On September, 21 2020, the MS-III and IV Cadets from the Eastern Washington University (EWU) Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program conducted their annual train-up event at Mt. Spokane State Park. The train up is used to get the Cadets refocused on ROTC activities before that start of the school year. You can watch a video of the train up below:
The train up began with an early morning bus ride from EWU campus to Mt. Spokane State Park located an hour away. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic the Cadets sat one person per seat with their masks on and windows cracked on the bus:
Cadets load on to buses at Cadet Hall to travel to Mt. Spokane State Park.
The Cadets began their hike up to the summit of Mt. Spokane at the Lower Mt. Kit Carson Trailhead. The Cadets were divided up into three small groups, remained spread out, and wore their masks during the hike:
Cadets arrive at the trailhead to begin their training.From the trailhead the Cadets hiked on a steep trail through a lush and beautiful forest.
During the hike the Cadets stopped at pre-designated training stations along the way to conduct Cadre facilitated classes on skills they need to become proficient on for the upcoming academic year.
Cadets stop at Saddle Junction about halfway up Mt. Spokane to conduct training.SFC David Ratliff leads Cadre facilitated training on the slopes of Mt. Spokane.
While the Cadets conducted their training they also got to take in expansive views of Eastern Washington:
Looking down a ski slope with Day Mountain visible in the distance.A panorama view of Mt. Kit Carson (left) and Day Mountain (right).
Once the Cadets reached the summit of the 5,883 foot Mt. Spokane, they took a break to each lunch and enjoy the views:
Summit panorama.The Summit House on the summit of Mt. Spokane.MS-III Cadet, Everett Kuhnel enjoys the view of Northern Idaho from the summit of Mt. Spokane.Final picture before departing the summit of Mt. Spokane.
After departing the summit the Cadets stopped again at pre-planned spots to finish their training before returning to the trailhead. Overall the Cadets hiked 9.5 miles with approximately 2,000 feet of elevation gain during the day. The Cadets received great training and an even better workout. The weather was also phenomenal and was a great break from the smokey days we had recently in the region due to forest fires.
MS-IV Cadet, Michael Beier takes in the views of Eastern Washington during the hike back down Mt. Spokane.
All of us Cadre members were happy to conduct in-person training with our Cadets for the first time since winter quarter. EWU Army ROTC is approved to conduct in person training for our leadership labs, field training exercises, and physical training that all occurs outdoors. For our classes that occur normally inside a classroom, they will continue to be conducted virtually until the COVID conditions improve. We are committed to providing the best training we can in the safest manner possible to ensure our Cadets all remain Eagle Strong!
From 15-18 September 2020, the Eastern Washington University (EWU) Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) battalion conducted both our Jump Start program for new Cadets and Basic Camp for Cadets looking to contract this year. In a normal year Basic Camp Cadets are sent to Ft. Knox, Kentucky to conduct training. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced Cadets to conduct this training with their local ROTC battalion. The ongoing pandemic has caused many adjustments to training delivery and the recent forest fires that brought unhealthy smoke levels to the Spokane region caused further challenges. The smoke caused a number of training events that were planned to be conducted outside to be shifted to virtual instruction.
Smoke obscures the sunrise over Roos Field on the EWU campus.
Despite the smoke the Cadets were able to move into the dorms, complete inprocessing into ROTC, and be issued their gear. On Friday the smoke levels improved to where the Cadets conducted Drill and Ceremony and Land Navigation training outdoors. They conducted all this training in a modified environment due to COVID-19 with all Cadets wearing masks and maintaining social distancing standards.
Cadet Geringer holds the Fighting Eagles Battalion guide-on during first formation.
Drill and ceremony has played a critical part in military history throughout the world. Drill and ceremony teaches precision and obedience to orders which helps prepare troops for battle. For the most part the drill procedures are very similar to the tactical maneuvers used on the battlefield. It allows commanders to move their forces from different points in an orderly fashion and maneuver forces as a situation develops.
Cadets prepare to conduct drill and ceremony training.
Our EWU Army ROTC Cadets continue a long line of drill and ceremony training for the United States Army that dates back to the Revolutionary War. During the war General George Washington, through the assistance of Benjamin Franklin who was the American Ambassador to France, was able to secure the aid of a Prussian officer named Baron Friedrich von Steuben to drill the troops of the Continental Army.
