The Gateway Gazette by Gateway ROTC

GATEWAY ARMY ROTC BATTALION INCLUDED IN THIS ISSUE: 

Gateway Gazette V O L U M E

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I S S U E

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A P R I L ,

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Interviews with Gateway alumni

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A word from Gateway’s PMS

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Information on Spring 2011 Commissioning

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Training highlights

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Schedule of upcoming events

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

From the Editor

Commander’s Corners

Alumni Of4 ficer’s Forum MSIVs talk about BOLC

MSIVs Commission

MSIIIs Prep for LDAC

MSIII Internships and Schools

Contact Information

Gateway cadets conduct patrolling training at Forest Park in preparation for LDAC this summer.

Spring Events Train Cadets for LDAC Gateway BN has been busy conducting squad and patrolling situational training exercises this spring. Training conducted this semester has included 5 leadership labs with a focus on squad or patrolling STX, as well as two field training exercises that primarily had a STX focus. In addition to maneuver training,

Gateway has been busy hitting land navigation and physical fitness training in preparation for Warrior Forge 2011. Gateway conducted land navigation training at Fort Leonard Wood as part of the annual Brigade FTX and at the Weldon Springs Army Reserve training area outside St. Louis in prepara-

tion for camp. Gateway has also hit PT hard this semester. In addition to regular PT on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, Cadets Rachel Atkins and Michael Bruns have held remedial physical training on Tuesdays and Thursdays for those cadets who have been struggling on the Army Physical Fitness Test.

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Cadet Bruns, Signal Corps.

From the Editor Hello all, and welcome to the second issue of the Gateway Gazette. I am CDT Michael Bruns, and I am the new Gateway BN S-5. In our organization, the S-5 takes charge of mentoring and alumni affairs. As part of my alumni affairs duties, I have been tasked with creating this semester’s newsletter. Though this is my first foray into journalism, I’ve found the reflection that comes with documenting what we, as a BN, have done over the past year to be quite re-

hard work this school year, and especially this

As my fellow MSIVs and I prepare to transition into the

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Spring Awards Ceremony, 21 April

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JROTC Drill Meet at Alton HS, 30 April

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Finals Begin for Gateway Cadets, 5 May

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Spring Commissioning, 13 May

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LDAC Begins, 13 June

semester.” -CDT Bruns

Forgive me if I sound sentimental, but the Gateway BN has worked especially hard this school year. There have been several FTXs that focused on STX at the squad and section level, as well as a joint individual skills FTX with SIUE last fall. Who could forget the numerous leadership labs, PT, and other ad-hoc weekend training?

Upcoming Events

“This issue documents all our

warding.

active Army or start civilian careers, I hope that we’ve done enough to ensure success for those that follow in our footsteps. This issue documents all our hard work this school year, and especially this semester. Inside, you’ll find profiles of MSIV and MSIII cadets, tales of preparation for camp and commissioning, a word from our CO, and several letters from Gateway alums. Enjoy the read!

Keep in touch Do you know other Gateway alums that we can keep in contact with? If so, please forward their contact information to CDT Caleb Sexton, at ismecaleb110@hotmail.com.

The History of ROTC at Wash U

The Danforth Campus,

ROTC at Washington University traces it roots back to 1891. It was formally established in 1918 and, save a short break during World War II, has continued uninterrupted on Washington University’s campus since that time.

located just west of Forest Park, is the heart of Washington University.

In 1979, the Army ROTC program GATEWAY

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moved to the Academy Building on Millbrook Boulevard (Forest Park Parkway). An extension center was established at the University of Missouri-St. Louis in March 1980, but moved to Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, Illinois, in June 1993. In 1999 SIUE gained host-center status and broke off from the Gateway Battalion as an independent Battalion.

In the past few years, the Gateway Battalion has expanded its efforts to reach all the St. Louis -area schools. Gateway founded an extension center at Lindenwood University in 2000. Basic-course classes are also now offered at St. Louis University. Currently the Gateway Battalion includes 11 schools in the St. Louis area.

