jstafford3 – Page 39 – EWU Army ROTC

EWU ROTC Supports Football Team’s Quarterfinal Playoff Victory Over UC-Davis

10/02/202412/08/2018 by jstafford3

The Eastern Washington University (EWU) Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) Cadets were out once again supporting the home football team during its quarterfinal game against University of California-Davis (UC-Davis) today at Roos Field. The two Big Sky Conference foes had played just a month earlier at Roos Field with Eastern winning by a score of 59-20. This game would prove to me much different. One of the differences was the weather which was much colder than the last time these two teams met. Throughout the day the temperatures remained below freezing with a thin layer of frost covering everything around the stadium. Despite the cold conditions the EWU ROTC Cannon Crew was ready to support the home team with our historic World War II era howitzer:

After a quick first touchdown by EWU the first half began to be controlled by UC-Davis by going up 14-7 before EWU made it a 14-14 tie game capped by an incredible defensive stand at the goal line just before halftime.

Cadet Polello fires the EWU ROTC howitzer after a home team touchdown.

Cadet Smart fires the EWU ROTC howitzer after a home team touchdown.

In the second half the sun went down making the temperatures even colder. However, our Cannon Crew was ready with a small fire to keep warm around:

The more the temperatures dropped though the more the game seemed heat up as Eastern and UC-Davis traded touchdowns.

Cadet Beier fires the historic EWU ROTC howitzer after a second half touchdown.

After UC-Davis went up by a score of 29-28 after a successful two point conversion with 1:13 left in the fourth quarter, prospects for the home team were not looking good. However, the resilient Eagles football team fought back to score a touchdown to win the game with :26 seconds left on the clock by a score of 34-29.

Cadet Beier fires the historic EWU ROTC howitzer after the final home team touchdown to win the game.

Congratulations to the EWU football team for an incredible win. The football team will be in action next weekend in the FCS Semifinals against the University of Maine. Since EWU is the higher ranked seed in the playoffs, they will host the playoff game at Roos Field in what will be the first ever meeting between the two teams. The EWU Color Guard and Cannon Crew teams will both be at the game supporting the football team. We look forward to welcoming Maine to Roos Field with the sound of our howitzer.

Go Cannon Crew! Go Fighting Eags!

EWU ROTC Cadets Execute Their First Army Combat Fitness Test

09/30/202412/08/2018 by jstafford3

The Army has recently announced that it is moving away from the current Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) that measures the fitness of all Army troops. The APFT consists of three events:

pushups
situps
2-mile run

The APFT is scheduled to be replaced within the next two years by the Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT). The ACFT replaces the APFT with six new events:

Deadlift
Power Throw
Hand Release Pushups
Sprint-Drag-Carry
Leg Tuck
2-Mile Run

To prepare for the ACFT, Cadets from the Eastern Washington University (EWU) Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program recently conducted the ACFT in the university’s Fieldhouse.

Deadlift

The first event in the ACFT is the deadlift exercise. For the deadlift the Cadets had to do a three repetition lift of a minimum of 140 pounds.

Power Throw

The second event of the ACFT is the standing power throw. With this event the Cadets had to throw a 10 pound medicine ball as far as they could over their heads. The minimum distance for the power throw is 4.6 meters.

Hand Release Pushups

The third event is the hand release pushup. Unlike the current pushup event in the APFT, the hand release pushup required the Cadets to place their chests on the ground and completely lift their hands off of the ground per every repetition. The minimum requirement for this event is 10 repetitions.

Sprint-Drag-Carry

For this event the Cadets had to sprint 50 meters and then drag a 90 pound tire for 50 meters. They then had to do a 50 meter lateral followed by carrying two 40 pound weights before finishing with a 50 meter sprint. The minimum time to complete the event is 3:35 minutes.

Leg Tuck

The fifth event, the leg tuck, required the Cadets to hang from a pull-up bar and then raise their legs and touch their knees to their elbows. The minimum requirement is 1 leg tuck.

2-Mile Run

The only event in the ACFT that carried over from the APFT is the 2-mile run. Due to the added events in the ACFT, the minimum two mile run time has been decreased to 21 minutes, 7 seconds.

Way Ahead

The Army plans to implement the ACFT within the next two years. Unlike the current APFT, the ACFT will be both age and gender neutral. Instead the test will be scaled by a Soldier’s job. Non-combat MOS’s have the lowest minimum standard while Combat Arms have the highest standards. The grading scale can be seen below:

The new Army Combat Fitness Test is going to be a major cultural change for the US Army in the next two years which the EWU ROTC program is training its Cadets to lead.

