EWU College of Social Sciences Dean Experiences COI Training at Ft. Knox

Besides being home to the United States gold reserves, Fort Knox, Kentucky is also the home to the U.S. Army Cadet Command’s premier training event, Advanced Camp.  At Advanced Camp, Cadets from Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) programs spread out across 274 college campuses, come together to conduct leadership training at Ft. Knox.  Cadets generally attend Advanced Camp the summer between their Junior and Senior years of college.  Passing Advanced Camp is a requirement for every Cadet who wants to commission as an officer after graduating from college.

A trio of cadets posing for the camera

EWU ROTC Cadets (From Left) Megan Baker, Austin Pfennig, & Chad Triplett participate in Advanced Camp 2019 at Ft. Knox, Kentucky.


In effort to help university faculty and community leaders better understand the training ROTC Cadets conduct at Advanced Camp, select personnel from across the nation are invited to attend a one-week course at Ft. Knox.  Recently our very own Dean of the College of Social Sciences (CSS) at Eastern Washington University (EWU), Dr. Jonathan Anderson had the opportunity to attend this course known as Centers of Influence (COI) Training.

While at Fort Knox Dr. Anderson attended a number of informational meetings about ROTC and also participated in training Cadets experience during Advanced Camp.  These events included a Leadership Reaction Course and rappelling.

A photo of a conference with people listening intently

Dr. Anderson (upper right) participates in an informational brief.


People going up stairs to go do some training

Dr. Anderson (center) prepares for rappel tower training.


For a very select few of the personnel that attended the COI training, they were able to participate in a jump with the U.S. Army’s Golden Knights parachute demonstration team. Dr. Anderson was chosen as one of the few COIs to participate in the parachute jump.

People in an airplane

Dr. Anderson prepares to jump with the U.S. Army’s Golden Knights parachute team.


A photo of an airplane in air

Dr. Anderson flies off with the Golden Knights.


People sky diving

Dr. Anderson parachutes over Ft. Knox, Kentucky with the Golden Knights.


EWU ROTC thanks Dr. Anderson for attending the COI training and the strong support we receive from the College of Social Sciences.

Go ROTC!  Go Fighting Eags!

EWU ROTC Cadet Receives 2019 Randy Van Turner ROTC Scholarship

The 2019 Randy Van Turner ROTC Scholarship was issued this week to Cadet Kylie Crooks.  Kylie is an incoming MS-IV Cadet with the Eastern Washington University (EWU) Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program.  The scholarship is in honor of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity’s EWU chapter co-founder First Lieutenant Randy 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.

A cadet receiving a large check

Cadet Kylie Crooks (center) is pictured with members of the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity and the EWU Professor of Military Science.


This year his fraternity brothers decided to honor his service by establishing an ROTC scholarship program.  The scholarship is awarded to EWU ROTC Cadets that demonstrate academic excellence, high physical fitness, leadership, and financial need.  Through a board process, Cadet Crooks was chosen as our second 2019 Randy Van Turner ROTC Scholarship recipient.  Cadet Crooks is studying nursing and is on pace to graduate with honors.  She has also shown a high level of physical fitness by scoring a maximum 300 on her Army Physical Fitness Test.

Kylie also recently completed ROTC Advanced Camp where she received the highest rating of “Outstanding”.  Besides being a Cadet, Kylie also serves as a watercraft engineer in the U.S. Army Reserve’s 467th Transportation Company.

Photo of a cadet on a ruck march

Cadet Crooks after completing a 12-mile road march.


The scholarship worth $7,545 will pay her full tuition next year as she pursues her nursing degree and a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army.  Congratulations to Cadet Crooks for being awarded the Randy Van Turner ROTC Scholarship and a big thank you to Pi Kappa Alpha for sponsoring this scholarship in support of our outstanding EWU ROTC Cadets.

Go ROTC!  Go Fighting Eags!

4th of July Holiday was a Busy One for EWU ROTC Cadets at Advanced Camp

This summer Cadets from the Eastern Washington University (EWU) Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) have been participating in ROTC Advanced Camp held every summer at Ft. Knox, Kentucky.  Advanced Camp is Cadet Command’s premier annual training event that assesses Cadets on their ability to conduct basic officer leadership tasks.  Cadets usually attend Advanced Camp during the summer between their junior and senior years of college.  Passing Advanced Camp is a mandatory requirement for all Cadets who want to commission as an officer in the U.S. Army after graduation.

