Wildcat Roar Winter Semester 2012

Northern Michigan University

Army ROTC

Page 2 Wildcat Roar

Commander’s Notes Families and friends of the Wildcat Battalion,

Another great school year is in the books for our Cadets. The transformation we witnessed of our

first year Cadets in just one year was remarkable. A more long term yet equally impressive transfor-

mation occurred for our seniors who are about to receive their commission. Soon our graduating

Cadets will have the opportunity to see and experience firsthand changes that will ultimately shape

their future as an officer. Some recent changes in the Army are obvious, such as our transition to the

new Army Service Uniform. Others are more prolonged and will gradually affect the way we operate

such as the projected cuts in personnel and spending. Officers entering the Army today will enter a

smaller more agile force. The days of receiving annual equipment replacements with the latest,

greatest off the shelf gadget will be replaced by carefully managing and maintaining your equipment

until it wears out or becomes obsolete. Formations will shrink while dwell time between deployments

will stretch from months to years. These changes will provide some unique challenges for young

leaders. These are some of the same challenges often seen in the Army prior to start of the war on

terrorism which began over a decade ago.

An enormous advantage leaders entering the Army today will experience is working with the most

battle hardened, well equipped and professional fighting Soldier in the world. The entire world is

aware of this fact and taken notes on our capabilities and limitations. As fewer and fewer Soldiers

with combat experience remain in the ranks, leaders will have to ensure units maintain their combat readiness. We cannot let Sol-

diers forget about the last battle, since it will help them prepare for the next.

We must keep our Soldiers sharp, well trained, physically fit, and enforce the meticulous care of their equipment. As warrior leaders

we can never be lulled into complacency or a perception of peace and remember we are not so strong that another attack by a terror-

ist group or rogue state is a remote possibility. As a soon to be Platoon Leader you should ask yourself every day, “If attacked, is my

platoon ready to deploy and fight tomorrow?” If the answer is no, then get back to work.

We should all heed the warning of a long time veteran of fighting terrorism, COL Roger Trinquier, CDR the 3rd Colonial Parachute

Regiment, of the French Army, “The basic weapon of modern warfare, particularly in the cities is terrorism. Victory no longer depends

on one battle over given terrain. We know that victory in modern warfare is the unconditional support of a population. It is essential to

realize that in modern warfare we are not up against a few armed bands across a given territory, but rather against an armed clandes-

tine organization whose essential role to impose its will upon the population. Victory will be obtained only through the complete de-

struction of the organization.” COL Trinquier wrote this in 1961 after he had fought terrorism in Indochina and Algeria for six straight

years prior to writing his book on Modern Warfare. A good read for any young officer.

This concept of Victory over terrorism is hard to imagine let alone understand for most Americans, but must be our guide for study and

preparation as future Army officers. Soon our senior Cadets will take an oath to become the anointed watchmen of this nation, its

people, and democracy around the world. They will become the essential guardian this nation needs to thrive and survive potential

threats. Rather than sit and wait for threats to spread to our shores, Army officers identify, prepare for, and disrupt lethal threats to

our nation before they attack. The task of watchman of our nation and protector of democracy around the world is both significant and

daunting because the threats facing our nation today which are constantly changing and evolving.

This brings me to a point of predictability. The one constant in this world is change. The pace of change is increasing and those lead-

ers who are the most agile and adaptive will be able to seize opportunities while mitigating emerging threats. We can’t pred ict when

and where the next attack will come from, but we can train ourselves and our units to be agile and adaptive. How you respond to

evolving challenges and changes will establish you as a leader.

The MS IIIs of NMU are about to culminate their cadet training with a trip to Ft. Lewis and attendance of the Leader Development and

Assessment Course (LDAC). They have trained hard, are in great shape and have already demonstrated their adaptability as young

leaders. They will succeed at LDAC, but more importantly, they will make significant contributions to the Army and their country after

LDAC.

The MS IVs who are about to begin a career as an Officer in the Army, have worked diligently with the Cadre to ensure the younger

Cadets were properly trained and prepared. I’m extremely proud of their efforts and the legacy they leave behind. Now get out there

and do the same great things for your Soldiers!

May God bless each of you and may God bless America. - LTC Kyle A. Rambo

May 2012

Volume 9

Department of Military Science

Northern Michigan University

101 Gries Hall

Marquette, MI 49855

906.227.2236 (phone)

906.227.1567 (fax)

www.nmu.edu/militaryscience military@nmu.edu

Wildcat Roar

Ironwood JROTC Red Devil Battalion “Motivating young people to become better citizens.” That is the creed of the

Ironwood High School JROTC.