Go ROTC! Go Fighting Eags!

EWU ROTC Supports Football Team’s Second Round Playoff Victory

10/02/202412/02/2018 by jstafford3

It was a beautiful, but cold day yesterday at Roos Field as the Eastern Washington University (EWU) football team hosted a second round football playoff game against Nicholls State University.

Our EWU Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) Color Guard supported the home team by presenting the colors just before the 2PM kickoff.

Our EWU ROTC Cannon Crew was also on hand to fire our historic pack howitzer after every home team touchdown. Unfortunately the Cannon Crew did not have much to do in the first half as EWU was down 14-3 and Nichols State was getting ready to kick a field goal as time was about to run out before halftime to go up 17-3. Incredibly the kicked was blocked and ran back for an EWU touchdown causing our cannon crew to do a quick crew drill to fire the cannon after the extremely exciting, but unexpected touchdown.

During the second half the sun lowered and with it the temperatures became even colder at Roos Field which is also known as “The Inferno” due to its signature red field. Our EWU ROTC Cadets were ready to heat up the Inferno with some more Cannon Crew action.

During the second half the colder it got, the hotter the EWU football team became as they want on a streak of 39 unanswered points keeping our Cadets very busy.

The Cannon Crew would continue to bring the heat to the home crowd at the Inferno by lighting up the sky and bringing our signature loud boom after each home team touchdown.

Congratulations to the EWU football team for its exciting 42-21 victory over Nicholls State. Our EWU ROTC Cadets look forward to supporting the football team next weekend as it takes on University California-Davis at Roos Field in the third round of the FCS playoffs. Let’s bring more heat to the Inferno next week.

Go Eags!

Class of 2019 EWU ROTC Cadets Receive Their Army Branching Assignments

09/27/202412/01/2018 by jstafford3

2019 EWU ROTC Branching Ceremony

On November 29, 2018 the EWU ROTC “Fighting Eagles” Battalion hosted a branching ceremony at Cadet Hall on the campus of Eastern Washington University. The ceremony was held to recognize 14 seniors from the Class of 2019 who recently received notification of their branching assignment in the US Army. The ceremony was attended by Cadets, alumni, university officials, friends, and family of the Fighting Eagles Battalion.

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. The Army’s accessions process ranks all Cadets across the nation with a score that is based off of factors such as their GPA, physical fitness test score, Advanced Camp performance, volunteer work, Color Guard participation, Ranger Challenge team, etc. All the scores from these factors are added up to create a national Order of Merit List (OML). The higher the score a Cadet has, the more likely they will be to receive the branch of their choice.

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

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 primarily the OML score and a few other variables to determine which branch each Cadet receives. This year the EWU Army ROTC program was extremely successful with 11 of the 14 Cadets receiving their #1 branch choice, a 78% success rate. The Army average this year was 60%, demonstrating the effectiveness of the EWU ROTC program. The other three Cadets all received branches within their Top 5.

To make the event a little extra special alumni and local service members from each branch that a EWU Cadet accessed into were invited to pin on the branching insignia for the Cadets.

Transportation Corps

The first Cadets to pin on their branch insignia during the ceremony was Cadets Tyler Roylance and John Howard. Both Cadets 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 Cadets a local National Guard transportation officer, First Lieutenant Thomas Burdick from the 1041st Transportation Company and former Transportation officer and retired Lieutenant Colonel Jerry Mellick from the EWU ROTC class of 1967 attended the ceremony.

After making opening comments about their experiences in the Transportation Corps, 1LT Burdick and LTC(R) Mellick pinned the Transportation Corps insignia on Cadets Roylance and Howard.

Ordnance Corps

The next Cadet to receive their branch was Tyler Bergman. Cadet Bergman branched into the Ordnance Corps. Ordnance officers are responsible for the maintenance of Army weapon systems, ammunition, missiles, and vehicles. Via a video presentation, Ordnance officer, 2nd Lieutenant Adelphe Jeatsa from the EWU Class of 2018 congratulated Cadet Bergman on receiving his branch and what it means to be a Ordnance officer.

After the video the EWU ROTC Professor of Military Science, Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Stafford pinned the Ordnance Corps insignia on Cadet Bergman.

