A Semester in Review

Today the MSI's, or freshman, took their last PT test of the semester. It is coming down to the wire now. This is the final week in the semester and marks the end of a long four months. As a whole, the semester has been extremely productive and provided a number of lessons. In my case, I have found and implemented a workout that will actually work to improve PT results. In my case, I have improved my score by 25 points, including getting slower on the run. This was due to a foot injury. The workout is the same one that I wrote about a few months ago. The workout consists of about forty-five minutes of pushups and situps prior to any running or cardio. I typically do the workout four to five times per week. The only drawback is that it eats up time. You will need about an hour and a half to have a complete workout. If interested, you can look back to my previous discussions. Besides improving my overall physical shape, I was able to continue my success in school. It can be challenging managing time as a cadet. The biggest piece of advice that I can offer is to remember your priorities. As a cadet, your first responsibility is to graduate from school. At times this will not seem to be the case; however, without graduating, there is no point helping with ROTC. I am not saying to avoid participating by blaming your time commitments. You have the responsibility to do everything you can to help the program without hurting yourself. Balancing responsibilities is an acquired skill. Use this time to learn how to prioritize.

GRFD, What is it?

The GRFD is a guaranteed reserve force duty contract, which is a commitment that works just like a federal scholarship. When a cadet signs one of these, they commit to serving in the National Guard or Army Reserves for six years. Just like the Federal scholarship, any cadet who agrees to this will receive either tuition or room and board and a book allowance. In the case of the guard, soldiers already receive 100% tuition for a state school. This can be combined with the GRFD to cover almost all of a students expenses. This may be the main cause in the rise in the number of cadets joining the national guard. At ISU the percentage of cadets that are entering the National Guard compared to Active Duty is growing. The GRFD may be the main cause of this, but there are a number of other factors. Another factor is the prospect of getting a job after school. Many people view active duty as a loss in liberties and an involuntary relocation. It can be difficult to volunteer to move to a random location, especially if you hope to have a family or maintain a relationship. This jump in GRFD's, regardless of the reason behind them, has had an impact on the accessions process. It is now much easier for qualified candidates to get an active duty spot. Some of the most qualified candidates do not want to go on active duty anymore, opening up slots for those who would not have made it in past years. This change hasn't impacted active duty as much as one might think because the US Army can pull anyone it needs for active duty. The needs of the Army come before the wants of soldiers. The National Guard has had no trouble making its initial recruitment for officers. The challenge has been keeping officers beyond their initial commitment.

Best Staff Ride Ever

Our staff ride to the Jefferson Barracks was a great time. For starters we had amazing luck with the weather. Yesterday happened to be the best day of this year for weather. It was about eighty degrees, sunny, and slightly breezy. The day began with a brief class and discussion about the Battle of the Bulge. After we had a good feel for the battle and its background, we headed down to St. Louis. Once we arrived, we spent about an hour or so walking around the living display that was set up. The living display consisted of a bunch of collectors and WWII reenactors that had set up a large camp full of authentic WWII equipment. This equipment covered everything that you can imagine. There were a number of American, British, and Russian weapons on display. They all were in immaculate condition. I was surprised at just how clean everything was. All of the collectors were extremely knowledgeable and friendly. We were able to see much of the equipment that was used during the war and develop a better understanding for what veterans went through. It was extremely entertaining to look at all of the old vehicles. We were even able to take a ride in two different half-track vehicles. After seeing the display, we met up with the Gateway Chapter of the veterans of the Battle of the Bulge. This group of men shared their story with us and all that they experienced in Europe. Their experiences and advice were extremely valuable and inspiring. There is a great deal to be learned from these heroes. Next time you have the opportunity, go out and talk to a veteran, and thank them for all they have done.

Ready for Active Duty

Now that it is coming close to graduation time, it is time for those of us graduating to get ready for the training that follows. The most challenging part of getting ready is doing so when we have so much going on. The end of the year is always incredibly busy with finals and packing. Time is at a premium. The hardest part is getting ready for active duty without any time to do so. My challenge will be getting packed, ensuring I know everything I need, and spending time with my family in the two weeks that follow graduation. The way things look now, I am a little worried that there will not be enough of me to go around. My main strategy will be packing everything military related in plastic bins early on, so I don't have to worry about getting my equipment ready when it comes time to leave. I also plan on labeling each bin with an inventory of everything inside. I also have the benefit of having a few months at Ft. Knox to review all of the information that I will need for my follow-on training. This is everything from 7-8 stuff to all of the specifics of the OPORD. I anticipate getting to LTC and having only a small amount to do. I am sure that it depends upon the specific job, but I am willing to bet that all of the jobs have only a limited amount. The biggest concern for me is the fear of the unknown. This is not to say that I am afraid of what awaits me, it just adds to the overall uncertainty. As a whole, I am excited for what lies ahead. It will be challenging to ensure I am fully prepared with less than a month remaining until I leave.

Staff Ride

As MSIV's you will have the opportunity to participate in the Staff Ride. The staff ride is an all day event that the seniors spend discussing military history at a historically significant location. During my MSIV year, we went to Cantigny. I forget exactly how it is classified, either as a park or a museum. When we were there, we each had a small presentation that described a situation or story that came from each of the different conflicts that the First Infantry Division was involved in. The museum shows artifacts and has displays for each of the conflicts. For the most part the day is a nice break from the day to day stuff. It also serves as a very informative experience. I learned a great deal from my classmates. We made sure to focus on more obscure stories, that way everyone learned new things. By the end of the day we were pretty worn out, but it was worth it. This year I have had the benefit of going on another staff ride. Luckily, we will not be attending the same venue. The plan is to visit the Jefferson Barracks. Although my knowledge of the Battle of the Bulge is limited, I do know that this is one of the most significant memorials in the area. The barracks overlook the Mississippi River, and are located in St. Louis. The plan for the day looks to be one of the best days as far as ROTC events are concerned. After spending a few hours at the museum, we will be changing and heading to the St. Louis Cardinals and Cubs game. I just wish that I was a fan of either team, but I will settle for watching the Cubs get destroyed. That always makes for a good time.

Leaving A Legacy

I must apologize up-front for the following blog. It is a rant, and I have no intention of dressing it up. As someone who has invested hundreds of hours into developing and building ISU's ROTC program, I have a certain level of attachment with its success. I would like to see the program continue to improve from year to year. Nothing would make me happier than to see the next class take what we did and make it that much better. Running the program as MS IV's is not a competition with the previous years. Instead, you are competing against yourself to make the next group as strong as they can be. That is the whole point of an ROTC battalion. Our mission is to train and recruit Army Officers. Everything we do should be based on accomplishing the mission put before us. As seniors it is our job to do everything we can to help out the underclassmen. This pertains to training, operations, and administrative matters. As trainers it is our responsibility to prepare stimulating and challenging training opportunities. This doesn't happen when people don't show up, complete their responsibilities, and simply don't care for others. There is no room for leaders to be selfish. This is a dangerous attitude for people who will be looking out for others for years to come. Remember this when it comes your turn to lead. Remember when you were coming into the program. Think about what you could not stand and what your concerns were. By taking care of the younger cadets, you are leaving a legacy. Take pride in what you are doing, and leave the program better than when you entered it.

