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10 Tips for a Successful Army ROTC National Scholarship Application

08/21/202012/19/2019 by jstafford3

Each year between October through March is the ROTC National Scholarship season where high school seniors apply for ROTC scholarships through the GoArmy website. The Eastern Washington University Army ROTC office helps dozens of applicants each year navigate the ROTC scholarship process. Based on this experience we have some tips we recommend to all ROTC National Scholarship applicants to maximize their opportunity to be awarded an ROTC scholarship.

1. Submit Your Application Early: The first scholarship board usually meets in October, the second board in January, and the third board in March. Getting your application completed before the first board will increase your chances of receiving a scholarship because the application will be seen three times. Additionally the first board is where a lot of four year scholarships are awarded from as well. If you really want a four year scholarship get your application complete prior to the first board. Key things that need to be done to have the scholarship ready for the first board is to upload your high school transcripts, upload your SAT or ACT scores, complete the physical fitness test, and conduct an interview. Here at Eastern we can complete both the fitness test and interview for you. Contact us at rotc@ewu.edu to schedule.

2. List 5 or More Schools on Your Application: Applicants need to be realistic when putting down universities on their application. Putting down only Harvard and MIT on the ROTC application, but only having an 1150 on the SAT means you are probably not getting a scholarship for those universities. However, if you list Harvard & MIT plus three or more other schools you could likely get admitted to with an 1150 SAT score will increase your chance of receiving a scholarship to a school other than Harvard or MIT. A scholarship to your third of fourth school is better than no scholarship at all. Each university’s ROTC office has a Recruiting Officer called a “ROO” that can assist with learning what the admissions requirements are for each university.

3. Find Out What Type of ROTC Program You Are Applying to: Something to keep in mind is that not all ROTC programs are created equal. If you are planning to attend a university that has a host ROTC program you are likely going to have more military cadre and resources to better prepare you for the challenges ahead in ROTC. Other universities have ROTC programs that are extension or satellite campuses. Extension programs may require their students to drive to the host program to take courses. If going to an extension program find out how far you have to drive to do physical training and ROTC classes. The amount of driving to do ROTC may influence your decision to attend that school. Satellite campuses may have very limited cadre, as little as two full time ROTC instructors. If going to a satellite campus find out how many instructors they have assigned. At EWU Army ROTC we are a fully staffed host program with a proven track record of getting Cadets ready to succeed in both ROTC and the Army.

4. Visit Multiple ROTC Programs: The best way to figure out if an ROTC program is right for you is to visit it. If possible try to visit multiple ROTC programs to compare and contrast them. This will also help you determine if you are attending a host, extension, or satellite program. If attending a host program make an appointment with the ROO and ask to meet with the Professor of Military Science (PMS) who is usually a Lieutenant Colonel in charge of the ROTC battalion. Ask about how well the program scores at Advanced Camp? How many first branch choices did the MS-IV class receive? Ask about where they train at? How many Cadets are on scholarship? How does the program perform at Ranger Challenge competitions? This should give you an idea of how well the ROTC program is performing. Also bring your parents to the ROTC program to meet the ROO and PMS. At EWU Army ROTC, our ROO and PMS always makes time to visit with parents. We want you and your parents to be as comfortable as possible with your decision to dedicate four years of your life being part of our ROTC program.

5. Ask What Other Scholarships Are Available: Even if you do not receive an ROTC National Scholarship talk to the ROTC program you are interested in about other scholarship options. They should be able to inform you about ROTC campus based scholarships, Minuteman Scholarships, and Guaranteed Reserve Forces Duty (GRFD) Scholarships. Some schools also have various academic and alumni scholarships that Cadets can apply for as well. For example at EWU we have four Cadets on a fraternity sponsored Randy Van Turner ROTC Scholarship and another on the Chertok Memorial Scholarship which is an academic scholarship awarded through the College of Social Sciences.

LaTour RVT Scholarship — Cadet Emma LaTour is awarded the Randy Van Turner ROTC Scholarship that will pay her a full year of tuition at EWU.

6. Train to Take Your Fitness Test: Applicants that are not in the best of shape should spend a month training to improve their fitness prior to taking the fitness test. ROTC scholarships are highly competitive and running a seven minute mile could be the difference between receiving a 4 year or 3 year scholarship. If possible try and take the scholarship fitness test while visiting the ROTC program you are most interested in. Fitness is a very important attribute of being an Army officer and preparing for the test and doing well on it will make a good first impression with the ROTC Cadre.

