The 2019 8th ROTC Brigade Ranger Challenge 2019 (TF-East) competition is being co-hosted between Gonzaga University (GU) and Eastern Washington University (EWU). Day #1 on October 25th will be held in the vicinity of Cheney, WA with events executed by EWU. Day #2 on October 26th will be held at Camp Seven Mile north of Spokane with events executed by GU. Click the below links for descriptions of each event:
On the Day of the competition the below scoreboard will be regularly updated with scores as events are completed. Check back regularly to see how your university’s Ranger Challenge team is performing during the competition.
The Eastern Washington University (EWU) “Fighting Eagles” Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) battalion is pleased to announce that Cadet Emma LaTour has been awarded a 2019 Randy Van Turner ROTC Scholarship.
The scholarship is in honor of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity’s EWU chapter co-founder First Lieutenant Randy Van Turner. Randy was a 1968 graduate from the EWU ROTC program who was a recipient of the Silver Star and was killed in action in 1969 during the Vietnam War. His fraternity brothers decided to honor his service by establishing an ROTC scholarship program in his name. The scholarship is awarded to EWU ROTC Cadets that demonstrate academic excellence, high physical fitness, leadership, and financial need. Through a board process, Cadet LaTour was chosen as the third Randy Van Turner ROTC Scholarship recipient this year. She will receive one-year of paid tuition to EWU.
Congratulations to Cadet LaTour for being awarded the Randy Van Turner ROTC Scholarship and a big thank you to Pi Kappa Alpha for sponsoring this scholarship in support of our outstanding EWU ROTC Cadets.
The Eastern Rifle team, under the direction of Sgt Kyle Payne, captured the conference title with a clean sweep. The undefeated marksmen were victorious in all six of their conference matches and scored their second flawles.s season in three years. The men fired .22 calibers that were specially designed for the range. They are 15 lbs. and ten pounds heavier than regular .22 rifles. The model 52C weapons are precision-made for accuracy and have several added range features. The cost is approximately $400 per weapon. Jim Zimmerman, who placed eleventh in the Big Sky conference at the invitational match, led the team and the league with a 287.8 average for the year. A perfect score is 300. Pat Aegerter finished the season with a 285.5 average, good for second in the league.
In target competition, each man is required to make ten shots in each of three positions; prone, standing and kneeling. Time is a prime factor in the contest as each man has 36 minutes to complete his rounds. Points are accumulated according to the distance from the center of the target. A man receives ten points when he completely shoots out the “Bull’s Eye”. Eastern placed five marksmen in the top ten positions in the conference at the end of the season. On the squad are Zimmerman, Aegerter, Rich Hamrich, Ray Grimes and Cal Kam. Pat Culllgan, who failed to accumulate enough points for conference standings, won third in the Big Sky Invitational for the prone position. [1968 Kinnikinik Yearbook]
Did you know that Eastern Washington University still has a rifle team today? If you are interested in competitive shooting and would like to be part of the rifle team you do not need to be part of Army ROTC program to do so. The rifle team is an elective college class open to everyone in the university to enroll into. Anyone with questions can contact our EWU Army ROTC office at Cadet Hall at 509-359-2386 with their questions.
On September 26, 2019 the Eastern Washington University (EWU) Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program contracted 9 Cadets into the U.S. Army. The Contracting Ceremony was held in front of the historic Showalter Hall on the EWU campus. Showalter Hall is the oldest building on EWU’s campus that was built back in 1915 when EWU was a teacher’s college. The Contracting Ceremony was attended by faculty, fellow Cadets, alumni, friends, and family.
Nine Contracting Cadets from the EWU Army ROTC program salute the flag during the playing of the National Anthem.
During the ceremony the 9 Cadets recited the Oath of Enlistment given to them by Captain (Promotable) Nicholas Carbaugh, the Assistant Professor of Military Science for the EWU Army ROTC program. The first Oath of Enlistment was developed during the Revolutionary War when the Continental Congress established different oaths for the enlisted men and officers of the Continental Army. The first Oath of Enlistment under the Constitution was approved by an Act of Congress on 29 September 1789. It applied to all commissioned officers, non-commissioned officers, and enlisted Soldiers in the United States military.
Emma LaTour, Liam Hewey, Kaylie Watters, Destin Garcia, JP Dutton, Everett Kuhnel, Jennafer Knight, Ethan Smart, Evan Lien take the Oath of Enlistment into the U.S. Army.
The oath would receive minor modifications during the 1800’s, but the current oath recited by the contracting Cadets has remained unchanged since 1959. Here is the current Oath of Enlistment:
“I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.”
Emma LaTour, Liam Hewey, Kaylie Watters, Destin Garcia, and JP Dutton contract into the U.S. Army.JP Dutton, Everett Kuhnel, Jennafer Knight, Ethan Smart, and Evan Lien contract into the U.S. Army.
Following the reciting of the Oath of Enlistment, the 9 Cadets were then given their right shoulder sleeve EWU ROTC patch. The patch was presented by Master Sergeant Michael Zehring who explained the importance of the right shoulder sleeve patch that recognizes combat service in the active U.S. Army. In the EWU ROTC program the right should sleeve patch recognizes these Cadets’ commitment to serve their country by contracting into the EWU Army ROTC program.
By contracting the Cadets can now activate scholarship benefits, receive a $420 a month monetary stipend, attend advanced training, internships, and other opportunities to help them towards their goal of becoming a U.S. Army officer after graduating from EWU. Congratulations to all nine of our newly contracted Cadets!
