Maranatha ROTC cadets attended the Joint Services Awards Ceremony at the University of Wisconsin-Madison on Sunday, April 20, 2008. Our men well-represented both the Lord and Maranatha as they were given the following awards:
Supreme Council of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry Award
This award is presented to an outstanding Army and Air Force cadet: Cadet Ryan D. Leffler
Sons of Union Veterans of Civil War Award
This award of excellence is presented to freshmen ROTC cadets and midshipmen who have demonstrated exceptional leadership potential and scholastic achievement: Cadet Matthew J. Allen
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Cadet Paul T. Shirk, recipient of the John W. Sterling award, receives a sword. Shirk is pictured with LTC John Bechtol, CPT Derrek Schultheiss, and Maranatha professor Corey Pfaffe.
Photograph courtesy of Jeff Davis. |
National Sojourners Award
This award is presented to cadets and midshipmen who represent the highest attributes of Americanism as demonstrated through moral character, outstanding qualities of leadership, and high aptitude for military service: Cadet Kevin M. Comstock
Reserve Officers Association Award
This award is presented to students in each ROTC program who have achieved outstanding recognition in the art and science of national defense by ranking in the top 10% of their ROTC class and demonstrating outstanding qualities of leadership, moral character, and a high aptitude for military service: Cadet Matthew J. Evon
Military Officers Association of America
This award is presented to outstanding cadets and midshipmen from each ROTC unit who are in their third year of ROTC and who have demonstrated exceptional potential for military leadership: Cadet John T. Bream
American Legion Award
These awards (the Military Excellence and Scholastic Excellence) are presented to third- and fourth-year Army ROTC cadets who have exemplified military excellence and scholastic excellence: Cadet Nathan S. Riese, Scholastic Excellence
Military Order of The World Wars
This award is presented to cadets and midshipmen who have demonstrated outstanding desire to serve the United States military: Cadet Jason N. Brown
National Defense Industrial Association Award
This award is presented to cadets and midshipmen for distinguished performance. They rank in the top half of their academic class, the top 20% of their ROTC class, are actively involved in athletics or campus activities, and demonstrate outstanding leadership qualities: Cadet Joseph C. Furnari
Department of The Army Superior Cadet Award
This award is presented to the oustanding Army ROTC cadet in each military science class. They have demonstrated superior academic achievement in ROTC and their major field of study: Cadet Keith A. Kraker
John W. Sterling Award
This award is in honor of John W. Sterling, Chief Executive Officer of the University of Wisconsin during the period of the Civil War. They are sponsored by the Grand Army of the Republican Memorial Association of Dane County. These awards are presented to the most outstanding senior Army and Air Force cadet and senior Navy midshipman who have consistently demonstrated superior leadership ability, excellence in academics and military studies and involvement in extracurricular activities. The award consists of a service officer's sword: Cadet Paul T. Shirk
Six ROTC cadets were honored with scholarships on April 17, 2008. Cadets Allen, Branam, Furnari, Peterson, and Kraker were awarded 4-year Army scholarships. Their benefits include the following:
Total Benefits ($79,200)
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Full Tuition (no cap) Avg. $15,000 per year
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$1,200 for books per year
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$14,400 stipend pay (paid monthly – up to 9 months a year with annual increases)
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Freshman - $300
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Sophmore - $350
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Junior - $450
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Senior - $500
Cadet Riese was awarded the Two-Year Guaranteed Reserve Forces Duty (GRFD) Scholarship. His scholarship benefits include the following:
Scholarship: $66,178
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Room and Board (up to $10,000 per year) Avg $5,500
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State Tuition Re-imbursement (National Guard) Avg $15,000
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Montgomery GI Bill $3,090 per year
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E5 Drill Pay $5,224 per year
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$8,550 stipend pay (paid monthly – up to 9 months with annual increases)
Maranatha’s Charlie Company has come a long way since its humble beginnings. Only a year ago, the Cadets from Maranatha had to make the long drive down to UW-Whitewater every Thursday afternoon to conduct their labs with Bravo Company.