A Different FTX

Today was the Field Training Exercise (FTX) for the MSI's and MSII's. Typically the FTX consists of a three day weekend spent at Marseilles. These weekends always were a killer for the younger cadets as well as the seniors. They eat up the entire weekend and leave cadets with a lot of work to do. This year was much different. Instead of a three day adventure, the spring FTX is only a half-day consisting of scuba lessons, air rifle training, and a catered barbecue. I took advantage of the opportunity to go to the pool early for a swim. With no more free swim at McCormick, I take advantage of any opportunity for a wet work out. The bulk of participants showed up around 730. The gentlemen that handled the scuba courses were much more professional than I expected. They came in with full sets of gear for about 15 people. Within 20 minutes everything was set up and ready to go. Unfortunately, the cadets weren't ready for another ten minutes. As a training event, a brief scuba class seemed like a great idea. Everyone involved seemed to be excited when it came time to get in the pool. The other event, the air rifles can be a good time. The rifles are not like the typical BB guns that we all grew up with. They are precision rifles, costing over two thousand dollars each. Shooting the rifles is a good time; however, it can get a little slow at times. Overall, the two events make for a good Saturday. The cadets weren't trapped all weekend, and they got to eat good food. I think that it was a great move to shorten up the weekend and make it fun. Kudos

LDAC

Overview

The Leader Development and Assessment Course, conducted at Fort Lewis, Washington, provides the best possible, professional training and evaluation for all cadets. Although the camp mission includes continued training and leadership development, the primary focus at camp is to evaluate each cadet's officer potential. This camp represents the only opportunity for this command to gather all cadets on one "level playing field" for the purposes of making this assessment as accurate and as professional as possible.

Warrior Forge places each cadet and officer candidate in a variety of leadership positions, many of which simulate stressful combat situations. In each position, cadets will receive evaluations from platoon tactical and counseling (TAC) officers and noncommissioned officers. In addition to proving their leadership ability, cadets and officer candidates must meet established standards in physical fitness, weapons training, communication, combat patrols and demonstrate their proficiency in many other military skills. Cadets and officer candidates must excel at WARRIOR FORGE to be considered competitive for a commission as an Army officer.

As a whole, the event is not nearly all that it has been hyped to be. For the most part, the day to day stuff isn't all that difficult. You will find that the worst part of the camp will be dealing with the other cadets. Everyone wants to do as well as they can, and the atmosphere can get a little intense. Just remember to do your best, and everything will work itself out.

Safety: Sexual Assault

Rape and Sexual assault Prevention

It may seem that sexual assault may not be prevalent in our battalion; however, with all that has been happening around campus, it is important to know just what is wrong. Sexual assault is defined as intentional sexual contact, characterized by use of force, physical threat or abuse of authority or when the victim does not or cannot consent. Sexual assault includes rape, non consensual sodomy (oral or anal sex), indecent assault (unwanted, inappropriate sexual contact or fondling), or attempts to commit these acts. Sexual assault is a criminal offense incompatible with the Army’s high standards of professionalism and discipline.

Measures to avoid becoming a Victim of sexual assault

1. Be aware of your surroundings and be careful not to overindulge in alcohol.
2. Walk only in lighted areas after dark.
3. Buy time with the rapist by talking.
4. Attract help/attention.
5. Report misconduct
6. Do not be intimidated.

If you are a victim, you should

1. Go to a safe place where a phone is available.
2. Call the local or military police.
3. Avoid showering, douching, changing clothes, or straightening up the site where you were victimized since that may affect any subsequent investigation that may occur.
4. Go directly to a hospital or clinic and have the police notified for you.
5. Call someone from your chain of command, a friend, a rape hot line, or social work services.

When assisting a victim, you should

1. Listen to what the victim has to say and sympathize.
2. Do not ask what the victim did to cause this to happen.
3. Support the victim in the decision and effort to report the crime.
4. Encourage them to talk to a professional counselor.

Safety Concerns

Overview

Safety is one of the top concerns in the ISU ROTC Battalion. We strive to keep cadets safe during all training events, even during high-risk events. Safety is also important even when not engaging in military training. As a cadet, you have the duty of being a constant safety officer. At any time during any event, you have the power to stop an event if you witness any unsafe act that may place a fellow cadet in harms way. MS IV cadets and cadre will always be present during a training event and will be the primary instructors unless otherwise stated. All commands should be taken from them and followed as ordered.

Suicide Prevention

Some Soldiers get so overwhelmed by all the things that are happening to them that they make impulsive decisions to harm himself or herself or someone else. ALWAYS take immediate action to tell your instructor, advisor, or someone in authority regardless of whether you think you are afraid of losing friendships, butting-in where you do not belong, or getting someone in trouble. As a Soldier, it is your responsibility to have the personal courage and loyalty to your fellow Soldiers to help them not to be harmed.

Threats of harming self or others are important warning signs. You may think the Soldier is kidding. NEVER take these threats lightly. Get medical help for your buddy before they get to the stage of thinking there is no other way to solve their problems.

If you suspect that someone you know is contemplating suicide, provide “AID.”

A - Ask. Do not be afraid to ask, “Are you thinking about hurting yourself?”
I - Intervene immediately.
D - do not keep it a secret.


Five things to say to a possible suicidal person:

1. “I hear you.”
2. “I understand.”
3. “I care about you.”
4. “You’re not alone.”
5. “Let’s go together and get someone to help you.”


Five things NOT to say to a possible suicidal person:

1. “You’ll snap out of it.”
2. “It’s just a phase.”
3. “Stop being so selfish.”
4. “You are just trying to get attention.”
5. “You are a jerk; everyone has problems.”

End of the Semester cont.

Pass it on

The next major activity related to the ROTC at the end of the semester is the Pass it on event. What this event does is collect food and clothing from college students and gives it to local charities and homeless shelters. Everyone knows how wasteful college students can be. Every year when it comes time to move out, the dumpsters are overflowing with useful items. The program is designed to help cut back on the waste while helping out those struggling in Bloomington-Normal. As noble as this program seems, it is almost impossible to recruit the number of required helpers. As potential volunteers, I urge you to come out and help such a worthwhile cause. It may require some sacrifices at a very difficult time during the year. Just keep in mind the benefits of humanity and how much you will help the program. ROTC has taken responsibility for helping out.

The Commissioning Ceremony

This is the culminating event for ROTC and attending it is very helpful and useful. The event itself can be a little long and drawn out. It also features everyone’s favorite decoration, the flag boxes. If you have been in the program for a semester, you know that the flags being set up means work for you before and after the event. Despite the work, the event can be rewarding for younger cadets. When I was in my II, III, and IV year, I found that the event help put things in perspective. It reminded me that there was a light at the end of the tunnel. I recommend that you show up, support your fellow cadets, and get a better feeling about what you’re doing.

End of the Semester Activities

At the end of every semester there are a few events that will always come up. As a new cadet it may be useful to know what to expect from each one.

The Awards Assembly
As a whole the spring awards assembly is a decent time. It is the biggest awards ceremony for the year. Most of the awards given at this event are legitimate awards. This having been said, all awards are only for wear in ROTC. The awards are typically for outstanding performance throughout the semester. Many of the awards come from the many organizations designed to support soldiers and veterans. Because of this, you will get to meet many of the community leaders that will be your biggest supporters. Participation at the event has been somewhat disappointing, leaving many of the awards un-presented or not received. This year there is a push to make sure that everyone will be attending and not disrespecting the presenters. The bottom line is that, no matter what you feel about the importance of ROTC awards, you need to show up and receive the honors that have been bestowed upon you. It may seem like a long ceremony, but is important, especially for upperclassmen, to remember just how good the freshmen and sophomores feel about receiving awards.

There will be more event descriptions to follow in tomorrow's blog.

Final Extra Curricular blog

Drill Team
The drill team is relatively new to ISU ROTC. The drill team focuses on learning and perfecting the precision movements of Drill and Ceremony. Drill instills discipline through precision and response to orders. After much work and dedication, the drill team will move as one unit. To be a member of the drill team takes a lot of hard work, discipline, and dedication. If interested contact your mentor or MSG Pittman.

