CODEWORDS THE REVOLUTIONARY GUARD BATTALION NEWSLETTER

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1 CODEWORDS THE REVOLUTIONARY GUARD BATTALION NEWSLETTER FEBRUARY 8, 2012 VOLUME 1 ISSUE 1 From the Cadet Battalion Commander: I would like to start off by officially welcoming everybody back. CNU and William & Mary are both in full swing and I m sure everyone s starting to feel the pressure as classes move deeper into the semester. It has been good to see old faces along with welcoming the numerous new cadets to the program. It s hard to believe that February is already upon us. I think it s important to commend everybody on their hard work so far, which we saw many examples of during last week s APFT. The PT program emplaced at both schools has already demonstrated its merit and the continued commitment to it has the possibility to make our battalion one of the most physically fit in 4 th Brigade. I strongly urge every cadet to strive to improve their physical fitness and take personal responsibility for it. Myself and the Command Sergeant Major are both very excited about we have seen so far and the direction that the RGB is heading. The amount of planning and behind the scenes work that has been put in by the MSIV staff and cadre at both schools is astonishing and I am certain the upcoming training events will reflect this. The plans for the Spring FTX are coming together and by the looks of it, it has the potential to be the most exciting, challenging, and rewarding FTX yet. That, along with the many other events we have coming up will definitely make for a busy but rewarding semester as we try to provide you with quality training and memorable experiences. The goal behind everything we do is to provide a more engaging and realistic experience that will not only challenge you, but develop leadership at every level. That is the mindset we carry in to everything we do and hope that you can embrace that. The RGB has enormous potential and has the ability to develop into one of the top battalions in the brigade. This is only possible with continued commitment from each and every cadet in the battalion. Good work so far and I look forward to your continued effort. The only easy day was yesterday Michael Laycock Cadet Battalion Commander In this Issue: Letter from the C/Battalion Commander Front and Center....1 History of the ASU 2 Summer Training: CTLT...3 RGB Training Overview 4 Shape Up! PT Advice Importance of Followership...6

2 Front and Center (Contributors: LTC Streater and CDT Tahmassebi) Cadet Elgin, CNU: ROTC adds a whole new element to the college life, along with the usual college routine: there are 0600 PT sessions, labs, and weekend events. Cadet AJ Elgin, a freshman in ROTC, has proved himself to be an exceptional example of what an Army ROTC cadet should be. Cadet Elgin not only balances school, ROTC, and a varsity sport (lacrosse) but he excels in all three. Despite having practice every day for lacrosse Cadet Elgin has never missed a single PT this semester and continues to get good grades. Since this is Cadet Elgin s second semester in the program he has more experience than the new MS1s and has showed himself as a leader by stepping up and helping the new cadets. Cadet Elgin is looked at as an outstanding leader because he has presented himself as a role model for cadets in the program. CPT Jack Miller (Air Defense Artillery) graduated from Rennselaer Polytechnic Institute, and is a storied intercollegiate track and field athlete(discus, throws shot, and track) who participated in a National level track and field competition this summer. He thoroughly enjoys weightlifting and his family, which includes his lovely wife Vanessa and adorable newborn baby, John Jr. (4 months old). Major Kevin Gitkos (Field Artillery) graduated from King s College, and is a talented athlete in the world of Kickball and weightlifting, so much in fact that he will participate in a National level Kickball competition this month in Florida with his lovely bride Ashley, also a Kickball athlete! MAJ Gitkos can also be found routinely in the strength room at the gym, and enjoys traveling the world with his wife Ashlee. Tracking their similarities, beyond MS II instruction? Blow stuff out of the sky for a living, lift big heavy objects for fun, enjoy fitness as a lifestyle, and love of their family! 1 P a g e