Each year the Red Devil Battalion conducts a battalion inspection in order to test

the cadets on drill and ceremony, customs and courtesies, and basic class level

knowledge. They also take the opportunity to share what they have accom-

plished in the community with both the NMU battalion and other visiting school

officials. During the Battalion Inspection, each cadet’s uniform was sharp and

they were ready for any question we threw at them.

Each company had a chance to demonstrate their knowledge of basic march-

ing and drill that they have practiced non-stop in the weeks leading up to the

inspection.

At the end of the inspection, the visiting members of the Wildcat Battalion were

able to brief the junior cadets on the benefits of NMU and an ROTC scholarship

as well as visit with our incoming freshman cadets for next year. The junior ca-

dets were eager to hear about our program and took advantage of the time we

had for questions.

The Ironwood Red Devil Battalion has continually earned the title of Honor Unit with Distinction, a title that takes hard work and extreme

dedication to receive and maintain. At this inspection, they successfully showed us why they are deserving of that title and how they are

living up to their creed.

Ironwood JROTC engages almost a third of the student body in its program. When asked why the program is so popular among teens,

students noted that most popular social activities for the school year are hosted by this organization. Moreover, JROTC is an achievement

based program, that enables students to excel in many areas. There is something for everyone in JROTC.

- Cadet Daniel Sackmann, MS II

Shoenfelter Named Cadet of the Semester Cadet Shoenfelter is majoring in Athletic

Training with a minor in History and Military

Science. He graduated BCT/AIT as a 12 Bri-

gade Crewmember at Fort Leonard Wood,

MO on 18 Nov 2011. He currently serves

with the 1437th Multirole Bridge Company in

Sault Ste Marie, MI while enrolled in the

Army ROTC program here at Northern Michi-

gan University. Also he plays on Echo, the

Wildcat Ultimate Frisbee Club Team, as well

as acting their treasurer. He also is a Student

Supervisor, Event and Maintenance Worker

at the Superior Dome. He was awarded this

award for an outstanding performance in the

ROTC every week and was nominated with

four other of his peers to the Cadet of the

Semester Board and came out on top. The

Board consisted of a series of questions

which pertain to information learned in his

military classes, Army Customs and Courte-

sies, and current events around the world.

Cadet Shoenfelter

New Second Lieutenants Commissioned May 2012

Upon the completion of the 2012 Winter Semester nine brand new second lieutenants will enter the United States Army. Among

these are the following individuals: Alexander Sackmann, Meredith Steggerda, William Sanders, Jake Pfiester, Morgan Steele, John In-

gamells, Xander Alix, Erin Folgert, and Peter Leeman. As battalion staff over the past year they have collectively completed the fall FTX

at Camp Grayling, Task Force Ranger Challenge, Brigade Ranger Challenge, Winter Suckex, Battalion Run-a-thon, Special Olympics Color

Guard, Veterans Day Color Guard, and multiple other volunteer events.

Alexander Sackmann will be entering the Corp of Engineers and attend BOLC at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. Meredith Steggerda will

be joining the Corp of Nurses and will attend BOLC at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. William Sanders will be attending BOLC at Fort Sill,

Oklahoma and be in the field artillery branch. Jake Pfiester will also be commissioned into the Corp of Engineers and attend BOLC at

Fort Leanard Wood, MO. Morgan Steele branched Transportation and will attend BOLC at Fort Lee, Virginia. Continued on pg. 4

55th Annual Detroit Awards and TARDEC Visit At 1030 on 12 April 2012, four cadets and

a cadre member boarded a KC 135 Air

Force aircraft and began their weekend in

Detroit, MI. During this weekend the ca-

dets had the opportunity to tour TARDEC

and attended the 55th Annual Detroit

Awards. Upon arrival in Detroit, the

Marcy’s social dinner was the first event on

the agenda. Cadets were introduced to

other Army ROTC members from universi-

ties across the state and had the opportu-

nity to meet many VIP personnel.

The next day, cadets toured the TARDEC

compound and saw the recent research

that is occurring in this element of TACOM.

“TARDEC devel-

ops, integrates

and sustains the

right technology

solutions for all

manned and un-

manned DOD

ground systems

and combat sup-

port systems to

improve current

force effectiveness

and produce supe-

rior capabilities for

the future force.”