Community Service
When you become a member of the Army community you possess something the civilian world cannot comprehend; the idea of self-sacrifice. Becoming a member of the world’s most powerful army, means that you have a greater responsibility to society, a responsibility to help others in need. This is why the Redbird Battalion provides service to the community. The Redbird Battalion participates in a variety of community service events throughout the year. One bi-annual program the Battalion participates in is called “Pass It On”. During this program ROTC cadets collect items, such as clothing, various unused supplies, and non-perishable foods, from all residence halls on campus. The collected materials are then donated to local shelters on behalf of ISU students and ISU ROTC. ROTC also has taken on tutoring grade school students at Jefferson Elementary in El Paso on Friday afternoons. Other community service events the battalion has participated in during previous years include working at local shelters, community/campus clean-up projects, and other projects with community based groups. If you have any questions about how to get involved or what events are happening during the semester, talk with your mentor. Remember, giving back to the community you live in is just as important as protecting it.

As a whole, these activities will teach you useful skills and develop social skills that you will need as an officer.

Extra Curriculars cont.

Ranger Challenge
Ranger Challenge is designed to mimic the skills required by United States Army Rangers. US Army Rangers are well-trained, highly conditioned, and extremely disciplined soldiers able to accomplish any mission at any time. United States Army Rangers take great pride in what they have done and the missions and goals they are able to achieve.

The Ranger Challenge club at Illinois State University is a program designed to concentrate on building self-confidence, technical and tactical leadership skills using activities such as rappelling, rope bridges, physical conditioning, map reading, and small unit tactics. The team begins training early in the fall semester and practices for several weeks in preparation for the Ranger Challenge competition. The competition is held at a number of locations and is a culmination of all military skills. The competition puts teams from each university against others in the brigade. Examples of events are rifle marksmanship, land navigation, APFT, one rope bridge, grenade assault course, 10K road march, and weapons assembly.

This club is for those Cadets that are intelligent, disciplined, willing to learn, have a “never quit” attitude, possess a strong work ethic, a team player, and enjoy the military.

Rifle Team
The Redbird Battalions Rifle Team shoots .22 caliber match rifles throughout the academic year in competitions against schools across the Midwest. The rifle team practices weekly by firing air and small bore rifles. The Rifle Team has won numerous competitions and awards in past years, and is always ranked nationally among the top non-scholarship teams. To become proficient in the skill of marksmanship, one must be willing to practice, practice, practice! Rifle team cadets take pride in their organization and commit numerous hours during a week enhancing their marksmanship skills. Cadets who believe they are up for this challenge and would like to join the rifle team, should contact the club president or the Redbird Training NCO.

ROTC Extra Curricular Activities

Overview
The cadets’ involvement with ROTC goes beyond their military science classes and leadership labs. Participating involves joining ROTC sponsored clubs, community service, fundraising, and university sponsored activities. There is a lot to do on the ISU campus, so it is also important to not get too involved because it is very easy to do. The following activities are open to all military science students. You do not have to be a contracted cadet to join these groups.

ROTC Clubs and Activities
As an ISU cadet you have the opportunity to participate in rewarding events such as community service or fundraising for ROTC. You can also take advantage of extra high-speed training through ROTC clubs. Each club focuses on different skills needed in the United States Army. The ISU Battalion highly encourages all cadets to participate in each club for at least one event. This experience will provide you with valuable training experiences that can be built upon in both the civilian and military lifestyles. At the beginning of each academic semester, the clubs and club leaders will be announced during a leadership lab. During this time you can express your interest in a club, sign up for participation, or just simply have something to think about for the future.

Color Guard
The mission of the ISU ROTC Color Guard is to honor and present our nation's colors at school and community events, while upholding our nation's values and traditions. The color guard is the most patriotic club on the Illinois State University campus and is one of the finest traditions of our nation. The color guard is responsible for presenting the colors at all Illinois State University home football games. The color guard also presents the colors for other local civilian organizations and all Illinois State University ROTC events. The club meets once a week to perfect the basic drill and ceremony skills taught to all cadets and become a highly disciplined and precise team.

Staying Busy as a Cadet

As I have written before, Cadets can do as much or as little as they choose. When it comes time to finding something to do, the more you have done in the past, the more you will have to do. This is why it is crucial to keep up with your tasks and keep trying to expand them. This having been said, there are a number of specific tasks that can be done by cadets to remain busy during drill weekends.

Get Ahead on Upcoming Work
If you have responsibilities that are recurring every month, like risk assessments or operations orders, work ahead. There is no better place than the armory to prepare the next two month’s paperwork. Very little is likely to change because the training calendars are established months ahead of drill weekends. Completing these early will open up time during future weekends when more training is planned.

Volunteer to Complete Existing Tasks
Every month in the National Guard there are tons of administrative tasks that have to be completed. If you find yourself with nothing to do, talk to your training NCO, and see if he or she has tasks that need to be accomplished. These can range from chasing people around with sign-in rosters to taking responsibility for teaching a class. As an officer you aren’t supposed to be leading training, but it is a useful experience for a young cadet.

Create Training
As a future officer, it is your responsibility to ensure that you are properly trained on the tasks and skills that will be required of you. If you can’t find something to do, create something. Go to the vault and sign out an M 249. ROTC cadets have limited access to much of the equipment that you will see on active duty. Take the opportunity to learn something you should know.

National Guard Weekends as a Cadet

Drill weekends in the National Guard can range from challenging and exciting to downright mind numbing. Cadets have a different experience depending upon their unit. In my experiences, Cadets are often underused. As a cadet I have served in a number of different roles. I began as a private, without all of the cleaning. This time gave me the experience of being the member of a squad. We were in a recon troop, so there was a great deal of time spent together in the woods. From this point forward, I began to assume a greater number of responsibilities until becoming company XO. I remained the executive officer despite the unit having plenty of lieutenants. I was always treated with respect and given the opportunity to act as an XO would. After transferring units, my role quickly shrunk back to where it had begun. After being at the unit for a few months, I began seeking more responsibilities, and slowly they came. These came in the form of risk assessments and operations orders evolved into running training missions. The main thing that I have learned is that, as a cadet, you will have as much responsibilities as you want. No one will be pushing for you to do anything. Many soldiers doubt the usefulness of cadets. You will have to seek out tasks and prove that you are capable. This must be done in order to develop as a leader. Step forward and volunteer your services; it will help you in your quest to become the best officer you can.

Tracking Down Equipment

I will be going on active duty in late May. As a guardsman, this commitment brings about a few challenges. Before you can leave the National Guard, you must turn in all of your TA-50. For those of you who do not know what TA-50 is, it is the standard issue that every soldier receives. These are things like the rucksack, kevlar, and sleeping bag. Over the course of three years of training and ROTC events, it can be very easy to lose items. Also, there are always people who will need to borrow things here and there. As a piece of advice, be very careful about who you are loaning your equipment to. Many items will have the tendency to disappear throughout your career. There are two very important factors to keep in mind. First, you will have to pay for any items that you fail to return. Second, many items are grossly overpriced. For example, a pair of Goretex pants cost $94. Combining these two factors can make for an expensive weekend, especially if you are prone to losing things. Once you know that you will be turning equipment in soon, start consolidating it. It can wear on your mind if you keep trying to figure out where everything is. Just put everything in one place until it comes time to give it back. The last major challenge comes from having ROTC equipment in addition to the National Guard TA-50. It can be confusing, but I have a suggestion for identifying where your equipment is from. If it looks like it is from the 70's, it's ROTC equipment; if it looks like it's from the mid 90's, it is from the National Guard.

Getting Ready to Travel

When it comes closer to graduation time, you will have to get ready for all of the traveling. In my situation, I have until late may to get all of my things together and get to Kentucky. The process of getting all packed can be quite hectic, especially if you live on campus and try to do it right after graduation. One suggestion that I would make is to find an apartment off campus. This will greatly reduce stress around the time of graduation. These apartments will have normal lease terms and will allow you until the end of May to move out. This will be a significant break from trying to get all of your finals finished, stuff packed, and preparing for the commissioning ceremony. I always remember what the seniors look like on that Friday, and I definitely don't want to be like that. The next step in life will be preparing your equipment for BOLC II or a trip to one of the ROTC camps. This shouldn't be too bad. Unfortunately, you won't have any TA-50 or standard issue that is required. You will be able to pick up what you need on post. Once you are all packed and physically ready for the next step, it will be time for you to brush up on your skills. Hopefully, you will have plenty of time before it is time to leave to look back at OPORD's and 9-line medevacs. It will also be a good idea to look into the correct way to do paperwork. You will go over this later in training, but its good to get used to it. The final thing would be to get your confidence back up. You may be a little rusty and a review would certainly help get you ready, but I hear BOLC II is pretty easy.