3 The Army Service Uniform: A Brief History (By Benjamin Leudtke) The Army Service Uniform, the business suit of the Army, has antecedents dating back to the foundation of the American Army in The history of the dress blues begins with the uniform of the Continental Army. The blue uniforms were selected to distinguish the Americans from the red coats of the British Army. The blues would remain a signature of the American Army through their earliest wars. During the American Civil War, the blue uniforms would be immortalized when they were pitched against the grey of the Confederacy. The blues would become an icon of the American West as well, where the US Cavalry would wear them in the Indian Wars. As war changed, the needs of the Army Uniform changed as well. Around the time of the Spanish-American War, the Army switched to an olive drab uniform for combat situations, but the blue uniform was retained for dress or formal occasions. Wear of dress uniforms was suspended for WWII, as it wasn t economically efficient to produce separate uniforms In 1954, the Army Class A (green) uniform was introduced. This became the standard uniform for both officers and enlisted soldiers. But in the mid-60 s, the blues came back, but this time as an officers uniform. The greens remained the day to day uniform for the army, except, obviously, when soldiers were in the field. After 9/11, when the War in Afghanistan began, the Army suspended the wear of the service (Class A) uniform. Every Pictured: Korean War U.S. Army Dress Blue soldier from the generals in the Pentagon down wore their combat uniforms as a sign of solidarity with the deployed troops (the economic impetus that had brought about a similar policy in WWII was not a factor this time). Meanwhile, the Army began phasing out the Class A s, replacing them with the Army Service Uniform (ASU). The ASU, based on the officer s blues, would serve as both the day-to-day uniform and the dress uniform. And recently, the Army reinstated the wear of the service uniform at the Pentagon. The pants of the ASU are a lighter shade than the jacket. This peculiar color choice actually demonstrates the importance of tradition in the ASU. During and after the American Civil War, the cavalry would often take off their heavy woolen, dark blue jackets while they rode to try to find some relief from the hot sun. The sun would fade their pants, but their jackets, safely tucked away in their packs, would remain dark. Eventually, the Army started doing this on purpose for the sake of uniformity When you are commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army, you receive a one time stipend for the purchase of your uniform. After that, it is up to you to care for your uniform and maintain proper fit (a nice financial incentive to stay in shape). Wear your ASU proudly, as it represents the long and storied history of the United States Army. 2 P a g e

4 Summer Training: CTLT (Danny O Donohue) The Cadet Troop Leader Training (CTLT) program places cadets in real Army units where they are given the chance to assume 2 nd Lieutenant responsibilities, familiarize themselves with the Army culture, and learn a few technical skills during the 3-4 week span that training takes place. Cadets can request to be put in a Combat Arms, Combat Support, or Combat Service Support unit based either inside the Continental United States (CONUS) or Outside the Continental United States (OCONUS). Every CTLT experience is different, and what a cadet gets out of it will largely depend on his or her attitude and the unit he or she is assigned to. Last summer I had the opportunity to participate in CTLT and was assigned to 4 th Battalion 27 th Field Artillery Regiment ( Iron Thunder ) stationed in Fort Bliss, El Paso Texas. I shadowed a Fire Support Officer and a Fire Direction Officer during my three weeks at Fort Bliss. One of the biggest highlights of my training was firing the M mm Towed Howitzer. I also got a chance to familiarize myself with the Battle Command Brigade and Below (FBCB2) which is computer/gps based system that provides soldiers with location information of friendly and enemy forces. It is commonly found in Humvees and used for route planning. I got a wealth of information simply talking to enlisted soldiers and officers alike about their duties, what is expected of them, and what they expect of their leaders. CTLT is a great opportunity to get hands on training in a particular field and simply learn more about Army culture. Ask your MS instructors about available slots. If you have any specific questions don t hesitate to contact me or CDT Clarke at CNU who also did CTLT last summer. 3 P a g e

