first, then again in the stairs on the way up. I found my room (luckily it was very close to the stairway), and then promptly realized that I had no clue where I had packed my lock, and suspected it was at the very bottom of my duffle. Not paniced, but certainly concerned about the prospect of being singled out on Day One, I told my new roommate "Oh sh!t, I can't find my lock!". Calmly, the man who would prove to be one of the finest soldiers in AIT, pulled out a spare lock and slapped it on my locker, gave it a tug to make sure it was secure. That done, we raced down the stair together. A little stress situation like that gives you great insight into the character of a man. SPC Paul "Esca" Escajadillo put his battle buddy ahead of himself when he took a moment to help me secure my locker, and it would show again and again that he does the right thing, rather than what is convenient for him.
We ran back into formation, and stood at attention wondering what would happen next. It had certainly been more than two minutes by the time that the last soldiers returned. Would we be punished for taking too long? The next thing that happened was truely comical to me, in particular because my locker was secured. Clothes came pooring out of the windows! Shoes came flying down, BDU's floated a bit slower. The ground was soon littered with uniforms, socks and underwear. Then, DS Patterson - a short, athletic black woman - appeared at an upstairs window and announced in a voice that belies her short stature "Where is Private Hick*"? When the Private announced himself, she held up a magazine and asked "What the hell is this, Private Tits & Ass?" Now I could not find the exact cover, but start with this:
A MRE meal in Basic Training was punctuated with people trying to get the best possible trades with their peers, whining and complaining until someone trades away their Peanut M&M's for Cheese with Jalipenos (or until the meal was done, which usually happened first). My first breakfast at AIT was different. People were not trying to eat as much as they possibly could. In fact, many people shared their goodies with the other students, or just plain gave them away. It felt good to be with people who don't place themselves above all else. It showed in the way they shared their food, and would later show in the way they show dedication to the mission and to their battle buddies.
Then came the "shark attack" ... or so we thought. The bus with the rest of the class pulled up, drill sergeants began to gather with stern looks on their face. We tensed, suspecting that the DS's would tear into the class at any moment. What happened next was the first of many events that showed that Psychological Operations is different.
We placed our possessions down in formation, and were instructed to file through a tent to sign in. Then, friendly NCO's in full battle rattle started handing us water, while others walked next to us, asking us innoculous questions about where we're from, what our name is, introducing themselves by first name, and asking us if we have everything we need. It was ... surreal.
They walked us into an area that was enclosed with engineer tape (white cloth tape, about 3" wide). We clearly were being contained, but the "guards" were very friendly. Next we heard a HMMWV (High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle - Hum-vie) fire up it's motor, and it rolled up a small hill into our view. Atop it was a powerful loudspeaker system. And then came ... The Laugh. Sergeant Bowers has a loud, overpowering, manical laugh worthy of a Hollywood movie. It is an incredible tool to demoralize the enemy. He would later show us a video of him sitting in a HMMWV in Fallujah as a 500lb bomb demolished a building in an airstrike his team had called in. In the instant of impact, The Laugh started up - demoralizing all enemy within earshot.
Each Instructor and Drill Sergeant was introduced in turn, then we were instructed to return to our gear. That's when all hell broke loose. We were given our room assignments, then given two minutes flat to get our gear upstairs and secured, then get back down in formation. There was the expected bottleneck at the doorway as everyone tried to get in first, then again in the stairs on the way up. I found my room (luckily it was very close to the stairway), and then promptly realized that I had no clue where I had packed my lock, and suspected it was at the very bottom of my duffle. Not paniced, but certainly concerned about the prospect of being singled out on Day One, I told my new roommate "Oh sh!t, I can't find my lock!". Calmly, the man who would prove to be one of the finest soldiers in AIT, pulled out a spare lock and slapped it on my locker, gave it a tug to make sure it was secure. That done, we raced down the stair together. A little stress situation like that gives you great insight into the character of a man. SPC Paul "Esca" Escajadillo put his battle buddy ahead of himself when he took a moment to help me secure my locker, and it would show again and again that he does the right thing, rather than what is convenient for him.
We ran back into formation, and stood at attention wondering what would happen next. It had certainly been more than two minutes by the time that the last soldiers returned. Would we be punished for taking too long? The next thing that happened was truely comical to me, in particular because my locker was secured. Clothes came pooring out of the windows! Shoes came flying down, BDU's floated a bit slower. The ground was soon littered with uniforms, socks and underwear. Then, DS Patterson - a short, athletic black woman - appeared at an upstairs window and announced in a voice that belies her short stature "Where is Private Hick*"? When the Private announced himself, she held up a magazine and asked "What the hell is this, Private Tits & Ass?" Now I could not find the exact cover, but start with this:
Remove a bunch of the clothing, and add paint splats all over the model. The Private was out of trouble when it was realized that he had a paintball magazine, but the nickname Private T&A stuck for the rest of the course.
Once the T&A incident was over, we acted as a team to gather up the scattered belongings of our battle buddies who had not secured their wall locker, and moved upstairs to get properly settled into our new quarters.
* Name changed to protect the innocent
This Place is Different
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The very first night in Reception Battalion (the first week of Basic Combat Training), we were issued a plastic 2 quart canteen. It looked like the kind of thing they issued in WWII. In fact, I'm pretty sure mine was first issued in WWII.
When we left Reception Battalion for the meaty part of BCT, all of the Drill Sergeants wore a Camelbak, while we toted around our uncomfortable 2 quarts. The Drill Sergeants made a point to let us know that they were issued their Camelbaks, a privilege of graduating from Drill Sergeant School.
Today, at AIT, we were issued our basic gear. First we received a Blackhawk brand backpack. An omen, I thought. I hope to fly Blackhawk helicopters in the future. It's quite a nice backpack, rugged and comfortable to wear. That was to be our book bag for the classroom portion of AIT. It also came in handy for missions in the field. Then we were all issued - a Camelbak! As a civilian you might say "no big deal, I have a Camelbak, too". What you need to realize is that the military takes away pretty much all of your privileges when you enter basic training, then slowly restores them as you prove yourself. No one in any other AIT receives a Camelbak (as far as I know). It proved to be herald of things to come - Special Operations training is very well funded compared to other AIT's (and very well run as well).
When we left Reception Battalion for the meaty part of BCT, all of the Drill Sergeants wore a Camelbak, while we toted around our uncomfortable 2 quarts. The Drill Sergeants made a point to let us know that they were issued their Camelbaks, a privilege of graduating from Drill Sergeant School.
Today, at AIT, we were issued our basic gear. First we received a Blackhawk brand backpack. An omen, I thought. I hope to fly Blackhawk helicopters in the future. It's quite a nice backpack, rugged and comfortable to wear. That was to be our book bag for the classroom portion of AIT. It also came in handy for missions in the field. Then we were all issued - a Camelbak! As a civilian you might say "no big deal, I have a Camelbak, too". What you need to realize is that the military takes away pretty much all of your privileges when you enter basic training, then slowly restores them as you prove yourself. No one in any other AIT receives a Camelbak (as far as I know). It proved to be herald of things to come - Special Operations training is very well funded compared to other AIT's (and very well run as well).