Waking-up Troubles

Everyone that has done anything with ROTC or has a significant other involved in the program knows the worst part about it, the wake up. There are a great deal of people that claim to have trouble waking up. Below I have a list of the top 10 excuses for missing PT without calling.

10. I didn’t know what time it started.
This is one of the classics. PT starts at the same time and place every day. It has happened a few times that the plan has changed, but this is only done with advanced notice.

9. My alarm didn’t go off.
This is one of a great variety related to alarm clock malfunctions. Alarm manufacturers must be incompetent because they always seem to be failing when it comes time to wake up for PT.

8. I didn’t know I had to come today.
Cadets love to find reasons for not attending. They will often revert to confusion when they are out of classic excuses.

7. My car wouldn’t start.
Automobiles in cadet land function as poorly as alarm clocks. Apparently, the frustration from an under performing vehicle prevents people from calling for a ride or running to Horton.

6. I lost power in my building.
It is true that this really happens; however, the likelihood of this occurring on a Sunday, Tuesday, or a Thursday is slim. This is why the people that make alarm clocks put back-up batteries in them.

5. I was at the library until 3 doing homework.
Homework is never an excuse for missing PT. Cadets should always plan ahead and get their homework done. In the event that work piles up, you have to just suck it up and show up.

4. I had a test at 8 am.
This is a very similar example to the one above. No excuse

3. I thought we were meeting somewhere else.
Really?? Where else would we be?

2. My girlfriend set the alarm.
This works for me. Girlfriends are always trying to get us to sleep in. So much that they manufacture days off.

1. My half-drunk friend was smothering it, and he failed to wake me up when he got up.
Oh, it happened! Best excuse ever!

Overall there are very few reasonable excuses for missing something that you are responsible for attending. Do everything you can to be where you are supposed to be, and everything will be good.

Troops Sentenced

In the news today, there was an article talking about the sentencing of two individuals involved in the shooting of Iraqi prisoners who were bound and blindfolded. There was a total of four Iraqi's killed in the process. The soldier was sentenced for thirty-five years at Fort Leavenworth for engaging in conspiracy to commit premeditated murder. He is among others serving time for the incident in 2007. As a platoon leader, you will encounter many breaches in ethical conduct. Granted, not all of the incidents will be this blatant or serious. It is extremely important to uphold proper ethical conduct and practice it yourself. As a leader it will be your job to set the standard for others to follow. This is crucial because you will be the one that must hold others to the proper standard. Without living by the standard, you will be unable to punish those who fail to do the right thing. It can be challenging as an officer to enforce standards because we all have to walk a thin line between taking care of people, without getting influenced by trying to be liked. The role of an officer may be a lonely one, but you are not alone in your mission. The key is to remember that holding soldiers to a high ethical standard is taking care of them. Upholding standards shows your subordinates that you are caring and gives them a sense of procedural justice. Being liked is not important; being respected will pay dividends when it comes time to ask subordinates to do something for you. Small ethical decisions may not seem important, but you must remember that everyone is watching. Even the smallest lapse will cause a loss in respect.

When it comes time to volunteer...

One of the funniest dynamics in ROTC is related to the optional volunteer opportunities that always seem to come up. These optional activities always border on being required. Activities will range from going to El Paso for tutoring to putting on a small FLRC for the local middle school. Despite the differences in the actual activities, there are a few common trends. The first of which is the fact that no one wants to be there. The most challenging part of these activities is getting people to come out and help. It may not seem that hard to find a few volunteers, especially with almost one hundred cadets around. However, it is extremely difficult to get people to give up their time to help the program. Once people figure out that you are trying to recruit help and potentially take away their free time, they scatter as though you have body odor issues. When it comes time to get volunteers, I have a few suggestions. The first one is only have people that want to be there helping. One of the worst things that could happen is having a bunch of forced volunteers complaining and dragging their feet. These people are a cancer for volunteer operations because positive and upbeat attitudes are critical for the success. These operations are designed to build repore with the community. Having negative attitudes around will damage mission success. It is ok to have less people than you might need, but you must be careful not to burn out the volunteers. This will drastically affect their moods. The final piece of advice I have is take care of your volunteers. People that go out of their way to help others should be recognized. As an example, if you are doing a morning activity that prevents volunteers from eating breakfast, bring everyone a snack. This will make them feel appreciated and not starving. When it comes time to organize a volunteer activity, only use those who want to be there, and take care of them.

Accessions Tips

Everything we do in ROTC is assigned a point value. As cadets we strive to do as well as we can on campus in order to get what we want when it comes time to choose branches and duty stations. The accessions process can be somewhat confusing; as someone who has gone through the entire process, I have a few suggestions for those of you who strive to serve on active duty and get your branch of choice.

1. Maximize your PT score
PT score is a major component of your final accessions score. The major PT tests that count are those in your junior year and the test at LDAC. It can be very easy to relax in the summer leading up to LDAC, but this will greatly hurt your results, especially if you are going later in the summer. I personnally regret my performance at LDAC, losing points because I chose not to run or do pushups for a month. It ended up not hurting me overall, but it easily could have.

2. Adequately prepare for LDAC
I know that this may seem obvious, but I have a few concrete suggestions. Practice your OPORD's. Being able to rattle off a clear and concise operations order will make your life that much easier. The OPORD is over half the battle. Once you can do this, your confidence will follow suit. With confidence and the ability to deliver an OPORD, the final step is getting ready for land navigation. Keep up the written practice and capitalize on the opportunities to get out and walk land nav courses.

3. DO WELL IN SCHOOL
You are a student first; remember this. GPA has the largest impact on your accessions score. Do the best you can in school. It will pay dividends when it comes time to compete for active duty.

Duty (cont.)

Here is the second half of my work on duty.

As a leader it becomes extremely important to embrace a common sense of duty. I have briefly described the potential hazards of losing focus on such a key issue. In the end all responsibility falls on the leaders’ shoulders. It is the responsibility for any leader to ensure that all tasks assigned to subordinates are completed. Supervision of subordinates remains extremely important even in garrison operations. Without having someone keep an eye on soldiers, soldiers are given enough room to succumb to cutting corners. Allowing such habits causes soldiers to not be prepared for war. It is the responsibility of that leader to fully prepare all subordinates.

It is especially important for the leader to fully embrace his or her duty not only to the nation but to those entrusted to him or her. Army officers must always serve as the model for all others to follow. Soldiers are constantly looking higher for guidance and examples. A leader who fails to accomplish what is assigned has no place in a position of authority. There is no room for hypocrisy in the Army. How can soldiers be held to a standard that their leaders fall short? In order for a leader to be successful, he or she must rely on comrades to fulfill their obligations. There is no way that anyone will follow another who does not hold him or herself to the highest standard.

Failing to live by the Army Values is unacceptable by any soldier. People’s lives depend upon doing what is right at all times. Foregoing this moral code will cripple any organization and, in the case of the Army, will literally cripple those who have stepped forward to fight for freedom. All precautions must be taken to ensure that we continue to operate at the highest level. We owe it to those fighting around us and to the rest of the world. The United States Army serves as a benevolent overseer of those who cannot fight for themselves. We owe it to those for whom we fight.

Duty?

