The Revere Recorder ROTC the best leader and management development program in the world! Volume X, Issue 3 Reporting for America s Oldest ROTC Unit Spring/Summer 2009 Spring FTX Cadet Charles Finn, Tufts 2011 The Paul Revere (MIT) and Charles River Battalions (Boston University) conducted the 2009 Spring Field Training Exercise (FTX) at Fort Devens from April 17 to April 20. The culminating event of the ROTC year, the exercise introduced many MS Is and IIs to individual movement techniques, unit operations, and the military experience in general. The most valuable lesson I took away from this weekend was definitely how a squad works, because I had never had the chance to actually experience it until then and it was great, said CDT Ross Degnen, a Lesley MS I. For the MS IIIs, the weekend was a chance to apply their lessons in military science to real-life situations. The opportunity to lead cadets through Squad Tactical Exercises yielded them experience vital to succeeding at the Leader Development and Assessment Course (LDAC). The MS IVs worked with the cadre to manage and guide all aspects of the FTX, from distributing M-16s to ensuring hot chow. Additionally, they planned the Squad Tactical Exercises for day two, instructing and evaluating their peers. CDT O Brien displays extreme motivation MSIVs put considerable time and effort into planning the execution and grading of STX lanes, since these are critical leadership evaluations for the LDAC-bound cadets. Although the focus was on them, it was great to see cadets of all levels from two battalions starting to forge a cohesive team, said CDT Clarke Burns, a Tufts MSIV. The Paul Revere Battalion arrived at Fort Devens on April 17, with many cadets seizing upon the opportunity to travel via UH-60 Black Hawks from Harvard and Winter Island Landing Zones. The Battalion then set up a patrol base and provided perimeter security until weapons issue. Following a 0400 police call and breakfast, the cadets linked up with the Charles River Battalion, integrated into new squads, and began their missions for the day.
The first four lanes tested basic squad tactics, such as attacking and destroying an enemy bunker. The remaining four lanes each included a different variable. In one lane, for example, the objective abruptly changed from conducting an ambush to escorting journalists. The STX lanes were definitely a challenge and great preparation for LDAC this summer, said CDT Andrea Herbin, a Wellesley MS III. The third and final day of the FTX was devoted to Basic Rifle Marksmanship (BRM). Lead by the MS IVs and cadre, the battalion marched four miles under full packs to the M-16 range. gained a new appreciation for clean rifles as they scrubbed, scraped, and wiped their weapons free of carbon. After this was done, the Paul Revere Battalion loaded onto coach buses and headed back to MIT. With hands black with carbon and rifle oil, the cadets eagerly grabbed an MRE, swapping stories of the weekend. A chalk of cadets waits for their lift Cadets ruck across Turner drop-zone It was highly motivating to see cadets driving on despite painful blisters, a lack of sleep, an uncomfortable ruck, etc. Moving up and down the formation, I saw cadets in obvious pain from new boots who nonetheless held their place in line. After two nights in the field, motivation was reaching new highs, observed CDT Burns, a Tufts MSIV. Upon arrival at the range, the cadets learned to zero in their sights and, time permitting, received the chance to qualify with their rifles. Targets were fired at from a distance of 25 meters. Weapons cleaning was the final task of the day. Many Cadets For me, the best part of the exercise was getting to see the learning our cadets had in doing the lanes. They were certainly very challenging for all cadets involved, regardless of their military science levels. For everyone involved I think it really helped motivate them to continue learning and growing as leaders, said Lieutenant Colonel Timothy Hall, the battalion commander. He added that aside from some minor modifications relating to BRM and information dissemination, the joint exercise as a whole was sound and will return next year. The Cadre and Staff of the Paul Revere Battalion congratulate the Class of 2009 on their Commissioning and Graduation!