Quartermaster

Of the 14 Cadets that received their branches, 13 of them volunteered to serve on active duty. One Cadet, Ryan Smith volunteered to serve in the US Army Reserve. Branch accessions for reservists is different from active duty. A reserve Cadet has to apply and be accepted by a unit to receive their branch. Cadet Smith was accepted into a Quartermaster unit in Virginia which allowed him to branch into the Quartermaster Corps. A Quartermaster officer is responsible for providing all classes of supply to troops such as food, water, petroleum, and repair parts.

To pin the Quartermaster insignia on Cadet Smith was his mother, Therese Lally who is a retired Lieutenant Colonel who served 22 years in the US Army’s Quartermaster Corps. She pinned on her son the same Quartermaster insignia she wore during her time on active duty. Truly a special moment for a great family.

Infantry

The next Cadets to branch were twin brothers, Kyle and Bryce Stanton followed by Scott Hinshaw into the Infantry. Branching into the Infantry is the most competitive branches in the Army to be assessed into. This means that Cadets that want to branch Infantry have to score high on the OML list to receive it. All three of these Cadets had high OML scores and the Stanton brothers’ score was so high that they were recognized as Distinguished Military Graduates (DMG). The DMG honor is only given to Army ROTC Cadets ranked in the Top 20% out of approximately 5,500 Cadets across the nation.

Besides branching into the Infantry Cadet Hinshaw has also branched as a Military Intelligence officer. What this means is that after serving approximately four years in the Infantry branch, Cadet Hinshaw will transition to become a Military Intelligence officer when he is promoted to Captain. This is called having a “branch detail” assignment. This means that Hinshaw was selected to serve in two of the most highly competitive branches for Cadets to receive.

To pin the infantry branch insignia on to the three Cadets was retired Brigadier General Neal Sealock. BG Sealock is a 1974 graduate of the EWU ROTC “Fighting Eagles” Battalion who branched into the Infantry. He is also an inductee into the EWU Military Science Hall of Fame at Cadet Hall. Before pinning the Cadets their branch insignia BG Sealock provided some great comments about leadership and what it means to serve in the Army.

Adjutant General Corps

The next Cadet to receive their branch was Jordan Johnson. Cadet Johnson branched into the Adjutant General Corps. An AG officer has the important job of managing the Army personnel system that includes unit readiness, awards, promotions, etc. Via a video presentation, AG officer Major Bonnie Kovatch congratulated Cadet Johnson and provided remarks about the history of the branch and what it means to be an AG officer. Major Kovatch is the current Professor of Military Science for the Central Washington University ROTC Battalion.

After the video presentation Cadet Johnson had his AG branch pinned on my LTC Stafford.

Signal Corps

The ninth Cadet to receive their branch was Malisa Barrier. Cadet Barrier branched into the Signal Corps. A Signal officer is responsible for providing communications and computer capabilities to Army forces spread across the world. Via a video presentation, the current commander of the 335th Signal Command (Theater) Brigadier General Nikki Griffin Olive congratulated Cadet Barrier on her selection into the Signal Corps. BG Griffin Olive is a 1990 graduate of the EWU ROTC “Fighting Eagles” Battalion and is currently deployed to the Middle East.

After the great video presentation from BG Griffin Olive, LTC Stafford pinned the Signal Corps branch insignia onto Cadet Barrier.

Field Artillery

The next Cadets to pin their branch insignia were Cadets Kyle Isaacson and Carly Garland. Both Cadets branched into the Field Artillery. 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.

EWU ROTC Cadre member and Field Artillery officer, Captain Nicholas Carbaugh was on hand to congratulate both officers and provide some remarks about what it means to be a Field Artillery officer before pinning on their branch insignia.

Cadet Garland was selected for not only Field Artillery, but the Signal Corps as well. She will transfer into the Signal Corps after completing her approximately 4-year branch detail assignment in the Field Artillery branch.

Military Intelligence

The 12th Cadet to receive their branch was Haley Bent. Cadet Bent is the Commanding Officer of the EWU ROTC “Fighting Eagles” Battalion. Cadet Bent branched into one of the most difficult branches to receive Military Intelligence. 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. Besides branching into a highly competitive branch, Cadet Bent has also been recognized as a Distinguished Military Graduate from the EWU ROTC battalion.

Army Nurse Corps

The final Cadets to receive their branch were Cadet Hayley Primm and Candace Madriaga. Both Cadets branched 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.

To pin the Army Nurse insignia on Cadets Primm and Madriaga was Army Nurse and 2nd Lieutenant Nicholas Castro, a 2018 EWU ROTC graduate. 2LT Castro besides being a EWU ROTC graduate was also a 2018 Distinguished Military Graduate.

