June 2014 UW Oshkosh * Marian University * Ripon College * St Norbert College * UW Green Bay Battalion Commander Speaks CDT Stephanie Christopher To start things out I would like to introduce myself: I am Cadet Stephanie Christopher. I attend UW-Oshkosh and am in the 1157 th Transportation CO in the National Guard. I am also the new Battalion Commander for Fox Valley BN. I can say I am truly humbled by the opportunities ROTC and the Army have given me, and I am very excited to help guide this program to even more success. I hope to provide the Cadets the best training available and ensure they are prepared for their future military careers. I know that this past semester was very busy for everyone with academics, keeping in shape for the final PT test, and especially ROTC. The entire month of April was jammed full of events; CFTX for the MSIIIs, where they worked on field tactics with other schools across the state, Buddy Ranger Challenge at the University of Kansas, and the BN FTX where Cadets did land navigation and tactics, including conducting a raid on a village. Although all these tasks were challenging, the BN took them head on as a team and accomplished them. These are the types of challenges that make leaders better, which is my main mission to help develop better leaders for the future of the Army. This semester Fox Valley BN said goodbye to LTC DiMaggio, who became the Battalion Commander of a basic training unit in Fort Jackson, SC. In turn we welcome the new PMS, LTC Toti. I am very excited to get to work with all the Cadets in Fox Valley BN next year and hope to see everyone succeed. It is important this summer that we don t get complacent on PT. So set some summer goals for your fitness and stay active. Also recruit, recruit, recruit no program is too big and we make the best recruiters!! Lastly, good luck to everyone going to Fort Knox for LDAC this summer, and also to those going to Airborne/Air Assault, Basic Training, LTC, CTLT, and CULP. I can t wait to hear about everyone s training experiences next year. To everyone, have a great and safe summer!
Page 2 MILITARY BALL By: CDT RYAN Hackbarth The Military Ball is a time when Army ROTC Cadets and guests sit down and have a formal dinner while listening to an influential speaker. They discuss their perspective on leadership and fundamentals and Army Cadets' relationships are strengthened through casual conversation during the course of night. Cadets, cadre and guests collaborate and share stories and military experiences. The night consists of wholesome humor and storytelling as everyone is eager to reminisce about experiences.
Page 3 RANGER Buddy By: CDT Jacob Davel Ranger Buddy Competition On April 19 th ten teams of cadets departed Oshkosh on a ten-hour plus bus ride to Lawrence, Kansas for one of the most challenging competitions ROTC has to offer. Ranger Buddy Challenge is a one day competition that includes such events as a 12km foot march through intense terrain, followed by six evaluated lanes aimed at grading cadets on land navigation, weapon knowledge, first aid, and, of course, tossing in some just plain smoking exercises. The cadets finished up this intense day of competition with an unknown distance run. We took ten teams down to the competition and seven teams qualified and competed. Our BN as a whole took 7 th place overall with a total of 45 teams competing! A special thanks to MS1 CDT Wernet for his continued support and encouragement all weekend. CDT Wernet was there without a partner and, despite not being able to compete, still gave up his time for the cause. Teams CDT Stoltzner/CDT Lichtfuss (Green Knight Co. (23rd overall)) CDT Hackbarth/CDT Willeford (Titan Co. 16th in M/F division) CDT Reffke/ CDT Christopher (Titan Co. 8th overall M/F on Ruck march) CDT Andrekus/ CDT Van Grinsven (Green Knight Co.) CDT Merwin/ CDT Kazmierski (Red Hawk Co.) CDT Schaller/ CDT Swinson (Titan Co.) CDT Hohol/ CDT Resop (Green Knight Co.) CDT Mayerbock/CDT Heether (Titan Co.) CDT Ruder/CDT Moore, J (Titan Co.) CDT Parks/ CDT Samosky (Titan Co.)
Page 4 Spring FTX By: CDT Adam Reffke We had a very packed schedule for the Spring FTX loaded with many different, good training opportunities. We all arrived promptly to our home schools in the early hours of the morning then systematically transported to UWO before departing for Ft. McCoy. As usual when we arrived at Ft McCoy, we wasted no time and jumped right into day land navigation which many of the MSIVs had set up the day before. MSIs received a refresher course on the finer points of land navigation while the MSIIs and MSIIIs solidified their pace counts and compasses. When if finally came time to start the course, MSIs went out in buddy teams while everyone else went out on their own. The course was very well set up and provided some valuable training for all cadets. After everyone completed the course, it was time for everyone s favorite part of FTXchow. Mr. Bernarde was able to hook us up with some hot chow that really hit the spot after a long day of walking through the woods. After nightfall we were given a last minute safety brief then departed for night land nav. After everyone was back, we made our way back to the barracks for a few short hours of rest before the next full day of patrolling. Day two started bright and early with platoon-sized patrolling operations. The MSIIIs were assigned leadership positions as either a Platoon Leader, Platoon Sergeant, or Squad Leader on one of three patrolling lanes. The lanes consisted of a raid on an enemy village, an ambush on an enemy road, and a recon turned attack an enemy position where they had taken two of our soldiers captive. The MSIs and MSIIs gained valuable knowledge during this time working in their roles as squad members or even team leaders. It was a long, grueling day but with everyone pulling together and working as a unit we were able to accomplish the mission. For the third and final day, everyone worked together to get the barracks cleaned and then ate a hot breakfast at the DFAC before the announcement of the new positions for next year s MSIVs were made. CDT Stephanie Christopher was crowned our new Fox Valley Battalion Commander and gave a quick speech to cadets on what she hoped to accomplish the following year. After that it was few quick finishing touches on cleaning the barracks for inspection then early trans back to our individual home schools.