Survival
To contact us Click HERE
This morning we were standing in formation, getting a briefing from the Drill Sergeants about what to expect from the class. At one point they told us about survival training. We learned that they will teach us how to kill and prepare chickens, so that if we're ever trapped behind enemy lines we can do it quietly without being discovered. One Drill Sergeant went into some detail about what it is like to kill a chicken, watching closely for students that show signs of being squirmish. I bet those are the ones that will be selected to demonstrate the kills :-)
At this point, a young recruit named McWillie enteres the story. He acts extremely overzealously, shouting out "Drill Sergeant yes Drill Sergeant!" and the like (normally you only see that in Full Metal Jacket these days). He shouts it in such a strange voice that you just know he's messing with the Drill Sergeants, but he has such a serious look on his face that no Drill Sergeant has called him on it.
The Drill Sergeant finished telling us about the chickens. A few of us were casually sucking down water from our Camelbaks. The DS asked if there are any questions. McWillie shot his hand up, and was promptly called on. He shouted out in his highly enthusiastic voice "Drill Sergeant, I don't want to kill chickens. I want to kill a BEAR!!!" Have the class spat out their water, and we all burst into laughter. The Drill Sergeant couldn't help himself - he started to laugh with us.
At this point, a young recruit named McWillie enteres the story. He acts extremely overzealously, shouting out "Drill Sergeant yes Drill Sergeant!" and the like (normally you only see that in Full Metal Jacket these days). He shouts it in such a strange voice that you just know he's messing with the Drill Sergeants, but he has such a serious look on his face that no Drill Sergeant has called him on it.
The Drill Sergeant finished telling us about the chickens. A few of us were casually sucking down water from our Camelbaks. The DS asked if there are any questions. McWillie shot his hand up, and was promptly called on. He shouted out in his highly enthusiastic voice "Drill Sergeant, I don't want to kill chickens. I want to kill a BEAR!!!" Have the class spat out their water, and we all burst into laughter. The Drill Sergeant couldn't help himself - he started to laugh with us.
Gettin' Dirty
To contact us Click HERE
The morning started off ... not so well at all. It had rained the night before, the PT field was muddy. (Can you guess where this is going? :-) Somehow whatever we did, we were not fast enough, did not push hard enough, did not try hard enough. After stretching and several rounds of pushups and flutter kicks, the Drill Sergeants told us to run down a hill (to a point where we could no longer see them) and await instructions. They then called "Fall In!" (the command to get into formation). We sprinted as fast as we could, lined up into something vaguely resembling a formation (many would call it a gaggle), and then tried to straighten out into four uniform rows. After we failed miserably for a minute or so, one of the Drill Sergeants would yell out "Too slow! Back down the hill!". After about the fourth iteration, the Drill Sergeant stood so that we would have to stand in deep muddy puddles and called "Fall In!". I thought "sh*t, my socks are going to get wet." Somehow, in the back of my mind, I knew my socks were the least of my worries.
As our feet became wet, the Drill Sergeant called out "Front leaning rest position - Move!". You may recall from a previous blog that the "front leaning rest position" has nothing to do with resting. You get down on hands and feet, body straight, ready to perform the pushup. "Down!" called the Drill Sergeant. We moved down in unison. "Up!" was the next command we expected to hear, but it never came. Instead, we heard "All the way down!" There we were, face down in the puddle. "Roll to the left!", "Roll to the right!", "Roll to the left!", "More to the left!" (to make sure everyone ended up in the deep part of the puddle. "Up!"
After that, we did our final stretches, and were dismissed to go upstairs, shower, and get ready for our first day of HMMWV driving school. You might think that we would be upset, but the opposite was true. In the shower we all kept talking about how much fun it was to roll around in the mud - kind of like being a kid again.
As our feet became wet, the Drill Sergeant called out "Front leaning rest position - Move!". You may recall from a previous blog that the "front leaning rest position" has nothing to do with resting. You get down on hands and feet, body straight, ready to perform the pushup. "Down!" called the Drill Sergeant. We moved down in unison. "Up!" was the next command we expected to hear, but it never came. Instead, we heard "All the way down!" There we were, face down in the puddle. "Roll to the left!", "Roll to the right!", "Roll to the left!", "More to the left!" (to make sure everyone ended up in the deep part of the puddle. "Up!"
After that, we did our final stretches, and were dismissed to go upstairs, shower, and get ready for our first day of HMMWV driving school. You might think that we would be upset, but the opposite was true. In the shower we all kept talking about how much fun it was to roll around in the mud - kind of like being a kid again.
Ed, Jack & Flea To Rock Bridge School '07!
To contact us Click HERE
The line-up for this years annual Bridge School Benefit on October 27th & 28th will see Eddie reprise his 3-piece band that perfomed earlier this year at Hullabaloo, featuring Jack Irons (ex-PJ drummer, for those of you who didn't know) and Red Hot Chili Pepper's bass slapping legend, Flea!
Lets keep our fingers crossed for lots of acoustic No Code/Yield goodness!
The full line-up is:
- Neil Young
- Metallica
- Jerry Lee Lewis
- Eddie Vedder with Flea and Jack Irons
- Tom Waits with Kronos Quartet
- John Mayer
- Tegan and Sara
- Regina Spektor
Buy tickets now at www.livenation.com
Lets keep our fingers crossed for lots of acoustic No Code/Yield goodness!
The full line-up is:
- Neil Young
- Metallica
- Jerry Lee Lewis
- Eddie Vedder with Flea and Jack Irons
- Tom Waits with Kronos Quartet
- John Mayer
- Tegan and Sara
- Regina Spektor
Buy tickets now at www.livenation.com
10 Ekim 2012 Çarşamba
Gettin' Dirty
To contact us Click HERE
The morning started off ... not so well at all. It had rained the night before, the PT field was muddy. (Can you guess where this is going? :-) Somehow whatever we did, we were not fast enough, did not push hard enough, did not try hard enough. After stretching and several rounds of pushups and flutter kicks, the Drill Sergeants told us to run down a hill (to a point where we could no longer see them) and await instructions. They then called "Fall In!" (the command to get into formation). We sprinted as fast as we could, lined up into something vaguely resembling a formation (many would call it a gaggle), and then tried to straighten out into four uniform rows. After we failed miserably for a minute or so, one of the Drill Sergeants would yell out "Too slow! Back down the hill!". After about the fourth iteration, the Drill Sergeant stood so that we would have to stand in deep muddy puddles and called "Fall In!". I thought "sh*t, my socks are going to get wet." Somehow, in the back of my mind, I knew my socks were the least of my worries.
As our feet became wet, the Drill Sergeant called out "Front leaning rest position - Move!". You may recall from a previous blog that the "front leaning rest position" has nothing to do with resting. You get down on hands and feet, body straight, ready to perform the pushup. "Down!" called the Drill Sergeant. We moved down in unison. "Up!" was the next command we expected to hear, but it never came. Instead, we heard "All the way down!" There we were, face down in the puddle. "Roll to the left!", "Roll to the right!", "Roll to the left!", "More to the left!" (to make sure everyone ended up in the deep part of the puddle. "Up!"
After that, we did our final stretches, and were dismissed to go upstairs, shower, and get ready for our first day of HMMWV driving school. You might think that we would be upset, but the opposite was true. In the shower we all kept talking about how much fun it was to roll around in the mud - kind of like being a kid again.
As our feet became wet, the Drill Sergeant called out "Front leaning rest position - Move!". You may recall from a previous blog that the "front leaning rest position" has nothing to do with resting. You get down on hands and feet, body straight, ready to perform the pushup. "Down!" called the Drill Sergeant. We moved down in unison. "Up!" was the next command we expected to hear, but it never came. Instead, we heard "All the way down!" There we were, face down in the puddle. "Roll to the left!", "Roll to the right!", "Roll to the left!", "More to the left!" (to make sure everyone ended up in the deep part of the puddle. "Up!"