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A Word from LTC James Craig, Gateway PMS Alumni, friends, supporters and members of the Gateway Battalion, This is only the second iteration of the Gateway Gazette and it is already shaping up to be a first class product. Many thanks go to CDT Michael Bruns and the entire MSIV class for putting this together. The good ideas, hard work, attention to details and great interpersonal skills displayed in this newsletter are the same skills that will serve them well as officers. I couldn’t be more proud to commission each of them. Talking about MSIVs, let me give you a little run down on the senior class. This summer Gateway will commission 19 new officers. Of that group, 7 will be awarded Distinguished Military Graduate status, meaning they rank in the top 20% of the entire country. Our most popular branch is Infantry (5 new officers), followed by Ord-

nance (2 officers). Five of our new 2LTs will go directly to graduate school (2 law, 2 medical, 1 dental). Other branches selected were Adjutant’s General, Armor, Aviation, Medical Service, Military Intelligence, Signal and Quartermaster. (By the way, Michael Bruns is the #1 Signal Corps cadet in the entire country!). Gateway Battalion officers will join the army all over the world and are fully prepared to lead our fantastic Soldiers. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the great improvements that our MSIIIs made under the watchful leadership of MAJ Nate Williams and SFC J.D. Dillard. At the latest joint FTX (with 8 other ROTC programs) our cadets were evaluated higher than any other program in Missouri or Western Illinois. ―Excellent‖ ratings are generally reserved for the top 20-25% of all

evaluations, but Gateway cadets earned nearly 50% ―Excellent.‖ Our MSIIIs are ready for LDAC! Thanks to all alumni who have contributed to the evolving Gateway Battalion network. I continue to believe linking our current cadets with those who came before is vitally important to their development as young officers. I hope you agree. If you haven’t contacted our alumni affairs officer, please consider doing so and contributing to this project

LTC Jim Craig

314 935 7200 As my first full school year as the PMS comes to a close, I cannot fully Jim.craig@wustl.edu express how proud I am of our Gateway cadets. These cadets “I continue to continue to amaze me with their brain-power, their great attitudes believe linking our and their desire to learn every day. current cadets I truly have the best job in the Army!

with those who came before is

Cadet Commander’s Corner Hello to all alumni and friends! In this issue, I would like to tell you about the activities that Gateway Battalion Cadets have been involved in this semester and the ―Big Five‖ tenets that the Gateway Battalion leadership has stressed: Discipline, Pride, Academics, Fitness, and Accountability. First, I will go over the five tenets. We strive for our cadets to maintain discipline and military bearing while in the classroom, off duty, and at home. They should do what is right, regardless of where they are or who they are around. The second is to have pride in ourselves, our teammates, and the Army. We honor our history and tell our story through hard work and pride. Third, among all the struggles a college life may bring, academics

are still a primary focus. Time management is key to success and a GPA below 2.0 means no commission. In regards to fitness, we fully implemented the Army’s new Physical Readiness Training (PRT) program this semester. Our goals go beyond trying to meet the minimum 60% in each category of the APFT. We have incorporated a remedial PT program to reach our goal of a BN average APFT score of 270 or above. And finally, accountability is paramount to training success. Cadets must be on time, in the right place, and in the right uniform ready to learn. Cadets must take responsibility for their actions and always maintain accountability of personnel and equipment. In addition to putting these five

vitally important to their bedrock tenets into practice, Gateway BN cadets participated in the Buddy Challenge competition at Kansas University, a three day FTX at Weldon Springs, the BDE FTX at Fort Leonard Wood, several color guard events for the St. Louis Rams and St. Louis Blues, and will run a rock climbing wall at Washington University’s Thurtene Carnival on April 15th-17th. I could not be prouder of Gateway Cadets this semester. I look forward to the MSIII’s excelling at Warrior Forge this summer and continuing the high standards within the Battalion next fall.

development as young officers. I hope you agree.” - LTC James Craig

Cadet Atkins, CDT BN CDR, Ordnance

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Alum LTC Thomas Hawn, FA, on ROTC

LTC Thomas Hawn, Gateway BN Alum and BN CO,1-41 FA.

“The ROTC program provided a foundation in values and professionalism that has served as a hand rail from the beginning.” -LTC Thomas Hawn

Lt. Colonel Thomas Hawn takes command of the 1st BN, 41st Field Artillery.