7. Prepare for Your Interview: The interview for the ROTC National Scholarship is very important since it is worth 200 points. Additionally the interviewer who is usually a Professor of Military Science, will write an assessment of you that will be read by the scholarship board. Making a good first impression is critical, show up on time and come dressed for success. Don’t wear torn up jeans and t-shirts to an ROTC interview. Business dress for both males and females is very appropriate for a scholarship interview. Don’t be taking calls or answering texts on your phone during the interview. Yes I have seen this happen! Be prepared to answer simple questions like, “Tell me a little about yourself”. Remember you are selling yourself to the PMS to write the best assessment possible of you to the scholarship board. Be well prepared to answer questions and think on your feet. Finally be prepared to ask the interviewer some questions at the end of the interview. This further demonstrates how prepared you were for the interview.

8. Spend Time Writing a Quality Essay: On the ROTC application you will have the opportunity to write a little bit about yourself. Make sure to spend the time to write a quality essay, personal statement, and achievements. You especially should highlight why you want to be an Army officer. Make sure you use proper grammar and don’t have misspellings. Writing is an important skill for Army officers to have, so show the board you can write a quality narrative. In the narrative make sure to highlight aspects about you that will make you stand out from the crowd. Mentions things like if you ranked nationally in some event, how many hours you were per week at your job, any awards you have received, volunteer service, etc.

9. Play a Sport: Points are awarded on the ROTC scholarship application for sports played. Remember that Cadets in ROTC are scholar athletes, just like members of the university’s sports teams. The Army wants its officers to be athletic. If you know you plan to apply in the future for an ROTC Scholarship than find a sport to play in high school, preferably two of them. Having all-conference and all-state sports honors on an ROTC application will really help the application stand apart from the crowd.

10. Get Involved in Organizations: On the scholarship interview there are points that can be awarded for being involved in school and community activities. For example being elected to student government and being a member of the National Honor Society are worth points. Being involved in Scouting or Civil Air Patrol are examples on community organizations that points can be awarded for. Volunteering for local organizations are other great things to include on the application and mention during interviews.

ROTC National Scholarship winner — 2019 ROTC National Scholarship recipient to Eastern Washington University received a 4-year scholarship worth $77,000.

Following these tips will help you be competitive for an ROTC scholarship. However, these tips cannot overcome poor performance in the classroom. Keeping a high GPA and scoring well on the SAT or ACT are very important for being competitive for an ROTC scholarship. The Army is looking for Scholar, Athlete, Leaders so try to work towards meeting all three of these criteria in your application. Good luck to everyone pursuing an ROTC scholarship and feel free to leave a comment or email us at rotc@ewu.edu with any questions.

Beautiful Winter Scenery on the Eastern Washington University Campus

02/05/202012/17/2019 by jstafford3

The recent snowfall in the Cheney area has the campus of Eastern Washington University currently looking quite picturesque. For anyone staying in the Cheney or Spokane areas this holidy break, should consider taking a walk around campus and enjoy the serene winter scenery. For those that can’t make it to campus I have a number of photos below for people to view below.

December 2019 Pictures from Eastern Washington University — The central campus mall.

EWU Army ROTC “Fighting Eagles” Battalion Conducts Fall 2019 Commissioning Ceremony

12/13/2019 by jstafford3

On December 13, 2019, the Eastern Washington University (EWU) Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) “Fighting Eagles” battalion conducted its Fall Commissioning Ceremony. The ceremony was held in the historic Showalter Hall auditorium on the beautiful EWU campus.

The path to this day was not an easy one for the commissionees. All the Cadets conducted up to 4 years of military training in the ROTC program, had to meet rigorous academic requirements, build strong physical fitness, pass the 37-day long ROTC Advanced Camp at Ft. Knox, Kentucky, among a host of other challenging requirements before they could commission as a Second Lieutenant (2LT) in the U.S. Army. The ceremony began with the benediction given by Cadet Isabelle Erickson. Following the benediction, the EWU Army ROTC Professor of Military Science, Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Jonathan Stafford gave his remarks.

Fall 2019 EWU Army ROTC Commissioning Ceremony — Cadet Isabelle Erickson gives the benediction.

Besides excelling in ROTC, Cadets from this group were very active on campus executing cannon crew duties during the home football games, participating in volunteer activities such as our annual blood drive, assisting with color guard, and being part of the Ranger Challenge team. They are a truly remarkable group of young leaders. Following the remarks from LTC Stafford, the Cadets each came forward to be administered the Army Oath of Office to officially commission them as a 2LT into the U.S. Army.

