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Currie, Evon Commissioned
The cadets who helped begin Maranatha’s ROTC corps have left campus, but their impact will likely be felt for many years to come.
Cadets Matthew Evon and Andrew Currie were commissioned as Lieutenants in the U.S. Army on Friday following Maranatha’s Convocation service. Evon, Currie, Phil Seaman, Paul Shirk and Joseph Diener were instrumental in helping establish the ROTC program three years ago. In that span, it has grown from five cadets to 22.
“It’s a huge testimony for this school,” said Currie, a Business Management major from Lincoln, Neb. “At first, we had to go to Whitewater twice a week for training. When we were able to put a company here, it became so much easier for the cadets and the cadre. It’s awesome to see how the program has grown.”
Currie will leave for Houston for more training near the end of the summer. He will eventually be assigned to a base headquarters as a “strength manager.”
“That is like a human resources manager in the corporate world,” Currie said. “You make sure all the slots are filled, and everyone who fills them is ready.”
Evon, an Accounting Management major, finished with the highest GPA (3.982) in Maranatha’s senior class.
“I got two A-minuses, from Mrs. Morris in English Comp I and II,” Evon said with a grin. “I never got another A-minus. But, to be honest, I learned more in those two classes than perhaps any other. I learned how to write an effective paper. If I hadn’t, I might never have gotten an A in those other classes.”
Evon said his GPA was the result of a “team effort” between friends, his parents, and Kristin, his wife of nine months.
“God has really blessed me with special people in my life,” Evon said.
Evon will undergo training at three different sites before being reporting for duty to the branch Finance Corps of the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Ky., in January.
Maranatha ROTC cadets attended the Joint Services Awards Ceremony at the University of Wisconsin-Madison on Sunday, April 26, 2009. Our men well-represented both the Lord and Maranatha as they were given the following awards:
Society of the War of 1812 Award
This award is presented to cadets and midshipmen who are completing their second year of ROTC. They rank in the top 20% of their class, top 10% of their ROTC class, and have encouraged the ideals of Americanism by deed and conduct: Cadet Matthew J. Allen
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 Eric A. Spagnolo
Veterans of Foreign Wars Award
This award of a $100 scholarship is presented to an Army ROTC cadet who has demonstrated military, academic, and community excellence: Cadet Keith E. Kraker
Special Forces Award, Distinguished Military Science Cadet Award
This award is presented to a cadet who must distinguish himself in his Military Science class. GPA, extracurricular activities, and physical fitness score are considered in evaluation of the awards recipient: Cadet Joseph C. Furnari
Department of The Army Superior Cadet Award
This award is presented to the outstanding Army ROTC cadet in each military science class. They have demonstrated superior academic achievement in ROTC and their major field of study: Cadet Benjamin J. Zakariasen, Cadet Keith E. Kraker
On Saturday, March 7, 2009 the Army ROTC Color Guard posted the Colors at the Defending the American Dreams Summit in Milwaukee, WI. The Color Guard continues to represent Maranatha, Charlie Company, and the Army by appearing at formal events. Last year the Color Guard presented the Colors at the same Summit in Waukesha, WI. Exposure at the Summit resulted in the Color Guard being asked to post the Colors at the swearing in ceremony of Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Gableman. This year the Color Guard appeared a second time at the same Summit.
Leaving early in the morning on March 7, the Color Guard arrived at the Midwest Airlines Center, location for the Summit, at 0730 to familiarize with the room and conduct walk-throughs. After rehearsing and taking care of last minute details, the Color Guard went to the holding room to wait for the beginning of the Summit. The first session started at 0930. The Color Guard did an excellent job posting the Colors. A large amount of time can go into preparing for a Color Guard event. First, the time spent practicing and rehearsing. Second, transportation to and from events must be included. Third, the time spent waiting at an event. All of this time spent for one 5-7 minute presentation.
After the presentation the Color Guard did not leave until after the first two sessions were over because the flags were still in use on stage. A job well done, the Color Guard returned at 0300.
The Cadets who participate on the Color Guard should be commended for their commitment to what they do. They represent themselves, Maranatha, Charlie Company, and the US Army. The men on the Color Guard team include:
Riflemen: Cadet Aaron Branam, Cadet Logan Fleek
Flag Bearers: Cadet Keith Kraker-US Flag, Cadet Mark McIntyre-Wisconsin Flag, Cadet Ben Zakariasen-US Army Flag.