It seems a very long time ago that I stood in Graham Chapel and received my commission. I can still remember Gary Lee, but I imagine the rest of the Cadre has turned over several times since then. Initially, I had no intention of making the Army a career. I enjoyed ROTC, but still had my eye set on being an architect. It was only after my first assignment in Korea that I truly understood the importance of the profession I had undertaken, and the significant impact leaders could have upon Soldiers and units. As I trained my first platoon and developed techniques to effectively employ rockets and missiles to defeat a North Korean attack, I gained a greater appreciation for what it meant to be an officer and my goals changed. The desire to be an architect faded, replaced by a calling to lead Soldiers. At that time, I defined success as achieving Brigade Command. I now realize this goal was overly optimistic, but I believe the lessons I’ve learned striving for this goal are valid: understand the capabilities of the systems on which you operate, focus training on the basics and the fundamentals, talk to Soldiers and see them where they work, spend more time in the motorpool than the office, build teams and empower subordinates, visualize how your organization supports the success of the bigger team and impart that vision to your unit, enforce high standards (including within yourself), and finally, be more concerned with getting the job done than with getting the credit for it. I didn’t start out with these recommendations as a laundry list.

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In fact, I did not define them until I attempted to distill my keys to success for this article. However, as I looked back over 18 years of service, they were the common tenets that were critical regardless of the echelon or function. And, while they may seem farremoved from the Architecture or core ROTC curriculum, I found my time at Washington University and the Gateway Battalion prepared me well for my military career. The ROTC program provided a foundation in values and professionalism that has served as a hand rail from the beginning. The collegiate setting built upon this foundation, educating me to think critically and get to the root of a problem. I gained an understanding for how I processed information and developed multiple techniques for communicating ideas. I also learned to work with other people to solve complex issues. The problem sets may have been different, but the thought processes developed in college proved to be equally effective in a military career. I was fortunate to have been selected as a Field Artillery officer. I found the technical aspects of gunnery interesting, and also enjoyed the wide range of positions available to artillery officers. Before being promoted to Captain, I had served as a platoon leader in both cannon and rocket units, a fire support officer for an Armor company, and an operations officer for a MLRS unit. Today, lieutenants may not have sufficient time to experience this many different jobs, but the diversity of assignments available to Field Artillery leaders continues to be quite broad. Artillery lieutenants find themselves as platoon leaders for cannon and rocket units, or even motorized rifle platoons in deployed settings.

As maneuver company Fire Support Officers, they frequently serve as effects coordinators, managing lethal and non-lethal actions to produce the desired effect. In many situations, Artillery lieutenants also serve as Company intelligence support team chiefs, managing the targeting efforts for maneuver elements. This wide diversity of jobs produces multi-faceted officers with a tremendous understanding of leading Soldiers and directing operations in today’s complex environment. Given this, I believe the Field Artillery branch is producing some of the most agile and adaptive Captains in the Army – officers that will prove to be exceptional future senior leaders. The Army is in an era of persistent conflict. To succeed in this environment, it needs agile and adaptive leaders with a strong moral character rooted in the Army values. The ROTC program provided me a strong foundation in these areas, and combined with the rigors of college, prepared me well for a career in the Army. I have been fortunate in my career to work with outstanding Soldiers and leaders in a wide variety of assignments. Each has been rewarding and I have learned much from all. With this experience, I have learned other keys for success that I mentioned above, but none are more important than a strong moral character. I cannot guarantee that you will be a Brigade commander (my initial definition of success), but I can assure you that if you maintain your values and do your best, your Army career will be rewarding and will make you a better person. More importantly, you will make a difference in the lives of multiple Soldiers and your units, and this is a much better definition of success.

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CDT Ingell talks about becoming an Army Aviator I head to BOLC On October 16th, so I have a lot of time to prepare before then. At BOLC, I am expecting to get back into the swing of things Army-related since I will have been out of it for several months. While there, I expect to re-learn the basics of OPORDS, land navigation, and other re-hashes of what we did in ROTC before getting down to flight school and SERE school. To get a better idea of what I am in for with those two, I plan to give LT Liebetreu a call. He graduated from WU a few years ago also with an engineering degree and is now flying Apaches.