The tour consisted

of viewing BAE

Systems, Ground

Vehicle Robotics

(GVR), Ground

Systems Surviv-

ability, and Vehicle Electronics and Archi-

tecture (VEA). Following the tour, the ca-

dets made way to the Detroit Awards.

A total of seven cadets received awards

at the banquet. The cadets and their re-

spectable awards are as follows:

CDT Emily Allen, MS I; The BAE Sys-

tems Award

CDT Tyler Ratton, MS II; AM General

Award

CDT Erwin Marciniack, MS III; The Munro

and Associate Award

CDT Xander Alix, MI IV; Science Applica-

tions International Corporation Award

CDT Elizabeth Eldridge, MS IV; The

General Dynamics Land Systems

CDT William Sanders, MS IV; The Asso-

ciate of the United States Army Award

It is a great honor to receive these

awards and be recognized on a state level.

Congratulations to the awardees and keep

up the good work!

- Cadet Elizabeth Eldridge, MS IV

Lake Superior Leadership Academy The Lake Superior Leadership Academy

made a visit to Northern Michigan Univer-

sity’s campus to visit with the ROTC de-

partment. During the visit four MS4s set up

small leader reaction courses to test the

academy student’s leadership skills in

unique situations. Each event was meant to

test different characteristics of a good

leader. The students were split into four

groups and sent in rotations to each event

to develop them as teams and to make

them more efficient parts of a team.

The first task was all tied up, where the

team had to tie a square knot into a large

rope in a set amount of time, instilling

teamwork and communication. The second

task was spaced, where the

team was split in two and then

had to get nails into a certain

configuration and let the other

team know in a certain time

limit instilling communication

and teamwork as well as men-

tal agility. The third task was

blind litter carry, where one

person on the team became

injured and was put on a litter;

four other members of the

team blindfolded themselves

and lifted the litter as the

leader who could see but not touch had to

direct them through the obstacle course.

Each consecutive event pushed certain

leadership traits to test leaders on how they

would react and give them experience for

future instances.

- Cadet Xander Alix, MS IV

LSLA participants negotiate LRC lanes.

Page 4 Wildcat Roar

Page 5 Wildcat Roar

Participating in ROTC gives students the

opportunity to do a large variety of fun and

new activities that they would otherwise

never have a chance to do. One of these

events is the winter FTX. Our winter FTX

is a lot like a camping trip except it’s a mili-

tary style camping trip where we set up

poncho hooch’s and brave the cold.

Our winter FTX was different from our fall

FTX in that instead of running STX lanes,

we helped our Ranger Team prepare for an

upcoming competition by running lanes

similar to what they were going to be doing

for their competition. While a little physi-

cally trying at times, the events of the FTX

turned out to be fun, exciting and a great

opportunity to get to know and bond with

other cadets, strengthening our camarade-

rie and our effectiveness in

working as a team.

I’m glad to have been able

to participate in the winter

FTX and the ROTC pro-

gram. It has helped me

learn more about myself

and to grow as a person

and as a member of a team.

I’ve learned not only look

after myself, but also the

guy, or girl, next to me.

This is an invaluable lesson,

not just in ROTC or the

Army, but also for life in general.

- Cadet Tyler Kitzman, MS III

Winter Field Training Exercise

For one weekend in April, the MS3

cadets from the Wildcat Battalion partici-

pated in Task Force McCoy's Combined Field

Training Exercise, or CFTX, providing them

with an opportunity to cross train with other

cadets from across 3rd Brigade. The week-

end was filled with quality training, ranging

from Day and Night Land Navigation to the

Field Leader Reaction Course, a thirty minute

pressure test designed to examine the lead-

ership abilities and critical thinking skills of

future army officers. Through the training, the

Wildcat cadets were exposed to the tech-

niques and procedures utilized at other bat-

talions, and received opportunities to work

with individuals other than their normal

peers.

After the training was complete, the Wildcat

cadets felt good about their performance.

“The CFTX really lets you know where you

stand, compared to the rest of the brigade”,

said Cadet Linsmeyer on the training. “I now

feel confident about LDAC after the CFTX. We

know we’re ready.” Now in the final weeks

before the Leadership Development and As-

sessment Course, the MS3s will focus their

training based off of the results of the exer-

cise, honing their skills in order to achieve an

overall excellent evaluation this summer.

