EWU – Page 17 – EWU Army ROTC

Despite Summer Heat, Fighting Eagles Cadets Are Still All Smiles at ROTC Advanced Camp

10/09/202407/25/2019 by jstafford3

Our “Fighting Eagles” Cadets from the Eastern Washington University (EWU) Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program have continued to progress through Advanced Camp 2019 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. Ft. Knox is currently experiencing high temperatures in the upper 80’s with humidity over 50%. The heat hasn’t stopped our Cadets from keeping a smile on their face as evident by Cadet Michael Beier (left) and Jazmin Castrejon (right) after they happened upon each other during the Field Training Exercise (FTX) portion of Advanced Camp.

EWU ROTC Cadets Michael Beier (left) and Jazmin Castrejon (right).

Cadet Castrejon is an MS-III Cadet who is part of the primary training audience for Advanced Camp. Her platoon had just successfully completed a raid during the FTX. Cadet Castrejon is in 9th Regiment and scheduled to graduate from Advanced Camp on August 8th.

Cadet Castrejon (left) and Cadet Beier (right)

Cadet Beier is an MS-II Cadet who volunteered to attend Advanced Camp to support the Opposing Force (OPFOR):

Cadet Michael Beier

Cadet Castrejon wasn’t the only Eastern Cadet that Beier ran into this week. He also ran into Robert Wheeler who is an MS-III Cadet attending Advanced Camp as part of 8th Regiment. He is scheduled to graduate on August 3rd.

Cadets Michael Beier (left) and Robert Wheeler (right)

EWU ROTC wishes Cadets Castrejon and Wheeler all the best as they move towards completion of Advanced Camp 2019. We also wish best of luck to all of our other Fighting Eagles Cadets who are attending not only Advanced Camp, but Basic Camp as well at Ft. Knox.

Go ROTC! Go Fighting Eags!

Randy Van Turner ROTC Scholarship

10/02/202407/23/2019 by jstafford3

The Randy Van Turner ROTC Scholarship is sponsored by the brothers from the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity, Zeta Nu chapter of Eastern Washington University (EWU). The scholarship is in honor of the fraternity’s EWU chapter co-founder First Lieutenant Randy Turner.

Photo of Randy Turner

Randy Turner

Randy Turner was a 1968 graduate from the EWU Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program who was a recipient of the Silver Star and in 1969 was killed in action during the Vietnam War. In 2018 his fraternity brothers decided to honor his service by establishing an ROTC scholarship program. The scholarship awards one year of tuition to selected EWU ROTC Cadets. The scholarship began awarding money to recipients in the 2019-2020 academic year.

Criteria for the Randy Van Turner ROTC Scholarship

ROTC student
Preference for student enrolled in simultaneous membership program (National Guard or Reserves)
Demonstrated financial need
Minimum GPA of 2.5
Sophomore standing or higher
Preference given to students majoring in a STEM or Health Sciences program

Cadets that meet the above criteria then participate in a board held by the EWU ROTC Cadre and a university representative to determine who will receive a scholarship. Cadets grades, physical fitness, leadership potential, and ability to answer questions are all considered by the board when selecting Randy Van Turner ROTC Scholarship recipients. Anyone interested in this scholarship should contact the ROTC office for more information.

2020 Recipients of the Randy Van Turner ROTC Scholarship

– Thomas Luce
– Crystal Cruz
– Destin Garcia
– Emma Latour
– James Dutton

2019 Recipients of the Randy Van Turner ROTC Scholarship

Samantha Knight

Group photo of a person receiving a check

Kylie Crooks

Photo of a person receiving a check

Emma Latour

A cadet receiving a check

James Dutton

A cadet receiving full tuition coverage check

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Remember if you have any questions about the ROTC National Scholarship process, please leave a comment, contact our office, or reach out to us through our social media sites. We are here to help and want you to be as successful as possible to receive an Army ROTC scholarship.

Go ROTC! Go Fighting Eags!

Two Eastern Washington University “Fighting Eagles” Cadets Complete ROTC Advanced Camp

07/20/2019 by jstafford3

Two more of our “Fighting Eagles” Cadets from the Eastern Washington University (EWU) Reserve Office Training Corps (ROTC) battalion recently completed Advanced Camp at Fort Knox, Kentucky. Cadets Jameson Palmer and Andreas Brazier both graduated from Advanced Camp’s 5th Regiment on July 19th. Not only did these two highly motivated Cadets graduate from Advanced Camp, but they both did so with receiving the highest score of “Outstanding”.