The airframe I would like to fly is the Apache, which

are apparently the most sought after aircraft. Therefore to get it, I need to be extremely well prepared going into flight school. To prepare myself, I plan to spend the months between commissioning/ graduation and BOLC to get in excellent shape and study the TH-67 training helicopter manuals.

and being a pilot. A master’s in either of those should also set me up well for when I leave the Army to work an aerospace firm, still working with helicopters, and making a decent salary.

“...I need to be extremely well prepared going into flight school.”

I’m still not sure what I want to do long term. One idea I am entertaining is going back to school eventually for a master’s in some kind of engineering (aerospace or mechanical) because that would fit well with my undergraduate degree

-CDT Ingell

Cadet Ingell, Assistant S-5, Aviation

CDT Murrell on the Medical Service Corps My name is Elijah Murrell and I am a Green to Gold: Active Duty Option graduate from the Gateway, BN in ROTC. I received my first branch choice, Medical Service Corps (MSC), and plan on taking one of several opportunities that the MSC offers. My first option is to get assigned as a platoon leader in a combat unit and gain some tactical exerience from the sustainment side. After spending at least 12 months on station, I plan on applying for the 75th Ranger Regiment as a 70B (health services administration) and moving into a more tactical, professional environment to improve my leadership and tactical skills. I would like to spend the rest of my career at the Ranger Regiment and advance to being a 70H (health services plans and opera-

tions) after 8 years as an officer. That career path will allow me to remain in a combat unit working in operations instead of doing administrative work. There are, however, a few more possibilities that I have considered pursueing in my career. As a MSC officer, I have 3 years from the date I commission to submit a packet for flight school to be a Medevac pilot. MSC officers are eligible to become blackhawk medevac pilots if they choose to fly. This opportunity is limited to personnel who are branched MSC which allows MSC officers a big advantage over others considering to fly. If a Cadet wanted to be a Medevac pilot for their officer career, branching MSC and puting in the Medavac packet prior to the start of their Spring semester their

senior year, they would have a very good chance of heading to flight school immediatly upon graduation. I love the idea of flying and will continue to look into it as my career progress through the first 3 years. There are a lot more options as a MSC officer, but these two will be the first two options I consider.

CDT Murrell attending LDAC at Ft. Lewis, WA, last summer.

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Seniors Prepare to Commission Gateway’s senior cadets are set to commission Friday, May 13th, 2011, at 1400 hours at the Danforth University Center at Washington University

Gateway’s senior class is caught unaware by the camera at Joint Milball 2011.

in St. Louis. The Gateway BN is projecting that it will commission 19 cadets at this ceremony. The Danforth University Center, known to the stu-

“Our Cadre have done an exceptional job on getting us prepared for STX and Patrolling, as well as Patrol base operations. “ -CDT Couch

dents and staff at Wash U as ―The DUC‖ (pronounced duck), is a beautiful, modern building that serves as the center of the university community. The DUC was built in 2008 and served as the site of the vice presidential debates between Vice President Joe Biden and then candidate Sarah Palin. Gateway’s PMS, LTC Craig, is proud to be commissioning Gateway’s latest lieutenants in The DUC. According to LTC Craig, The DUC

is the center of the university. It’s important that cadets are seen as part of that community at Wash U. Holding our spring commissioning there is one way to achieve this goal. Space is limited. If you would like to attend, please RSVP with Gary Lee at glee@wustl.edu. For directions, please visit the following site: http://duc.wustl.edu/about/ Pages/ TransportationandDirections.aspx

LDAC to challenge Juniors Summer is almost upon us, and with summer comes an Army ROTC tradition—Operation Warrior Forge, also known as the Leadership Development and Assessment Course, or LDAC. LDAC is the single common point of training for officer candidates that commission

through ROTC. It is 29 days long and conducted at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA, during the months of June, July, and August. Training activities include CBRN, confidence courses, maneuver training, land navigation and field-craft, and situa-

tional training exercises centered around dismounted infantry squads and sections. LDAC is projected to handle approximately 5000 cadets from across the country. Gateway is proud to be sending approximately 20 juniors to JB Lewis-McChord, WA, this summer for training.