This past Tuesday, however, Charlie Company played host to the Cadets from Bravo Company as they conducted joint training on Patrolling Operations out at Grant/Quirk Park. Cadet Shirk said “The planning for this lab was very time-consuming compared to others. The lab came together well, however, and created an ideal training environment. I believe that the environment we created closely simulates Warrior Forge.” Cadet Seaman agrees when he says “It requires much planning, rehearsing, and plenty of communication to organize all of the many details.” 
These types of joint operations allow the Cadets from Maranatha ROTC and UW-Whitewater ROTC to simulate a more realistic and diverse training environment in an attempt to give them the best chance possible to earn high marks at LDAC (Leadership Development and Assessment Course).
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Four cadets from Maranatha’s Army ROTC Charlie Company competed for the German Armed Forces Badge of Military Proficiency this past weekend at the University of Indiana in Bloomington, IN. Joseph Furnari and Matthew Allen both earned gold badges, and Ryan Leffler earned a silver badge.
The weekend started with a 200 meter swim on Friday night, which the cadets were required to complete in less than 6 minutes. Cadets Furnari, Allen, and Leffler each completed the swim with very little difficulty. Saturday morning consisted of a series of track and field events and a 5 kilometer run. In the track and field events the cadets were required to run a 200 meter sprint in under 68 seconds, throw a 16lbs. shot-put 8 meters, and high jump over a 1.35 meter bar. Each Maranatha cadet displayed his athleticism by conquering these events with ease. The cadets then moved on to the 5 kilometer run which they were required to finish in less than 23 minutes. Joseph Furnari led the way by finishing in an outstanding 20 minutes 48 seconds. Cadets Allen and Leffler were not far behind and finished in the low 21s. 
Saturday afternoon consisted of the first-aid test and the 9mm pistol qualification. For the first-aid test the cadets were required to have adequate knowledge on topics such as the proper steps to evaluating a wounded casualty, symptoms and treatments for shock, cardio respiratory resuscitation, and heat-related casualties. After passing the first-aid examination, the cadets’ final event for Saturday was the 9mm pistol qualification. The cadets were given 3 sets of 5 rounds to hit 5 out of 5 targets from 25 meters away. The pistol qualification determined which badge the cadets would be eligible to receive. Cadets Allen and Furnari shot a perfect 5 out of 5 and qualified for the gold badge, and Cadet Leffler shot 4 out of 5 to qualify for the silver badge.
The final event of the weekend was a 30 kilometer (18 mile) road march on Sunday morning which the 
cadets were required to complete in less than 5 hours while carrying 22 lbs. of gear. The length of the road march and the stormy weather conditions proved to be a fair test for the cadets, but they rose up to the challenge by completing the entire road march in 4 hours and 27 minutes to earn their respective badges.
Cadets Matthew Allen, Joseph Furnari, and Ryan Leffler displayed great attitudes of hard work and discipline both before and during the competition. The cadets trained 5 days a week at 6:00 a.m. every morning for the first 6 weeks of this spring semester in order to prepare for the various events of last weekend. Each is to be commended for his winning attitude, dedication, and teamwork. HOOAH!
~CDT Matthew J Evon
CDT Evon accompanied the Maranatha Cadets to Indiana as their coach. He also participated in the competition, but did not pass the long jump event on day 2. Although he did not qualify for a badge, CDT Evon continued to compete in the rest of the events (even though he didn’t have to), all the time encouraging the other Charlie Company Cadets to push forward and give 100% of themselves. His example of leadership defines the Warrior Ethos; to always place the mission first, to never accept defeat, to never quit, and to never leave a fallen comrade. By taking a team approach to this individual competition, the Cadets of Charlie Company were able to achieve a 75% qualification rate, well above the regional average.