After congratulating both Cadets, 2LT Castro provided advice about what it means to be an Army nurse before pinning on their branch insignia.

Following the Branching Ceremony the Cadets shared cake and drink with their fellow Cadets, alumni, university officials, friends, and family that attended the ceremony. It was a great ceremony made possible by the support of the alumni and friends of the EWU ROTC “Fighting Eagles” Battalion.

The EWU ROTC Cadre would like to thank BG(R) Neal Sealock, LTC(R) Jerry Mellick, LTC(R) Therese Lalley, 1LT Thomas Burdick, and 2LT Nicholas Castro for traveling to Cadet Hall to participate in the pinning ceremony. We would also like to thank BG Nikki Griffin Olive, MAJ Bonnie Kovatch, and 2LT Adelphe Jeatsa for providing videos congratulating the Cadets as well. Another thank you goes out to the Dean of the College of Social Sciences, Dr. Jonathan Anderson for attending the event. A final thank you to Melinda Leen for being the lead Cadet who coordinated the hosting of this great event.

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!

Second Snow Fall of November 2018 Falls on EWU’s Cadet Hall

10/14/202411/24/2018 by jstafford3

Here is the view looking up at Cadet Hall from our obstacle course below the hill:

Our last snowstorm was two weeks ago on November 10th. This storm brought a little bit more snow making the roads icy, but passable here in Cheney. Regardless everyone should be cautious when driving today. Enjoy the snow everyone!

Eastern Washington University ROTC Hosts the 2018 German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge Test

10/04/202411/20/2018 by jstafford3

Between 17-18 November 2018, Eastern Washington University (EWU) hosted its first ever German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge (GAFPB) test. The test was sponsored by the EWU Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC), Fighting Eagles Battalion and drew 167 participants to the university to attempt to earn the highly coveted GAFPB. The participants were mix of ROTC Cadets, active duty personnel, National Guardsmen, and Reservists from across the states of Washington and Idaho. Testing for the GAFPB actually began at each unit’s home station where each participant had to successfully complete first aid and Chemical, Biological, Radiological, & Nuclear (CBRN) testing. The participants that successfully past these events then traveled to EWU campus to complete the remaining evaluated events.

In the early morning hours, GAFPB participants gather in front of Cadet Hall on the campus of Eastern Washington University.

The lead evaluator for the GAFPB test was Sergeant Major Ronald Schiller a German Army exchange officer stationed at Ft. Lee, Virginia. With sponsorship from the EWU ROTC alumni, Sergeant Major Schiller and his wife Katie were able to come Cheney to oversee the event.

EWU ROTC Assistant Professor of Military Science Greg Benjamin and German Sergeant Major Ronald Schiller address the participants before the start of the GAFPB testing.

The 100-Meter Swim Test

After an early morning event registration period, the participants began the GAFPB competition with the 100-meter swim test in full uniform. The swim test was held in the EWU Aquatics Center and supported by register lifeguards. The 100-meter swim test had to be completed in 4 minutes. After completing the swim the participants then had to tread water and remove their uniform and throw it completely out of the pool. If they lost control of their uniform and it dropped to the bottom of the pool they were disqualified. The swim test proved to be the most difficult event of the GAFPB testing since it eliminated the most participants.

The EWU Aquatics Center (picture from SGT Timothy Bowes)

GAFPB participants receive briefing before conducting the swim test in the EWU Aquatics Center.

GAFPB testing participants are ready to start the swim test.

GAFPB testing participants conduct the 100-meter swim test.

EWU ROTC Cadets Jameson Palmer (top) and Samantha (bottom) tread water as they remove their uniform.

EWU ROTC Cadet John Howard treads water as he removes his uniform.

EWU ROTC Cadet Thomas Luce treads water as he removes his uniform.

A
Airmen from Fairchild AFB compete in the 100-meter swim test.

The Basic Fitness Test

Following the swim test the participants then changed their clothes to execute the basic fitness test portion of the GAFPB test. The basic fitness test was held in the EWU Fieldhouse which is an indoor multiuse facility with its own indoor track. For the fitness portion of the test, each participant had to pass three events, a shuttle sprint, flexed arm hang, and 1000-meter run. The times received for each event were averaged to determine if the participant passed. Additionally different overall scores determined if the participant would receive a Gold, Silver, or Bronze GAFPB.

The EWU Fieldhouse (Picture from SGT Timothy Bowes).