The Army Oath of Office

I (state your name), have been appointed an officer in the Army of the United States in the grade of Second Lieutenant do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter. So help me God.

Following the Officer Oath of Office family members then came up and put on the Second Lieutenant shoulder board rank on to the new officers. After the pinning of the new rank, each newly minted officer received their first salute from the enlisted person of their choice. Part of the tradition of the first salute is that the enlisted servicemember receives a silver dollar from the officer.

2LT Josiah Bryan

2LT Melinda Leen

2LT Andrew Norby

2LT Malisa Pfennig

Following the administering of the oath of office two special guests made a presentation to the new Army officers. EWU ROTC thanks retired Lieutenant Colonel Dave Millet from the EWU Veterans Resource Center for presenting the veterans coins and honor cords to the commissionees today. We also thank Lisa Cargill from the Office of Alumni Relations for presenting Eagle4Life pins to each of the new lieutenants.

Following the presentations from the two guests the newly commissioned officers joined the audience in singing the Army Song before receiving the closing benediction from Cadet Erickson.

Congratulations to our new United States Army officers. Go Eags!

EWU Army ROTC Class of Fall 2019

EWU Army ROTC Commissioning Cadets (Fall 2019) — From left: Andrew Norby, Josiah Bryan, Malisa Pfennig, & Melinda Leen

CDT Norby — 2LT Andrew Norby / Major: Recreation / Branch: Aviation

Note: All the pictures can be downloaded off of the EWU ROTC Flickr page.

EWU Army ROTC Holds 2019 Branching Ceremony for Commissioning Cadets

12/05/202212/07/2019 by jstafford3

On December 5, 2019 the Eastern Washington University (EWU) Army ROTC “Fighting Eagles” Battalion hosted a Branching Ceremony at Cadet Hall. The ceremony was held to recognize the 18 seniors from the EWU ROTC Class of 2020 by officially pinning on to their Cadet uniforms the branch the Army recently assigned them. To help pin on the branch insignia and recognize the Cadets being pinned were various alumni and friends of the EWU Army ROTC program, who either attended or participated via video.

The US Army has 17 different branches for Cadets to compete for. Being selected into one of the branches is the culmination of an assessment process that begins from the very first day a Cadet enters the ROTC program.

Combat Arms	Combat Support	Combat Service Support	Special Branches
Air Defense Artillery	Chemical Corps	Adjutant General	Army Nurse
Armor Corps	Military Intelligence	Finance Corps	Medical Service
Aviation	Military Police	Ordnance Corps
Corps of Engineers	Signal Corps	Quartermaster
Field Artillery		Transportation
Infantry

The Army’s accessions process ranks all Cadets across the nation based off of factors such as their GPA, physical fitness test score, Advanced Camp performance, volunteer work, Color Guard participation, Ranger Challenge team, etc. During the beginning of their senior year, Cadets rank in order of preference which of the 17 branches in the Army they want to assess into. The Army’s accessions process then uses the various factors mentioned to help decide which branch they will receive. EWU Army ROTC continues to score well above the Cadet Command average with the vast majority of our Cadets receiving their number one branch choice.

Transportation Corps

Jazmin Castrejon

The first Cadet to pin on their branch insignia during the ceremony was Cadet Jazmin Castrejon who branched into the Transportation Corps. Transportation officers are responsible for moving people, equipment, and supplies around the world by sea, air, and land. To pin the Cadet Castrejon was former Transportation officer and retired Lieutenant Colonel Jerry Mellick from the EWU ROTC class of 1967.

EWU ROTC Branching Ceremony 2019 — Retired LTC Jerry Mellick from the EWU ROTC class of 1967 pins the Transportation Corps insignia on to Cadet Castrejon.

Ordnance Corps

Megan Anderson

The next Cadet to receive their branch was Megan Anderson who branched into the Ordnance Corps. Ordnance officers are responsible for the maintenance of Army weapon systems, ammunition, missiles, and vehicles. Via a video presentation, fellow Ordnance officer, 2nd Lieutenant Tyler Bergman from the EWU Class of 2019 congratulated Cadet Anderson on receiving her branch and what it means to be a Ordnance officer.

guest1 — 2nd Lieutenant Tyler Bergman congratulates Cadet Megan Anderson via video during the 2019 EWU Army ROTC Branching Ceremony.

Chemical Corps

Joseph Jordan

Cadet Joseph Jordan was not able to attend the ceremony, but he branched into the Chemical Corps. The Chemical Corps is the branch of the United States Army tasked with defending against chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) weapons. Some branches do not need as many 2nd Lieutenants as others, thus Cadet Jordan will spend approximately 3-4 years in the Chemical Corps before transferring to his control branch which is the Signal Corps. This is called serving a branch detail.