~CPT Schultheiss
Color Guard Shines at the Defending the American Dream Summit
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Six cadets from Maranatha’s very own Army ROTC Color Guard Team performed the presentation of the colors on Saturday, February 09, 2008, for the Americans for Prosperity Society in Waukesha, Wisconsin. Hundreds gather for the prestigious event which featured several key speakers, including many federal and state elected officials, candidates for elected office, and free-market experts. Some of the topics addressed were global warming and health care for the state of Wisconsin. The event was aired live on several local Milwaukee television stations.
It was by far the best performance the color guard team has had this year. The team had very little room to work with in the auditorium due to the size of the crowd and the low ceilings, but the Cadets were able to improvise and execute with no mistakes. Even the live television cameras did not faze the team. They were able to rise above the circumstances and shine as good testimonies of the United States Army, Maranatha Baptist Bible College, and Charlie Company.
Maranatha’s Charlie Company continues to improve and set the standard within the Battalion. The Color Guard Team’s next event is scheduled for Friday, February 29th where the team will be posting the colors for the Badger Battalion’s annual Dining-In in Madison. Check out the color guard photographs from both the MBBC v. Northland basketball game and the Americans for Prosperity Event.
“Rock Solid!”
CDT Matthew Evon
Color Guard Captain
On November 15, 2007, the Charlie Company attended the Badger Battalion’s annual military ball. The military ball consists of a reception line, meal, guest speaker, and saber arch. Upon arrival, cadets from C Co went through the receiving line with their dates. They were greeted by LTC John Bechtol and the evening’s speaker, COL Duane Kleven. After the receiving line, cadets and their dates were seated and the meal began. Cadets were seated with individuals from the other companies of the Badge Battalion, so each cadet was able to meet one of their comrades that they had not met before. After the meal COL Kleven gave a short and humorous speech about his career in the United States Army Reserve and included some of the lessons he had learned along the way. Following the speech, MS IV cadets were honored with a saber arch ceremony, where they walked under the saber arch as their names and branches were recited. Honored guests at the ball included COL Duane Kleven, the guest speaker, LTC John Bechtol, Badger Battalion Commander, and Dr. Corey Pfaffe, Chair of the Maranatha Business Department.
Over all, the cadets had an enjoyable time at the ball with their dates and look forward to the next year!
--C/MAJ Shirk
Detachment Commander
Every Tuesday, the ROTC Cadets gear up and head out to training at Brandt/Quirk Park, but what are they doing out there anyway? A legitimate question, as most of the student body only sees the Cadets on campus doing the same things everyone else is doing, except that they are in their Army Combat Uniforms (ACUs). Well, last Tuesday, Maranatha’s own Jeremiah Calvino had the opportunity to witness ROTC training first hand, and he has the pictures to prove it.
Tuesday’s labs are essentially practical exercises which cover much of the classroom instruction given the week prior. The Cadets learn many different skills, such as drill and ceremony, land navigation, squad movement formations, battle drills, squad situational tactical exercises (STX), and patrol situational tactical exercises. All of which are done to prepare the Cadets for the Leadership Development and Assessment Course at Ft. Lewis Washington during the summer after their junior year of college.
The pictures taken by Mr Calvino show the Cadets performing a squad STX lane led by Cadet Phillip Seaman with CDT Joseph Diener as his recorder. The lane itself consists of a number of phases; from actions at the assembly area, movement to the objective rally point, the leaders recon, the actual attack, and finally the actions on the objective after the attack. The battle drill the Cadets were performing was “Knock out a Bunker”. If you’re wondering who the “bad guys” are in the bunker, they are CDT Ryan Leffler and CDT Matthew Linton. They put up a good fight, but men from Charlie Company won the day.
So if you are interested in seeing what the Cadets do “out in the woods” at their labs, click here to enjoy the show!
CPT Derrek Schultheiss
Assistant Professor of Military Science
The cadets finished 5th out of 13 at their Ranger Challenge during the weekend of October 12-14, ranking higher than Marquette, Wheaton, UW Stout, UW Oshkosh, UW Whitewater, Olivet Nazarene, Northern Illinois, and Notre Dame.