Page 5 Fox Valley Battalion N ewsletter LDAC This summer, 21 Fox Valley BN ROTC contracted cadets will be attending LDAC (Leadership Development and Assessment Course) at Fort Knox, KY, where their leadership and military skills will be evaluated. Please wish the following cadets good luck as they strive to bring home an Excellent rating and a Recondo badge: Gideon Bernthal Stephanie Christopher Dakota Close Travis Elkins Joshua Giese Ashley Guth Thomas Heether Donna Lohse Sean Mayerbock Jacob Piojda Adam Reffke Kayla Samosky Heather Schaller Jordan Schultz Jacob Suenkel Joseph Vandenhouten Benjamin Wassink Christopher Wiesneski Erica Willeford Dalton Witalison Thomas Wollin LTC Good luck also to Sam Morell, who will be attending LTC (Leadership Training Course) this summer at Ft. Knox, KY. LTC is four weeks of intense classroom and field training that is an accelerated version of the two years of leadership development training that Cadets receive in the Basic ROTC Course on campus. Upon successful completion of LTC, the non-contracted cadet will qualify for enrollment in the Army ROTC Advanced Course on campus and hopefully contract upon their return.
Page 56 Fox Valley Battalion Ne N ewsletter CTLT This summer, six Fox Valley BN ROTC contracted cadets will be on different Army bases through the Cadet Troop Leader Training (CTLT) program. CTLT provides Cadets the opportunity to experience leadership in Army Table of Organization and equipment (TO&E) units over a three to four week period. Cadets serve in lieutenant-level leadership positions in active-duty units. Cadets are assigned a unit mentor, and are provided on-post lodging and meals via a Dining Facility. This program is exclusively designed for MS III Cadets before and after completion of the Leader Development and Assessment Course (LDAC). Sean Mayerbock Ft. Stewart, GA Christopher Wiesneski Ft. Bragg, NC Thomas Heether Ft. Bliss, TX Adam Reffke Ft. Bliss, TX Stephanie Christopher Ft. Lewis, WA Joseph Vandenhouten Germany NSTP CDT Heather Schaller, a nursing student from Marian University, will complete NSTP (Nurse Summer Training Program) this summer. During this paid, three-week program, she will be assigned to Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center at Fort Hood, TX. The NSTP program introduces Nurse Cadets to the Army Medical Department (AMEDD) and to the roles and responsibilities of an Army Nurse Corps Officer. Under the supervision of an experienced Army Nurse Corps Officer, CDT Schaller will obtain hands-on experience which will allow her to hone her clinical skills.
Page 7 Fox Valley Battalion N ewsletter CULP For Army ROTC Cadets, the world is their classroom. Every year hundreds of Cadets travel the globe, spending up to three weeks immersed in foreign cultures, learning more about how others around the world view the U.S. and, in the process, learning more about themselves. They are able to do this through the Cultural Understanding and Language Proficiency (CULP) Program. This Summer the Fox Valley Battalion will be sending eleven cadets to CULP. Cadets around the world Dustin Hackbarth (Bulgaria) Jacob Sahr (Moldova) Erik Stoltzner (Thailand) Jack Roets Jack (Paraguay) Kevin Wernet (Romania) Alex Kazmierski (Hungary) Cole Andrekus (Germany) Vanessa Ducaine (Mongolia) Brandon Ruder (Burundi) Alec Meyers (Guayana) Jeffrey VanGrinsven (Kosovo)
P Page 8 Specialized schools For those Cadets who want advanced training, specialized schools are available to those who meet the right criteria. These schools will help cadets further develop personally and professionally, providing the skills to help them in their Army careers and beyond. From language and management training to leadership and survival skills, the knowledge cadets receive at these schools help prepare them for nearly any mission in life. Such schools include Airborne School which teaches Soldiers techniques of how to jump and parachute safely from airplanes. Air Assault School prepares Soldiers for insertion, evacuation, and pathfinder missions using multipurpose transportation and assault helicopters. There are many other schools that are beneficial to cadets. Cadets should contact cadre if they are interested in a specialized school opportunity. Cadet going to Specialized Schools Benjamin Wassink (LTC Cadre) Jordan Schultz (LTC Cadre) Donna Lohse (LTC Cadre) Kayla Samosky (Airborne) Joshua Giese (LTC Cadre) Travis Elkins (LTC Cadre) Bradley Lichtfuss (Air Assault) Thomas Wollin (LTC Cadre)
Page 9 Alumni CORNER LTC (RET) Timothy Lubinsky presented the Reserve Officers Association and Military Order of World Wars awards at the Spring Awards Ceremony on 3 April 2014. He is a 1972 graduate/commissionee of UW Oshkosh ROTC and currently lives in Ripon, WI. Attention All Alums! Fox Valley Army ROTC is in the process of redesigning our ROTC website. We hope to have the new and improved website go live sometime this summer. Check it out at www.uwosh.edu/rotc and don t forget to check out our alumni section.
Page 10 10 Fox Valley Newsletter Battalion Newslet- Title Congratulations to our newly commissioned Second Lieutenants! Infantry Benjamin Jones, Ripon College Randall Parks, UWO Armor Michael Cuevas, UWO Finance Corps Mark Maurer, UWO Valerie Rucinski, St. Norbert College Corps of Engineers Nicholas Keller, St. Norbert College Military Intelligence David Redemann, Ripon College Quartermaster Jacob Dorsey, Marian Signal Brandon Fischer, UWO Karl Nutting, Ripon College Transportation Ryan Hackbarth, UWO
Page 11 PICTURES!!!!!