Cadet Scott Hinshaw the lead Cadet Officer in Charge (OIC) of GAFPB testing mans the master scorer’s desk located inside the EWU Fieldhouse.

Cadets Scott Hinshaw and Tyler Bergman work the master scorer’s desk that provided up to the minute updates on scoring to each participant.

The 11×10 Meter Shuttle Sprint

The first event of the basic fitness test was the 11×10 meter shuttle sprint. For the shuttle sprint each participant had to begin on the ground on a mat, get up and then sprint around a cone before sprinting back to the mat. Once back at the mat they had to drop to the ground again with their arms behind their back and then get back up and sprint around the cone. The event was complete after the participant passed the cone for the sixth time.

Sergeant Major Schiller briefs the participants on the shuttle sprint event inside the EWU Fieldhouse.

Shuttle sprint participants begin facing down on the mats.

Participants conduct the 11×10 meter shuttle sprint in the EWU Fieldhouse.

Airmen and Soldiers conduct the 11×10 meter shuttle sprint.

The Flexed Army Hang Event

After a five minute rest period, the participants then had to conduct the flexed arm hang. The participants had to keep their chin above the pull up bar for as long as possible. If their chin touched or went below the bar the time stopped. The longer a participant held their chin above the bar, the more points they received.

SGM Schiller (left) briefs the evaluators for the flexed arm hang event. From left: Cadet Bryce Stanton, 2nd Lieutenant Rebecca Trout, and Major Michael Peterson.

From left, EWU ROTC Cadets Thomas Luce, Amayia Roberts, and Megan Anderson conduct the flexed arm hang event.

A Sailor and Cadets conduct the flexed arm hang event.

EWU ROTC Cadet Nicholas Null conducts the flexed arm hang event.

EWU ROTC Cadet Adam Burnside conducts the flexed arm hang event.

Cadet Liam Hewey conducts the flexed arm hang event.

The 1,000-Meter Run

After completing the flexed arm hang event, the participants next conducted a 1,000-meter run. For the 1,000-meter run eight participants at a time had to run 5-laps around the Fieldhouse’s indoor track. The evaluators provided by the EWU ROTC battalion track the number of laps and recorded the time for the participants.

Cadets Megan Anderson (left) and Cheyenne Sweet (right) briefs sailors, soldiers, and Cadets on the standards for the 1,000-meter run event.

Cadet Megan Anderson briefs Soldiers and Airmen on the standards for the 1,000-meter run.

EWU ROTC Cadet Cheyenne Sweet evaluates participants as they conduct the 1,000-Meter Run event.

EWU Cadre member Captain Nicholas Carbaugh conducts the 1,000-Meter Run.

US Navy Sailor, PO3 Travis Rathe conducts the 1,000-Meter Run.

Pistol Qualification

After the completion of the basic fitness test the participants once again changed clothes into their duty uniforms to conduct the pistol qualification event. The pistol qualification event was conducted at the Medical Lake Department of Corrections Range. For the pistol qualification the participants had to successfully engage three targets located 20-meters away with five rounds loaded in the M9 pistol. Three hits on the three targets was a Bronze score, four hits on the three targets was a Silver score, and 5 hits on the three targets was a Gold score. After the completion of the pistol qualification event each participant was released for a mandatory rest period to prepare for the ruck march scheduled for the next morning.

The Medical Lake Department of Corrections Range (Photo by SGT Timothy Bowes).

Participants inspect their targets at the pistol qualification range (Photo by SGT Timothy Bowes).

Ruck March

In the early morning hours the GAFPB participants staying in the EWU Cadet Hall had an early wakeup call to prepare for the ruck march that morning. For the ruck march event each participant had to carry 35 pounds of weight at different distances based on their performance the previous day. For the participants still in the running for a Gold badge they had to march 12 kilometers (7.46 miles) in 120 minutes or less. The participants in the running for the Silver badge had to march 9 kilometers (5.6 miles) in 90 minutes or less. The participants still in the running for the Bronze badge had to march 6 kilometers in (3.75 miles) in 60 minutes or less. The ruck march course took the participants on a tour around the beautiful EWU campus.

Participants prepare their gear in below freezing temperatures in the early morning hours in front of Cadet Hall.

EWU ROTC Cadet Matthew Jeffs ruck marches by one of the entrance signs to Eastern Washington University.

Washington Army National Guard recruiter Timothy Bowes ruck marches along side EWU ROTC Cadet Liam Hewey around the EWU campus.