Duty is the responsibility held by each soldier to do all that is in his or her power to accomplish the mission at hand. Every soldier has a specific job to do. In so doing, the smaller actions will build collectively to accomplish the Army’s overall goal, to fight and win the nation’s wars. Whatever our reasons were for joining, once we lace up our boots it becomes time to complete the mission at hand. When every soldier is fulfilling his or her obligation to the nation, operations run smoothly; however, it is human nature to make mistakes along the way.

At times we can see soldiers begin to lose focus on seemingly smaller mundane tasks that appear to be pointless. In the Army people get into the habit of looking at situations as a matter life and death because, let’s face it, this is a profession surrounded by loss of life. Unfortunately this concept is brought back to non-combat operations. The feeling that tasks are no longer important because they will not directly cause a loss of life, limb or eyesight can be seen in garrison operations. “Look, if I don’t get this done who’s gonna die?” This attitude becomes extremely dangerous to not only mission completion but to individuals exposed to it. Getting into the habit of not focusing on mission completion can become extremely dangerous. Not having all the supplies prepared for an exercise may not kill someone today, but not training soldiers to the greatest extent allowed by available resources may. When we stop doing all that is in our power to prepare soldiers for combat, we are putting their lives in danger and making our Army weaker.

Ye Olde Redbird Handbook

Everyone knows the famous Redbird Handbook. If you don't, it is that little white book with the tiny font and the blurry pictures. In case you don't know, the Redbird Handbook is going through a major update. Three hardworking individuals are using their independent study time to go through each section and make it more current, easier to read, and full of more applicable information. Here are a few of the major changes.

Adding an Index

The previous edition of the handbook failed to include an index. Trying to find a piece of information in a 100 page book with tiny print, making the book completely useless. The new edition will facilitate a cadet's information search.

Enlarging the Book

The new Redbird Handbook will get rid of that tiny print. If the final funding works out, we hope that the book will be twice its current size and about the same overall length despite adding a few sections.

New Sections

Mentorship

Financial Info- This section will be broken down into two separate sections: ROTC only and ROTC with National Guard/Prior Service

LDAC- A brief explanation of a major ROTC training event

Post-Commissioning Training- A brief explanation of BOLCII and BOLCIII

Army Branches- A outline of the possibilities that wait for us after graduation.

Keep your eyes peeled for the new and improved handbook. It should be hitting an ROTC house near you.

Respect of Cadets

As a cadet you will encounter the issue of being treated with a certain level of disrespect. I am not sure exactly where this stems from, but I have a few guesses. I believe that it stems from the ambiguity of our rank. Cadets have no formal rank. We have no actual position in the chain of command. We may get paid as E-5's, but we do not carry the authority. All of are authority is delegated from our company commanders. Without the backing of the officers around us, we have no ground to stand on. For the most part, cadets are embraced and supported by superiors. The next step is getting the support of the enlisted. Cadets rely on senior NCO's to set the example for their subordinates. If the NCO's treat cadets with respect, junior enlisted will follow. The challenging part is when certain individuals fail to treat cadets with respect. I understand completely that cadets are not officers, but they do the work and make the decisions that officers do. It is important to remember this when you are confronted with individuals that insist on pushing the limit. It is crucial to stand up for yourself without pushing beyond your position. You must do what you can to curb disrespectful behavior. Most of the time it will involve ignoring and making a joke of such behavior; however, direct attacks of disrespect must be addressed. The correct method depends on the exact situation, and there are a few overall principles to remember.

1. You are soon to be an officer; act accordingly

The last thing you want to do is get into a petty philosophical argument with an enlisted soldier about the need for officers. Correct the behavior and move on.

2. Do not respond to disrespect with personal attacks

Some people will respond to any criticism with personal attacks. Attacking a subordinate will only undermine what you are trying to do. This will lose all support you may have gained.

3. If you are being tested, show what is acceptable and respond when behavior is not.

People will try to feel you out for what they can get away with. When it is unacceptable, don't allow it. The specific response is up to you, but keep it within reason.

What is GRAP and have I been taken?

GRAP stands for the Guard Recruiting Assistance Program. The program was launched about two and a half years ago as an attempt to boost recruiting for the National Guard. The program is a referral system that rewards soldiers for recruiting others to join the guard. All Army National Guard members have the ability to become recruiting assistants. This process is quite simple and involves only a few minutes of effort. The registration process is a brief class about the rules and regulations of the program. For a quick overview, here are a few of the key rules: recruiting assistants are not supposed to recruit while on duty, recruit family members, or offer prospective members portions of their money. The main violation of these rules is the last one. It has become commonplace for people to flat out "buy" recruits from other people. This completely undermines the entire system and causes a bidding war. There are a few other things to keep in mind. Guardsmen get between $2000 and $10000 for new soldiers. I am not telling you this so you can extort people but so you can understand motivation of others. Many people make a habit of going around and collecting information about unsuspecting freshman. Personal information is the way you input a new recruit. We take a person's info and log it into the system. It has become quite easy to put people into the system. If a senior starts being friendly with you and asking you personal information, ask them why they are taking a special interest in you. There is no reason that a fellow cadet needs to know your address and birthday. They most likely have less than noble intentions. If you are interested in joining the Guard, talk to someone helpful. If they have helped you through your decision, reward them by letting them get a bonus. Do not feel obligated to give this to undeserving individuals.

Keeping Your Pace Up

I know that my main focus in writing has been on preparing for the APFT, but it is time to touch on the scholarship aspect of ROTC. We often forget that as cadets we are students first. As the semester wears on, it can become difficult to keep up the momentum that we had going in the beginning. It is always tough to get back to work after a relaxing spring break. As a college student of five years, I have found a few ways to keep moving when the end is in sight.

1. Get out and enjoy the weather

For most students, spring break ends up setting you further back in your work. We never quite get to studying. This can make us feel like we have more to do than we have time for. With all of the work to do, some end up staying inside trying to get their work done instead of enjoying the improving weather. It is key to make some time to get out and have some fun. Exercising will reduce stress and provide a much-needed break from the studying. It will also improve your mood. It gets a lot easier to study when you feel better about life.

2. Don't get caught up in the increase in activity

Keeping in mind my advice from before, we must avoid getting caught up in the increase in social activity. As it warms up, people begin to spend more time socializing, whether at parties or less formal get-togethers. Professors tend to back-load course work. This combined with procrastination makes for an increase in workload for students. Continuing to put off work for more entertaining opportunities will bury students. Keep up with your work while enjoying yourself socially.

3. Don't forget what you have already done

After nine weeks it gets easy to forget all of the hours we have invested in our coursework. The worst thing to do at this point is to ease up and waste all of the hard work. All that work can be undone by taking a dive on just one exam, project or paper. Do what you can to keep up your hard work; you will be rewarded.

Stopping Stop-Loss

It is certainly not official yet, but it looks like the Army has been seriously reconsidering its use of stop losses. For the past few years, as we are all quite aware of, the Army has been forcing soldiers to stay in the Army for longer than their original enlistment. There has been many outcries for change from the public. Stop losses have been called a back-door draft because the Army is forcing people to remain in the Army against their will. I am not going to argue the politics behind this policy; however, it seemed that news of change could be quite positive. The current change being discussed is to greatly reduce the number of soldiers being retained. Also, the policy makers are talking about offering a $500 bonus, if you could call it that, for those who have been retained. This may be a result of increasing enlistment. During these hard economic times, people have been forced to find work, and for some, that means joining the Army. The last thing that I want to do with this blog is complain to you about the Army is misunderstood by the public. During these tough times, people are beginning to see the Army for what it really is, a great employer with superb benefits and great opportunities for continuing education. The Post 9-11 GI-Bill is making it extremely affordable to attend college after only three years on Active Duty. I know this blog has been all over the place, but it should serve as a welcomed change. The Army has typically been slow to change, but its moving along. For more information about the changing policy on stop-loss check out this article.