How to Contract into ROTC
When Cadets first enroll into an ROTC class, they have no military obligation. Taking an ROTC class is the one way to explore military service without having to contract into the military. For students who find that military service is something they want to pursue they can then contract into ROTC. Contracting requires the Cadet to meet specified academic, physical fitness, character, and medical requirements. The are various options to contract and a college student does not have to join ROTC as a first year student to explore military service. We have many transfer students, sophomores, and juniors enroll into ROTC to explore military service before making a decision to contract. Please read our Contracting page or reach EWU ROTC through our Contact page for more information on contracting options.
From 17-20 September 2019, the Eastern Washington University (EWU) Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) executed its 7th annual Jump Start program. Jump Start is a four day event designed to properly welcome and integrate new Cadets into Eastern’s ROTC program a week before the academic year starts on September 25th.
Day 1
The first thing the new Cadets did for Jump Start was move into the dorms. Other Cadets were on hand to help parents and the new Cadets move into their rooms. A major benefit of Jump Start was that the new MS-1 Cadets were able to move a few days prior to the rest of the student body. After moving into the dorms, the Cadets then conducted administrative inprocessing into the ROTC unit followed by a pizza dinner provided by the Military Science Department.
New Cadets move into the dorms.New Cadets inprocess and ask questions.
Day 2
After a successful first day, the second day of Jump Start began with the Cadets conducting team building exercises and then being issued their gear. In the afternoon the Cadets were given classes in map reading, uniform standards, and military customs and courtesies. All the classes were taught by MS II-IV Cadets in the ROTC program.
MS-1 Cadets conduct team building exercises.MS-1 Cadets are issued their initial uniforms and gear.MS-1 Cadets try out their new gear.Cadet Michael Beier (right) teaches new MS-1 Cadets how to read a map and plot grid points.MS-1 Cadets learn how to use a compass.
Day 3
On the third day of Jump Start the Cadets woke early and executed their very first physical training (PT) session. The new Cadets were taught by the more experienced Cadets on how to properly conduct military exercises. They then went on a short run around the EWU campus. After PT the Cadets then prepped to deploy to the field to conduct more initial training.
New MS-1 Cadets conduct their first physical training session in foggy and cold conditions.EWU Army ROTC Class of 2023 takes a picture in front the university’s “pillars” after conducting their first physical training session.
By lunch time all of the Cadets were out at the Camp Seven Mile training area which is part of Riverside State Park north of Spokane. For lunch the Cadets got to experience their first ever Meal Ready to Eat (MRE). Following lunch the Cadets were taught individual movement techniques, land navigation, and how to throw grenades.
MS-1 Cadets practice basic individual movement techniques.MS-1 Cadets learn how to properly low crawl.MS-1 Cadets take turns practicing how to throw a grenade.
The Cadets were also able to tour a UH-72 Lakota helicopter flown in by Soldiers from the Washington State Army National Guard. The National Guard officers provided an overview brief about the helicopter, allowed Cadets to get inside of it, and answered questions about being an officer in the National Guard.
MS-1 Cadets tour a UH-72 Lakota helicopter.
We also had a couple of special guests come out to Camp Seven Mile to see the Cadets train, the Associate Dean of the College of Social Sciences, Dr. Vernon Loke and the EWU videographer, Mr. Eric Galey.
Dr. Vernon Loke and the EWU videographer, Mr. Eric Galey picture with Washington Army National Guard pilots CW3 Heathman and LTC Leonard.
Day 4
On the final day of Jump Start the Cadet woke up early in the morning at Camp Seven Mile and ate another great MRE meal for breakfast. After breakfast they then departed to conduct their first practical land navigation exercise. Partnered with other Cadets, plotted grid points and then walked and found the points in the surrounding forest. After completing the land navigation training the Cadets then deployed back to the EWU campus where they then participated in a luncheon with their parents and the ROTC Cadre.
Despite some dreary weather, Jump Start 2019 was still a great success. All the new MS-1 Cadets were able inprocess, move into their dorms, become familiarized with Army physical training, and conduct basic Soldier skills training. We wish all of our new EWU Army ROTC Cadets a great upcoming school year as they start down the path towards becoming Army officers.
The ultimate goal of the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) is to train Cadets to become commissioned officers in 1 of the 17 branches in the U.S. Army they can compete for. Being selected into one of the branches is the culmination of an assessment process that begins from the very first day a Cadet enters the ROTC program. The Army’s accessions process ranks all Cadets across the nation with a score that is based off of factors such as their GPA, physical fitness test score, Advanced Camp performance, volunteer work, Color Guard participation, Ranger Challenge team, etc. All the scores from these factors are added up to create a national Order of Merit List (OML). The higher the score a Cadet has, the more likely they will be to receive the branch of their choice. After this year the branching model that ROTC Cadets have become accustomed to will change:
The members of the Class of 2020 will receive their branches in November, but the process of assigning them will be different than ever before.
The U.S. Military Academy is serving as phase one of implementation for the Army’s new Market Model branching system, which will roll out to ROTC programs throughout the country next year. For the first time, commandants of each of the 17 branches will have not only a voice in the process, but an actual vote in which cadets receive their branch.
Under the old system, cadets ranked their branches one through 17, or one through 15 for female cadets who didn’t opt into infantry and armor. They were then assigned their branches based almost entirely on their ranking in the Order of Merit List.
The commandants of the branches will now have the opportunity to rank the cadets as most preferred, preferred and least preferred. The rankings will be based on the cadets’ branching resumes, which includes their test scores, transcripts, physical fitness scores, a personal statement and more, as well as interviews the branches will be conducting with interested cadets for the first time. [Army.mil]
The whole article can be read at the link and is also printed out and posted at Cadet Hall on our Branching Board. In the new system the Order of Merit List is still going to be very important, but the interviews is going to add a more human element to the process to ensure each branch is getting the type of talent they are looking for. Any Cadets with questions about the new branching system should contact their class instructor for more information.