After that, we did our final stretches, and were dismissed to go upstairs, shower, and get ready for our first day of HMMWV driving school. You might think that we would be upset, but the opposite was true. In the shower we all kept talking about how much fun it was to roll around in the mud - kind of like being a kid again.
Democratic Values, v 2.4.0
To contact us Click HERE
Partial quote from Tom Vilsack's radio address today:
Democratic values on display. I'm glad Vilsack pulled out of the DNC Chair contest, but this is exactly what Democrats need to be saying. Not just until we win back control of a branch of government, but as a permanent center for our message.
Steve Gilliard wrote a great essay the other day about positive purchasing habits and engaging in community service that builds on the theme:
During the primaries, one of the ideas that I thought was most worthy of being carried on past the election and adopted by the party at large was DeanCorps. Democratic values could best be summed up by the themes of charity and good works, and conservatives have relentlessly worked to make liberal ideas about helping others sound like an inherently false ploy worthy only of contempt.
Wouldn't it be great if contempt was reserved for those who sneer at the very idea of public service? Take the first step, support the troops with things they really need this holiday season.
...At these holiday meals, you enjoy the company you have, but you can't help but think of those not present or no longer here. How many families with young men and women in the service of our country and those in harm's way experienced similar thoughts?
As we think about all of our blessings, we should always stop and say thank you for all those who have served to make America strong and secure. Our prayers should include those who have lost their lives and the families left behind and those who have been injured and the difficult times that lie ahead for them as they rehabilitate their lives.
With these thoughts and prayers, we should rededicate ourselves to ensuring that all who served our country receive the health and income benefits they've earned by their service.
The men and women serving in our armed forces, in our police and sheriff departments, in our fire stations, represent what is best in all of us: the willingness to serve in sacrifice for a better America. Their example calls all of us to a similar duty.
My parents used to remind me and now I remind my sons, To whom much is given, much is expected. As we count our blessings, may each of us reach out to those in need. As we give thanks for those who have served in sacrifice, may we also look for how we too may serve in sacrifice for our country. In doing so, we keep alive America's promise and give full meaning to Thanksgiving. ...
Democratic values on display. I'm glad Vilsack pulled out of the DNC Chair contest, but this is exactly what Democrats need to be saying. Not just until we win back control of a branch of government, but as a permanent center for our message.
Steve Gilliard wrote a great essay the other day about positive purchasing habits and engaging in community service that builds on the theme:
...2) Give positively
Supporting the USO and injured soldiers is a positive activity. One which celebrates the season and makes a point about the war. We haven't forgotten the wounded and damaged. Volunteering at the local VA or homeless shelter does the same thing. Support the poor and desperate in a meaningful, generous way. You can get a dig in, if you need to, but help people first. Hard hearts help no one. Toys for Tots is another positive act.
3) Do charity work
If you're a member of a meetup or Democracy for America chapter, do something positive. Hold a party for foster kids or pregnant teens. Do an event at an elder center. The idea is not to push politics, but to be seen as active members of the community. Be public minded citizens, and make it clear that you're doing your civic duty. Of course, shirts with donkeys on them wouldn't kill. I remember reading about a Dean for America chapter which cleaned up a park. That's the kind of thing people need to carry forward.
My point is that we need to start demonstrating our beliefs. If we want a better America, one where cruelty isn't in fashion, we need to do things which represent our values. Positive, helpful things which make us look like civic minded citizens who care about their community. I've seen how negative talk paralyzes a community, and fossilizes discussion. It eventually makes those people irrelevant as well. We need to represent a positive face to the community. Get positive stories out there about groups of Democrats helping people who need it.
...Politics is public service. You can't change minds when all people see are sterotypes. Sure, some people may refuse. And some people may be too pissed to do this. But when was the last time political people helped anyone but themselves? If you help people's kids, they may actually listen to you when other things come up.
...If you've never been poor and alone, you have no idea what a single act of kindness can mean to a desperate mom and her kids. Christmas is a hard time for them in this society, seeing things they can't afford. An act of kindness is not only a good thing, it also says they're not alone, that more than the church cares for them. ...
During the primaries, one of the ideas that I thought was most worthy of being carried on past the election and adopted by the party at large was DeanCorps. Democratic values could best be summed up by the themes of charity and good works, and conservatives have relentlessly worked to make liberal ideas about helping others sound like an inherently false ploy worthy only of contempt.
Wouldn't it be great if contempt was reserved for those who sneer at the very idea of public service? Take the first step, support the troops with things they really need this holiday season.
Northwest Nibbles
To contact us Click HERE
Fred Meyer sued for rigging meat prices to include the weight of the packaging. Happens to be illegal, hope they learn not to do it again.
The Puyallup Tribal Health Authority looks at cutbacks to keep up with decreased federal funding in the face of rising need.
Mt. St. Helens keeps shaking, and Mt. Rainier seems to be waking up.
A test program aims to test introducing road tolls to the Puget Sound area.
Does the difficulty of a short transition outweigh the importance of an accurate vote count? Dino Rossi's staff certainly seems to think so, but then, that's hardly surprising.
The Puyallup Tribal Health Authority looks at cutbacks to keep up with decreased federal funding in the face of rising need.
Mt. St. Helens keeps shaking, and Mt. Rainier seems to be waking up.
A test program aims to test introducing road tolls to the Puget Sound area.
Does the difficulty of a short transition outweigh the importance of an accurate vote count? Dino Rossi's staff certainly seems to think so, but then, that's hardly surprising.
Governor's Race
To contact us Click HERE
While I've been trying to force myself to remember what happens to alcohols in the presence of aqueous sulfuric acid, Kos diarist N in Seattle has been paying attention to the WA Governor's race. Here's his summary of the race as of Tuesday, with 32 of 39 counties reporting:
Here's his summary of Thursday's results, with Skagit, Thurston, and Whatcom Counties reporting in. Which is to say that only 40% of the states votes have been officially recounted to date. So waiting (patiently or not) remains the only option.
...The composite story through Tuesday is that, even with over four-fifths of all counties reporting, only about 32% of Washington's gubernatorial ballots have been recounted. A mere 13% of the recounted ballots were cast in counties where Christine Gregoire outpolled Dino Rossi. Some 439 new for-a-candidate votes have been tallied -- 184 for Gregoire, 248 for Rossi, 7 for Bennett. If we accept all numbers shown on the Secretary of State website, including the clearly-erroneous ballot count from Cowlitz County, the new-found vote rate is now 4.8/10000 ballots. From that value, we can estimate that the total number of new-found votes for a candidate might be 1375. That's down quite a bit from Monday (5.8/10000, 1687) and the weekend (7.1/10000, 2058). However, this estimate doesn't take into account the several hundred improperly-invalidated ballots from King County.
Wait-and-see remains the only rational outlook on the Washington gubernatorial race.
Here's his summary of Thursday's results, with Skagit, Thurston, and Whatcom Counties reporting in. Which is to say that only 40% of the states votes have been officially recounted to date. So waiting (patiently or not) remains the only option.
Secretary's Office on the Recount
To contact us Click HERE
Just talked with a communications staffer in Secretary of State Sam Reed's office regarding the contentious recount appeal currently on the docket of the State Supreme court.
She said that the Secretary of State's current position under CW 29A60210 was "basically requesting that the Supreme Court make it clear that canvassing boards have discretion to correct errors or fix discrepancies in the count." Speaking for the SoS, she said it was their belief that "there is a safety valve", and that a previous Supreme Court ruling didn't say the ballots now in question shouldn't be counted.