Baron Friedrich Von Steuben
Von Steuben arrived at Valley Forge on February, 23 1778 and found the Continental Army half-starved and ill equipped for battle. To correct the conditions he witnessed he immediately began a rigorous training regimen of drill and ceremony to improve the military bearing of the troops. It had an immediate impact on discipline, professionalism, and confidence of the troops to respond to commands during battle that helped lead to the ultimate defeat of the British military during the war.
Jump Start Cadets practice saluting.
After receiving their initial training the Cadets were then tested with giving and receiving commands while navigating through an obstacle course. The Cadets were next blindfolded and given commands to march through another obstacle course. This built the Cadets confidence to accurately give and receive commands from each other.
Cadet Jonathan Thiessen (left) gives commands to Cadet Caleb Geringer (right) to navigate him through an obstacle course.Cadet Zackary Becker navigates through an obstacle course.Cadet Nik Chapple is blindfolded and executed commands he received to march through an obstacle course.
During the Jump Start and Basic Camp training the Cadets also conducted Land Navigation training. This training focused on teaching the Cadets the following skills:
Tracking present location
Determining Distance
Sense of direction
How to read a topographic map
Terrain and map association
Spatial skills
Planning safe, practical routes
Cadet Christopher Millward briefs the trainees on the Land Navigation course.
The practical hands on training was conducted at the Cheney Waterworks property near the EWU campus. There the Cadets were issued grid points that they had to accurately plot on a topographic map and then plot their course to find their assigned points. The Cadets then used their new compass, terrain analysis, and pace count skills to find the points in the surrounding forest.
Jump Start Cadets, Nicholas Beier (left) and Mykenzie Belliotti find their first land navigation point in ROTC.Basic Camp Cadet, Corina Lindsey finds a point on the land navigation course.
At each point there is clicker that the Cadets use to mark their score sheet. After the Cadets found their points they then returned to the start point to have their points graded by the evaluator to ensure they found the correct points.
Cadet Gervacio Camacho evaluates the points that the trainees turn in after completing the land navigation course.
All the Cadets did a great job completing the training despite the various real world circumstances they had to adjust to. Being flexible and adaptable is part of being an effective leader and all of our Cadets learned that important lesson during the week long training.
Go ROTC! Go Fighting Eags!
Note:More photos from Jump Start and Basic Camp training can be viewed on our Flickr page.
The Army has 17 different branches for Cadets to 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. Beginning with Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 the U.S. Army has implemented a new system to branch Cadets from its 274 ROTC programs across the country. The Army calls the new system Talent Based Branching.
The prior accessions process ranked all Cadets across the nation based off of factors such as their GPA, physical fitness test score, Advanced Camp performance, volunteer work, Color Guard participation, Ranger Challenge team, etc. During the beginning of their senior year, Cadets ranked in order of preference which of the 17 branches in the Army they want to assess into. The Army’s accessions process then uses the various factors mentioned to help decide which branch they will receive.
With Talent Based Branching, all these prior factors are still considered. The below FY21 chart shows the importance each of these factors has on how Cadets rank in the national Order of Merit List (OML).
Before the OML score is was what largely determined what branch a Cadet received; with Talent Based Branching, Cadets will also have the opportunity to interview with the branches they are interested in. The opportunity to interview each Cadet will allow the branches to learn more about each applicant to better inform branching decisions besides looking at an OML score. After the interview process the branches will then rank order their Cadet preferences. The below graphics show a simple explanation of how the process will work.
In this example, there are four cadets: James, Sarah, Rich, and Laura; and three branches: Cyber, Aviation, and Engineers. Each cadet rank orders their preferences for ALL branches, and each branch does the same for ALL cadets.James ranked Aviation first. James’s file suggests an alignment with Aviation’s talent demands, plus he nailed his interview, becoming their number one choice. Because James matches Aviation, he isn’t considered for other branches.Meanwhile, Sarah ranked Engineers first, but Engineers ranked Sarah 4th. Her file didn’t show the strongest talent alignment with Engineers, and she didn’t interview to make her case. She’s tentatively matched with Engineers while the branching process continues to run.As we move to Rich, we see that he ranked Cyber first, and Cyber ranked Rich number one due to a strong talent alignment that his interview helped confirm. Because they are a one-to-one match, Cyber closes out and Rich isn’t considered for other branches.Laura ranked Engineers as her first choice, and Engineers ranked Laura 2nd. She is therefore matched with Engineers because they have just one slot and find her a better talent match than Sarah.As a result, Sarah is now considered for Aviation, her 2nd choice. Because Sarah is Aviation’s best remaining candidate, she is awarded their final slot.Since Laura branched engineer, her first choice, this allowed Sarah to branch Aviation even though Aviation had her ranked third.At the end of the Talent Based Branching process this how it plays out in this simple example. Remember that in the real world this accession process will involve thousands of Cadets.
