Cadet Command – Page 2 – EWU Army ROTC

Eastern Washington University ROTC Cadet Completes Internship at the National Forensic Science Technology Center

07/16/2019 by jstafford3

Congratulations to Eastern Washington University (EWU) Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) Cadet, Valentino Olmstead for recently completing his summer internship with the at the National Forensic Science Technology Center (NFSTC) located in Largo, Florida on the campus of Florida International University.

Valentino Olmstead holding his certificate of completion for his internship.

During his internship Cadet Olmstead was exposed to the latest cutting edge technology utilized for biometric and forensic identification. Some of the skills students learn at NFSTC is to examine and develop fingerprints, chemical detection and analysis, media/cellular exploitation, and improvised explosive device (IED) investigations.

Cadet Olmstead was selected for the Forensic Internship Program through a Cadet Command sponsored competitive nomination process that required him to demonstrate academic excellence, physical fitness, and high character.

You can learn more about the internship process at the below link:

The Cadet Command Internship Process

Once again congratulations to Cadet Olmstead for successfully completing this prestigious internship.

Go ROTC! Go Fighting Eags!

EWU ROTC Cadre Member Recognized as the Cadet Command Human Resource Assistant of the Year

06/26/2019 by jstafford3

The Eastern Washington University (EWU) Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program was recently notified that our Human Resource Assistant (HRA), Ms. Linda Moody was selected as the U.S. Army Cadet Command HRA of the Year. This is a well deserved recognition for Ms. Moody who has been instrumental to the success of the EWU ROTC “Fighting Eagles” battalion.

For example the ability of our Cadets to receive their first branch choice well ahead of Cadet Command averages and the high number of Cadets who received internships is to Ms. Moody’s diligence. Ms. Moody besides being busy with her own HRA responsibilities also served double duty as the unit supply technician for the past year while the position was vacant. She even served in a third position as our Unit Prevention Leader (UPL) in charge of administering our unit drug testing programing. If that wasn’t enough she also spent the summer at Ft. Knox, Kentucky conducting both administrative and supply duties in support of Cadet Command’s premier Cadet training event, Advanced Camp.

Ms. Moody joins Sergeant First Class Jason Hennig, who was the Cadet Command Instructor of Year, as one of our two Cadet Command annual award winners for this academic year. The EWU ROTC battalion was the only university, out of Cadet Command’s 274 ROTC programs across the country, to be recognized with two annual award winners.

Congratulations to Ms. Moody for this well deserved and prestigious accomplishment.

Go ROTC! Go Fighting Eags!

EWU ROTC Cadet Attends the 2019 George C. Marshall Leadership Seminar

02/20/2019 by jstafford3

From 11-13 February 2019, the top ROTC Cadets from all 274 ROTC programs across the nation and the US Military Academy at West Point traveled to Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas to attend the George C. Marshall Leadership Seminar. Cadet Bryce Stanton from Eastern Washington University (EWU) represented the university’s Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) “Fighting Eagles” Battalion at the seminar. Cadet Stanton is an MS-IV (senior) Cadet that was chosen to attend the seminar after ranking first on the ROTC battalion’s Order of Merit List (OML). The OML is based on the Cadet’s academic performance, physical fitness test score, leadership, and achievements in the ROTC program.

Cadet Bryce Stanton at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas.

The George C. Marshall Leadership Seminar has been held annually since 1978. The seminar was originally held in Lexington, Virginia because Virginia Military Institute (VMI) was the alma mater of General George C. Marshall. Marshall as the Army Chief of Staff, grew the U.S. armed services from about 170,000 to more than eight million by the end of World War II. After the war, Gen. Marshall became the U.S. Secretary of State who formulated the famous “Marshall Plan” to reconstruct Western Europe.

The George C. Marshall Leadership Seminar was held in the Eisenhower Auditorium at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. (Cadet Command Photo)

During the seminar Cadets attended briefs and took part in round-table discussions with Army and defense experts on critical military and geopolitical subjects. The seminar was truly a unique opportunity for the Cadets to interact with senior civilian and military leaders.