To distinguish this motion to clarify from other battles fought over the recount, she said that in the previous State Supreme Court case the Democrats had insisted that all rejected ballots be recanvassed. This case, however, regards only correcting errors or inconsistencies in canvassing.
She said that the Secretary of State's current position under CW 29A60210 was "basically requesting that the Supreme Court make it clear that canvassing boards have discretion to correct errors or fix discrepancies in the count." Speaking for the SoS, she said it was their belief that "there is a safety valve", and that a previous Supreme Court ruling didn't say the ballots now in question shouldn't be counted.
To distinguish this motion to clarify from other battles fought over the recount, she said that in the previous State Supreme Court case the Democrats had insisted that all rejected ballots be recanvassed. This case, however, regards only correcting errors or inconsistencies in canvassing.
9 Ekim 2012 Salı
Spirit of America live show coming to Columbia
To contact us Click HERE
Columbia, S.C. will be hosting Spirit of America, the U.S. Army Military District of Washington’s largest community outreach event, this September.
Spirit of America is an exciting, live-action musical performance celebrating the spirit, strength and history of our nation and telling the true story of men and women who have left friends and families behind to protect and defend the United States of America. Soldiers in period uniforms will act out key moments in our military history, covering everything from the Revolutionary War to current operations. More than 300 active duty Soldiers from the U.S. Army Military District of Washington will perform in this event.
Running for more than 30 years, Spirit of America is one of the U.S. Army's largest community outreach events. Since its inception, hundreds of thousands of people have experienced the patriotic pageant. With music, precision drill demonstrations and historical re-enactments, this action-packed performance offers inspiration and entertainment for everyone.
Spirit of America will be showcased in Columbia at the Colonial Life Arena on Friday, September 21 at 10:30 am and 7:30 pm and Saturday, September 22 at 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm.
Additional showings of Spirit of America will be held in Greensboro, N.C. on September 14 and 15.
Spirit of America performances are open to the public and admission is free, but tickets are required. For ticketing information, please visit the ticketing page.
More information can be found at the Spirit of America website and Facebook page.
Spirit of America is an exciting, live-action musical performance celebrating the spirit, strength and history of our nation and telling the true story of men and women who have left friends and families behind to protect and defend the United States of America. Soldiers in period uniforms will act out key moments in our military history, covering everything from the Revolutionary War to current operations. More than 300 active duty Soldiers from the U.S. Army Military District of Washington will perform in this event.
Running for more than 30 years, Spirit of America is one of the U.S. Army's largest community outreach events. Since its inception, hundreds of thousands of people have experienced the patriotic pageant. With music, precision drill demonstrations and historical re-enactments, this action-packed performance offers inspiration and entertainment for everyone.
Spirit of America will be showcased in Columbia at the Colonial Life Arena on Friday, September 21 at 10:30 am and 7:30 pm and Saturday, September 22 at 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm.
Additional showings of Spirit of America will be held in Greensboro, N.C. on September 14 and 15.
Spirit of America performances are open to the public and admission is free, but tickets are required. For ticketing information, please visit the ticketing page.
More information can be found at the Spirit of America website and Facebook page.
Army and National Guard Prepare YCA Cadets for Brighter Future
To contact us Click HERE
“It’s not over.”
For more information on SC Youth ChalleNGe Academy, visit http://www.ngycp.org/site/state/scco/.By Chloe Rodgers, A&PA/ESS Assistant, Columbia Recruiting Battalion
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| Lourigan and Adams speak to YCA cadets about Army opportunities |
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| YCA's mission displayed in a classroom |
U.S. Army Soldier Show and local Future Soldiers at Augusta 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony
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AUGUSTA, Ga. — The U.S. Army Soldier Show — 19 parachute riggers, combat medics and other soldiers with a passion for performing — will sing at the city of Augusta’s Sept. 11 Remembrance Ceremony at the Augusta Commons Sept.11 from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m.
The soldiers will perform an original patriotic medley and the national anthem during the ceremony. Fort Gordon Garrison Commander Col. Robert Barker will induct approximately 50 Future Soldiers from the Augusta Recruiting Company into the Army.
The Soldier Show is also scheduled to perform its full 90-minute production, called “Army Strong,” at Fort Gordon’s Alexander Hall Sept. 11 at 2:30, a special command performance in honor of 9/11, and 6:30 p.m. Both shows are free and open to the public.
The 2012 production showcases the resiliency of soldiers and military families through current hits, vibrant costuming and spectacular visuals — including a high-resolution LED video wall featuring rolling photos of Army life. The soldiers themselves hail from all corners of the country, including Albany, Ga. Some have served multiple deployments and not only sing but live songs about the pride, pain and selflessness of Army life.
“Everything in the show really speaks to resiliency, being able to adapt and overcome,” said Tim Higdon, production manager and producer. “Resiliency really is that mental part, being able to put things in a perspective which allows you to continue to move forward — that you never come up against a challenge that you can’t overcome.”
Media are invited to cover the shows at Fort Gordon as well as the ceremony at Augusta Commons. For more information or to arrange an interview with the soldier-performers, please contact one of the names listed or visit http://www.armymwr.com/recleisure/entertainment/soldiershow/soldiershow_mediakit.aspx.
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The soldiers will perform an original patriotic medley and the national anthem during the ceremony. Fort Gordon Garrison Commander Col. Robert Barker will induct approximately 50 Future Soldiers from the Augusta Recruiting Company into the Army.
The Soldier Show is also scheduled to perform its full 90-minute production, called “Army Strong,” at Fort Gordon’s Alexander Hall Sept. 11 at 2:30, a special command performance in honor of 9/11, and 6:30 p.m. Both shows are free and open to the public.
The 2012 production showcases the resiliency of soldiers and military families through current hits, vibrant costuming and spectacular visuals — including a high-resolution LED video wall featuring rolling photos of Army life. The soldiers themselves hail from all corners of the country, including Albany, Ga. Some have served multiple deployments and not only sing but live songs about the pride, pain and selflessness of Army life.
“Everything in the show really speaks to resiliency, being able to adapt and overcome,” said Tim Higdon, production manager and producer. “Resiliency really is that mental part, being able to put things in a perspective which allows you to continue to move forward — that you never come up against a challenge that you can’t overcome.”
Media are invited to cover the shows at Fort Gordon as well as the ceremony at Augusta Commons. For more information or to arrange an interview with the soldier-performers, please contact one of the names listed or visit http://www.armymwr.com/recleisure/entertainment/soldiershow/soldiershow_mediakit.aspx.
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Change of Battalion Area of Operation
To contact us Click HERE
This week starts a new Columbia Recruiting Battalion area of operations. Our Charlotte Company area is now part of Raleigh Battalion. Our last event with Charlotte was this weekend with National Hot Rod Association. A special thanks to our Charlotte Advisory Board Chairman Blair Shwedo for all the hard work he has done to make the board what it is today. We know that will continue under him and Raleigh Battalion.
Welcome to Charleston Company, recruiters and civilians. We are happy to now have the recruiting stations in North Charleston, West Ashley, Summerville and Beaufort, S.C.
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| Lt. Col. Forsythe presents Charlotte Advisory Board Chairman Blair Shwedo with an Honorary Recruiter Certificate |
Welcome to Charleston Company, recruiters and civilians. We are happy to now have the recruiting stations in North Charleston, West Ashley, Summerville and Beaufort, S.C.
Ed, Jack & Flea To Rock Bridge School '07!