Talent Based Branching is a brand new system for accessing Army ROTC Cadets that will likely see modifications as it is implemented. The ultimate goal of it will remain the same which is allowing Cadets to have more of a say in what branches they access into. At EWU Army ROTC we remain committed to informing our Cadets of all the latest information in the Talent Based Branching process. If anyone has any questions about Talent Based Branching please leave a comment below and we will do our best to answer it.
Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the Advanced Camp training that generally third year Army ROTC Cadets attend was cancelled this summer. The annual training Cadets that go through at Advanced Camp will instead be made up during the school year by individual ROTC programs. However, the cancellation of Advanced Camp along with the implementing of the new branching process has caused many changes to the Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 accessions timeline. The below chart shows the latest information on the FY2021 Accessions Timeline. This timeline applies only to Cadets who are commissioning in FY2021. MS-IV Cadets that commission in FY22 are expected to attend Advanced Camp and receive an updated accessions timeline.
Upcoming Key Dates:
20 July – 7 September – HireVue Interview Period
15 Aug – FY21 Cohort Master Roster (Verified) due to HQ USACC, ASD, ORSA
31 August – Cadets give final Component Preferences (Not Branch Prefs) to HRAs
1 September – If AV “candidate” – Class 1A Flight Physicals completed
7 September – Cadet File updated with final Interim Branch Preferences
5 October – Educational Delay packets due to HQ, USACC
8 October – If AV “candidate” – Class 1A Flight Physicals Completed
18 October – Component Selection results released
19 October – Branch Ratings released to Cadets via TBB Website
26 October – Cadet Final Branch Preferences Due
16-20 November – USACC Branching Board
20 November – Release December/January Branching Assignments
2 December – Release of Spring 21 Branching Assignments
1 February 2021 – If AV “selectee” – Class 1A Flight Physical “Qualified”
Interviews
From 20 July-07 September, Cadets branching in FY21 need to be conducting their interviews with the branches they are interested in over the HireVue app. Any Cadet that has not received an email from HireVue needs to immediately contact their HRA. The branches will view the HireVue interviews and then contact Cadets for follow up interviews. These interviews are extremely important in the branching process and Cadets need to take them seriously. Make sure you either wear your uniform or dress formally for the interview. Ensure you shave, get a haircut, and groom yourself appropriately. You only have one chance to make a good first impression!
Component Selection
By August 31, 2020 all Cadets will need to submit to their HRA what their final component choice is. By component this means whether you want to go on Active Duty or be part of the National Guard or Army Reserves. Cadets that are on a Guaranteed Forces Duty (GRFD) scholarship must access into either the National Guard or Army Reserves as specified in the scholarship contract. On October 18, 2020 is when accessing Cadets will learn will component they accessed into. The below chart provides details on how the component selection process works.
Branching
By September 07, 2020 is when Cadets must have their interim branch preferences submitted to their HRA and Cadets must also update their branch preferences on the Talent Based Branching (TBB) website as well. Cadets must also specify on the TBB website whether they want to submit a Branch Active Duty Service Obligation (ADSO) for the branches they are interested in. Cadets can now submit as many Branch ADSO’s as they want. What the ADSO does is move the Cadet to the top of the bin that the branch has rated the cadet. Each branch gives Cadets either a “Least Preferred”, “Preferred”, or “Most Preferred” rating. The ADSO does not allow Cadets to jump bins, it just puts the Cadet at the top of their rated bin.