A New Workout

Having made an early trip home from Air Assault, it is time to shift focus to the task at hand, improving PT performance. On AKO I found a workout that was similar to the air assault/ sapper workout that I have been doing for PT. This workout has a great plan for building pushups and situps, but I find the running somewhat ineffective. The pushup plan is based on your staring point and continues to build each week. The workout calls for three sets of regular, wide-arm, and close hand push-ups. The number of pushups again depends on where you are starting. My favorite part of the workout is the ab portion. The exercises include regular situps, crunch circuits, flutter and scissor kicks. The crunch workout is a killer. It has eight different types of crunches. For myself, I have to do 14 crunches per set per workout. This totals over 330 crunches. As for the recommended running, it has good ideas, but they fall a little short. They include sprints, a long run, and timed miles. The problem with the runs are the specific details. Everyone knows what they are capable of and should plan their runs based on what they need to improve upon. Below I have attached the charts. These are not my workouts. They have been taken from "Maximize your APFT Score" by SGM Robert S Rush.

More Suggestions for Air Assault

Everything I will write must be taken with the following in mind, I was only at Air Assault for two days. This is not to say that I don't know what I am talking about; all my advice will be built upon being prepared for zero day. The first area I would like to address is training (physically) for the obstacle course, two mile run, and simply being smoked. The first challenge will be the rope. Any preparation should involve a great deal of rope climbs and upper body workouts. These should be done following other exercises because you won't be simply walking up to the rope. You will be getting smoked before you ever get near it. This is where the preparation for being smoked will come in handy. We all know the cliche exercises: flutter kicks, overhead arm claps, and finally close hand push-ups. This ability to handle goofy exercises between the major ones will make a world of difference. Being physically ready will also help ease the mind. Knowing that you are prepared for anything that can be done will reduce the anxiety and fear of the unknown. Once you are physically ready, it comes time to pack and prepare your gear. Air Assault is based completely on attention to detail. Any small problem with an item will continue to cause problems. Examine every piece of clothing and equipment for any problems. If you find something, replace it. After preparing everything on the packing list, begin packing extra items, insuring that they are as serviceable as the other items. These will come in handy if something goes wrong. The final packing is the non-essential items. Pack as though you won't be able to get to the store for the entire time. Little life items that you enjoy like candy or ibuprofen are key. Also I would recommend a woobie. A few small items may make a big difference.

Without Futher Delay

It has been a great deal of time since I have posted. I have been extremely busy preparing for the possibility of going to Air Assault. As it turned out I was able to get orders and an itinerary to head down to Ft. Benning. The tough part was that we were not able to get a flight until last Monday, which was also the report date. This meant that we arrived at the school after 2200 and weren't able to go to sleep until 0030. This would not have been a big deal if the following day was not important; however, it was the dreaded zero day. Throughout the night I was unable to sleep, due to the excitement. During this time I made sure to drink a bunch of water because I knew it would be a long day. When traveling down to air assault school, I was overcome with a fear of the unknown. Having been through the beginning of the school, I have a few pointers. First, inspect your equipment and pack systematically. Knowing that you have everything that you will need throughout the week will help put your mind at ease. Second, do everything you can to relax. Know that you have done everything you could have to prepare for the school. There will be challenges, but calming your thoughts will help you get through the unknown. Visualization can be very helpful in this type of situation. Thinking about how well you will do in a given situation will increase your chance of success. I will continue to elaborate on recommendations in the next few posts.

What Not to Do Before a PT Test

Well sports fans I have a very interesting story about PT tests. As you know I have dedicated my last few entries towards explaining the best methods to prepare for a PT test. This includes what to eat and how to stretch the night before to prepare your body. Well, as it were I failed to follow my own advice. I have been on a strenuous workout regiment that has left me a little banged up and stiff; however, I have gotten in pretty good shape during the last month. In an attempt to free up some time for workouts on Thursday and Friday, I decided to take the PT test this morning. I didn't feel that great, but I figured I would be just fine. For your information, I did not do the best job drinking water last night; I even had a few beers. This wouldn't have been so bad by itself, but I ended up having explosive diarrhea this morning. So as of 6:15 this morning I was quite stiff and dehydrated. Despite not being in the best condition, I went ahead and took the test. My performance was less than stellar on the push up and sit up events, but it was not horrible, even with all of the cramping. Most of my decision was motivated by the weather this morning. I figured that there would not be a better day to run than today. The run began well like the other events, but after two and a half laps my muscles started shutting down. My right glute and left hamstring completely cramped, preventing me from finishing the run. I failed to heed my won advice an ended up paying the price. Please take care of your bodies before a PT test.

Preparing for a PT Test Part 2: Thursday Night Workout

This has been adapted from Thursday Night Workout.

Background

It can be challenging and confusing to plan a workout. It becomes even more complicated when you try to develop one to prepare your body for a PT test the following morning. There are a few basic principles that you should keep in mind. The first is that you should always warm up before a workout. It will get your blood flowing and loosen up most muscle groups. The stages following the warm-up are the static and dynamic phase. Static stretches involve no movement, simply holding the stretch. Dynamic stretches are done by moving constantly.

Warm-up

A good warm-up should be long enough to increase your heart rate, while short enough to avoid hurting tomorrow’s performance.

1. 5 minute Jog
A quick jog is a great way to start a workout. If you are unable to jog, a stationary bike can be quite useful.

2. 15 Push-ups

3. 15 Sit-ups

Dynamic Phase

The following stretches should be done slowly, avoiding jerky motions. Be sure to widen your range of motion as much as you can. These stretches should be done in moderation.

1. 1 min of the arm and shoulder rotation

2. 1 minute of the neck rotation

3. 1 minute of the hips rotation

4. 1 minute of the bend and reach

Static Phase
You should finish with a small amount of key static stretches. The following stretches work best if they are performed in three, ten second sets, each set should be done by stretching further each time. Do not stretch for too long. This will only hurt you.

1. The upper back stretch

2. The chest stretch

3. The hamstring stretch standing

4. The quadriceps stretch and balance

5. The hip flexor stretch

Personal stretches
Do what other stretches you feel would help you, just make sure that they are not done in excess.

In Conclusion

This workout has worked for me in the past, but that’s not to say it will work for you. Adapt the workout as you see fit. Good Luck

Preparing for a PT Test Part 1: Eating Habits

This list has been adapted from Preparing for a PT Test, for more info check it out.

1. Stay Hydrated

This is the simplest and most intuitive of the tips I will offer, but at times it can be most difficult. It is much more complicated than drinking water. Drinking too much water at once without eating will flush the body of electrolytes. Water should be drank at a rate of 16oz/hour. This is half of what we can safely process in an hour. The important thing to realize is that this must be done gradually throughout the entire day before.

2. Do not Carbo-load
We have grown up with the belief that we should be eating a large amount of pasta or carbohydrates the night prior to a PT test. The only result of eating a large amount of pasta or rice is having to get rid of the pasta a few hours later. If this happens to be the following morning, I couldn't imagine a worse time to have to use the bathroom.

3. Avoid Taking Multi-vitamins
Multivitamins may be helpful in meeting your daily needs for certain nutrients; however, there is such a thing as too many vitamins. Taking a large amount of vitamins to give yourself a boost on the morning of a PT test will only hurt your cause. Your body uses a great deal of water and energy to process and remove extra vitamins. If you want to take vitamins the night before a PT test, do not exceed half of a multivitamin.

4. Avoid Fried Food
Fried food will hurt your performance in a number of ways. The most drastic of these is the effect it has on blood chemistry. Fatty foods cause a huge spike in blood sugar, followed by a large crash. Following this crash is a significant drop in energy. This is the last thing you want to happen when preparing to store energy for a big day.

Bottom-Line
Eating a healthy, well balanced, light meal with plenty of water throughout the day will best prepare you the night before a PT test.

Military Ball Time!