To contact us Click HERE
The line-up for this years annual Bridge School Benefit on October 27th & 28th will see Eddie reprise his 3-piece band that perfomed earlier this year at Hullabaloo, featuring Jack Irons (ex-PJ drummer, for those of you who didn't know) and Red Hot Chili Pepper's bass slapping legend, Flea!
Lets keep our fingers crossed for lots of acoustic No Code/Yield goodness!
The full line-up is:
- Neil Young
- Metallica
- Jerry Lee Lewis
- Eddie Vedder with Flea and Jack Irons
- Tom Waits with Kronos Quartet
- John Mayer
- Tegan and Sara
- Regina Spektor
Buy tickets now at www.livenation.com
Lets keep our fingers crossed for lots of acoustic No Code/Yield goodness!
The full line-up is:
- Neil Young
- Metallica
- Jerry Lee Lewis
- Eddie Vedder with Flea and Jack Irons
- Tom Waits with Kronos Quartet
- John Mayer
- Tegan and Sara
- Regina Spektor
Buy tickets now at www.livenation.com
8 Ekim 2012 Pazartesi
2012 George C. Marshall Award
To contact us Click HERE
Annually, the George C. Marshall Foundation presents this commendation as a testimony of superior achievement and an encouragement to future service to the United States of America as exemplified by the distinguished career of public service of General George Catlett Marshall. In recognition of attainment as the outstanding student in military studies and leardship, this award was presented to Cadet Lieutenant Colonel John Ramos.
Annually, the George C. Marshall Foundation presents this commendation as a testimony of superior achievement and an encouragement to future service to the United States of America as exemplified by the distinguished career of public service of General George Catlett Marshall. In recognition of attainment as the outstanding student in military studies and leardship, this award was presented to Cadet Lieutenant Colonel John Ramos.
2012 Ralph Conger Award
To contact us Click HERE
A sportsman is one who does his best, respects others and strives to set the example of fair play.
In 1941, during the annual Wentworth- Kemper football game, CPT Ralph Conger, our college coach, suffered a heart attack and died on the sidelines.
In his memory, the Ralph Conger Sportsmanship Award was established.
The 2012 recipient for the Ralph Conger Award is Cadet Ethan Hannah of Arkansas.
A sportsman is one who does his best, respects others and strives to set the example of fair play. In 1941, during the annual Wentworth- Kemper football game, CPT Ralph Conger, our college coach, suffered a heart attack and died on the sidelines.
In his memory, the Ralph Conger Sportsmanship Award was established.
The 2012 recipient for the Ralph Conger Award is Cadet Ethan Hannah of Arkansas.
Memorial Day Activities
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I belong to an American Legion Post that has essentially abandoned its community role in participating in Memorial day activities in the local community…that is until this year. The post had not participated in services or marked the occasion of Memorial Day in at least 20 years that I’m aware of…leaving the void to be filled by other posts and veteran’s organizations in the area.
Fortunately, that changed this year and our post fielded its Legion Riders to the communities Memorial Day services with good effect.
During the Services I was fortunate enough to hear Captain Edward Smith provide a speech on the importance of Memorial Day and he tied it nicely to his personal experience in Iraq where he served with distinction with the Navy. His story tied in the human connection to the services when he visited the story of two soldiers caskets making the final journey.
I reflected that the services and Parade were well provided – not for the soldiers – nor their families – but for the young kids, community members and others so that they see the respect and reverence offered for our service member’s sacrifice. Hopefully our Legion will offer the lesson in subsequent years…I believe it’s valuable for our democracy to take the time to observe the tradition.
Fortunately, that changed this year and our post fielded its Legion Riders to the communities Memorial Day services with good effect.
During the Services I was fortunate enough to hear Captain Edward Smith provide a speech on the importance of Memorial Day and he tied it nicely to his personal experience in Iraq where he served with distinction with the Navy. His story tied in the human connection to the services when he visited the story of two soldiers caskets making the final journey.
I reflected that the services and Parade were well provided – not for the soldiers – nor their families – but for the young kids, community members and others so that they see the respect and reverence offered for our service member’s sacrifice. Hopefully our Legion will offer the lesson in subsequent years…I believe it’s valuable for our democracy to take the time to observe the tradition.
MNSTC-I is 5 years old
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To think I was there nearly at the beginning … today I read that MNSTC-I “Minsticky” is 5 years old. I arrived at MNSTC-I in September 2004 just months after the LTG Petraeus took over the reins of the training effort for Iraq’s Military and Police forces. It was a tall order then and remains just as difficult as new requirements are born from the agreements with the Iraqi National Leadership. The article from MNSTC-I.
I wish to congratulate MNSTC-I on 5 years, but don’t wish them many more…I’d love to hear the news that the mission is complete and the command’s flags are cased. So far the command has raised to the challenge, lets hope they are shortly successful in their task.
PHOENIX BASE, BAGHDAD - Coalition forces and NATO training mission military personnel gathered to celebrate the 234th birthday of the U. S. Army, established in June 1775; and the fifth anniversary of Multi-National Security Transition Command-Iraq, established this month in 2004.
The Command also pinned a streamer to its flag representing award by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, of the Joint Meritorious Unit Award. The JMU was presented to MNSTC-I for "exceptionally meritorious achievement" from May 1, 2007 to April 30, 2008.
MNSTC-I is the direct outgrowth of the need to create a new Iraqi Army. Subordinate to Multi-National Force - Iraq, the Command is responsible for assisting the Government of Iraq in providing for Iraq's internal security and external defense through the development of competent security ministries and professional, self-sufficient security forces that adhere to the rule of law.
I wish to congratulate MNSTC-I on 5 years, but don’t wish them many more…I’d love to hear the news that the mission is complete and the command’s flags are cased. So far the command has raised to the challenge, lets hope they are shortly successful in their task.
Unique Army Summer Hire
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It’s that time of year again when the summer hire programs are in progress. Many aspiring students are given the opportunity to experience the workplace at Military Installations or organizations working temporartily as Army civilian employees. The Summer Hire program or more correctly Student Temporary Employment Program (STEP) is a temporary employment program for student employment during the summer months.
Recently this program at my installation had a new first. For the first time a combat Veteran has been accepted into the program. A soldier serving as a Reserve Specialist with a local Army Reserve MP Battalion is currently working as a STEP employee with one organization's Human Capital Management Office.
For this soldier, the transition since high school has been a little different than many of her peers in the STEP Program. She graduated High School in June 2007. Following graduation she went through the Army’s basic training and advanced individual training at Ft. Leonard Wood, MO as a military policeman. Upon completion of her training she returned to home in preparation to attend spring 2008 College courses. Those plans were changed in January 2008 when she was called up to deploy with her unit to serve in Operation Iraqi Freedom. She trained with her Reserve unit at Ft Dix, deployed to Baghdad, Iraq and worked at Camp Cropper which is a high security detainment facility. Kim returned home in Dec 2008 and was finally able to start her College education in January 2009.
“Having experienced military deployment and living the soldier’s life immediately after high school was a real change to me”, the soldier said of her experience. “I’m excited about getting my education underway and participating in the STEP program will help me grow. “
The soldier recently was able to apply some of her unique experience to the Tactics, Weapons Employment Course (TWEC) conducted by her organization. She participated as an assistant instructor in several courses within the POI and contributed to student understanding of what being a soldier is all about. She notes that she has been working a number of other assignments within the Summer hire program that have challenged her capabilities, but have also given her new insight into the work done by Army Civilians.