Cadets also volunteer for branch detail assignments through the TBB website as well. A branch detail means you serve in one branch for your lieutenant years before transitioning into another branch when promoted to Captain. Volunteering for a branch detail can increase your odds of receiving a high demand branch. Cadets have until September 07, 2020 to update the TBB website with ADSO and Branch Detail preferences
On October 19, 2020 all accessing Cadets will receive their branch ratings through the TBB website. Cadets can then use these preferences to inform their final branching decision. For example if a Cadet has Infantry initially ranked #1 and Armor #2, but Infantry gave the Cadet a “preferred” rating and Armor gave a “most preferred” rating; the Cadet has the opportunity to change Armor to #1 to ensure they branch armor. Any changes to Cadet branch preferences based off of the interim branch preferences need to be made by October 26, 2020. For Cadets who are commissioning in the Fall 2020 term they will receive their final branching assignment on November 20, 2020 and Cadets commissioning in the Spring 2021 term will receive their branch assignment on December 02, 2020.
Good luck to all the FY21 Cadets going through the new branching process. If anyone has any questions regardless of which ROTC program they belong to, feel free to leave a comment and we will get back to you with a response.
One of the main criteria for the awarding of ROTC scholarships is that applicants must demonstrate strong academic potential. Applying for an ROTC scholarship requires applicant to have minimum academic credentials of:
Having a high school GPA of at least 2.50
Score a minimum of 1000 on the SAT (math/verbal) or 19 on the ACT
Of course having academic credentials that far exceed the minimums will make you more competitive for an ROTC scholarship. Some people may hire tutors or buy expensive software to improve to improve their ACT or SAT scores. The U.S. Army has now offered its own free alternative to help students prepare for these and other tests. The program is called March 2 Success which is a website that gives users free access to online study materials the improve their standardized test scores. These standardized exams includes state exit exams, college entrance exams, the military entrance exam (ASVAB) and others.
The website provides self-paced study in the subjects of Math, English, and Science for high school aged students. The program even offers a pre-assessment test that is used to generate a custom learning path for each student. The program also 7 full-length practice tests for both the SAT and ACT that is timed and scored similar to the real test. The program also has decks of flashcards to help students study for the SAT and ACT.
Learn more about March 2 Success and improve your chances of receiving an ROTC scholarship at the below link:
Something that many people do not realize is that joining ROTC does not mean that you are locked into Active Duty after graduating from college. In fact Cadets can take a scholarship that locks them into the Army Reserves or National Guard after graduation. The scholarship is called a Minuteman Scholarship. Anyone qualified to receive an ROTC scholarship can apply for a Minuteman Scholarship. 2, 3, and 4 year Minuteman Scholarships are available to qualified Cadets.
Requirements for a Minuteman Scholarship
Be a U.S. citizen
Between ages of 17-30*
Valid Chapter 2 MEPS physical
Currently in the Army Reserve or eligible for enlistment
Ability to pass Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT)
Meet Army Physical standards (AR600-9)
Receive Mission Subordinate Command (MSC) Commander, Army Reserve Ambassador (ARA),or Civilian Aides to the Secretary of the Army (CASA) nomination
Acceptance letter to a college or university with a ROTC program
Professor of Military Science (PMS) interview
Proof of academic major
1000 SAT or 19 ACT scores, 2.5 GPA
Participate in Simultaneous Membership Program (SMP) in which they participate in an Army Reserve unit’s monthly and annual drills
Once commissioned… 8-year service obligation
Must not have turned age 31 by Dec. 31st of commissioning year
That may seem like a lot, but we will help you through the entire process! Recipients of a Minuteman Scholarship have the option of using the scholarship to pay for tuition or receive $10,000 annually for room and board expenses. At Eastern Washington University the majority of our Cadets take the $10,000 room and board option since tuition each year is roughly $8,200. Cadets that choose the Minuteman Scholarship and join the Washington Army National Guard receive access to additional grants and federal tuition assistance up to $4,600, allowing them to pay for tuition and use the full $10,000 and other SMP benefits listed above. With tuition paid for through grants and tuition assistance, here’s an example chart of Minuteman Scholarship benefits:
After graduation from Eastern Cadets will commission into the officer rank of Second Lieutenant in the Washington Army National Guard or U.S. Army Reserves. Call 509-359-6110 our Enrollment Officer for more information.
Cadet Patrick Coleman (far left in uniform) is contracted into ROTC as a Minuteman Scholarship recipient by the Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army, Brigadier General (Retired) Neal Sealock at halftime of a Nov. 3, 2019 EWU football game. Patrick Coleman successfully graduated from EWU in 2022 and is serving part-time as an officer in the Adjutant General Corps.