These men continue to uphold a high standard for Charlie Company’s Color Guard.
--Cadet Matthew Allen, Color Guard Captain
On the weekend of 20 to 22 February 2009, two Maranatha Cadets (Benjamin Zakariasen and Mark McIntyre) went down to Indiana to compete in the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge (GAFPB) competition. The competition consists of the following events:
200 METER SWIM, SPRINT (100, 400 OR 1000 METER), HIGH / LONG JUMP, SHOTPUT/STONE THROW, 5000 METER RUN, ROADMARCH (18.7 miles in under 5 hours), PISTOL QUALIFICATION, FIRST AID PROFICIENCY TEST, and COMMANDER’S EVALUATION .
Both CDT Zakariasen and CDT McIntyre earned Gold Badges at this competition. Here is one of their stories.
My GAFPB Experience
By Mark McIntyre
My GAFBP experience was a little different than the normal one. I started getting sick the week before we were to leave for the competition, and I hoped it would not get any worse, but it did. I wanted to go, but did not want to fail at the same time. I thought that if I could pass the swim, 5K run, and 400 meter sprint I would be fine. Finally, I decided to go, even though I was sick.
The night we arrived was the swim, and I passed that with some time left on the clock. The next day was the 5K run; I was not looking forward to that. I am not the best runner and had not prepared like I should have, and with bronchitis it made it harder. I came around to the finish line with people telling me to push it and just barely finished with 2 seconds left on the clock. Our next event was the pistol shoot. The weather was horrible with high wind and driving rain, but I was fortunate to get 5 out of 5 shots in the target. Next we went to take the medical exam. Ironically, I wasn’t really worried about it. I had studied some, but I guess not as much as I should have. Because the end result was that I failed the test twice, and was out of the competition (or so I thought). It frustrated me that I had done the 5k and the swim and failed what I thought to be the easiest part of the competition. Discouraged, I went to the University of Indiana for the track and field events dressed in my ACU’s.
Upon arriving, the German Sergeant Major informed the group that if you failed an event, you could redo the event at your college, but you had to finish the rest of the events. I didn’t take my PT gear, since I thought I was out of the competition. I spoke to my battle buddy, Mr. Zakariasen, and asked if I could borrow his PT gear when he was done with his events. He graciously allowed me to use it after he sweated profusely in them. I passed the rest of the track and field events with no problems.
The next day was the 18 mile ruck march, and it was the first one that I had gone on beside a two mile march for PT. I heard that you should tape your heals to prevent them from getting blisters, so I did. Unfortunately, I put on WAY too much tape, and about 6 miles in, it started to cut into my feet. Due to time constraints, I did not have time to stop to fix it. When I got done, my feet looked pretty bad and I did not have skin on my heels. When I came back to college, I took and passed the new medical test that was prepared for me. So now I will receive the gold badge. I learned a few things that weekend that will stay with me. One, don’t tape your heels before a road march; two Cadets like Mr. Wheelan and Mr. Zakariasen, who pushed me to finish the competition, displayed how you put others first before yourself; and third you can never be too prepared for anything.
You might have noticed that I, Cadet Joseph Furnari, was not around for the first three weeks of the semester, prompting many people to speculate that I was not returning for the Spring semester of ’09. This of course, was false, as I am now back on campus. You might think it strange to think that I was actually attending school over those three weeks, but I was. I was attending the United States Army Airborne School located at Fort Benning, GA.
Airborne school is three weeks long and is broken down into three phases: Ground week, Tower week, and Jump week. Ground week starts with the Army Physical Fitness test being taken at 0330 in the morning. As soon as the test is over, training starts in earnest. Ground week is dedicated to learning the basics of landing using the Parachute Landing Fall (PLF) technique. The soldiers practice doing PLF’s by jumping off three foot walls and by utilizing the Lateral Drift Apparatus, which is basically a zip-line the soldiers fall off of. Each soldier must master the basics before he is allowed to continue on to Tower week.
Tower week introduces the soldier to the 40 foot mock door. Here, soldiers learn the correct exit procedures for exiting a C130 and C117 in flight. Soldiers practice solo jumping as well as mass exit techniques. Mass exit involves dropping 64 troopers in a minute or less. There is a lot of danger involved in mass exits and the instructors make sure that every soldier masters the techniques. Tower week ends with a four mile run and a class on parachute failures, perfect subject to keep the soldier’s minds occupied over the weekend.