A soldier from 4-23 Infantry from Joint Base Lewis-McChord ruck marches around the EWU campus with his unit’s guide on.

A group that included two Navy Sailors, an airmen, and two EWU ROTC Cadets ruck march around the EWU campus.

Airmen from the 92nd Security Forces Squadron at Fairchild Air Force Base participated in the GAFPB testing to include the Squadron Commander Major Joseph Schneider pictured on the right.

Gonzaga University Cadets participate in the ruck march event.

EWU ROTC Cadet Ryan Smith gives two thumbs up during the ruck march around the EWU campus.

EWU ROTC Cadets Kylie Crooks and Matthew Jeffs are all smiles during the ruck march around the EWU campus.

GAFPB participants ruck around the EWU campus.

EWU ROTC Cadets Austin Bristow, Ethan Smart, and Austin Pfennig participate in the ruck march event.

Award Ceremony

After the completion of the ruck march event the participants next attended the award ceremony to recognize those that had met the standard to be awarded a GAFPB. The award ceremony was held in the EWU Fieldhouse where friends, family, and alumni were all there to support the participants. In total 94 participants out of the initial 167 received a GAFPB. 35x Gold, 54x Silver, and 5x Bronze GAFPBs were awarded.

The German Armed Forces Proficiency Badges (GAFPB) are on the table ready to be awarded.

The EWU ROTC historic World War II Jeep named “Lil Eag” was on display for the award ceremony.

GAFPB awardees stand in formation in the EWU Fieldhouse.

Before awarding the GAFPB’s, Sergeant Major Schiller provided some motivational comments to all the participants and thanked the EWU alumni for sponsoring the event.

SGM Ronald Schiller addresses the crowd and GAFPB participants at the EWU Fieldhouse.

Sergeant Major Schiller addresses the crowd while backdropped by a HMMWV provided by the Washington Army National Guard for the award ceremony.

EWU ROTC Class of 1967 graduate, Lieutenant Colonel (R) Jerry Mellick (left) takes a picture with German Sergeant Major Ronald Schiller. Mr. Mellick representing the EWU alumni who helped sponsor the GAFPB testing also addressed the participants to let them know how impressed he was by everyone’s motivation and what they had accomplished.

SFC Eddie Quimby (far right) a US Army Recruiter responsible for the Cheney area assisted EWU ROTC by serving as a GAFPB evaluator. SFC Quimby poses with EWU ROTC Cadets (from left) Kylie Crooks, Ryan Smith, Collin Galbreath, and Samantha Knight.