Today is everyone's favorite, the night of all nights,... the military ball! Ok, I'm done. Today marks the longest and most stressful day the MS IV's will have all year. The process of transporting all materials, setting everything up, adjusting any plans, and rehearsing one last time is extremely arduous. I will rarely speak out against the cadre; however, they are impossible to deal with when it comes time to prepare the ball. Everyone has an opinion about how the ball should be run, and these opinions will surface on the day of the ball. Trying to satisfy the wants of others when you barely have enough time to prepare what you had drives cadets to insanity. So they run around like their hair is on fire in the hours leading up to the ball, leaving barely enough time to get dressed and make it back on time. The moral of the story is that everyone who goes needs to thank the MSIV's that put in the many hours required for a successful night. Now comes the time to address the consumption of alcohol. It has become practice for senior cadets to drink heavily prior to showing up at the ball. My opinion on the subject is that no one should be drinking, especially the senior cadets. They should remain sober because they are responsible for running the ball and caring for younger cadets. Last year I remained completely sober so I could drive anyone home who needed it. The ball is designed for the younger cadets to have fun and not have to worry about getting home. I will not address the post-ball happenings, but ask around if you are curious.

Motivation anyone?

Before I begin to write about the happenings of this morning, I want you to know that despite having a high opinion of myself, I am in no way unrealistic. I feel that, given the opportunity, people should step up and help their buddy. Back to the morning... I was standing around with the juniors and seniors when the cadre were asking for help this afternoon. Apparently, a junior from Bradley needed someone to run with him. He would be taking a PT test around one o'clock and thought it would be helpful to have some people running with him. At this point no one volunteered. Everyone just stood there and pretended that they were busy for the entire afternoon. There was no way that out of 19 people, no one had an hour available. This is a common occurrence in ROTC. Whenever there is some function going on that requires volunteers, everyone within hearing distance has a full schedule. ROTC will require time outside of the usual functions, but it is quite funny how, after time, people's reflex is to reply that they are busy. If they lack a reasonable excuse, they will make one up as fast as they can. I know that we are busy, but we must remember why we decided to join ROTC. I joined in order to help people, and try to do so when the opportunity arises. Try to think about this when someone asks for help.

Corrective Measures

Yesterday I was complaining about how bad my shins and feet were hurting. Instead of complaining about it I made a trip to Walgreens for some insoles. I was looking at the many insoles, trying to find the perfect one. I grabbed two different ones. The first one I tried out were the Dr. Scholls one-size fits all orthodics. The insoles are not the kind that you cut to fit your proper size. They simply don't have the protion beyond the ball of the foot. This allows them to sell it as though they would fit sizes eight to twelve. Unfortunately for me, the insole doesn't fit size 12 feet properly. The arch doesn't quite match up as I hoped it would. Without proper arch support, I was basically left where I started. The next set of insoles I purchased were the Aero 3 by Profeet. They appear to be a generic brand, in cost and appearance; however, appearances are deceiving. These are foam insoles that have an air chamber that runs from the heel to the arch of the foot. After cutting the insole to size, I tested them out. At first they did not seem to fit correctly, but after five minutes, I could notice the difference. The Aero 3 were easily worth the nine dollars, and my feet feel great today even after running twenty minutes of stair laps with a rucksack. Running stairs usually kill my feet and calves, but today was different. My feet still hurt a little bit, but no where near as bad as they would have without the insoles. I would recommend buying these insoles if you are having foot problems or if your shoes have lost padding and support.

The Pains of Ruckmarching

We all go through the pain of getting back into a training regimen every year. In trying to prepare for a twelve mile road march, I have began the training. I can't describe just how painful it can be getting started. My feet and shins are in an incredible amount of pain. The road marching is bad enough by itself, but I can't seem to get past the pain that feels as though my shins are on fire. After about two miles, my feet go completely numb. You might think that this would be good news; unfortunately, I can't control the movement of my left foot. It just flops around as I lift and move my legs. The tightness of the tendons is not limited to when I am actually marching. Despite stretching the muscles and tendons below my knees extensively, the arches of my feet are incredibly stiff. I am debating a number of changes to help my legs. I am going to purchase some insoles for my boots. I feel as though the insoles are not doing their job and supporting my arches. The best kind that I could think of would be those liquid ones that move as you walk, but I am not sure that these exist. I will also begin to take ibuprofen before and after workouts. This won't completely erase the pain, but hopefully it will dull the pain enough so I can get through the initial pain. After getting past the first 1.5 miles, the shin splints begin to dull. After the workouts, I rush to the frozen veggies. These provide a very cheap and reusable alternative to bags of ice. I am going to have to figure out how to overcome this. The only way to be ready will be by getting through it and putting in the work.

Hell Day # 1

Yesterday was the first real day of Air Assault training. I started my workouts yesterday morning with a four mile interval workout. The name is misleading because the workout is actually involves six miles of running. To explain what intervals are, they are sprints done on a track folowed by a jog of the same distance. In the case of this workout, the intervals were of 400 and 200 meters. The workout began with a mile ran at an easy pace. For most people this should fall below the 8:30/mile pace. The next stage in the workout was the beginning of the 400 meter intervals. I ran four 400m sprints with 400m jogs in between, totaling 2 miles of four hundred's. In case you have never run 400m sprints, there is nothing more miserable. By the end of the second sprint, I felt as though I was going to die. The next stage of the workout was more intervals, this time 200 meters in length. The overall distance covered in this stage is the same as the four hundred's because I did eight 200m sprints followed by 200m jogs. After running four miles, I really started to drag. My legs and feet were basically dead half-way through the two hundred's. The final stage, which I did not complete, was another mile for time. The goal is to make sure that it is completed in less than 9 min. Later on last night, I hopped on the treadmill with a 45 pound pack. Let me say that road marching is no joke, especially when you have not done it in a while. After only two miles, I was completely soaked in sweat. All I know is that I will be rucking a lot more in the next three weeks.

A Good News Day

From the title I am sure that you can figure out that today brought some good news, both items ROTC related. The first piece of news was related to the news every cadet waits for. I found out when I will finally end up going to BOLC II and BOLC III. For people new to ROTC land, BOLC II is the school that immediately follows ROTC in the training progression. It lasts six weeks and takes place at FT. Benning and FT. Sill. The class overall is pretty basic and much like Warrior Forge. I will be reporting to FT Benning on September 8. Following BOLC II is BOLC III. It is the job-specific training for an Army officer. This school teaches branch specific knowledge, and, for me, is located at Fort Leonard Wood. The school varies in length, depending on branch. Engineer BOLC III lasts for 17 weeks, making it shorter than most schools. There are a few more pieces of information that most cadets wait for, especially where we will end up. Duty stations typically are released in April. Today it is nice to know at least when and where I will be going in the next few months. It is tough to wait to find out what is going to happen, but once you do it is very liberating. The second piece of good information was that I found out today that I will be paid for the last year and will receive the check within the month. It is nice to know that efforts will be recognised. I have worked hard, and I feel as though this is the recognition of it.

Morning Swim

Today for PT i opted to swim instead of running outside on the track. Swimming is an extremely good workout. The low impact resistance training is great for endurance and joints. Running everyday can wear on a person's joints, especially in the lower body. Swimming offers a unique opportunity to work most muscle groups to muscle failure without putting pressure and stress on the joints. Swimming, especially when you are not used to doing it, is quite challenging. Try swimming 100 meters and see just how winded you are. All morning I felt like I was on the verge of drowning. The funny part about this is I am actually a decent swimmer; there is just something about swimming laps that shows you how terribly inefficient your form is. For the workout, we bagan by swimming 200 meters (8 lengths) as a warm-up. Following the 200m we then did a 50 meter freestyle sprint for time. Based on this time we had to complete twelve 50m sprints in less than 20 seconds added to our times. For example I swam the sprint in 55 seconds, so I had to swim the next twelve in one minute and fifteen seconds each. Following the sprints, we then swam ten 50m lengths with our arms extended above our head. We did this without using our arms and while on our backs. This may not seem that difficult, but there is nothing like sharing a lane with two others and constantly inhaling water as they pass by. After this delightful, and I mean delightful, workout we were broken down into groups based on our initial sprint. We were instructed to hold a styrofoam thing between our legs. We had to swim 500 meters without using our legs at all. This was a ridiculous upper body workout. After the first 100m, I felt as though my arms were going to start on fire. Overall, the swim was a great full-body workout, and I would highly recommend swimming as a way to spend a morning.