That soldier is my daughter... I could tell you of the trials getting her into the program... unfortunately the Army does not yet have really effective means of offering internships to soldiers that are in her situation. In fact after her summer hire program is over she will go back to the ranks of un-employed... but it is a start.
It’s that time of year again when the summer hire programs are in progress. Many aspiring students are given the opportunity to experience the workplace at Military Installations or organizations working temporartily as Army civilian employees. The Summer Hire program or more correctly Student Temporary Employment Program (STEP) is a temporary employment program for student employment during the summer months.
Recently this program at my installation had a new first. For the first time a combat Veteran has been accepted into the program. A soldier serving as a Reserve Specialist with a local Army Reserve MP Battalion is currently working as a STEP employee with one organization's Human Capital Management Office.
For this soldier, the transition since high school has been a little different than many of her peers in the STEP Program. She graduated High School in June 2007. Following graduation she went through the Army’s basic training and advanced individual training at Ft. Leonard Wood, MO as a military policeman. Upon completion of her training she returned to home in preparation to attend spring 2008 College courses. Those plans were changed in January 2008 when she was called up to deploy with her unit to serve in Operation Iraqi Freedom. She trained with her Reserve unit at Ft Dix, deployed to Baghdad, Iraq and worked at Camp Cropper which is a high security detainment facility. Kim returned home in Dec 2008 and was finally able to start her College education in January 2009.
“Having experienced military deployment and living the soldier’s life immediately after high school was a real change to me”, the soldier said of her experience. “I’m excited about getting my education underway and participating in the STEP program will help me grow. “
The soldier recently was able to apply some of her unique experience to the Tactics, Weapons Employment Course (TWEC) conducted by her organization. She participated as an assistant instructor in several courses within the POI and contributed to student understanding of what being a soldier is all about. She notes that she has been working a number of other assignments within the Summer hire program that have challenged her capabilities, but have also given her new insight into the work done by Army Civilians.
That soldier is my daughter... I could tell you of the trials getting her into the program... unfortunately the Army does not yet have really effective means of offering internships to soldiers that are in her situation. In fact after her summer hire program is over she will go back to the ranks of un-employed... but it is a start.
7 Ekim 2012 Pazar
50 Years ago - first Vietnam Combat Casualties
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The Vietnam Veterans Memorial will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first two American combat casualties of the Vietnam War with a special ceremony and wreath laying at The Wall on Wednesday, July 8, beginning at 10:30 a.m., said Jan C. Scruggs, founder and president of the Memorial Fund.
U.S. Army Master Sgt. Chester Ovnand and Maj. Dale Buis died on July 8, 1959, when their compound was attacked by North Vietnamese communists. Theirs are the first two names on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, occupying panel 1E, Row 1, at the apex of The Wall.
Lest we forget
Here is the Link
U.S. Army Master Sgt. Chester Ovnand and Maj. Dale Buis died on July 8, 1959, when their compound was attacked by North Vietnamese communists. Theirs are the first two names on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, occupying panel 1E, Row 1, at the apex of The Wall.
Lest we forget
Here is the Link
Still messing with the VA
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I continue my saga with the VA...I decided to involve my congressman Charlie Dent... I sent him this note in my attempt to get a physical completed...
Mr. Dent,
I am writing to you to ask your assistance.
I am a retired Army Reserve Soldier. I served in Iraq from Sep 2004 to August 2005. I retired from the Army Reserve in July 2006 after 24 years active and Reserve Service.
I recived no physical upon my departure from Iraq nor when I retired from the Army Reserve. Within the first year back I attempted to get a physical at the Veteran's Administration Clinic in Allentown, PA. During the course of my initial physical I was scheduled for a blood draw. During that appointment I was manhandles by a phlebotomist and shoved to the front desk for rescheduling of blood work. Embarrased, I did not return.
In January 2009 having a change of heart I requested assistance from the veteran's administration to start process once again. I inquired what I needed to do to the Veteran's administration's Inquiry Routing & Information System (IRIS). That request was forwarded to Philadelphia office in Feb 2009 without resolve.
It is now 4 years since my return and today I called the listed number for the Allentown Clinic. I was told today that I should wait for a letter from the Allentown Clinic with an appointment - scheduling would be done by them without input from me.
This brings up two issues for me:
1. I have never been able to address or express dis-satisfaction with the employee at the VA that caused the disruption to my health care to start. The VA has never responded to my inquiry via their system with assistance.
2. As a working individual, I must coordinate my schedule for appointments thus a mailed appointment letter is an inefficent vehicle to plan care
All that I'm seeking at this point is the opportunity to speak with someone at the VA to schedule the appropriate physical events.
Thanks in advance for whatever assistance you may provide,
We'll see if he can assist
Mr. Dent,
I am writing to you to ask your assistance.
I am a retired Army Reserve Soldier. I served in Iraq from Sep 2004 to August 2005. I retired from the Army Reserve in July 2006 after 24 years active and Reserve Service.
I recived no physical upon my departure from Iraq nor when I retired from the Army Reserve. Within the first year back I attempted to get a physical at the Veteran's Administration Clinic in Allentown, PA. During the course of my initial physical I was scheduled for a blood draw. During that appointment I was manhandles by a phlebotomist and shoved to the front desk for rescheduling of blood work. Embarrased, I did not return.
In January 2009 having a change of heart I requested assistance from the veteran's administration to start process once again. I inquired what I needed to do to the Veteran's administration's Inquiry Routing & Information System (IRIS). That request was forwarded to Philadelphia office in Feb 2009 without resolve.
It is now 4 years since my return and today I called the listed number for the Allentown Clinic. I was told today that I should wait for a letter from the Allentown Clinic with an appointment - scheduling would be done by them without input from me.
This brings up two issues for me:
1. I have never been able to address or express dis-satisfaction with the employee at the VA that caused the disruption to my health care to start. The VA has never responded to my inquiry via their system with assistance.
2. As a working individual, I must coordinate my schedule for appointments thus a mailed appointment letter is an inefficent vehicle to plan care
All that I'm seeking at this point is the opportunity to speak with someone at the VA to schedule the appropriate physical events.
Thanks in advance for whatever assistance you may provide,
We'll see if he can assist
'The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.' -G. K. Chesterton
I have been Delinquent
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I haven’t written a post in a while dear readers, it has been actually pretty slow in the news department with regard to the Army Reserve community. I have often thought of branching out subject matter for this blog site… but that would not necessarily encourage more readers and would be a little dangerous if I discussed anything about my current position with the Army as a civilian employee.
That second piece is a token recognition of the fact that Army Civilian employees also lose the right of free speech to a degree as we must observe all the same PAO approval, message filtering, content approval if we want to express ourselves in the media in any way…. I’ve written about the Orwellian oversight of bloggers within the military before…little has really changed.
At any rate…I just turned 49 the other day… just 11 more years until I will be able to draw a retirement check for my 24 years of active and reserve service. There has been little movement in efforts to reduce the retirement age for those of us that answered the call to active service before 2008… with impending budget constraints; I doubt the momentum to consider such a reduction is very strong.
I received a counterpoint comment to my experience at the VA the other day. I do believe the VA is a great thing and apparently does serve many pretty well. I have been having issues with them and I can’t argue that I have a different perspective than many…but… I won’t just lie down and let certain personnel in that system run over people when they are in a position of public service… Thanks to songdoglady for widening my perspective.
On to other topics – if you have an interesting topic related to retired or Active Army Reserve status…send me a comment and I’ll try to take it on.