Cadet Bryce Stanton (left) at the icebreaker for the George C. Marshall Leadership Seminar. (Cadet Command Photo)

The opening remarks for the seminar were given by Major General John R. Evans, Jr. the commanding general of the U.S. Army Cadet Command. In his remarks Maj. Gen. Evans challenged the Cadets to “Find their Fox” in reference to Major General Fox Connor. Maj. Gen. Connor is considered one of the greatest mentors in U.S. military history.

Major General Fox Connor

He is credited with mentoring many great future general officers to include General George C. Marshall. Here is what General Dwight D. Eisenhower had to say about Maj. Gen. Connor:

General Dwight D. Eisenhower served under, commanded, or worked closely with, GENs John J. Pershing, Douglas MacArthur, George C. Marshall, Omar N. Bradley, George S. Patton, Jr., and Walter Bedell Smith. However, when Eisenhower was asked who was the greatest American soldier he knew, he replied MG Fox Conner, adding, “In sheer ability and character, he was the outstanding soldier of my time.” [Army History.org]

I highly recommend listening to Maj. Gen. Evan’s opening remarks below and likewise encourage everyone to find their own Fox as well:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1N9gVz6CY5E]

Finally during the seminar, the Cadets broke into small groups and were tasked with preparing briefings on various topics that were then presented to one of the eight ROTC brigade commanders. These briefings trained the Cadets to think critically on topics important to modern day military operations.

Cadet Bryce Stanton (far left) participates in small group activities at the George C. Marshall Leadership Seminar. (Cadet Command Photo)

Congratulations to Cadet Stanton for being selected to attend the George C. Marshall Leadership Seminar. It is a prestigious honor that only the top Cadets in the nation get to attend. Cadet Stanton’s academic achievements and his outstanding performance in ROTC have clearly demonstrated that he is one of the top Cadets in the nation that proudly represented EWU and the Fighting Eagles Battalion at the seminar.

Go ROTC! Go Fighting Eags!

EWU Army ROTC NCO Recognized as the Cadet Command Instructor of the Year

02/15/2019 by jstafford3

The Eastern Washington University (EWU) Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) “Fighting Eagles” battalion is pleased to announce that one of our faculty members, Sergeant First Class (SFC) Jason Hennig has been selected as the 2018 US Army Cadet Command NCO Instructor of the Year. Each year US Army Cadet Command recognizes one non-commissioned officer (NCO), from its 274 ROTC battalions across the country for this award, with this year’s recognition deservedly going to SFC Hennig.

SFC Jason Hennig

ROTC Impact

Positively impacting the lives of young men and women is what we do in the Fighting Eagles battalion and over the past year SFC Hennig has done just that. For example he was a driving force in preparing our MS-III (Junior) Cadets for Advanced Camp. Advanced Camp is held each summer at Ft. Knox, Kentucky and the 37 day event is the culmination of three years of intense training in the ROTC program. All Cadets must pass Advanced Camp to commission as an officer into the US Army and must perform well to improve their chances of receiving their top branch choice. All 19 EWU ROTC Cadets passed Advanced Camp with 12 of 19 (63%) of them receiving outstanding or excellent scores. These high scores helped 11 of the 14 Cadets commissioning this year to receive their first branch choice in the Army. This 78% success rate was greater than the Cadet Command average of 60%.

SFC Hennig also helped with organizing many great Cadet activities such as the Expert Fighting Eagle Badge (EFEB) competition that tests Cadets on basic Soldier skills. Cadets that pass this test are awarded an EFEB to wear on their Cadet uniform. The challenging competition is one of the ways EWU ROTC Cadets are prepared to succeed at Advanced Camp. SFC Hennig also assisted with organizing the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge (GAFPB) testing that saw 167 Cadets, Soldiers, Airmen, and Sailors travel to the EWU campus to compete for the badge. Due to SFC Hennig’s training plan, the Fighting Eagles battalion had the highest number pass the test with 26x personnel receiving a GAFPB.