Preparing for Air Assault

There are few things more exciting for a cadet than finding out about the possibility of attending on the the Army's many follow-on schools. Saturday was no different for me. I found out that there was a chance that I would be able to go to Air Assault school. For those who don't know much about it, Air Assault teaches soldiers skills that would allow them to conduct operations involving helicopters. This includes rigging equipment for lifting with helicopters, dismounting helicopters by rappelling, and bringing in helicopters in lifting operations. Air Assault is a very physically and mentally demanding school, and many do not succeed. The physical challenges involve completing an obstacle course and a twelve mile ruck march. There is also runs sprinkled in throughout the other days. The challenging part about preparing for a physically demanding school is becoming physically ready to go. A twelve mile road march completed in three hours is very difficult. Unfortunately, there is only one way to prepare yourself for it, road marching. This is especially difficult during the winter months. There are a few options, but only one logical choice. When traveling twelve miles, walking around a track is just not a realistic option and three hours on a treadmill could be mind numbing. I will let you know how the process goes and will be posting about recommendations about workouts in preparation for AAS.

Training Mentality

Preparing for a PT test can be quite challenging. There are two distinct mentalities when it comes to training: training for the test and training to the best of our abilities. If you fall into the first group, the reason you are running every morning is to pass the PT test. I am not saying that there is anything wrong with this mentality. This focus will shape your workout. Since the exercises performed during a PT test are 2 minutes of push-ups, sit-ups, and a two-mile run for time, all exercises performed should be designed to improve one of these areas. By mimicking the design of test, workouts will better prepare you for success. For example, doing three minutes of push-ups and sit-ups before running two miles as fast as you can everyday will drastically improve your score. Repetition will build muscle memory and increased performance in those activities. For someone with this mentality, any other workout is a waste of time. The second approach is that the PT test is simply an evaluation of physical fitness. This approach will encourage an individual to improve his or her overall level of fitness, including muscle groups that lie outside the testing parameters. This approach will make soldiers much stronger and more fit; however, it may lead to lower results on the Army Physical Fitness Test. Even with this approach, some time you must do some push-ups and sit-ups. The only way to do well on push-ups is by doing push-ups. Feel free to diversify your workouts, but make sure you have plenty of push and sit-ups in the plan. I know this has been somewhat abstract, but there is a simple takeaway: no matter what mentality you have concerning PT, make sure your plans include plenty of push-ups and sit-ups.

A Good Wednesday Workout

Today the majority of the battalion started off the day by inspecting uniforms. This is not my idea of a good workout. The number one explanation of why your PT score is not improving is that you are not getting the maximum effect out of your workouts. As cadets we are already waking up in the freezing cold. We must remember exactly why we woke up so early in the first place. We are doing this not for enjoyment but for personal improvement. You might as well get the most out of your workout. It is typical human nature to do what we must to get by. It takes a sadistic person to push themselves to the point of vomiting. The key is figuring out where that point is and pushing yourself to the edge. I understand that you are not planning what we do in PT, but there is a way to be completely exhausted afterward. Make sure that you do every exercise to your best effort. If you push yourself to your limit, no matter the exercise, you will always get the desired effect. Today my workout started with a 1/2 mile warm up at 7:30/mile pace. I then ran stair laps until I could no longer do the exercise safely. I had originally decided to do these for ten minutes, followed by another 1/2 mile. I ended up being able to do over 11 minutes until I slipped on the way up. After the twenty minutes of running, I did pyramid exercises of push-ups, pull-ups, and v-ups. The V-up is a sit up where you raise your legs and torso to meet in the middle. The pyramids typically involve starting at a number of repetitions, increasing repetitions until a point, and decreasing reps until reaching the original starting point. I simply started at fifteen push-ups and V-ups and 10 pull-ups and worked down to 9 push/V-ups and 5 pull ups. After a good stretch, I was done for the day.

A Crushing Blow

Well sportsfans, today we all suffered a tough loss. Now most of you haven't had the pleasure of seeing my digital Dakota watch, but if you had, you would have been able to read it from across the room. If you're trying to picture it, close your eyes. Now think of the clock at home in your kitchen. Finally, put a rubber strap on it, and you have the Dakota A1797. I know that I seem to be critical of it, but I really enjoyed the watch. I bought it from Ranger Joes about a two years ago for $54. It still remains the same price. Despite getting some greif about the size of the watch's face, I truly did not mind it. The large face made it very easy to read at a quick glance. It also was visible within about 10 feet, which is a pretty good range. These large letters also come in handy when trying to read the watch at night and while using the digital compass. The digital compass may seem like overkill; however, from my experience, the ability to tell, within 5 degrees, what direction you are facing is priceless. To switch to compass mode, you only hold down one button for 2 seconds. The watch then displays the direction, referenced with an arrow, to the nearest degree. You may think that you would rarely use this function, but compared to pulling out a compass, pushing one button is much easier. It's not exact, but it is much easier. The other features provide exactly what you will need in a watch. The watch is completely waterproof to 165 feet. The large crystal watch glass is extremely tough. I wore this watch in garrison and in the field for two years, and the only thing that damaged the face was consistent use of 99% deet bugspray. That really makes me think about what it does to skin. Back to the watch- My Dakota watch had an easy to use alarm, stopwatch and settings for two time zones, perfect for someone deployed to a differet time zone. I strongly reccommend grabbing one of these watches. Granted they are twice as expensive as typical sport watches, but the digital compass is worth it. I will let you know how they honor the five year warranty.

Grudge Match

So today was no disappointment, but it wasn't the expected show watching the cadets struggle valiantly against God's twisted design. There were much more decent athletes than I expected to see. The real show took place after the majority of cadets had left. The cadre basketball game is a must see. To be fair, we shouldn't expect them to be the most athletic. What was unexpected was the level of competition. There is clearly no love lost between a few of them. Bottom-line, it was a grudge match and worth the admission price. Despite all of the fun everything wasn't perfect this morning. Disappointedly, some people decided that it was a good idea to go out drinking last night. Drinking as a college is not a big deal and comes with the territory; however, PT is only three mornings out of the week. Drinking before a workout makes for a miserable day. Running in the field house is bad enough, but doing so completely dehydrated is brutal. The moral of the story is if you are going to drink do not do it on Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday night. It isn't that difficult. There is plenty going on Wednesday and Saturday nights. This learning usually takes a few semesters, but once you figure it out it the mornings tend to go more smoothly. Have a great weekend and stay safe.

Friday PT

Nothing makes me more excited about life than knowing that I will have the pleasure of waking up at 5:30 tomorrow. Even after so many years, I still don't know quite what to expect. Will we be strapping on the cross country skis this fine January morning? With four inches of snow on the ground it would certainly seem appropriate. I suppose it is no better than the alternative. Has anyone every tried to play basketball with the natural athletes of Army ROTC? I would never deliberately insult the skills of fellow cadets; however, game days are a unique opportunity to observe the world class competitors ROTC has to offer. All joking aside, days without running are a welcomed change, especially after a PT test. A few games of basketball are always a good time, but nothing is more satisfying than drilling Major Freeland or LTC Keith with a dodge ball. Don't take these days too lightly. Even though you won't be running and sweating as much as usual, you will still smell like alcohol. There is no better way to get written off as a drunk than by showing up reeking of Captain Morgan and DP Dough. Take it easy tonight and hope it's too cold to run tomorrow.