Crosby, Alexis – EWU Army ROTC

EWU Completes Spring FTX with Gonzaga and Central Washington Universities

12/05/202205/03/2022 by Crosby, Alexis

*EWU, CWU and GU Cadets conduct Spring FTX training at Camp 7 Mile, WA*

From April 22-24, EWU Army ROTC completed our Spring Field Training Exercise (FTX) with cadets from Central Washington University and Gonzaga University. We blended the nearly 150 cadets together to help them develop their team-building skills and prepare our juniors for the pivotal Advanced Camp assessment they will undergo this summer. Cadets had to complete day and night land navigation, sleep out in the cold for a couple of nights, and endure days of difficult situational training exercise lanes against a determined opposition force. It was a tough experience, but our cadets finished strong and they walked away with a better sense of confidence in who they are as leaders and their personal strength.

*5th SFAB provides teaching/coaching/mentoring support*

*Cadets conducted air MEDEVAC training with Rainier Dustoff*

A big thank you to Rainier Dustoff for the helicopter support, 5th Security Force Assistance Brigade for the coaching/mentoring/training support, and CWU and GU for working together with us to make such a great event for all of our cadets!

Go Eags!

BG (Ret.) Olive Selected by EWU for 2022 Alumni Award for Military Service

05/03/202205/03/2022 by Crosby, Alexis

*BG (Ret.) Olive with EWU Cadets at the Awards Gala*

On April 15th, we had the privilege of hosting a visit from Brigadier General (Retired) Nikki Griffin Olive from the class of 1990, who was selected by EWU for the 2022 Alumni Award for Military Service. BG Griffin Olive spent nearly 30 years as a Signal Corps officer before being promoted and becoming a General Officer. She spent the morning providing a leader professional development session for cadets and sharing stories from her time in ROTC – which sounded very familiar to the experience of current cadets. This was inspiring cadets since it shows that she was just like them and that if they apply themselves after graduation, they too have limitless possibilities for success in the U.S. Army and beyond. BG Griffin Olive then had some speaking engagements with Computer Science classes to talk about her experiences leading in a technical field. We concluded her visit with the 2022 Alumni Awards Gala and had a great time celebrating her success and the sense of promise for the next generation of officers from the EWU Army ROTC Program. A special thank you to Colonel (ret) Albert J Watson and his wife Jean, Colonel (ret) Don Nelson, and LTC (ret) Jerry Mellick for purchasing tables so that cadets could attend and experience this event as well provide maximum support from the program to BG (ret) Griffin Olive during the ceremony. Go Eags!

Revised Army Combat Fitness Test!

03/24/2022 by Crosby, Alexis

The Revised Army Combat Fitness Test Events and Implementation Timeline

On March 23rd, Secretary of the Army, Christine Wormuth issued an Army Directive outlining a time-phased implementation of a revised ACFT as the Army’s general physical fitness test.

Changes made to the ACFT incorporate feedback from Soldiers and independent analysis of test performance.

Among the key changes announced by the Army are new age-and-gender-performance normed scoring scales; the replacement of the leg tuck with the plank for the core-strength assessment; and the addition of the 2.5-mile walk as an alternate aerobic event.

Revised ACFT Grading Scales are based on age and gender

A common concern identified by the Army’s independent analysis and the RAND study was that a gender-neutral test might not accurately measure all Soldiers’ general physical fitness levels. The Army designed the new scoring scales from nearly 630,000 ACFT performance scores, historical performance rates from the APFT, and scoring scales used by other military services.

Fighting Eagles Battalion 2022 Dining Out

03/24/2022 by Crosby, Alexis

Cadets present the colors to begin the formal ceremonies

On Friday, March 18th, EWU ROTC hosted its 2022 Dining Out in Hargreaves Hall on campus. All of the attendees enjoyed a chance to dress up, socialize, and even engage in some shenanigans by calling each other out over “violations of the mess.” Not event the Professor Military Science escaped scrutiny and, like all the other violators, had to drink from “the Grog.” Our MSIV (senior) and MSIII (junior) Cadets shared their favorite memories of ROTC and each other.

MSI and MSII Cadets add ingredients with symbolic meaning to the “Grog”

Cadets who violated the “Rules of the Mess” take a drink from the “Grog”

We closed the evening with our guest speaker, Lieutenant Colonel (ret) Brad Liberg, class of 1981. Brad retired after 22 years and a battalion command in the Army, followed by a successful 18 years in education culminating with him becoming Principal of Pasadena Park Elementary School in Spokane Valley. His story shows ROTC can be a springboard to success in two very different chapters in life.

Guest speaker Lieutenant Colonel (ret.) Brad Liberg and his wife, Tamera

It was a great night and there was a lot of fun had by all!

LTC Van Meter Represents EWU ROTC at Eastern Edge Event, “Defending the Digital Horizon”

03/22/2022 by Crosby, Alexis

EWU ROTC Professor of Military Science, LTC Van Meter, speaks at Eastern Edge cybersecurity panel

On March 11th, Lieutenant Colonel Van Meter represented the Military Science Department as part of an expert panel on cybersecurity during an Eastern Edge session in Spokane. The event, titled “Defending the Digital Horizon,” was meant to help advise local businesses about cybersecurity best practices and showcase the educational opportunities at EWU. LTC Van Meter explained that students can receive a U.S. Army scholarship to study computer science and gain leadership skills through ROTC. Graduates could then choose to serve full-time or part-time in the Army as Cyber Operations Officers after graduation and receive continuing education benefits to earn IT/cybersecurity certifications. Local business leaders definitely liked the idea of their employees getting industry standard training through the Army Reserve or National Guard at no cost to their business!

Fighting Eagles Battalion Completes Winter Field Training Exercise

03/04/2022 by Crosby, Alexis

Cadets of the EWU Fighting Eagles Battalion at the completion of their Winter FTX.

On February 26th, the EWU Fighting Eagles Battalion conducted its Winter Field Training Exercise (FTX), the culminating training event for the quarter. The purpose of the FTX is to test Cadets on the leadership and tactical skills in high-pressure scenarios. The entire Battalion worked together to make this event successful. The cadre served as coaches and provided mentorship throughout the exercise. MSIVs/MSVs (seniors) served as evaluators, opposition force role-players, and support staff. The MSIIIs (juniors) served as squad leaders (responsible for ~9 soldiers) and were the primary group under evaluation. The MSIIs (sophomores) served as team leaders (responsible for ~3 cadets) and the MSIs (freshmen) filled each of the teams.

Team Leaders provide guidance and direction to their teams prior to executing a mission.

The framework for evaluating MSIII cadets’ ability to lead tactical missions is the Army Leadership Requirements Model. This model lists and defines the three key attributes (character, presence, and intellect) and 3 key competencies (leads, develops, and achieves) required to be an effective Army leader.

The Army Leadership Requirements Model is the framework for evaluating Cadets’ leadership and tactical performance.

The Winter FTX provided cadets the opportunity to continue developing critical skills such as effective communications, personnel management/delegation, resource management, and crisis management. it was a long and hard day, but the cadets finished with experiences, camaraderie and growth also their journey to become better versions of themselves as leaders.

MSIII Cadet Sergeant Browning carries a member of his squad while practicing tactical combat casualty care.

The final event of the FTX- Cadets march behind the EWU ROTC guidon (flag) on their ruck back to Cadet Hall on EWU’s campus.