Jump week begins at 0300 with a run to the airfield. During this week the soldiers must successfully complete 5 jumps from an aircraft in flight. The altitude the soldiers jump from is circa 1200 feet. They complete 3 “Hollywood” jumps (jumping with only a parachute) and 2 combat equipment jumps, with one of the combat equipment jumps occurring at night. I remember my first jump, I was sitting in the C130 listening to the roaring engines. The jumpmasters look at each other and nod, my stomach sinks. The jumpmasters start standing us up, “Outboard personnel, stand UP!” the soldiers across from me stand, “Inboard personnel, stand UP!” My stomach sinks lower as I stand up and shuffle into the line of soldiers. “HOOK UP!” comes the order from the jumpmasters. I reach down to my static line and clip it onto the outboard anchor line cable, making sure it is on. “CHECK STATIC LINES!” I make sure my static line is clipped and the the soldier in front of me is safe. “CHECK EQUIPMENT!” I run a hand over my gear, making sure everything is where it is supposed to be. “SOUND OFF FOR EQUIPMENT CHECK!” While everyone sounds off that they are fine, the Air Force personnel in the aircraft open the door.
With a woosh of air and a scream of metal the door opens, the air rushes in, and the eyes of everyone who can see out the door get very wide, mine included. I was the third jumper in the stick so I could easily see out the door. The jumpmasters hang out the door looking for the 1 minute mark, they find it. “ONE MINUTE!” they shout, we look over our right shoulder and repeat the command. “30 SECONDS!” we repeat it, finally the command “STANDBY!’ is given. The first jumper stands in the door. I have my eyes fixed on the green light on the door. It feels like those 30 seconds lasts forever, finally it pops on, and time seems to stop. “GO! GO! GO!” the jumpmasters shout, the first jumper is out, I start shuffling to the door, the next jumper is out the door, my turn. I hand my static line to the jumpmaster safety, turn to the door, take a step, kick out, and WOOOSH!!!! I’m out the door, screaming my 4 thousand count. I’m falling through the air, getting tossed around by the prop blast, finally after 4 thousand I feel a sharp tug on my harness as the opening shock of the T10D parachute as it opens. All of a sudden it is deathly quiet. The only noise is the creaking of my risers. I look up and check my canopy, it is full and green. I say a quick prayer of thankfulness to God, look to my left, and see a C130 flying away with soldiers still jumping out. It was by far the coolest thing I ever have seen! About 20 seconds later I see the ground rush up at me and I prepare to land with my feet and knees together and my eyes on the horizon. I pull my risers down to my chest to hopefully slow my descent and crumple to the ground. Suddenly I’m looking up at the sky, but I’m feeling a nice massaging feeling on my back. It doesn’t take long before I realize I am not getting a nice massage but am being dragged across the Drop Zone by my parachute! I quickly activate one of my canopy release assemblies and my parachute rapidly deflates. I lie on my back, gazing at the sky, and suddenly I realize the sensation of cold and wetness. I had landed in 6 inches of mud and water!
I graduated from Airborne School on 30 January 2009, and that night I was back at Maranatha getting ready for classes.
--CDT Joseph Furnari
This coming Thursday, Maranatha will hold their President’s List Dinner. The dinner provides students an opportunity to dine with President Phelps. After the dinner students are able to ask questions and discuss concerns with Dr. Phelps and other staff and faculty who attend. As has been the case in previous semesters, Army ROTC will have a number of cadets attending the dinner, one of whom is me.
I have been asked to explain how I manage to juggle a 20 credit load of nursing classes, ROTC, and dorm responsibilities and still maintain straight A’s. There are a number of influences that I credit for my grades, the key ones being the way I was raised and schooled and the way I manage my life here at college.
Primarily, I have to praise the Lord who gave me the ability to absorb knowledge and understand new concepts. If I had trouble understanding all the new material I have thrown at me every day, I wouldn’t stand a chance. I believe being homeschooled also played an important role. I was never a very studious kid in elementary school, (In fact, I was sent to a private school for a year because I was driving my Mom nuts by not doing my school work) but my Mom taught me to read at a very young age and I read every book I could get my hands on as I grew up. Throughout high school I had incredible teachers in the BJ HomeSat satellite schooling program. They helped me gain a firm understanding of math and science. Between HomeSat and my mother I had a solid base of knowledge to begin college with.