2018 German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge Awardees

Gold GAFPB		Silver GAFPB		Bronze GAFPB
Name	Unit	Name	Unit	Name	Unit
CDT Thomas Luce	EWU	CDT Tyler Bristow	EWU	CDT Libby Glover	EWU
CDT Jameson Palmer	EWU	CDT Evan Jones	EWU	SGT Joshua Hedberg	SARC Office
CDT Nicholas Null	EWU	CDT Adam Burnside	EWU	SN Mitchell Statton	Navy
CDT Cesar Guzman	EWU	CDT John Howard	EWU	A1C Danielle Petika	92nd Medical Group
CDT Devantae Hall	EWU	CDT Ethan Smart	EWU	SSG Justin Cartwright	A/341st
CDT Haley Bent	EWU	CDT Samantha Knight	EWU
CDT Kylie Crooks	EWU	CDT Ryan Smith	EWU
CDT Chad Triplett	EWU	CDT Joseph Jordan	EWU
CDT Jack Bowen	Univ. of WA	CDT Liam Hewey	EWU
CDT Robert Mitchell	Univ. of WA	CDT Matthew Jeffs	EWU
2LT Vanessa Munro	Univ. of WA	CDT Tyler Roylance	EWU
CDT Taylor Polson	Univ. of WA	CDT Kaylie Watters	EWU
CDT Ian Zipp	Univ. of WA	CDT Carly Garland	EWU
PO3 Travis Rathe	Navy	CDT Austin Pfennig	EWU
2LT John Corey	Univ. of Idaho	CPT Nicholas Carbaugh	EWU
CDT Joshua Lyons	Univ. of Idaho	CDT Collin Galbreath	EWU
CDT Jacob Skelton	Univ. of Idaho	CDT Everett Kuhnel	EWU
SSG Gregory Hanshaw	1041st Trans. Co.	SGT Timothy Bowes	WA National Guard
SGT Justin Andrusak	4-23 IN	SSG Joseph Sleyko	SARC Office
PFC Sawyer Hein	4-23 IN	SSG Robert Hauser	SARC Office
CDT Gabrielle Powers	WSU	CDT Samuel Haffly	Univ. of WA
SPC Jerod Rubalcava	1-161 IN	CDT Graham Harper	Univ. of WA
SSG James Martin	C-112	CDT Madeline Musard	Univ. of WA
Maj Joseph Schneider	92nd SF Squadron	CDT Abigail Carter	Univ. of Seattle
SrA Joseph Pace	92nd SF Squadron	CDT Austin Groseclose	Univ. of Seattle
Amn Bruin Dew	92nd SF Squadron	CDT Christina Johnson	Univ. of Seattle
CDT Chad Barker	Gonzaga	CDT James Evans	Univ. of Idaho
CDT Lindsey Evers	Gonzaga	MSgt Joseph Nash	92nd Maint. Squadron
CDT Grady Gosselin	Gonzaga	TSgt Kenneth Chudoba	92nd Maint. Squadron
CDT James Jolliffe	Gonzaga	SSgt Brandon DeVera	92nd Maint. Squadron
CDT Sean Leriche	Gonzaga	SSgt Christopher Munro	92nd Maint. Squadron
CDT Alexander Murray	Gonzaga	A1C Sterling Fiske	92nd Maint. Squadron
CDT Evan Powell	Gonzaga	A1C Calvin Magcalas	92nd Maint. Squadron
CDT Benjamin Wuthritch	Gonzaga	LTC Michael McCarthy	92nd Medical Group
CDT Madison Woodworth	CWU	A1C Tyler Corter	92nd Medical Group
		SPC Jordan Overman	4-23 IN
		PFC Ryan Hamilton	4-23 IN
		PFC Jared Kyger	4-23 IN
		PFC Austin Jones	4-23 IN
		SGT Stanley Hutchinson	4-23 IN
		SSG Evan Hebenstreit	4-23 IN
		PV2 Alex Toepfer	4-23 IN
		CDT Tevita Feiloakitau	WSU
		CDT Rikul Patel	WSU
		SGT Justin Hiatt	1-161 IN
		SPC Zachary Maier	C-112
		SSG Nathan Snyder	WA NG Honor Guard
		SPC Zachary Berg	WA NG Honor Guard
		SGT Zachary Flynn	WA NG Honor Guard
		CDT Bryson Barian-Garcia	Gonzaga
		CDT Zion Kirk	Gonzaga
		CDT Mike Sodervick	Gonzaga
		CPT Jason Baggot	Gonzaga
		CDT Kai Covey	CWU

Unit and Individual Statistics

The top overall unit from the GAFPB testing was the Eastern Washington University Fighting Eagles Battalion which was awarded 26x total GAFPBs.

25x EWU ROTC Fighting Eagles Battalion Cadets and 1x Cadre member take a group picture wearing their well deserved German Armed Forces Proficiency Badges.

The Top 5 units overall were:

EWU with 26x GAFPBs (8x Gold, 17x Silver, 1x Bronze)
Gonzaga Univ. with 12x GAFPBs (8x Gold, 4 Silver)
4-23 IN (JBLM) with 9x GAFPBs (2x Gold, 7x Silver)
Univ. of Wash. with 8x GAFPBs (5x Gold, 3x Silver)
Maint. Squadron (Fairchild AFB) with 8x GAFPBs (8x Silver)

Top Individual Basic Fitness Test Scores

10 x 11 Meter Sprint (Male)

1. CDT Kai Covey (CWU) – 36 seconds
2. (tie) CDT Cesar Guzman (EWU) – 38 seconds
2. (tie) CDT Robert Mitchell (UW) – 38 seconds
2. (tie) CDT Ian Zipp (UW) – 38 seconds
2. (tie) PO3 Travis Rathe (Navy) – 38 seconds
2. (tie) CDT Jacob Skelton (Idaho) – 38 seconds

10 x 11 Meter Sprint (Female)

CDT Carley Garland

1. (tie) CDT Carly Garland (EWU) – 41 seconds
1. (tie) CDT Lindsey Evers (Gonzaga) – 41 seconds
3. CDT Madison Woodworth (CWU) – 43 seconds
5. (tie) CDT Haley Bent (EWU) – 44 seconds
5. (tie) CDT Kylie Crooks (EWU) – 44 seconds
5. (tie) CDT Libby Glover (EWU) – 44 seconds