-CDT David Mallard, MS III

MSIII Class Put to the Test at FT. McCoy, WI

New Second Lieutenants Commissioned May 2012

Continued from pg. 2

John Ingamells is branched Ordnance and will be attending BOLC at Fort Lee,

Virginia. Xander Alix will be commissioned into the Air Defense and Artillery

Branch and will be attending BOLC at Fort Sill, Oklahoma Erin Folgert will be

joining the Corp of Engineers and going to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri for his

BOLC training. Peter Leeman will also be commissioned into the Corp of Engi-

neers and will be attending BOLC at Fort Lenard Wood, Missouri.

A congrats and wish for future success goes out to these newly commissioned

officers!

-CDT Elizabeth Eldridge, MS IV

Page 6 Wildcat Roar

Military Ball 2012

Cadets from NMUs Wildcat Battalion had

their annual military ball on 27April 2012.

The event started out with social hour, and

a receiving line. The receiving line con-

sisted of some members of the cadre, the

distinguished guests, and NMU’s Battalion

commander. After the opening ceremonies

the guests were all served their dinner by

NMU catering. This was followed by an

introduction to the guest speaker by LTC

Rambo. The guest speaker, Frank Allen,

then spoke. MSG Perdue was recognized

by the MS IV Class of 2012 with the receiv-

ing of a eagle trophy for his great work

done for the Battalion. In addition to this

award, CDT Bailey Hagner received a 300

dollar check from the American Legion.

After all of the formal events of the ball the

dance floor was opened up to the cadets

and other guests.

-CDT Chandelle Macey, MS I

On April 15, I arrived in Roanoke Virginia

to be greeted by cadets from all different

schools and branches. We were all attend-

ing the George C. Marshall Awards Semi-

nar in recognition of being chosen as the

top MS4 in our respective battalions.

Three events took place during the

awards seminar, roundtables, speeches

and a virtual staff ride of a past battle. For

the roundtables we grouped together to talk

about major problems for the future of the

military. The topics included Pakistan:

Friend or Foe, Homeland Security and

Homeland Defense, and Latin American

Security Challenges. The roundtables were

headed by officers and NCOs that are mas-

ters of their domain to help make us think

about topics and challenges in new and

innovative ways.

The speeches were from General Od-

ierno, 38th Army Chief of Staff, General

Cone, commanding general of TRADOC

(Training and Doctrine Command), Major

General Smith, commanding general of

cadet command, and Lieutenant General

Via, deputy commanding general of Army

Materiel Command. The speeches tried to

instill traits and to give us tips to becoming

new leaders and they all centered on one

main focus, “know the standard and en-

force the standard.”

Finally, the third event and by far my fa-

vorite was the virtual staff ride. The Battle

of Roberts Ridge- Operation Anaconda,

Afghanistan was led by a retired major that

took us step by step

through the battle introduc-

ing us to the terrain and

information known at the

time of planning. Through-

out the battle we were in-

troduced to choosing points

where we had to make a

decision as the Captain

that was on the ground.

Upon making a decision

the virtual staff ride leader

would introduce new infor-

mation to contradict your

choice to make you think

on your feet and then ask the question

again to see how you reacted.

Overall the George C. Marshall Awards

Seminar was an interesting event that

opened my mind to a whole new way of

looking at situations as well as gave me

interesting and helpful tips and advice for

my future career as an Army officer.

-CDT Xander Alix, MS IV

George C. Marshall Awards Seminar

Cadets listen to a guest speaker at the conference

Page 7 Wildcat Roar

German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge (GAFPB)

The German

Armed Forces

Proficiency

Badge (GAFPB)

is a series of

events that ca-

dets complete to

earn a badge to

wear on their

uniform. Each

event has a set

standard to meet in order to earn the

badge; two of these events have different

ranks to be attempted earning the cadets

one of three badges. Gold is the highest

awarded badge followed by silver and fi-

nally bronze.

There were seven events that happened

in one weekend in Milwaukee Wisconsin.

The NMU battalion sent ten cadets to com-

pete for a badge, every cadet succeeded

eight earning gold and two cadets earned

silver. The events were set up to cover all

three days of the weekend at the end of

March.