That second piece is a token recognition of the fact that Army Civilian employees also lose the right of free speech to a degree as we must observe all the same PAO approval, message filtering, content approval if we want to express ourselves in the media in any way…. I’ve written about the Orwellian oversight of bloggers within the military before…little has really changed.
At any rate…I just turned 49 the other day… just 11 more years until I will be able to draw a retirement check for my 24 years of active and reserve service. There has been little movement in efforts to reduce the retirement age for those of us that answered the call to active service before 2008… with impending budget constraints; I doubt the momentum to consider such a reduction is very strong.
I received a counterpoint comment to my experience at the VA the other day. I do believe the VA is a great thing and apparently does serve many pretty well. I have been having issues with them and I can’t argue that I have a different perspective than many…but… I won’t just lie down and let certain personnel in that system run over people when they are in a position of public service… Thanks to songdoglady for widening my perspective.
On to other topics – if you have an interesting topic related to retired or Active Army Reserve status…send me a comment and I’ll try to take it on.
Lt Watada - Officer that refused to go to Iraq
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The Army is allowing the resignation of the first commissioned officer to be court-martialed for refusing to go to Iraq. The Associated press reports that officer, First Lt. Ehren Watada, will be granted a discharge on Oct. 2, “under other-than-honorable conditions,”
The Army attempted to court Marshal this officer for other charges related to his missing his unit’s deployment and with conduct unbecoming an officer for denouncing President George W. Bush and the war — statements he made while explaining his actions. The trial on conduct unbecoming ended in a mistrial.
Well, I'm glad this former Officer is now going to be discharged. I think the Army bungled the charges in an ill fated attempt to muzzle the officer when he was speaking his mind (as disagreeable as it was). Lt Watada will likely go on to write a book about his experience with the army that he truly was not suited to serve. I'm glad that the Army decided to just separate him and end his employment. Think of the bully pulpit that could have been reduced had the Army simply took action on the missing movement with a subsequent discharge.
The Army attempted to court Marshal this officer for other charges related to his missing his unit’s deployment and with conduct unbecoming an officer for denouncing President George W. Bush and the war — statements he made while explaining his actions. The trial on conduct unbecoming ended in a mistrial.
Well, I'm glad this former Officer is now going to be discharged. I think the Army bungled the charges in an ill fated attempt to muzzle the officer when he was speaking his mind (as disagreeable as it was). Lt Watada will likely go on to write a book about his experience with the army that he truly was not suited to serve. I'm glad that the Army decided to just separate him and end his employment. Think of the bully pulpit that could have been reduced had the Army simply took action on the missing movement with a subsequent discharge.
Ed, Jack & Flea To Rock Bridge School '07!
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The line-up for this years annual Bridge School Benefit on October 27th & 28th will see Eddie reprise his 3-piece band that perfomed earlier this year at Hullabaloo, featuring Jack Irons (ex-PJ drummer, for those of you who didn't know) and Red Hot Chili Pepper's bass slapping legend, Flea!
Lets keep our fingers crossed for lots of acoustic No Code/Yield goodness!
The full line-up is:
- Neil Young
- Metallica
- Jerry Lee Lewis
- Eddie Vedder with Flea and Jack Irons
- Tom Waits with Kronos Quartet
- John Mayer
- Tegan and Sara
- Regina Spektor
Buy tickets now at www.livenation.com
Lets keep our fingers crossed for lots of acoustic No Code/Yield goodness!
The full line-up is:
- Neil Young
- Metallica
- Jerry Lee Lewis
- Eddie Vedder with Flea and Jack Irons
- Tom Waits with Kronos Quartet
- John Mayer
- Tegan and Sara
- Regina Spektor
Buy tickets now at www.livenation.com
6 Ekim 2012 Cumartesi
Camp Lead 2012 has Begun
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Camp Lead 2012 is currently in progress. Classes and activities have the cadets on a busy schedule and keeping everyone very active. For parents, family and friends who are missing their loved ones who are currently in camp, we will be working hard to help you follow the action. Currently, Facebook is having difficulties and we are working to resolve those issues...however, please request to join the "Wentworth Military Academy & College: Camp Lead" Facebook Group. Simply type in "Wentworth Military Academy & College: Camp Lead" in your Facebook "Search" box and request to join.
Stay tuned for regular updates of photos in the Facebook Group.
Camp Lead 2012 is currently in progress. Classes and activities have the cadets on a busy schedule and keeping everyone very active. For parents, family and friends who are missing their loved ones who are currently in camp, we will be working hard to help you follow the action. Currently, Facebook is having difficulties and we are working to resolve those issues...however, please request to join the "Wentworth Military Academy & College: Camp Lead" Facebook Group. Simply type in "Wentworth Military Academy & College: Camp Lead" in your Facebook "Search" box and request to join. Stay tuned for regular updates of photos in the Facebook Group.
Another Successful JCLC Camp at Wentworth
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Wentworth recently hosted the biggest JROTC Cadet Leadership Course (JCLC) in the 3rd ROTC Brigade, 44 schools and over 780 participants.
The 3rd Brigade footprint is in North Dakota, South Dakota Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Kansas and Missouri.
Wentworth Military Academy and College had participants from Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa.
Cadets participated in Drown Proofing, Ponch raft making, canoeing, Rubber boat crew drills, Rappelling, Obstacle Course, Leadership Reaction Course, First Aid, Land Navigation, History exploration, and Leadership Development.
Cadet Sarah Shepherd, of Wentworth Military Academy, distinguished herself by placing 9th for females in the Physical Fitness Challenge, and earned the Platoon Leadership Award for her platoon.
Cadets spent 5 days of exciting training focussed on developing leadership and confidence skills.
Wentworth recently hosted the biggest JROTC Cadet Leadership Course (JCLC) in the 3rd ROTC Brigade, 44 schools and over 780 participants. The 3rd Brigade footprint is in North Dakota, South Dakota Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Kansas and Missouri.
Wentworth Military Academy and College had participants from Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa.
Cadets participated in Drown Proofing, Ponch raft making, canoeing, Rubber boat crew drills, Rappelling, Obstacle Course, Leadership Reaction Course, First Aid, Land Navigation, History exploration, and Leadership Development.
Cadet Sarah Shepherd, of Wentworth Military Academy, distinguished herself by placing 9th for females in the Physical Fitness Challenge, and earned the Platoon Leadership Award for her platoon.
Cadets spent 5 days of exciting training focussed on developing leadership and confidence skills.
Wentworth Executes Change of Command for SROTC Program
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On Friday, July 6, 2012, LTC Darren Fitz Gerald stepped down as the PMS for the SROTC Department. We welcomed in the new PMS, LTC Perry. The following transcipt is directly from the Change of Command ceremony:
THE ROTC BATTALION WELCOMES YOU TO THE CHANGE OF COMMAND CEREMONY BETWEEN LTC JEFF PERRY AND LTC DARREN FITZ GERALD. LTC FITZ GERALD OFFICIALLY ASSUMED COMMAND OF WENTWORTH MILITARY ACADEMY AND COLLEGE ROTC BATTALION ON JULY 1ST 2009. HE RELINQUISHES COMMAND THIS MORNING TO LTC JEFF PERRY. PRESIDING OVER TODAY'S CEREMONY IS COL BILL SELLERS, THE PRESIDENT OF WENTWORTH MILITARY ACADEMY AND JUNIOR COLLEGE.