Joseph Jordan – Branch detail Chemical; control branch of Signal Corps

Armor

Robert Wheeler

Jameson Palmer
(Distinguished Military Graduate)

Cadets Robert Wheeler and Jameson Palmer both branched into Armor. Armor’s mission is to close with and destroy the enemy using fire, maneuver, and shock action in armored vehicles. Cadet Palmer was not able to attend the ceremony, but Cadet Wheeler was pinned on his Armor insignia by LTC Stafford. Cadet Wheeler is also serving a branch detail and once complete with his 3-4 years in Armor he will transfer over to the Signal Corps. Besides branching Armor, Cadet Palmer was also selected as a Distinguished Military Graduate which means he ranked in the Top 20% of Cadets across the nation.

Cadet Jameson Palmer was unable to attend the ceremony, but was also branched into Armor.

Infantry

Chad Triplett
(Distinguished Military Graduate)

The next Cadet to branch was Chad Triplett into the Infantry. Branching into the Infantry is one of the most competitive branches in the Army to be assessed into. As an Infantry officer he will be responsible for leading the infantry and combined armed forces during land combat. Cadet Triplett was also recognized as a Distinguished Military Graduate. To pin Cadet Triplett was retired Brigadier General (BG) Neal Sealock. BG Sealock was a 1974 graduate of EWU that commissioned as an Infantry officer through the university's ROTC program.

guest2 — Via video 2nd Lieutenants from the EWU Army ROTC class of 2019 currently attending Infantry training at Ft. Benning, Georgia congratulate Cadet Triplett. (from left: 2LT Bryce Stanton, 2LT Scott Hinshaw, and 2LT Kyle Stanton)

Engineers

Marcos Sanchez

Erling Anderson
(Distinguished Military Graduate)

Samuel Coutts

The next Cadets to pin on their branch insignia were Marcos Sanchez, Erling Anderson, and Samuel Coutts who branched into the Corps of Engineers. Cadet Erling Anderson was also recognized as a Distinguished Military Graduate making him one of the Top 20% of Cadets across the nation. An Engineer officer is responsible for providing full support to the wide range of engineering duties in the Army. They can help build structures, develop civil works programs and even provide combat support. On hand to pin the Engineers insignia on to the Cadets were Captain Samuel Prichard and Captain Kennith Brown from the Walla Walla District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Both officers made the drive up from Walla Walla to not only pin our Cadets branching into the Engineers, but also to educate our other Cadets on hand for the ceremony of the opportunities in the Corps of Engineers.

The next Cadets to receive their branch were Austin Pfennig and Cesar Guzman who both branched into the Signal Corps. A Signal officer is responsible for providing communications and computer capabilities to Army forces spread across the world.

Field Artillery

Cheyenne Sweet

Ian House

The next Cadets to pin their branch insignia were Cadets Cheyenne Sweet and Ian House who branched into the Field Artillery. Cadet Sweet is branching straight into Field Artillery while Cadet House is on a branch detail for 3-4 years before transferring into his control branch of Military Intelligence. A Field Artillery officer is able to employ indirect firepower with cannons, rockets, and missile systems. They are also able to coordinate for supporting fires from air power and naval gunfire. On hand to pin the branches on to both Cadets were Field Artillery officers, 1st Lieutenant Miranda Munsell from the EWU Army ROTC Class of 2016 and current ROTC Cadre member Captain (Promotable) Nicholas Carbaugh. Both Cadets additionally received a further congratulations on branching into the Field Artillery from 2nd Lieutenant Kyle Isaacson via video who is currently attending Field Artillery training at Ft Sill, Oklahoma.

guest3 — 2nd Lieutenant Kyle Isaacson congratulates Cadets Sweet and House via video from Ft. Sill, Oklahoma.

Military Intelligence

Jacob Villasenor

Melinda Leen

The next Cadets to receive their branch was Jacob Villasenor and Melinda Leen into the Military Intelligence branch. A Military Intelligence officer has a wide variety of functions they are responsible for. An MI officer provides tactical intelligence, counter-intelligence, signals and reconnaissance information to support unit commanders. To congratulate the Cadets for branching into Military Intelligence via video, was 2nd Lieutenant Haley Isaacson from the EWU Army ROTC class of 2019.

guest4 — Current Military Intelligence officer and alumni from the EWU Army ROTC class of 2019, 2nd Lieutenant Haley Isaacson congratulated Cadets Villasenor and Leen via video from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington.