National Society of Pershing Rifles C-12 (ABN) Cadet Tim Mangan, Salem State 2011 After completing a long and strenuous training curriculum offered by Pershing Rifles during the spring semester of my freshmen year, I could not wait for the new year to begin as one of the newest members of Charlie Company (Airborne), 12 th Regiment, otherwise known as C-12 (ABN). For those of you who are not familiar with Pershing Rifles, we are a military fraternity that focuses strictly on learning/teaching small unit tactics, with an emphasis on military bearing, physical fitness, and discipline. It is open to any cadet or midshipmen from any service in ROTC, male or female, as well as to civilians. As a trainee for Pershing Rifles you are pushed both mentally and physically. To start off our new semester, a fellow Pershing Rifleman, Air Force Cadet Nathan Elowe of Tufts University, taught the company some combatives. CDT Elowe, who has trained at the U.S. Army Combatives School, taught and ran us through a series of drills that focused on the positions of the mount, the guard, as well as control and submission. The Pershing Riflemen also engaged in a company FTX which was set up and coordinated by Pershing Rifleman CDT Howard and Company advisor CPT Griffiths, who is a Pershing Rifles alumnus out of Company D- 8 at Fordham University. The FTX was conducted at Camp Curtis Guild with rucks, full LBE, hand held radios, and Pershing Riflemen serve as OPFOR to train new pledges during the FTX our new air-soft rifles, replicas of the M4 rifle used on today s battlefields. We went through a series of Squad Tactical Exercises (STX Lanes), with all riflemen rotating in as either squad leader or team leader. Cadets and midshipmen are always welcome as OPFOR for C-12 (ABN) FTXs. As the semester moved on, Pershing Riflemen also conducted a MOUT session. MOUT stands for Military Operations in Urban Terrain. We practiced Close-Quarter Marksmanship (CQM) and followed with drills on room clearing and moving down hallways in four man teams. To cap it off, the company had a competition to see who can be the quickest and most accurate. MOUT fundamentals were also taught to Air Force cadets by myself and Pershing Riflemen CDT Bailey (Army), CDT Elowe (Air Force) and CDT Shannon (Air Force). Currently, Pershing Rifles is training/teaching its training class. The training is spread out over an 8-week period and demands much from prospective Riflemen. Commitments include classes for 3 hours a week, as well as an FTX for the trainees to practice what they have learned. By participating in Pershing Rifles, you will be prepared for the schools and additional training offered through ROTC especially the Army s Airborne and Air Assault
Schools. Also, as an Army cadet, the knowledge you gain from our training will be very beneficial when you go to LDAC. Winning entry into Pershing Rifles also builds confidence and camaraderie with other cadets and midshipmen. Cadet Burns, a future Armor officer, and Cadet Howard, a future Infantry officer, are our two Army MSIVs who will receive their commissions as officers in May. For more information on Pershing Rifles C-12 (ABN), please contact either myself or Army CDTs Burns, Howard, Kmiecik, Bailey, or Broughton. Combat Water Survival Test Cadet Clarke Burns, Tufts 2009 On Friday the 13 th of February, the cadets of Army ROTC s Paul Revere Battalion assembled at dawn for the annual Combat Water Survival Test (CWST). Conducted in MIT s athletic complex, the event is intended to prepare cadets for future training and boost confidence in the water. It is also one of the most enjoyable training activities of the semester the early hour notwithstanding. The first task these future Army officers face is the three-meter drop. Blindfolded students, wearing uniforms, combat vests, and carrying dummy rifles, are led to the edge of the high board. They must jump into the pool and swim to the side without losing their rifle or equipment. For many, swimming in shoes and a uniform presents much more of a challenge than expected. The second stop, the equipment ditch, flummoxes many first-time cadets. Here the challenge is not swimming, but sinking: students must jump in the pool and remove their equipment before surfacing. Wiggling out of a tangled combat equipment Cadets in the water at CWST vest is not easy, and many take several attempts before succeeding. After coaching, however, everyone succeeds and proceeds to the final test. The 15-meter swim is a surprisingly difficult event. Wearing waterlogged uniforms and holding dummy rifles above their heads, cadets swim the interminable distance and emerge panting from the pool. The encumbrance of their uniforms makes these seemingly easy tasks exhausting ordeals. After receiving Go s on each of the three stations, cadets strip down to swimsuits and practice inflating their uniforms for use as life preservers. Bobbing under the diving boards, they try to master the art of trapping air in their shirts and pants. As a culminating exercise, squads compete in floating a simulated casualty from one end of the pool to the other. MIT s Army ROTC battalion hosts students from nine schools. As students are grouped, the competition took on the appearance of an inter-mural event. Cadets were on their way to morning classes by 9:00 am, having gained confidence in their ability to do what will be required of them as they mature into military officers.