Besides my inborn abilities and the schooling I had growing up, I maintain my grades through a lot of good old-fashioned hard work. Hanneman Hall is said to be the home of nursing majors; if that is the case, then the library has to be my second home. Often when classes are over for the day, I go to the library to read, study, and write papers until supper. I may even head back to the library after supper. I am very forgetful, so to keep myself on track with assignments and tests I start out the year by entering all of my classes into my Outlook calendar with automatic reminders for anything coming due. I also work ahead on any big projects to make sure I have time to complete and review them before they are due. By carefully regimenting my time and keeping track of my academic requirements I am able to keep up with my courses.
So, there it is; the Kraker strategy for good grades. Admittedly, spending time studying for classes cuts into social time, however, I do make sure to spend some time relaxing to avoid insanity – I hope! Some people wonder why I would put that much of my time and effort into grades. I keep motivated for two reasons. First, competition is fierce to get into aviation, which is what I would like to do in the Army once I graduate. A high GPA improves my chances of getting in. I also keep in mind how much money I am spending to attend school. I feel it is my responsibility to use wisely the resources the Lord has given me, and that means doing my best while I am here. Thankfully, with the Lord’s help I have been able to do well thus far, and with His help I will continue to do so for the next five semesters.
--CDT Keith Kraker
Maranatha Assistant Professor of Military Science Derrek Schultheiss has been promoted from Captain to Major. The official pinning ceremony will take place Jan. 20 at 1 p.m. at the Heritage Room of the Cedarholm Library. Colonel Jay Pitts, Professor of Military Science for the battalion, will preside over the ceremony.
Schultheiss has been a Captain since Aug. 15, 2003. He was assigned to guide Maranatha’s ROTC unit three years ago. Under his direction, Charlie Company has grown to 22 cadets, largest in Wisconsin relative to student enrollment. Maranatha’s Ranger Challenge Team finished fifth in a 13-team field in 2007.
Major Schultheiss was informed of his promotion Jan. 12. He has been assigned to Joint Force Headquarters and will be deployed to Iraq in May. The Army has not yet announced his replacement.
“I’ve really enjoyed my time here,” Schultheiss said. “It’s been a blast.”
On the 14th of November, 2008, the Badger Battalion ROTC held its annual Dining In event in Madison, Wisconsin. Eighteen Cadets from Maranatha’s attachment attended this 
social event with Cadets from Whitewater, Madison and Edgewood. The event lasted from 4 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. on a Friday. It gave the schools the opportunity to get to know each other outside of tactical or school related atmosphere.
The evening started off with sports events held at the field behind the Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research. The Cadets enjoyed sports like capture the flag and falcon football (which can be summed up as two-hand-touch rugby). After two hours of energy consuming activities, the Badger Battalion wrapped up the sports and started preparing themselves for the dinner portion of the evening.
The dinner was held at the Lowell Center, downtown Madison, and lasted from 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. During this portion, the Cadets were served food and drinks as they had to abide by the “Rules of the Mess” in order to dine properly. The dinner was run by “Madame President” and “Mr. Vice” (two cadets from UW Madison), who ensured the rules were upheld. When a person at the mess accidentally broke a rule, the Cadet acknowledging the rule-break would then inform Mr. Vice, who in turn would let Madame President know. Together they would come up with punishments such as letting the person at fault run around the dining room singing songs and pretending to be a butterfly.
After the dining ceased, MAJ Ripburger, the guest speaker, brought a short and encouraging speech about the Badger Battalion and all its divisiveness. Following the guest speaker, every school presented a skit to the Battalion. At around 10:30 p.m. the last skit was performed and the Battalion was dismissed. This concluded a fun filled social event for all the Maranatha Cadets involved. It strengthened the already existing ties between the individual schools within the Badger Battalion and created new friendships among the cadets.
- Cadet Jason Brown
Color Guard at the Wisconsin State Capitol
During the 2008 spring semester, Maranatha’s Army ROTC Color Guard presented the colors at the Defending the American Dream Summit in Waukesha, Wisconsin. This fall, the Color Guard received a request to post the colors at the swearing in ceremony of Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Gableman. The Color Guard team is lead by Cadet Matthew Allen, and consists of Cadets Aaron Branam, Keith Kraker, Nathan Riese, Logan Fleek, Mark McIntyre, and Megan Pierce. On Friday, October 24, 2008, six of the cadets on Maranatha’s Color Guard Team travelled to the State Capitol to post the colors.