Cadet Couch speaks out about LDAC To prepare for LDAC, I have been keeping in shape by running and making sure my push-ups are to standard. Our Cadre have done an exceptional job on getting us prepared for STX and Patrolling, as well as Patrol base operations. I have also referenced the field manual for further information. I am hoping that looking these things over and being in shape will be enough to be successful at LDAC. I am hoping to get an overall E at camp, but I am not expecting that.

In order to branch Aviation, though, I must do well this summer. am looking forward to CTLT at Ft. I am also looking at this summer as Jackson, SC, and learning even a learning experience. LDAC will more about the Army. be a month long experience that will be new to all of us. Meeting new people, enduring long hours of training, and eating delicious MREs are things that all cadets will face. For some, the training does not end there. Army training schools like Airborne, Air assault, and CTLT are other training events that many get the opportunity to attend as well. I

CDT Couch completed flight GATEWAY

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training last summer through an ROTC internship program.

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CDT Warnke on her AMEDD Internship I am a junior at Saint Louis University studying Psychology/Pre-Med. My goal is to go to medical school with the HPSP scholarship and be in the Army Medical Corps. In the Medical Corps I am interested in being an Army Flight Surgeon and also possibly working with prosthetics. This summer I will be going 6th regiment to LDAC from 21 June through 19 July. Following LDAC I will be going to Landstuhl, Germany for an AMEDD Internship 21 July through 26 August. For the internship I will be paired with a Medical Corps officer in the Internal Medicine/Trauma department. To be selected for the internship I had to

get several letters of recommendation, submit a resume, and write two essays. I am extremely excited about this opportunity because I hope it will give me a clearer idea of what I will be doing as a physician in the Army. I have done job shadowing on the civilian side, but I want to get a better idea of the differences. Also, I am looking forward to getting so much practical experience. I will be working in the hospital about 40 hours a week while I am there so I will be able to see many different things. Furthermore, as the internship is in Germany I am looking forward to exploring around the country and seeing different historical monuments and

castles during my time outside of the hospital.

“My goal is to go to medical school with the HPSP scholarship and be in the Army Medical Corps.” Cadet Warnke, MSIII

Slots limited at Leader’s Training Course As many of you already know, the Army is undergoing a period of transition in officer accessions as budgets tighten and manpower requirements are accordingly decreased. Gateway BN is not immune to this. Mission requirements have been reduced throughout cadet command, and, as a result, Gateway BN currently does not have slots for Leader’s Training Course at Ft. Knox this summer. That isn’t stopping several dedicated young men and women in the St. Louis area from trying to go, however. One of these hopeful future army leaders is Cadet Jane McKibben. Jane currently runs track and cross country for Webster, participates in the full suite of ROTC activities, including FTXs, labs, and PT, and

works 2 jobs to pay for school. Jane started participating in ROTC this January, and hopes to commission as a new Army lieutenant in May 2013. According to Jane: "I really want to go to LTC this summer in order to be able to graduate in 2 years and be able to commission after graduation. From what I have heard from the other cadets who have been to LTC, it is an experience that their peers are missing out on. I want to obtain this experience at LTC and learn from and work with the Drill Sergeants at FT. Knox. I am hoping to make the Army into a career. Therefore with LTC and the ROTC program, I believe I will be better prepared for what lies ahead and be able to excel that much sooner." This is not the first time that Jane

has been recognized by a college publication. For a better look at Jane and the great things she’s doing, take a look at an article about her in Webster’s Collegiate Newspaper: http:// media.www.webujournal.com/ media/storage/paper245/ news/2011/03/29/Sports/Gi.Jane3989022.shtml? reffeature=popuarstoriestab CDT McKibben works on a range card during weekly leadership lab.

-CDT Warnke

How can you support the Gateway Battalion? Donations through Washington University are fully tax deductible

CHECKS PAYABLE TO: Washington University ―Washington University – Department of Military Science‖ (Memo: Acct# 11-2051 North Campus Bldg -94990) MAIL TO: Washington University, Campus Box 1082, One Brookings Drive, Saint Louis, MO 63130. 700 Rosedale Ave

http://www.rotc.wustl.edu/

ON LINE: Go to: https://gifts.wustl.edu/giftform.aspx Click ―select giving areas,‖ then check ―other‖ and enter ―Department of Military Science - Acct# 11-2051-94990‖ in the query box.