The cadets spent the weekend ruck marching (marching with a large backpack) somewhere between 27 and 35 miles during Friday night and Sunday morning, mostly in the sand hills of Fort McCoy. They were the only team who built the one-rope bridge correctly and had all their personnel cross it dry. They were also only 30 seconds off the record time for Fort McCoy’s conditioning course.
The cadets think this is the highest ranking a first time team has ever received.
Maranatha Baptist Bible College Army ROTC has taken a bold step into the future with its first Ranger Challenge team. Ranger Challenge is a three-day test of mental and physical endurance, team cohesion, and basic soldiering skills. It is conducted every October at Fort McCoy Military Installation. Schools from the surrounding states field teams of either five or nine personnel to complete in the many events.
The event begins on Friday with an opening ceremony and immediately transitions into night land navigation. Saturday morning consists of the Army Physical Fitness Test, a test of muscular strength and cardiovascular endurance. By 8 am, the test is done, and the actual Ranger Challenge begins. The events consist of a one-rope bridge, an assault course, litter carry, clearing a room, evaluating casualties, 9-line MEDEVAC, Linkups, and a Humvee clearing. The stations are on different parts of the post—cadets will march between each point. The competition culminates on Sunday with a six-mile timed road march. The march and competition are done in the army Battle Dress Uniform with full gear. All events are timed, and graded on accuracy as well as completion.
Maranatha’s Ranger Challenge team will consist of Cadets Shirk, Brown, Comstock, Leffler, Linton, and Furnari. The team has been honing their skills extensively in the area of long distance running, the one-rope bridge, and first aid, as well as many other basic skills. Maranatha’s team is trained by Master Sergeant Terry Radloff, who has multiple years of experience in the competition. They train at 5:45 am every day, as well as Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. Although the training is rigorous, the team believes that the hard will and dedication will give them a more competitive standing to ensure overall success in the competition! -- C/MAJ Shirk
Army ROTC Cadets from Maranatha Baptist Bible College conducted their first color guard for MBBC Football Parents Day on September 29, 2007. Cadets Matthew Linton, Sam Peterson, and Matthew Allen performed as flag bearers with Cadet Allen bearing the American flag. Cadets Joseph Diener and Aaron Branam performed as riflemen, and Cadet Matthew Evon lead the color guard as the Captain.
The Cadets displayed excellence in discipline and patriotism as they marched onto the field and presented the colors for the many parents and fans in the stadium. “This year (2007) has been another year of growth for the Army ROTC Program at Maranatha,” Cadet Evon explains, “I’m very proud of the extra effort and dedication that each Cadet put forth in not only the ROTC Program but also in making our first Color Guard a success.”
Maranatha's Army ROTC Color Guard will be performing at many more sporting events this fall and spring.
Two-thousand-seven is a year of firsts for Maranatha’s Army Reserve Officer Training Corp (ROTC) program. In only its second year at Maranatha, the ROTC program has already grown to 14 cadets with five new freshmen earning 4-year scholarships.
The ROTC program is unique because it is run by the cadets. The seniors are the detachment’s command and staff—they train the juniors, sophomores, and freshmen. The juniors are the platoon’s leadership, and are evaluated on their leadership performance on campus, as well as at Warrior Forge, the Leadership Development and Assessment Course. The sophomores and freshmen are the rank and file of the platoon who are learning the soldiering techniques.
This is the first year that the Maranatha cadets have their own Company (Charlie Company), and are training independently from Madison and Whitewater. The program’s first LDAC graduate, CDT Paul Shirk, is the detachment commander for Charlie Company.
In addition, the cadets have put together their first Ranger Challenge team, which will compete against other schools in the State at Ft McCoy during the second weekend in October.
The cadets have also established the first Color Guard for the detachment, which will be making their first appearance during Parent’s Day at the football game.
The detachment’s new motto is Rock Solid, integral to the philosophy of cadets on a Christian campus: Christ is the Solid Rock on which Christian Cadets must build their lives and military careers.
Two-thousand-seven is a growing year for Maranatha’s ROTC program. This class is forging the way by building a rock solid foundation for many classes to come.
CDT Joseph Diener
MSIV / S5