Army Nurse Corps

Josiah Bryan

Sarah Mullen

The next Cadets to receive their branch were Josiah Bryan and Sarah Mullen. Both Cadets are part of the largest degree program in EWU Army ROTC, nursing. Both will serve as healthcare professionals by branching into the Army Nurse Corps. An Army Nurse officer serves in military hospitals around the world where they will train and serve in various clinical specialties such as in the Emergency Room, Operating Room, Community Health, etc.

Air Defense Artillery

Coy Odiorne

The 18th and final Cadet to have their branch pinned was Coy Odiorne who branched into the Air Defense Artillery. The mission of Air Defense Artillery is to protect the force and selected geopolitical assets from aerial attack, missile attack, and surveillance. EWU Army ROTC Professor of Military Science and Air Defense Artillery officer, LTC Jonathan Stafford pinned the crossed cannons and missile insignia onto Cadet Odiorne.

Following the Branching Ceremony the Cadets shared cake and drink with their fellow Cadets, alumni, university officials, friends, and family that attended the ceremony. The EWU Army ROTC Cadre would like to thank BG(R) Neal Sealock, LTC(R) Jerry Mellick, CPT Samuel Pritchard, CPT Kennith Brown, and 1LT Miranda Munsell for traveling to Cadet Hall to participate in the pinning ceremony. We would also like to thank 2LT Bryce Stanton, 2LT Scott Hinshaw, 2LT Kyle Stanton, 2LT Tyler Bergman, 2LT Kyle Isaacson, and 2LT Haley Isaacson for providing videos congratulating the Cadets as well.

Leaders make time for things that are important and congratulating these Cadets on the significance of their branching shows how important it was to these great leaders. Thank you and Go Fighting Eags!

Eastern Washington University Army ROTC Cadets Deliver 704 Pound Food Donation to Cheney Food Bank

12/02/2019 by jstafford3

Great job by our Eastern Washington University (EWU) Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) Cadets that supported the food drive for the local Cheney Food Bank. The EWU Army ROTC program gathered 613 items that weighed a total of 704 pounds. Then on Thanksgiving day, seven Cadets that remained in the Spokane area over the holiday break, delivered the food to the Cheney Food Bank. After delivering the food they then participated in the Turkey Trot fundraiser where they rucked 5 kilometers around Cheney. Big thank you to Cadets Michael Beier, Josh Browning, Amayia Roberts, Kaylie Watters, Andrew Norby, Liam Hewey, and Nelson Hergert for supporting the Turkey Trot. It was a great event that once again demonstrated the positive impact our EWU Army ROTC Cadets are having in the local community.

Go Fighting Eags!

EWU ROTC Turkey Trot 2019 Picture — Picture of food donated to the Cheney Food Bank.

Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity Awards Scholarship to EWU Army ROTC Cadet

11/22/2019 by jstafford3

The Eastern Washington University (EWU) “Fighting Eagles” Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) battalion is pleased to announce that Cadet James P. Dutton has been awarded a 2019 Randy Van Turner ROTC Scholarship.

The scholarship is in honor of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity’s EWU chapter co-founder First Lieutenant Randy Van Turner. Randy was a 1968 graduate from the EWU ROTC program who was a recipient of the Silver Star and was killed in action in 1969 during the Vietnam War. His fraternity brothers decided to honor his service by establishing an ROTC scholarship in his name. The scholarship is awarded to EWU ROTC Cadets that demonstrate academic excellence, high physical fitness, leadership, and financial need. Through a board process, Cadet Dutton was chosen as the fourth Randy Van Turner ROTC Scholarship recipient this year. He will receive one-year of paid tuition to EWU.

Cadet Dutton comes from a military family with his dad having spent 22 years in the U.S. Air Force. He moved to Washington two years ago from Colorado to pursue a double major in Environmental Science and Biology at EWU. James this past summer excelled at Basic Camp at Ft. Knox, Kentucky and is currently preparing to attend Advanced Camp next summer. James’ goal is commission as an officer and pursue a career in Aviation in the Washington Army National Guard. The Randy Van Turner ROTC Scholarship has helped lift the financial burden of paying for his college tuition over the next year so he can spend more time focusing on ROTC and pursuing his dream of becoming a pilot and a wildlife biologist.

Note: If you are interested in donating to the Randy Van Turner ROTC Scholarship please contact the EWU Foundation at 509-359-6703 for more information.