Five More “Fighting Eagles” Battalion Cadets Graduate from ROTC Advanced Camp

Advanced Camp

The Eastern Washington University (EWU) Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) recently had 5 more Cadets graduate from Advanced Camp at Fort Knox, Kentucky.  Cadets Ian House, Joseph Jordan, Jazmin Castrejon, Coy Odiorne, and Melinda Leen all graduated as part of Advanced Camp’s 9th Regiment on August 8th.

EWU Advanced Camp Graduates

From left: Ian House, Joseph Jordan, Jazmin Castrejon, Coy Odiorne, and Melinda Leen pictured together following graduation from ROTC Advanced Camp 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. With the successful completion of Advanced Camp, Cadets House, Jordan, Castrejon, Odiorne, and Leen are one step closer to commissioning as Second Lieutenants after graduating from Eastern.

The completion of Advanced Camp however was not the end of summer training for some of these Cadets.  After graduating from Advanced Camp three of the Cadets left to participate in Cadet Troop Leadership Training (CTLT).  At CTLT a Cadet gets hands on experience with being an officer within an active duty U.S. Army unit.  Cadet Odiorne is currently embedded with Taskforce Talon, a missile defense unit assigned to protect the island of Guam from ballistic missile attack.  Cadet Castrejon and House both traveled to Ft. Hood, Texas to take part in a CTLT experience with transportation and chemical units.

Congratulations to all five Cadets for graduating from Advanced Camp and achieving one of the most important accomplishments of the ROTC program.

Eastern Washington University ROTC Cadet Graduates from the U.S. Army’s Airborne School

Triplett Airborne School

The Eastern Washington University (EWU) Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program is pleased to announce that one of its Cadets, Chad Triplett has recently graduated from the U.S. Army’s Airborne School at Ft. Benning, Georgia. The completion of Airborne School makes Cadet Triplett a qualified paratrooper within the U.S. Army authorized to wear the Parachutist Badge on his uniform.

Triplett Airborne School

EWU ROTC Cadet, Chad Triplett (right) pictured with a fellow Cadet after after graduating from the U.S. Army’s Airborne School. 


Throwback Thursday: The Eastern Washington University Campus in 1964

EWU Campus 1964

Here is a picture of what the Eastern Washington University (EWU) campus looked like back in 1964.  Back then the school was called Eastern Washington State College.  Cadet Hall is pictured next to the old Fieldhouse that burned down back in 1970’s.  The Computing and Engineering Building was built in its place next to Cadet Hall in 2006.  The football stadium that is pictured was replaced by today’s Roos Field constructed on the other side of Washington Street from the EWU campus.  The old football stadium has been knocked down and replaced with the construction of the JFK Library and a grassy area known today as JFK Field.  This field is where we hold some our weekly ROTC leadership labs at during the year.

Three Eastern Washington University Cadets Graduate from ROTC Advanced Camp

Congratulations to Eastern Washington University (EWU) Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) “Fighting Eagles” battalion Cadets Austin Bristow, Jacob Villasenor and Hunter Smith for graduating today from Advanced Camp’s, 10th Regiment at Ft. Knox, Kentucky.

From left: Austin Bristow, Jacob Villasenor, and Hunter Smith take a picture together during the Field Training Exercise (FTX) portion of Advanced Camp 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.

Eastern’s ROTC program sent 22 Cadets to Advanced Camp this year and our final two Cadets will graduate from Advanced Camp’s 11th Regiment on August 18th.

With the successful completion of Advanced Camp Cadets Bristow, Villasenor, and Smith are one step closer to commissioning as Second Lieutenants after graduating from Eastern.  Congratulations to all three Cadets for achieving one of the benchmark accomplishments of the ROTC program.

Go ROTC!  Go Fighting Eags!

Eastern Washington University Cadet Graduates from ROTC Basic Camp

Congratulations to Eastern Washington University (EWU) Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) Cadet Andrew Gannon for graduating from Basic Camp at Ft. Knox, Kentucky.  Here is a picture of Cadet Gannon’s unit, 3rd Platoon, Bravo Company, 5th Regiment:

Graduating Boot Camp Class

Here is a closer look at Cadet Gannon seated right below the drill sergeant:

cadet gannon

Basic Camp is a four-week leadership training course designed for college students, typically between their sophomore and junior years to attend if they did not join ROTC during their freshman year of college. After completion of Basic Camp the Cadet is then eligible for entry as a third year Cadet in the four year ROTC program. The Cadet is also eligible to contract and receive scholarship and stipend benefits.

Once again congratulations to Cadet Gannon for graduating from Basic Camp!

Go ROTC!  Go Fighting Eags!


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Throwback Thursday: EWU Army ROTC Cadet Attends Advanced Camp in 1965

jerry mellick at summer camp 1965

jerry mellick at summer camp 1965

With some of our Eastern Washington University (EWU) Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) Cadets still going through Advanced Camp this summer.  I thought it would be fun to show one of our alumni going through Advanced Camp back in 1965 at Ft. Lewis, Washington.  Does any of our EWU Army ROTC alumni recognize the pictured individual?

By the way here is a picture of the sleeping accommodations at Advanced Camp back then:

Black and white photo of a tent