EWU ROTC Cadets (left) Andreas Brazier and (right) Jameson Palmer at ROTC Advanced Camp in 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.

Cadets Brazier and Palmer were our 2nd and 3rd Cadets to complete Advanced Camp this summer. We still have 18 more “Fighting Eagles” Cadets currently participating in various regiments at Advanced Camp. Our next Cadets to graduate in 6th Regiment are Megan Baker, Austin Pfennig, and Chad Triplett on July 24th. With the completion of Advanced Camp Cadet Brazier is on his way to attend follow on training in Hawaii while Cadet Palmer is heading to Ft. Campbell, Kentucky for his follow on training.

Congratulations to both Cadets for not only graduating, but exceling at ROTC’s crucible training event.

Go Fighting Eags!

Eastern Washington University to Host 9-11 Memorial Stair Climb

10/09/202407/19/2019 by jstafford3

During the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on New York City, first responders had to run up the stairwells in the World Trade Center buildings to rescue people before the building collapsed. In honor of the first responders that lost their lives that day, a 9-11 Memorial Stair Climb has been organized on the Eastern Washington University by the campus police department.

Dressler Hall on the EWU campus.

The stair climb will begin on Wednesday, September 11, 2019 at 07:00 AM at Dressler Hall. The World Trade Center had 104 floors and Dressler Hall has only 11 floors. To match what first responders experienced during the 9-11 attacks, participants in the stair climb will run up the main stairs in Dressler Hall and down the fire escape 10 times.

First responders and military personnel are encouraged to run the stairs in uniform, but the general public is welcome to attend as well in gym clothes. Parking for the event will be free in Lots P-12 and P-16.

Free parking locations at lots P-12 and P-16 for the EWU 9-11 Memorial Stair Climb

EWU ROTC encourages everyone to please come out and support first responders this upcoming 9-11 anniversary by participating in the stair climb.

Go Eags!

Eastern Washington University ROTC Cadet Completes Internship at the National Forensic Science Technology Center

07/16/2019 by jstafford3

Congratulations to Eastern Washington University (EWU) Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) Cadet, Valentino Olmstead for recently completing his summer internship with the at the National Forensic Science Technology Center (NFSTC) located in Largo, Florida on the campus of Florida International University.

Valentino Olmstead holding his certificate of completion for his internship.

During his internship Cadet Olmstead was exposed to the latest cutting edge technology utilized for biometric and forensic identification. Some of the skills students learn at NFSTC is to examine and develop fingerprints, chemical detection and analysis, media/cellular exploitation, and improvised explosive device (IED) investigations.

Cadet Olmstead was selected for the Forensic Internship Program through a Cadet Command sponsored competitive nomination process that required him to demonstrate academic excellence, physical fitness, and high character.

You can learn more about the internship process at the below link:

The Cadet Command Internship Process

Once again congratulations to Cadet Olmstead for successfully completing this prestigious internship.

Go ROTC! Go Fighting Eags!

EWU ROTC Gold Star Alumni: Randy Turner

10/04/202407/15/2019 by jstafford3

RANDY VAN TURNER

(U.S. Army)

Rank: 1st Lieutenant

Hometown: Spokane, WA

Branch: Adjutant General

Born: 23 February 1944

Death: 25 September 1969

Location: Bien Hoa, Vietnam

Silver Star

Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall: Panel 17W–Line 8

In the Army, when a family loses a member in war, we refer to them as a “Gold Star Family.” Each of our Eastern Washington University (EWU) Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) graduates that were killed in action we consider them a “Gold Star Alumni” because they are part of our ROTC family.

Randy Turner graduated from Eastern in 1968 and commissioned into the Army’s Adjutant General Corps. He deployed the following year to Vietnam and was killed in action on September 25, 1969. He was posthumously recognized with the Silver Star. After his death Randy left behind a wife and a daughter. He was 25 years old.

Randy during his time at Eastern was a founding member of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. In remembrance of Randy, his fraternity established the annual Randy Van Turner ROTC Scholarship.

The Department of Military Science offers condolences to the family of First Lieutenant Randy Turner and commemorates his service for making the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our great nation.

Note: If any friends or family have any memories they would like to share about Randy Turner, please leave a note in the comments section because we would love to learn more about him.