Three cadets together

EWU ROTC Cadets in 6th Regiment: (From Left) Megan Baker, Austin Pfennig, & Chad Triplett.


One of the most important tasks Cadets must excel at during Advanced Camp is the Field Training Exercise (FTX).  The FTX assesses Cadets on their leadership abilities while executing small unit tactics such as ambushes, raids, and recons.

Cadets sitting down

EWU ROTC Cadet Megan Baker during FTX preparation at ROTC Advanced Camp.


Despite hot and humid conditions Cadets from the EWU ROTC battalion, assigned to 6th Regiment ROTC Advanced Camp were in high spirits this 4th of July as they made their final preparations for their FTX.  Cadets Megan Baker, Austin Pfennig, and Chad Triplett participated in finalizing platoon standard operating procedures (SOPs), conducting platoon rehearsals, and platoon formations and orders of movement.  Even though it was a busy 4th of July holiday for the 6th Regiment Cadets, they did get a chance to see some of the Ft. Knox fireworks show.

Fireworks going off

Fireworks over Ft. Knox, Kentucky


Good luck in the field Fighting Eagles!

Fighting Eagles Cadet Conducts Nursing Internship at William Beaumont Army Medical Center

This summer seven Cadets from the Eastern Washington University (EWU) Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program were selected for Cadet Command sponsored internships.  Our first Cadet, Sarah Mullen recently returned from her nursing internship at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland just outside of Washington, D.C.  Our next Cadet, Josiah Bryan departed for his nursing internship on June 30th at the William Beaumont Army Medical Center at Ft. Bliss, Texas.

Photo of a person in front a poster

Cadet Josiah Bryan


For the next month Cadet Bryan will learn all the roles and responsibilities of being a nurse while being under the supervision of an experienced Army Nurse Corps Officer.  He will also obtain hands on experience in various clinical specialties such as labor and delivery, pediatrics, emergency room, etc.  Cadet Bryan’s internship is part of the Nurse Summer Training Program.  This program selects qualified nursing Cadets to intern at Army Medical Department (AMEDD) hospitals around the world.

The William Beaumont Army Medical Center is not only one of the largest buildings in El Paso, TX, but also one of the larger hospitals in the U.S. Army.  It has over one million square feet of floor space and sees an average of 3,200 patients every day.  Presently, there are 70 physicians in training, 27 interns and 43 residents at the hospital. There are also more than 100 officers and enlisted Soldiers training in other medical specialties on any given day.

Ariel Photo of William Beaumont Army Medical Center

William Beaumont Army Medical Center


EWU ROTC wishes Cadet Bryan all the best during his nursing internship.

For anyone interested in becoming an Army Nurse the EWU ROTC program has a long and successful history of commissioning nurses into the Army.  You can read more about our program and the pay and benefits of being an Army nurse at the below link:

Join the Army Nurse Corps

Eastern Washington University ROTC Cadet Awarded Minuteman Scholarship Worth $46,200

The Eastern Washington University (EWU) U.S. Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) battalion is pleased to announce that one of its Cadets, Patrick Coleman has been awarded a Minuteman Scholarship worth $46,200.

A person with a big check

EWU ROTC Cadet, Patrick Coleman


Cadet Coleman who is originally from Spokane, is a sophomore studying Finance at EWU.  He has excelled in the classroom by maintaining over a 3.5 Grade Point Average and shown strong leadership potential as a Cadet in the ROTC program.  Besides being a Cadet, Patrick also serves in the U.S. Army Reserves with the 659 Engineer Company located at Fairchild Air Force Base.  After graduating from EWU, Cadet Coleman will commission as a Second Lieutenant into the U.S. Army Reserve.

The Minuteman Scholarship program is one of many scholarship programs offered through the EWU ROTC program.  The Minuteman Scholarship is for college students interested in Guaranteed Reserve Forces Duty (GRFD).  The Minuteman Scholarship pays for full tuition and fees or $10,000 for room and board per year.  Minuteman Scholarship recipients also receive a monthly stipend of $420, and a yearly book allowance of $1,200.  All students that accept a Minuteman Scholarship will commission as an officer into the U.S. Army Reserves.  Anyone interested in pursuing any of our ROTC scholarship programs should contact the EWU ROTC office for more information.

Congratulations to Cadet Coleman on being awarded the Minuteman Scholarship!

Go ROTC!  Go Fighting Eags!

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

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.

Photo of a person in front of the Army ROTC patch poster


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!