This state government performance is the highest level event the Color Guard has performed in its three years of existence. Upon arriving, the Cadets had to organize a plan of action to post the colors in the State Capitol’s Assembly Room. Different rooms almost always present unique challenges to a Color Guard Team. The cadets displayed their normal flexibility in responding to the situation and posted the colors with excellent precision and skill.
As the Color Guard Captain I must express how proud I am of the Color Guard Team in this performance. They did an amazing job. Two of the cadets are returning cadets from previous semesters. Three new cadets have joined the Color Guard for this semester and developed the skill, proficiency, and professionalism required to act as a member of Maranatha Baptist Bible College’s Army ROTC Color Guard.
The Color Guard also presented the colors the next day, Saturday, October 25, 2008, at Maranatha’s football game. Again the cadets performed with excellence in representing Maranatha and Army ROTC. The Color Guard Team will also be posting the colors on November 10, 2008 at a ceremony in honor of Veteran’s Day at Calvary Baptist Church in Watertown, Wisconsin.
--Cadet Allen, Color Guard Captain
On the weekend of October 10-12, a five-man team from Maranatha disembarked to represent the college at the 2008 9th Brigade Ranger Challenge at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin. The Ranger Challenge is a competition between Reserve Officer Training Corp (ROTC) companies and is considered the varsity sport of ROTC. The team from Maranatha was led by Cdt Joseph Furnari and consisted of Cadets Matthew Allen, Aaron Branam, Joshua Horneck, Joshua Marino, and Keith Kraker.
Cadet Marino trained with the team from the beginning and gave his all. He always showed up on time, highly motivated, with an amazing attitude--which is hard to keep after days on end of going to bed late and waking up as early as 0500 for training. However, the Lord in His wisdom allowed Cdt Marino’s father to be hospitalized with what was thought to be a heart attack the day before the team left for the competition. Family always comes first, and Cdt Marino stayed at home. Even though Cdt Marino did not compete, he was as much a part of the team as anyone. His presence was missed and he deserves recognition.
The MBBC Ranger Challenge team trained on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 0545-0650, on Saturdays from 0800-1000, and on Mondays and Fridays attended normal physical training with Charlie Company at 0600-0700. The team trained endlessly on physical fitness and mastering the events of the competition.
The Ranger Challenge competition started Friday night with a Night Land Navigation course. Land Navigation consists of finding navigation points--nothing more than a stick in the ground--utilizing only a compass, map, and protractor while under the pressure of a time limit. The points are spread from 500 meters to more than 2 kilometers away, and are assigned a point value based on distance. Here, Maranatha shone. The team was split into two groups: Cadets Furnari and Kraker went to the far points and Cadets Allen, Branam, and Horneck to the near ones. The team found a total of five points for a score of 200, finishing second in this event.
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The next morning the team was up and off at 0430 to compete in the Army Physical Fitness Test. The APFT consists of three events: two minutes of pushups, two minutes of sit-ups, and a timed two-mile run. A possibility of 100 points can be earned by Cadets per event for a total of 300 points. Cadets Furnari and Kraker both scored more than 300 points by going beyond the 100-percent mark in each category. Cdt Furnari also received the honor of completing more sit-ups than any other Cadet in the Brigade, 116 in two minutes. For this, he was awarded a Brigade challenge coin at the closing ceremony by the Brigade Commander and the Command Sergeant Major.
Immediately after the APFT, the Cadets drove to the conditioning course (obstacle course). Here, they were timed on how fast they could complete the course. The team finished in the middle of the pack.
Next, the team drove to the start point for the Day Land Navigation. The Day Land Navigation is intermixed with the rest of the day’s activities, as the Cadets are timed on how fast they can find and move to the event locations. The team did well, finishing second.
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The first event the team had to find and compete in was the Evaluate a Casualty/HMMWV (humvee) pull. The team pulled security around a humvee while Cadets Kraker and Furnari evaluated and cared for a casualty. After caring for the casualty’s wounds, which included a gunshot wound to the knee, a sucking chest wound to the upper chest, and a head injury, the casualty was moved onto a litter and carried off the field. After moving the casualty, the team pulled security while Cdt Furnari radioed in for medical evacuation. As soon as the request for a medevac was completed, the team was told to pull the humvee from the landing zone for the medevac, which concluded the event. The team refilled canteens and prepared to begin rucking to the next event: the rope bridge.