AT THIS TIME, MRS HANNAH FITZ GERALD IS BEING PRESENTED A BOUQUET OF YELLOW ROSES AS A SYMBOL OF THANKS FOR HER DEDICATION AND SUPPORT OF RED DRAGON ROTC BATTALION. MRS KELLEY PERRY IS RECEIVING A BOUQUET OF RED ROSES, WELCOMING HER TO WENTWORTH AND THE RED DRAGON BATTALION.
THE CHANGE OF COMMAND CEREMONY IS A MILITARY TRADITION THAT IS RICH WITH SYMBOLISM AND HERITAGE DATING BACK TO MEDIEVAL TIMES. SOLDIERS OFTEN CARRIED STAFFS OR STANDARDS INTO BATTLE THAT IDENTIFIED THEM AS A UNIT. THROUGHOUT MILITARY HISTORY, UNIT COLORS HAVE MARKED THE POSITION OF THE COMMANDER AND SERVED AS A RALLYING POINT. IN MORE RECENT TIMES, THE COLORS REPRESENT NOT ONLY THEHERITAGE AND HISTORY OF THE UNIT, BUT ALSO THE UNITY AND LOYALTY OF ITS SOLDIERS. THE COLORS ARE THE COMMANDER’S SYMBOL OF AUTHORITY, REPRESENTING HIS RESPONSIBILITIES TO THE ORGANIZATION. THE PASSING OF THE UNIT COLORS REPRESENTS THE TRANSFER OF AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE UNIT FROM ONE COMMANDER TO ANOTHER.
THE SENIOR MILITARY INSTRUCTOR, MSG JORGE MAZUELA, IS THE KEEPER OF THE COLORS. AS THE SENIOR ENLISTED SOLDIER IN THE UNIT, HE IS THE SPOKESMAN FOR BOTH THE LOYALTY ANDCONCERNS OF THE SOLDIERS AND THE PRINCIPLE ADVISOR TO THE COMMANDER. THE PASSING OF THE COLORS FROM THE SENIOR NCOTO THE OUTGOING COMMANDER SIGNIFIES HIS LAST ACT OFALLEGIANCE TO THAT COMMANDER.
THE PASSING OF THE COLORS FROM THE OUTGOING COMMANDER TOTHE SCHOOL PRESIDENT SIGNIFIES THE UNIT IS NEVER WITHOUT LEADERSHIP.
THE PASSING OF THE COLORS FROM THE SCHOOL PRESIDENT TO THE INCOMING COMMANDER SIGNIFIES THE PASSING OF HIS TRUST, AND ALSO THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE UNIT AND ITS SOLDIERS.BY THE AUTHORITY OF AR 600-20, PARAGRAPH 2-3, THE UNDERSIGNED ASSUMES COMMAND OF WENTWORTH MILITARY ACADEMY AND JUNIOR COLLEGE ROTC BATTALION , EFFECTIVE 6 JULY 2012. SIGNED, JEFFERY PERRY, LIEUTENANT COLONEL , COMMANDING
THE PASSING OF THE COLORS FROM THE INCOMING COMMANDER TOTHE SENIOR MILITARY INSTRUCTOR SIGNIFIES THE CONFIDENCE THE COMMANDER PLACES IN THE NONCOMMISSIONED OFFICER CORPS AND IS THE SENIOR MILITARY INSTRUCTOR’S FIRST ACT OF ALLEGIANCE TO HIS NEW COMMANDER.
On Friday, July 6, 2012, LTC Darren Fitz Gerald stepped down as the PMS for the SROTC Department. We welcomed in the new PMS, LTC Perry. The following transcipt is directly from the Change of Command ceremony: THE ROTC BATTALION WELCOMES YOU TO THE CHANGE OF COMMAND CEREMONY BETWEEN LTC JEFF PERRY AND LTC DARREN FITZ GERALD. LTC FITZ GERALD OFFICIALLY ASSUMED COMMAND OF WENTWORTH MILITARY ACADEMY AND COLLEGE ROTC BATTALION ON JULY 1ST 2009. HE RELINQUISHES COMMAND THIS MORNING TO LTC JEFF PERRY. PRESIDING OVER TODAY'S CEREMONY IS COL BILL SELLERS, THE PRESIDENT OF WENTWORTH MILITARY ACADEMY AND JUNIOR COLLEGE.
AT THIS TIME, MRS HANNAH FITZ GERALD IS BEING PRESENTED A BOUQUET OF YELLOW ROSES AS A SYMBOL OF THANKS FOR HER DEDICATION AND SUPPORT OF RED DRAGON ROTC BATTALION. MRS KELLEY PERRY IS RECEIVING A BOUQUET OF RED ROSES, WELCOMING HER TO WENTWORTH AND THE RED DRAGON BATTALION.
THE CHANGE OF COMMAND CEREMONY IS A MILITARY TRADITION THAT IS RICH WITH SYMBOLISM AND HERITAGE DATING BACK TO MEDIEVAL TIMES. SOLDIERS OFTEN CARRIED STAFFS OR STANDARDS INTO BATTLE THAT IDENTIFIED THEM AS A UNIT. THROUGHOUT MILITARY HISTORY, UNIT COLORS HAVE MARKED THE POSITION OF THE COMMANDER AND SERVED AS A RALLYING POINT. IN MORE RECENT TIMES, THE COLORS REPRESENT NOT ONLY THEHERITAGE AND HISTORY OF THE UNIT, BUT ALSO THE UNITY AND LOYALTY OF ITS SOLDIERS. THE COLORS ARE THE COMMANDER’S SYMBOL OF AUTHORITY, REPRESENTING HIS RESPONSIBILITIES TO THE ORGANIZATION. THE PASSING OF THE UNIT COLORS REPRESENTS THE TRANSFER OF AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE UNIT FROM ONE COMMANDER TO ANOTHER.
THE SENIOR MILITARY INSTRUCTOR, MSG JORGE MAZUELA, IS THE KEEPER OF THE COLORS. AS THE SENIOR ENLISTED SOLDIER IN THE UNIT, HE IS THE SPOKESMAN FOR BOTH THE LOYALTY ANDCONCERNS OF THE SOLDIERS AND THE PRINCIPLE ADVISOR TO THE COMMANDER. THE PASSING OF THE COLORS FROM THE SENIOR NCOTO THE OUTGOING COMMANDER SIGNIFIES HIS LAST ACT OFALLEGIANCE TO THAT COMMANDER.
THE PASSING OF THE COLORS FROM THE OUTGOING COMMANDER TOTHE SCHOOL PRESIDENT SIGNIFIES THE UNIT IS NEVER WITHOUT LEADERSHIP.
THE PASSING OF THE COLORS FROM THE SCHOOL PRESIDENT TO THE INCOMING COMMANDER SIGNIFIES THE PASSING OF HIS TRUST, AND ALSO THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE UNIT AND ITS SOLDIERS.BY THE AUTHORITY OF AR 600-20, PARAGRAPH 2-3, THE UNDERSIGNED ASSUMES COMMAND OF WENTWORTH MILITARY ACADEMY AND JUNIOR COLLEGE ROTC BATTALION , EFFECTIVE 6 JULY 2012. SIGNED, JEFFERY PERRY, LIEUTENANT COLONEL , COMMANDING
THE PASSING OF THE COLORS FROM THE INCOMING COMMANDER TOTHE SENIOR MILITARY INSTRUCTOR SIGNIFIES THE CONFIDENCE THE COMMANDER PLACES IN THE NONCOMMISSIONED OFFICER CORPS AND IS THE SENIOR MILITARY INSTRUCTOR’S FIRST ACT OF ALLEGIANCE TO HIS NEW COMMANDER.
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