Words from our Commander LTC Timothy Hall Friends of the Paul Revere Battalion, we have just concluded an outstanding semester that has witnessed the excellent performance of all of our Cadets and the commissioning of many as Second Lieutenants. This semester was extremely busy with a compressed schedule and a large number of high-payoff training events. Overall, our program has seen both growth and some contraction. First, I would like to highlight the major events that we did during the semester. In this issue of The Revere Recorder, you can read articles about our Spring Field Training Exercise (FTX), Joint Service Ball, our Combat Water Survival Test (CWST), and our Lexington-Concord battlefield staff ride. These significant events, along with a few other smaller, yet significant training events, including marksmanship instruction and first aid training, were crammed into a very tight schedule. Our continued expansion at the North Shore made for significant challenges for both our Cadets and our cadre. With our team of mostly first-year cadre and our seniors, there was a lot of great learning on how to implement our continued growth of the program. We are poised to improve our operations for next year based on our lessons learned. We did achieve the goal set by Leo McGonagle of reaching an enrollment of 80 cadets before retreating slightly at the end of the year; some cadets made the difficult choice to not continue in the program for a variety of personal reasons. As a result of our lessons learned this semester, I made an important decision that I believe will enhance the leadership development and mentoring of all cadets. In the past, the senior class filled all battalion key leadership positions, including the NCO positions such as Command Sergeant Major. Additionally, because of the sizes of past senior classes, we have generally not filled battalion staff NCO positions. In contrast, the junior class has provided the Cadets to fill platoon leader, platoon sergeant, squad leader, and team leader positions. For the future, I decided to have our senior class fill all officer positions, our junior class fill all NCO positions on staff and NCO positions down to squad leader, and our sophomore class fill all available team leader positions. I believe these changes will enhance training and mentoring of Cadets and improve functioning of the battalion. Second, I would like to congratulate all of our seniors on their commissioning: Second Lieutenant Thomas Barron, Infantry; Second Lieutenant Daniel Bilotti, Judge Advocate Generals Corps; Second Lieutenant Roxanne Bras, Corps of Engineers; Second Lieutenant Clarke Burns, Armor; Second Lieutenant Eric Catalanotti, Infantry; Second Lieutenant Vincent Chiappini, Judge Advocate Generals Corps; Second Lieutenant Daniel Howard, Infantry; Second Lieutenant Vikram Mittal, Corps of Engineers; Second Lieutenant Stephen Petraeus, Infantry; Second Lieutenant Brian Thompson, Military Police Corps; and Second Lieutenant Gregory Wellman, Aviation. We have two remaining graduates for the class of 2009 who will commission later this year. First, Cadet Christopher Ocasio will commission as a Field Artillery officer after the Leadership Development and Assessment Course this summer. Last, Cadet Andrei Doohovskoy will commission as an Infantry officer in the fall after completion of his masters degree thesis. Last, I would like to bid farewell to a few of our cadre. As of right now, our program is going through a period of small
turbulence. Out of our six PMS/APMS/Instructor positions, we plan on having four persons definitely remaining in January 2010 with two replacements inbound. We wish the following cadre members departing this summer farewell: MSG Carlos Santiago departs the Paul Revere Battalion for the Sergeant Majors Academy at FT Bliss, TX. After his one year of schooling, he will head off to fill a sergeant major position somewhere in the Army. His leadership as the SMI will be sorely missed. His replacement, MSG Hinkle, will have big shoes to fill. Our last cadre member departing is retiring after 20 years of service. SFC Kaz Karwowski had a distinguished career. As his article in this Revere Recorder shows, he is a premier Soldier and leader. He made significant contributions to this battalion and to its Cadets and commissioned officers. He truly made this battalion function very well. He will not be going too far as he has accepted a position at MIT s Gordon Engineering Leadership Program with Leo McGonagle. In addition to our permanent faculty, we have CPT Rob McMahon departing the battalion. He is on his way to California after completing his masters degree at the Sloan School of Management at MIT. I hope this latest issue of The Revere Recorder finds you in good health and fortune. No Fear! Paul Revere! LTC (Ret.) and Former PMS Gerald Wellman Pinning his son, 2LT Gregory Wellman at MIT COMMISSIONING PHOTOS... CPT Nicholas Griffiths giving the Oath of Office to 2LT Daniel Howard at Endicott