On Friday night all the cadets completed

the 200 Meter swim in less than six min-

utes. The next morning at 0600 the five and

three kilometer runs were held. The male

standard was less than 23 minutes to com-

plete a five kilometer run and the females

had 18 minutes to complete three kilome-

ters. Later that morning the pistol qualifica-

tion was held. This was one of the events

that determined a gold, silver, or bronze

ranking. At 20 meters each cadet had five

bullets to hit three targets, after each target

was hit once the remaining two bullets

could be shot at any target. If five bullets hit

the target a gold was rewarded, if four a

silver, and if three a bronze. All NMU ca-

dets qualified with at least silver.

In the afternoon on Saturday the track

and field events were held. The events

consisted of a 400 and 100 meter sprint for

males and females respectively, high or

long jump at the cadet’s discretion, and a

shot put or stone throw. All of these events

were pass or fail, all the NMU cadets

passed.

Finally at 0600 on Sunday morning the

final event was held. This was a road

march with a rucksack of at least 33

pounds. The standards that had been set

at the pistol qualification of gold, silver and

bronze determined the length each cadet

had to march. For gold it was 7.5 miles in

less than two hours, silver was 5.6 in under

an hour and a half and bronze was one

hour to complete 3.5 miles. Once this event

was complete the awards ceremony was

held and the NMU cadets were on their

way home .

- Cadet Sam Zyburt, MS II

I would like to thank each and every one of you. It was three years ago since I was assigned as the Senior Military Science Instructor for the “Wildcat” Battalion. I was nervous at first, but the experienced Cadre helped me get my groundings. This battal-ion will continue to excel after my depar-ture. The Cadre I’ve had the opportunity to work with has left a lasting impression on me. One of the greatest traits a man can have is the ability and willingness to be a mentor. It is a sign of selflessness - being a mentor benefits primarily the student. It is a sign of responsibility - being a mentor

means you understand your place in the Army, and want to help improve the Army by bringing oth-ers to that place. It is a sign of competence - being a mentor means that one has the skills, education, and experi-ence to teach someone else valuable lessons. Sadly, I must say that all things must come to an end. After three years of working for this wonderful battalion, it is time for a new assignment. The Army has decided that my experience is needed

elsewhere. Don't get me wrong, I have plenty more knowledge and experiences I can share. I for one, will certainly miss being able to do that every day. Let me recount some of my favorite memo-ries over the years. I just love watching people learn through self discovery. Do any of you recall the one-rope bridge event in 2009 when we decided to get you wet as you traveled across the Dead River? What about the Survival FTX, where you had to find the hamburger meat and figure out how to cook it; or starve. I’m especially fond of the Pigs-n-Heat event, where Ca-

det Carlson kept losing her footing on the ice and landing on her 4th point of contact. Wow, those were some great memories that I’m surely going to miss. On a serious note, I want to quote Ralph Waldo Emerson. “We are the sum of our days, and should look sharp at how they pass…Of our days, they come and go like muffled and veiled figures sent from a distant friendly party; but they are nothing, and if we do not use the gifts they bring, they carry them as silently away.” Message Master Sergeant??? Yes Cadet. Message. Not only do we Cadre teach you curriculum to become future Army officers, but each one of us is unique and have something special to offer each and every one of you. Those of you about to com-mission, Take what we have taught; and as you enter the Army; use it to lead, train, and mentor your Soldiers. This is no longer “My Army”. It is your Army. You are the future. The reigns are in your hands. So now that I've said my piece, I would like to assure you that while departures are sad, I am not. I am happy because while I cannot take you with me, I can keep the memories with me always, and so can you. Thank you. - MSG Daniel Perdue

Notes from the Senior Military Science Instructor

Name:_____________________________________________________________ Graduation Date (month/year):________________________

Spouse Name:______________________________________________________ Major/Degree:______________________________________

Address:___________________________________________________________ Phone Number:_____________________________________

City:_________________________________ State: _____________ Zip: _________________ Cell Phone: ______________________________

Email address: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Employment Status:______________________________________ Employer:_____________________________________________________

Please feel free to update/share anything else with us that is important to you: (along with any memories that you wish to share)

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Page 8 Wildcat Roar

Alumni Updates Requested

Military Science

1401Presque Isle Ave

Marquette, MI 49855

Please mail above form to: NMU ROTC, 1401 Presque Isle Ave, Marquette, MI 49855 or send via email to military@nmu.edu

To DONATE to the NMU Wildcat Battalion please make check payable to NMU Ranger Fund and mail your check to NMU

Ranger Fund, 1401 Presque Isle Ave, Marquette, MI 49855 or you may email military@nmu.edu to inquire about specific pro-

jects that ROTC might be seeking donations for.

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