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EWU Army ROTC Completes Annual Jump Start Training Despite Real World Challenges

09/23/2020 by jstafford3 1 Comment

From 15-18 September 2020, the Eastern Washington University (EWU) Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) battalion conducted both our Jump Start program for new Cadets and Basic Camp for Cadets looking to contract this year.  In a normal year Basic Camp Cadets are sent to Ft. Knox, Kentucky to conduct training.  However, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced Cadets to conduct this training with their local ROTC battalion.  The ongoing pandemic has caused many adjustments to training delivery and the recent forest fires that brought unhealthy smoke levels to the Spokane region caused further challenges.  The smoke caused a number of training events that were planned to be conducted outside to be shifted to virtual instruction.

Smoke obscures the sunrise over Roos Field on the EWU campus.

Despite the smoke the Cadets were able to move into the dorms, complete inprocessing into ROTC, and be issued their gear.  On Friday the smoke levels improved to where the Cadets conducted Drill and Ceremony and Land Navigation training outdoors.  They conducted all this training in a modified environment due to COVID-19 with all Cadets wearing masks and maintaining social distancing standards.

Cadet Geringer holds the Fighting Eagles Battalion guide-on during first formation.

Drill and ceremony has played a critical part in military history throughout the world.  Drill and ceremony teaches precision and obedience to orders which helps prepare troops for battle.  For the most part the drill procedures are very similar to the tactical maneuvers used on the battlefield. It allows commanders to move their forces from different points in an orderly fashion and maneuver forces as a situation develops.

Cadets prepare to conduct drill and ceremony training.

Our EWU Army ROTC Cadets continue a long line of drill and ceremony training for the United States Army that dates back to the Revolutionary War.  During the war General George Washington, through the assistance of Benjamin Franklin who was the American Ambassador to France, was able to secure the aid of a Prussian officer named Baron Friedrich von Steuben to drill the troops of the Continental Army.

Baron Von Steuben
Baron Friedrich Von Steuben

Von Steuben arrived at Valley Forge on February, 23 1778 and found the Continental Army half-starved and ill equipped for battle.  To correct the conditions he witnessed he immediately began a rigorous training regimen of drill and ceremony to improve the military bearing of the troops.  It had an immediate impact on discipline, professionalism, and confidence of the troops to respond to commands during battle that helped lead to the ultimate defeat of the British military during the war.

Jump Start Cadets practice saluting.

After receiving their initial training the Cadets were then tested with giving and receiving commands while navigating through an obstacle course.  The Cadets were next blindfolded and given commands to march through another obstacle course.  This built the Cadets confidence to accurately give and receive commands from each other.

Cadet Jonathan Thiessen (left) gives commands to Cadet Caleb Geringer (right) to navigate him through an obstacle course.

Cadet Zackary Becker navigates through an obstacle course.

Cadet Nik Chapple is blindfolded and executed commands he received to march through an obstacle course.

During the Jump Start and Basic Camp training the Cadets also conducted Land Navigation training.  This training focused on teaching the Cadets the following skills:

  • Tracking present location
  • Determining Distance
  • Sense of direction
  • How to read a topographic map
  • Terrain and map association
  • Spatial skills
  • Planning safe, practical routes
Cadet Christopher Millward briefs the trainees on the Land Navigation course.

The practical hands on training was conducted at the Cheney Waterworks property near the EWU campus.  There the Cadets were issued grid points that they had to accurately plot on a topographic map and then plot their course to find their assigned points.  The Cadets then used their new compass, terrain analysis, and pace count skills to find the points in the surrounding forest.

Jump Start Cadets, Nicholas Beier (left) and Mykenzie Belliotti find their first land navigation point in ROTC.

Basic Camp Cadet, Corina Lindsey finds a point on the land navigation course.

At each point there is clicker that the Cadets use to mark their score sheet.  After the Cadets found their points they then returned to the start point to have their points graded by the evaluator to ensure they found the correct points.

Cadet Gervacio Camacho evaluates the points that the trainees turn in after completing the land navigation course.

All the Cadets did a great job completing the training despite the various real world circumstances they had to adjust to.  Being flexible and adaptable is part of being an effective leader and all of our Cadets learned that important lesson during the week long training.

Go ROTC! Go Fighting Eags!

Note: More photos from Jump Start and Basic Camp training can be viewed on our Flickr page.