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OTHER: To donate time, money, equipment or other resources outside of Washington University channels, please contact the PMS.

Fax: 314-935-6931

Saint Louis, MO 63112 Phone: 314-935-5537 E-mail: rotc@wustl.edu

2LT Brian Lee on his ROTC-BOLC transition First things first, I would like to congratulate everyone on another outstanding year. I have been closely following Lt. Brian Lee attending Medical Gateway’s Service Corps BOLC-B. activities through Facebook, and I am very impressed by what the MSIV class and Battalion Cadre have done this year. A big ―Hoo-ah‖ to the entire Gateway Battalion. A little background – I commissioned last year with the Class of 2010 and branched Medical Service Corps (MSC). Immediately after graduation, I went on TDY as cadre at Warrior Forge and then as a snowbird at Fort Sam Houston awaiting BOLC-B. Upon completion of BOLC-B, I PCS’d to Korea for my first assignment. I have been in Korea for 4 months now, and throughout the past year, the Army has taken me on quite an adventure. I am grateful that Gateway Battalion and ROTC prepared me extremely well for the challenges I faced when I entered Active Duty. Adaptability is one of the most important aspects of being an Officer. You will face situations where there are no continuity books and where you weren’t trained for a task but are still expected to perform and complete the mission. Remain flexible and accept that there will be times when you can’t believe how the real

Army is not the fairy tale that ROTC prepared us for. Deadlines will pass, people will be late, and not everything is as squared away as Cadet Land. Drive on and do your best with what you are given. Most importantly, learn from those around you. The Medical Service Corps is a part of the Army Medical Department (AMEDD). All Lieutenants will start as a 70B – Health Services Officer. For those of you commissioning into the AMEDD, you will find that it operates in a unique environment very different from the rest of the Army. As a 70B, you could be assigned as a Platoon Leader of a platoon of Medics while being the Medical Officer for an Infantry Battalion, work as a Hospital Administrator, run operations in the S3 shop, be the sole Property Book Officer for an entire Brigade, and a multitude of other jobs supporting Combat units. There are MSC Officers who have been ordered to lead soldiers on raids and room clearing missions in Iraq. And MSC Officers are also the pilots of MEDEVACs. BOLC-B will not train you for these jobs. You will, and are expected to, learn on the job and perform with little supervision at an extremely fast pace. AMEDD is also entirely self-sufficient. Unlike the rest of the Army, you are not rated against other Officers in the Army. Whereas Infantry Officers are rated against Armor, Signal, and other branches, AMEDD Officers are rated only within AMEDD, so when you are looked at for promotion to Captain and so forth, your competition will be your fellow AMEDD Officers. In addition, MSC Officers choose Areas of Concentrations (AOC) that make AMEDD self-

sufficient. As a senior Captain, you will decide if you want to be a Comptroller, an Operator (an Officer that does Operations, Planning, Intelligence, and Security for missions involving medical support), Hospital Administrator, Signal, Personnel, Patient Administration, Medical Logistics, and other AOCs. At the medical Brigade level, all Shops are entirely staffed by MSC Officers, whereas in other BCTs, Officers from different branches would take make up the staff. In addition, you can also decide to become a health care provider by applying to the Baylor Program out of Fort Sam Houston. You will train to be a Physician’s Assistant, Nutritionist, Physical Therapist, and other health care necessities. In most cases, you will either receive a Master’s or Ph.D from Baylor University, but your courses will be taught by Army instructors and you will do residency with Army units. For career advancement and civilian job opportunities, MSC cannot be beat. As for me, I was assigned to be the Adjutant for the Commander of the 65 th Medical Brigade as well as the Brigade’s Public Affairs Officer (PAO). As a result, I was fortunate to be stationed at Yongsan Garrison in the heart of Seoul and travel throughout the Peninsula with the Commander. As PAO, I am responsible for the overall image of the 65 th MED BDE, which runs the troop, dental, and veterinary clinics, medical supply, and hospital in Korea. If you have any questions about life in the Army, please don’t hesitate to contact me. You can reach me either at yingta.brian.lee@amedd.army.mil or yingta.brian.lee@us.army.mil.