Our Commissioning 2LTs at Harvard 2LT Eric Catalanotti and his father, BG Robert Catalanotti at Tufts. Guest Speaker GEN David H. Petraeus congratulates 2LT Vincent Chiappini at Harvard as his parents look on. 2LT Vikram Mittal being Pinned by his family at MIT Our Commissioning graduates at Tufts 2LT Daniel Howard and LTC Timothy Hall at Endicott
Joint-Service Military Ball Cadet Katherine Steckel, Tufts 2012 On March 6 th, the Paul Revere Battalion joined Detachment 365 of Air Force ROTC and the Navy s Old Ironsides Battalion for the formal Joint Services Military Ball. At six o clock the cadets arrived at the MIT Hyatt-Regency for the social hour. Cadets spent this time socializing among themselves and with the other branches as they introduced their dates to both their fellow cadets and to the rich military traditions that are present at all formal events. Approximately one hour later the doors to the main banquet hall were opened and the cadets dispersed to claim seats among the many tables. After the presentation of the colors by a ceremonial honor guard and a rendition of the national anthem, CDT Boswell gave a short invocation for the ceremony. This was followed by the formal toasts, and a solemn POW/MIA ceremony. The cadets then sat to eat the three-course dinner catered by hotel staff. After dinner and a brief recess the cadets reconvened in the hall to hear the responsibility of leading soldiers: soldiers that will one day be under the authority of the cadets and midshipmen that were in the room. LTC O Connell graduated out of an ROTC program himself, through Villanova University. He served in Operations IRAQI FREEDOM, DESERT SHIELD, and DESERT STORM. He is currently working as a MIT Security Studies Program Military Fellow. guest speaker, Lieutenant Colonel Terrence O Connell of the United States Marine Corps, give a brief presentation of his own experiences and knowledge he has gained after years serving in the Marines. LTC O Connell spoke about the grave After LTC O Connell finished his presentation the cadets and midshipman in turn convened on the main dance floor to sing each of their respective service songs. The Paul Revere Battalion, representing the Army, once again drowned out the other services with their loud and proud rendering of the Army Song. Upon finishing the songs, CDT Boswell provided a benediction for the ceremony, the Colors were retired, and the dance floor opened. The cadets of Paul Revere then stayed to dance with their dates and enjoy the rest of their evening. Any lack of dancing skills was more than made up for with remarkable zeal. Tufts seniors take leave of their dates to get a class photo
The military ball, or Dining-Out, is perhaps the most formal event in the military social calendar. It trades the ritual of the Dining-In for a more formal evening, incorporating dates and spouses. The tradition cadets participated in draws its roots from monastery banquets which were later adopted by the military when the officers mess was founded. This tradition was then brought to America and adopted by George Washington s Continental Army from the British Army. Cadets experienced a taste of military culture, tradition, and history, and were able to show their dates a glimpse into their world. Although a celebratory atmosphere pervaded the event, there were numerous reminders of the serious responsibilities of the military profession. Some of our Cadets getting into the dancing Please note that we are now sending the Paul Revere Recorder via e-mail. If you d like to receive a printed copy of future issues, please contact Lisa Morin at 617-253-4471 or ljmorin@mit.edu. Thanks for your help in saving our trees and postage costs! Cadet Turner breaks it down