Flexed Arm Hang (Male)

SPC Jerod Rubalcava

1. SPC Jerod Rubalcava (1-161 MI) – 111 seconds
2. CDT Chad Triplett (EWU) – 101 seconds
3. SSG James Martin (C-112) – 97 seconds
4. PFC Sawyer Hein (4-23 IN) – 89 seconds
5. 2LT John Corey (Idaho) – 88 seconds

Flexed Army Hang (Female)

CDT Lindsey Evers

1. CDT Lindsey Evers (Gonzaga) – 74 seconds
2. CDT Carley Garland (EWU) – 67 seconds
3. CDT Kylie Crooks (EWU) – 57 seconds
4. (tie) CDT Haley Bent (EWU) – 54 seconds
4. (tie) 2LT Vanessa Munro (UW) – 54 seconds
5. (tie) CDT Libby Glover (EWU) – 53 seconds
5. (tie) CDT Gabrielle Powers (WSU) – 53 seconds

1,000 Meter Run (Male)

CDT Jacob Skelton

1. CDT Jacob Skelton (Idaho) – 189 seconds
2. CDT Joshua Lyon (Idaho) – 199 seconds
3. (tie) SPC Jerod Rubalcava (1-161 IN) – 200 seconds
3. (tie) CDT Jack Bowen (UW) – 200 seconds
5. PO3 Travis Rathe (Navy) – 207 seconds

1,000 Meter Run (Female)

CDT Lindsey Evers

1. CDT Lindsey Evers (Gonzaga) – 231 seconds
2. CDT Carley Garland (EWU) – 234 seconds
3. 2LT Vanessa Munro (UW) – 247 seconds
4. CDT Madison Woodworth (CWU) – 248 seconds
5. CDT Gabrielle Powers (WSU) – 254 seconds

Basic Fitness Test Overall Score (Male)

SPC Jerod Rubalcava

1. SPC Jerod Rubalcava (1-161 IN) – 499 points
2. CDT Chad Triplett (EWU) – 470.3 points
3. CDT Ian Zipp (UW) – 455.3 points
4. Robert Mitchell (UW) – 448.3 points
5. CDT Grady Gosselin (Gonzaga) – 447.7 points

Basic Fitness Test Overall Score (Female)

CDT Lindsey Evers

1. CDT Lindsey Evers (Gonzaga) – 504.4
2. CDT Carley Garland (EWU) – 486.1
3. CDT Madison Woodworth (CWU) – 429.7
4. 2LT Vanessa Munro (UW) – 423.6
5. CDT Gabrielle Powers (WSU) – 416.3

Conclusion

Congratulations to everyone that was awarded a German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge. We hope everyone had a great time visiting the EWU campus and spending the weekend in the Spokane area. The EWU ROTC Fighting Eagles Battalion plans to host the GAFPB test again next year in November 2019. For those that didn’t pass or want to earn a Gold badge there will be an opportunity to do so next year. Likewise personnel who have not attended the GAFPB test before are encouraged to do so. Better yet try and beat the best individual scores from this year.

To conclude I want to give special thanks to everyone who made the 2018 GAFPB testing such a success. Planning was led by the EWU ROTC Assistant PMS Captain Gregory Benjamin and assisted by the EWU ROTC Senior Military Science Instructor Sergeant First Class Jason Hennig. Cadet planning for the GAFPB test was led by Cadet Scott Hinshaw and Megan Anderson. We also appreciate all the support from the Washington Army National Guard and the US Army Recruiting command station in Cheney for the GAFPB testing. Another thank you goes to all of our evaluators who worked with SGM Schiller to assure everyone was graded fairly. Further thanks goes to our alumni in particular Mr. Jerry Mellick for helping to sponsor this great event. Finally we want to thank Sergeant Major Ronald Schiller and his wife Katie for flying out to Eastern Washington University to oversee and be the lead evaluator for the GAFPB testing. The extreme amount of professionalism by everyone involved made the GAFPB testing a great success.

Go GAFPB! Go ROTC! Go Fighting Eags!

Award Ceremony Photos

Below are photos from the award ceremony held in the EWU Fieldhouse. Feel free to download and share all these photos with your friends and family.

Gold GAFPB Awardees:

Silver GAFPB Awardees:

Bronze GAFPB Awardees:

25x EWU ROTC Fighting Eagles Battalion Cadets and 1x Cadre member take a group picture wearing their well deserved German Armed Forces Proficiency Badges.