Filed Under: Jump Start Tagged With: Army ROTC, drill and ceremony, EWU Army ROTC, Jump Start, land navigation, ROTC

Throwback Thursday: 1970 EWU Army ROTC Commissioning

09/17/2020 by jstafford3 3 Comments

From our EWU Army ROTC archives comes this newspaper clipping of Kenneth W. Attebery being commissioned as a Second Lieutenant 50 years ago back in 1970.  Back then EWU was known as Eastern Washington State College.  Attebery was commissioned as an officer into the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.  According to the caption he was a graduate of West Valley High School and majored in Urban Planning.  His wife Diane and his mother Phyllis pinned the gold bars on his uniform.  Does any of our Fighting Eagles alumni remember Kenneth Attebery?

Attebery

Filed Under: EWU ROTC History Tagged With: commissioning, EWU Army ROTC, history, Throwback Thursday

Hazardous Smoke Covers the Eastern Washington University Campus

09/14/2020 by jstafford3 1 Comment

The below video taken on September 13, 2020 shows how smoke covered the the Eastern Washington University campus. The smoke is from wildfires burning across the Pacific Northwest.  EWU Army ROTC wishes the best to everyone negatively impacted by these wildfires. We also offer our condolences to the friends and family of anyone that lost their life from the fires.  We encourage our Cadets to closely monitor their messages and emails for updates on upcoming training activities that may be impacted by the dangerous smoke levels.

Filed Under: Cadre Messages

9/11 Tribute Video from EWU Army ROTC

09/14/2020 by jstafford3 Leave a Comment

The below video is a time lapse of the American flag that flew over Cadet Hall on the Eastern Washington University (EWU) campus on September 11, 2020. In 2019 this American flag along with an EWU flag were flown over Kabul, Afghanistan.  On this 19th anniversary of the 9-11 terrorist attacks, EWU Army ROTC gives a big thank you to all our first responders that are keeping our communities safe.  Together we are all Eagle Strong!

Filed Under: Cadre Messages Tagged With: 9-11, Eastern Washington University, EWU, EWU Army ROTC, tributes

Fighting Eagles Cadet Receives ROTC Scholarship Worth Over $90,000

09/01/2020 by jstafford3 Leave a Comment

EWU Army ROTC is please to announce that incoming transfer student Mykenzie Belliotti has been awarded a scholarship to Eastern worth over $90,000.  Welcome to our Fighting Eagles 🦅 team!  Read more about MyKenzie at the Instagram post below.

View this post on Instagram

Congratulations to Mykenzie Belliotti for being awarded an ROTC scholarship to EWU worth over $90,000. MyKenzie is a first year Cadet who is transferring to Eastern from California. She plans to study business and try out for the track team. We are very excited to have her join our Fighting Eagles 🦅 team! Scholarships are available. If you are a student planning on transferring to EWU, contact us to learn more about our scholarship options. Eagle Strong! #easternwashingtonuniversity #goeags #armyrotc #rotc #leadershipexcellence #alwaysflytheairplane #whatsyourwarrior #leadership #leadershiptraining #warriorleaderswanted #motivation #leadershiplab #ewu_rotc #eaglestrong #liveyourbestlife #beallyoucanbe #startsomethingbig #dontbeaverage #dontbeaveragebegreat #makeadifference #bemore #scholarships #scholarship #scholarshipopportunities #scholarshipsavailable #rotcscholarship #rotcscholarships #eaglestrong

A post shared by EWU ROTC (@ewu_rotc) on Sep 1, 2020 at 3:07pm PDT

Filed Under: scholarships Tagged With: Eagle Strong, Eastern Washington University, EWU Army ROTC, ROTC scholarship, scholarship, scholarships

Throwback Thursday: Lieutenant Colonel Coonelly With A Big Smile in 1981

08/20/2020 by jstafford3 Leave a Comment

In this 1981 archive image, the former Professor of Military Science at Eastern Washington University, Lieutenant Colonel, Thomas Coonelly looks at and gives a big smile to a Cadet while checking a radio.  If any alumni have any stories to share about LTC Coonelly please share them in the comments section.

Go ROTC!  Go Fighting Eags!

Filed Under: EWU ROTC History Tagged With: EWU Army ROTC, EWU ROTC, history, PMS, Throwback Thursday

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