University and Community Impact

Besides being a great instructor in the ROTC program, SFC Hennig has also been selected as a guest speaker for classes in the EWU Department of Women and Gender Studies. His guest lectures have focused on the US Army’s sexual assault prevention program and the role of women in the Army. He was also invited to serve as a motivational speaker for the women’s soccer team prior to their opening game in the conference tournament. SFC Hennig has been very active in the local community as well. He serves as a Cub Scout Leader for Pack 258 in Spokane, which consists of weekly den meetings and bi weekly weekend events such as Scouting Out Hunger and visiting senior centers.

The EWU ROTC Professor of Military Science, Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Stafford (left) congratulates Sergeant First Class Jason Hennig (right) after he was awarded the Bronze de Fleury Medal this past January.

SFC Hennig is clearly a high performing leader and instructor that has made a positive impact on the Fighting Eagles battalion, Eastern Washington University, and the greater community. Once again congratulations to SFC Hennig for his well deserved recognition as the US Army Cadet Command NCO Instructor of the Year.

Go ROTC! Go Fighting Eags!

Commanding General of US Army Cadet Command Announces Strategy to Grow the Officer Corps

10/31/2018 by jstafford3

The US Army Cadet Command (USACC) Commanding General, Major General John Evans recently published his strategy to ensure that the US Army’s ROTC programs are commissioning enough officers to meet demand:

Major General John Evans

The Army may have missed its recruiting goal this year, but the head of Army Cadet Command said he remains confident in officer accession.

Maj. Gen. John Evans, who is also the commanding general of Fort Knox, Ky., said there have been challenges – such as low nationwide unemployment, which means increased competition for top talent – but the officer corps is strong. By 2020, leaders hope to have 6,000 new second lieutenants filtering into positions.

“While there’s always a concern about growing the officer corps and whether you can get the right number of qualified candidates, I feel very comfortable right now that we are on the glide path to making our mission in the out years,” he said.

Here are four ways Evans is working to grow the officer corps. [Military Officer Association of America]

MG Evans strategy has four points:

Reaching the 2020 Goal
Building Up JROTC Groups
Reaching Out to Students Who Miss the Cut for West Point
Calling on Retired Officers

You can read the details for each point at the link.

EWU ROTC Cadet’s CULP Experience in Peru Featured on the US Army Website

10/23/2018 by jstafford3

Another one of our outstanding Cadets in the Eastern Washington University (EWU) ROTC program has been featured on the official US Army website. This time one of our MS III Cadets, Christian Goldbach had his experiences this past summer on an Army internship in Peru featured in the article. Cadet Goldbach was selected for the highly competitive Cultural Understanding & Leadership Program (CULP). For those unfamiliar with CULP it is a program sponsored by US Army Cadet Command (USACC) that takes Cadets overseas on cultural deployments in support of worldwide Army Security Cooperation plans and the Army Culture and Foreign Language Strategy. The timeframe for a CULP deployment is generally one month in duration and are executed between the 11 May – 11 August 2019 timeframe.

During his time in Peru, Cadet Goldbach stayed in Lima, the country’s capital, where he experienced both the Peruvian culture and military as a member Escuela Militar de Chorrillos, Peru’s version of West Point. You can read all about his experiences in Peru at this link.

Cadet Christian Goldbach, Eastern Washington University, at dinner during his CULP assignment at Peru’s premier military academy, Escuela Militar de Chorrillos. (Photo Credit: Cadet Lazo, from Escuela Militar de Chorrillos)

This once and life time opportunity was made available to Cadet Goldbach by first contracting into the EWU Army ROTC program and then demonstrating outstanding performance to be selected for this unique internship. The summer 2019 CULP application period is currently open and ends on October 31st. Any contracted Cadet interested in applying for CULP can read more about the program at this link.

Finally I would like to congratulate our Assistant Professor of Military Science (APMS) Captain Greg Benjamin for writing and submitting the article that was accepted for publication. This is the fourth article selected for publication in the past three months that has highlighted across the greater Army the great things the Cadets in the EWU ROTC program are doing.

Go Fighting Eagles!