Staff Ride: Lexington and Concord Cadet Brian Thompson, Tufts 2009 On Saturday 4 April, the Cadre and MSIVs conducted the first annual Paul Revere Battalion Staff Ride in Lexington and Concord. A Staff Ride is a specific type of battlefield tour that is used as a valuable tool for teaching vital lessons of leadership and military science. In a staff ride, the students of a battle visit the actual site of that encounter to better understand the leadership and military science factors that define it. Rather than rely on a tour guide s lecture to learn these lessons, staff ride participants do all the work, spending weeks before the actual staff ride to research the events of the battle in order to have a more meaningful dialogue with their historical surroundings. First developed by the Prussian army in the mid-1800s, the U.S. Army first incorporated staff rides at the Command and General Staff College in Leavenworth in 1906. Today, the staff ride has become a respected and frequently used method of teaching officers (or Paul Revere MSIVs) about leadership. For our staff ride, LTC Hall selected the battle fields at Lexington and Concord, where the first true battles of the American Revolution. It was on the night before these two battles that our battalion namesake made his famous midnight ride to warn colonial leadership between Boston and Concord that the British regulars were marching out to Concord to seize powder stores. The first stop on our ride was the Battle Green in Lexington Center, where colonial militia had mustered in opposition to the regulars. To this day, there is still debate as to who fired first at the Battle Green, and why, but the end result was that the British killed eight Minutemen and wounded ten more before continuing their march toward Concord. Shsu.edu At the Battle Green, the MSIVs discussed the factors that led to the American Revolution itself and the Battles of Lexington and Concord in particular. We each also spoke briefly about a key individual from the day s battles, who had been assigned to us as part of our general research on the battles. LTC Hall acted as a moderator, using comments and questions regarding the battle to guide the MSIVs discussion of the people and events to maximize our learning. After leaving the Battle Green we next drove to Concord on the Battle Road, the same route that was used by the British soldiers in April of 1775. Our next stop was the Old North Bridge in Concord, which is the site of the famous shot heard round the world. It was at the Old North Bridge that the first real military success against the British regulars was achieved by the colonial militiamen. The unexpected professionalism and military prowess of the Minutemen forced the British to begin a retreat toward the relative safety of occupied Boston without achieving their goal of seizing powder stores at Concord. During the entire march from Concord back to
Lexington, the British were harassed by sniper fire from behind trees and walls, with British officers being specifically targeted in order to instill confusion in the ranks. To better understand and appreciate the British ordeal, the MSIVs ruck-marched the route of the British regulars nine mile retreat to Lexington, with LTC Hall and MSG Santiago leading us through discussion at the sites of skirmishes on the way. In 1775, when the fatigued and depleted British regulars arrived back at the Battle Green in Lexington, they linked up with a British force whose artillery cover prevented the colonial militia from finishing off the regulars before they could reach safety in Boston. In 2009, when the fatigued but still intact force of Paul Revere MSIVs reached the Battle Green in Lexington, we linked up with a rescue force consisting of CPTs Griffiths and McMahon, who shuttled us to Hanscom Air Force Base for a cookout and the integration phase of our staff ride. While CPT Griffiths and CPT McMahon argued about the best way to cook a burger (probably CPT G s method of actually removing the wax paper and separating the patties before putting them on the grill), the MSIVs pulled together all the key lessons learned over the course of the staff ride. Sightseeing.com The Lexington-Concord staff ride was an extremely fulfilling experience. Although I had been to both sites before, the focus on participation by students made the staff ride a more valuable learning tool than any previous tour I had taken. The fact that we marched the route of the British retreat gave each of us a better appreciation for the harrowing experience of those soldiers, whose perspective I had not considered so fully prior to the staff ride. The battles of Lexington and Concord happened in 1775, but the timeless factors of war allowed us to distill from these historical battle sites invaluable leadership and military science lessons that will help the MSIVs lead soldiers in the near future. Calling all Alumni... do you have a story to share? Contact Lisa Morin at ljmorin@mit.edu with your story and/or pictures.