5 Training Overview (By Aleca Blaisdell-Black) The RGB hit the ground running this semester; in some cases, even running and puking. CDTs Luedtke (Benjamin) and Judge held the honor of leading A Co s first PT, a mixture of sprints, pushups, and more sprints, intended to punish the weak and reward those who maintained CDT Russell s Patriots on Point workout blog over winter break. The RGB s cadets implied that working out only at PT was Too Easy and asked for more, which the MSIV s delivered in the form of an Adventure Course Lab. Squads raced each other from obstacle to obstacle in a Ranger Challenge style competition, with challenges including paintball marksmanship, evaluate a casualty, and a van push. CDT Stallings brought illustrious 2SQ, the Honeybadgers to victory, resulting in a positive spot report and much envy among fellow cadets. Having recovered from the rigors of racing across campus pushing vans, the RGB moved into land navigation the second week of classes, beating the sun to Matoaka Trailhead and Mariner s Park in order to complete night land navigation. Having refreshed themselves on map reading, azimuth-shooting in the hours before dawn, cadets returned to their respective training areas once more that day to defeat day land navigation in the afternoon. The MSIII s first 18 hour drill followed on Friday. To the astonishment of all involved, the Army incorporated an extra 18 hours into the standard 24 hour day, enabling MSIII s from both A and C Co as well as several MSI s to hone their land navigation skills at Fort AP Hill. Following the successful capture of SAPA HVTs last semester, the RGB geared up for Stability Ops in AO Matoaka and AO Mariners, making contact with local partisans and hunting down remaining SAPA forces in the area. After this highly motivated iteration of STX IV, A Co cadets moved into support operations for Military Appreciation Night at the WM Men s Basketball Game. Cadets performed pull-ups to mark WM points, while others escorted VP s and one lucky cadet performed a pushup contest at half-time against an unwitting male student. The RGB took the APFT last week at their respective campuses and while strong performances were put up by A Co and C Co, there is definitely an opportunity to improve. The Minutemen, A Co s IM Basketball team improved to 2-0 defeating the Debate Team, known for their physical prowess as well as The Mutiny, well-known for their mutiny. Thanks to CDT Bessler s defensive tenacity, Axworthy s JJ Redick-esque three point shooting and Ray s court vision, the Minutemen made quick work of both opponents. Coming up this week: STX V and the first ruck march of the semester. Keep up the hard work RGB! 4 P a g e

6 Shape up! Physical Fitness advice On February 2, 2012, William and Mary Cadets of the RGB took their monthly PT test. Cadets at William and Mary averaged a 259 for their first test back from break. Two maxed: Cadets Aleca Blaisdell-Black (311) and William Johnson (333). By class, the MSIVs had the highest average score at is good, but it can always be better. The goal here at William and Mary is to have an average score of 269 by March 1. To meet that goal, cadets need to improve on average 5% on each event. In general, new cadets are struggling with sit up form, while some of the upper classmen need to review push up form. When doing sit ups, don't lower your back to the ground - just relax, let it fall, and use the bounce to get back up. The common problem with push ups is that cadets aren't going low enough to break the plane (i.e. have their elbows and shoulders make a line parallel to the ground). The solution to this is to practice going extra deep, touching your chest to the ground each rep and working the full range of motion. Mastering the form will guarantee more points on the next PT test. 5 P a g e A quick and very effective way to train for these two events is the "tabata protocol." Tabata intervals consist of 20 seconds of maximum effort followed by 10 seconds of rest, repeated 8 times. For only 4 minutes of exercise, you will be surprised how effective it is. Remember, work smart - not hard. To improve your run times, run repeats of 4x800m or 8x400m. Keep track of your times, and each workout shorten your rest intervals. Again, this is not a particularly time consuming workout, but it is very effective. Vary these with easy longer runs of 4+ miles, and you should see your run times drop off. Again, congratulations to the cadets who maxed, and to everyone who passed. 259 is a good starting point for the semester. Take the time to "study" for the PT test, come to PT, and let's get that improvement before Spring Break. Kenneth Russell PTOIC William and Mary

7 Closing Words: Greetings Patriots. After reading over the picture the Battalion Commander painted about the state of our program and its bright future, it made me realize how far the program has come. Since joining ROTC in the Fall of 2008, I've seen the program completely reinvent itself. I can recall missing PT once per week as a freshman, and never even being asked why. I went almost all of Freshman year never fully grasping that ROTC results in commissioning as an officer, as opposed to service in exchange for scholarship money. I didn't know my fellow cadets very well and had little interest in spending time outside of training with my ROTC peers. However, all that began to change in Fall 2009 with a new cast of dedicated cadre and upperclassmen. By the end of my Junior year, ROTC was my family. Now, all of this didn't happen because of a few bold leaders. It happened because the younger cadets bought into the vision they communicated. I know it can be hard to find motivation sometimes, especially for the young cadets with no positions of leadership, but this program depends on your dedication. For most MSIIIs, this semester is the most difficult one they'll endure. They're asked to train, manage, and lead the MSIs and MSIIs all while being evaluated on their abilities. It s important that you do what you can to support our MSIIIs as they try to take care of you. Their successes are our successes. And the program's successes turn into growth for the program. A happy MSIII will make a happier MSIV (remember that MSIIs, because next year they'll be evaluating you!). I hope you all have a safe and successful semester. And remember, it's hard to run from zombies in flip flops. On Point! Casey Clarke Command Sergeant Major 1 P a g e