Farewell to SFC Karwowski Cadet Clarke Burns, Tufts 2009 Sergeant First Class Kazimir Karwowski, a 20-year Army veteran, will be leaving the Army this June. As the training NCO and MSIII instructor, he has helped several classes of MSIIIs prepare for and excel at LDAC. He has been with the Paul Revere Battalion for almost 2.5 years, and has had an incalculable impact on a generation of cadets. He will not be going far, however. SFC K will be remaining at MIT, teaching leadership with a former professor of military science, LTC McGonagle. SFC K has had a long and colorful military career. He eschewed a chemical engineering degree in favor of the Army, transferring to the infantry when he found his communications MOS too boring. He spent 10 years stationed in Alaska, climbing Denali with the Army mountaineering team and teaching climbing skills at the Army Mountain Warfare school. SFC K loaded for bear. (Iraq, 2006) SFC K is also a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He arrived back in the United States in December 2006, having come from an extended deployment in Iraq as a platoon sergeant for a Stryker unit. He drove across the continent to join the Paul Revere battalion in January 2007. His tactical acumen and sage advice has been invaluable to cadets preparing to enter the Army as officers. Although he will no longer be in uniform, SFC Karwowski looks forward to continuing to teach emerging leaders at MIT. He plans on enjoying civilian life with his wife and daughter, Kazia, and skiing as much as possible. SFC Karwowski ascending Denali (Alaska) SFC Karwowski has participated in almost every US military intervention over the past two decades, including Desert Storm, Somalia, Bosnia, Haiti and Iraq. 1993 Found then-sergeant Karwowski in Mogadishu, Somalia, part of the 10 th Mountain Division rescue force depicted in the film Blackhawk Down. Sergeant Karwowski in the Mogadishu Stadium, 1993 (Somalia)
Godspeed to MSG Santiago Cadet Clarke Burns, Tufts 2009 MSG Carlos Santiago After a short tenure at the Paul Revere Battalion, MSG Carlos Santiago is departing for Fort Bliss, TX. There he will attend the Sergeants Major Academy. In the grade of Sergeant Major, MSG Santiago will have reached the pinnacle of an Army NCO s career. As an Engineer, MSG Santiago will likely serve as the Command Sergeant Major for an Engineering battalion or brigade. A native of Puerto Rico, MSG Santiago enjoys scuba diving in his spare time and spending free moments with his family. Best of luck to MSG Santiago in his new role as a senior Army leader. Comments from the Cadet Battalion Commander Cadet Thomas Barron, Harvard 2009 As the semester draws to a close, it comes time again to look at what we have accomplished as a battalion. Spring 2009 built upon what we achieved in the Fall with a set of challenging training events. As always, the Paul Revere cadets surmounted these obstacles with ease and alacrity, building esprit and valuable skills in the process. This semester s training maintained the traditional focus of the Spring semester Combat Water Survival, Drill and Ceremony, and Squad Tactics and Field Leadership training. All the while, our battalion s cadets remain committed to excellence in their academic, physical fitness, and Military Science pursuits. Beyond the battalion s accomplishments in required training, I would like to highlight valuable progress in areas that will serve us well in years to come. Paul Revere cadets have showed a strong spirit of engagement with sister Army ROTC battalions, other services ROTC programs, and their school communities. A very valuable improvement in our spring field training was the focus on teamwork and cooperation that all of the cadets of all years brought to working with Boston University s Charles River Battalion. BU s cadets were equally focused on these goals. We must continue to focus on building this relationship, as it begets significant increases in the value of our limited training time. We have made similar advances in our cooperation in joint events with other services, moving beyond the Pass in Review, Awards ceremony, and Military Ball to integrating other services into our events like the CWST, conducting joint color guards, and social events. Together we represent a relatively small military community at our respective campuses, and building this community is particularly important here, and as we move into an operating environment that relies heavily on inter-service cooperation. Finally, cadets have been very engaged with their campus communities; they have conducted color guards, participated in roundtable discussions, and served as forum panelists. Paul Revere cadets often are the only representatives of the military their communities may come across. The initiative our cadets are taking to act as
representatives is invaluable for our continued flourishing as a program, and also benefits our campus communities. Finally, on behalf of the Class of 2009, I would like to thank the cadre and our fellow cadets for shaping our experience through ROTC. We feel privileged to have been able to train and interact with so many talented students (and faculty) from different schools in the Boston area. We have created lasting friendships within our class and across the battalion, and looking forward, we can see that fellow Paul Revere cadets who preceded us have created an extended Paul Revere community which we will all join. We wish you the best in your future endeavors. Testing out the Grog at the Dining In CDT Barron c/bc The Year in Review... In formation at the Pass in Review Our newest contractees with LTC Hall and MSG Santiago at Camp Curtis Guild. Cleaning up after the Spring Field Training Exercises