The rope bridge event is known as one of the make-or-break events. The team was required to construct a one-rope bridge over a river using only a rope, carabiners, and swiss-seat harnesses while competing for the best time. Teamwork is essential; many things need to happen at the same time. As soon as the time started, Cdt Allen attached one end of the rope to his harness and ran through the river. While Cdt Allen was crossing the river, the rest of the Cadets needed to tie a bowline knot in the end of the rope, placing the rope as high up the tree as possible, then prepared to tie a wireman’s knot. Teamwork was most clearly seen when one knot was placed too far out on the rope and had to be moved. The entire team adapted to what needed to be done, completed the bridge without any penalties, and came in fourth.
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The next event was room clearing and weapon assembly. The team first had to correctly enter and clear a building. The Cadets stacked up on one wall next to the door, kneeling because there was a window, with Cdt Horneck on the other side of the door with a training grenade. Cdt Horneck checked the door for booby traps, then threw the grenade into the room. As soon as it went off, the rest of the team members immediately entered, moved to their respective corners, and cleared the room. The team then picked up M16A2’s, exited the building, and moved to the weapon assembly station. Here the team was timed and graded on how fast the Cadets could take apart, reassemble, and perform a functions check on the weapon. The team completed the event with flying colors, though they had limited practice on the weapons.
The last event for the Maranatha team Saturday was the litter carry. The team carried a litter with weights on it for 500 meters as quickly as possible while traveling over rough terrain and obstacles. Halfway through the event, one member of the team was required to engage two targets with training grenades. Cdt Horneck threw the grenades while Cdt Furnari covered him. After throwing the grenades it was a full-out sprint to the finish line. The team did very well again, especially since this event was the last one of the day and is one of the most physically demanding.
The competition was not over yet. The most difficult event was still to come—the 10K Forced March.
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The name for the 10K (6.2 miles) Forced March event is very misleading. It isn’t as much a march as a run, and can be the difference between first or second place. Check points are interspersed throughout the course at 2K intervals where cadets can receive medical attention if needed. The course starts on a hard dirt road, but quickly moves to a trail that travels straight uphill before returning to the road. The difficulty is increased by what the cadets are required to wear. They must complete the run with helmet, rucksack (backpack), and weapon. Injured cadets are allowed to drop out at checkpoints.
The cadets from Maranatha did very well in the 17-team field, finishing in the middle of the standings. The team trained hard and competed even harder. Knowing that they were representing the school and the Lord Jesus Christ, the team members gave the challenge their all. The cadets look forward to 2009, when they will be able to take to the field once again to represent Maranatha in the 9th Brigade Ranger Challenge.
WATERTOWN, WI – Maranatha’s Charlie Company ROTC Cadets participated in a weekend-long field training exercise (FTX) September 26-28 at Fort McCoy in Western Wisconsin. The FTX was a Battalion level event that included schools from across Southern Wisconsin.
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Cadets learned and practiced skills preparing them for the Leadership Development and Assessment Course (LDAC). LDAC is a 31-day rigorous camp prior to a cadet’s senior year in the ROTC program that every cadet is required to attend and pass. Several MBBC cadets from Charlie Company attended LDAC last summer and said that the weekend is definitely great training for LDAC preparation. “Based on my experience, I think the Badger Battalion is doing a very good job at preparing Cadets for LDAC,” said CDT Jason Brown, executive officer of Charlie Company from Muncie, Indiana who also helped coordinate many of the FTX events.
First and second year cadets (MSI and MSII) received extensive block instruction in Modern Army Combatives, a blend of martial arts heavily based on Brazilian Jujitsu. Cadets were able to learn submission drills and practice on fellow students to ensure they had them down. MSI CDT Logan Fleek from Dayton, Ohio described combatives well; “I got to throw down with some friends!”
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MSIII cadets spent much of the weekend conducting both day and night land navigation training. Land navigation skills were stressed very heavily because of their importance before attending LDAC. “Land-Navigation was the most important aspect of the training for me getting ready for LDAC,” said MSIII CDT Eric Spagnolo, 2nd Squad, Bravo Team leader from Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
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Cadets also rappelled down a series of walls up to sixty-three feet high. For many, this was a brand new experience, having to overcome their fear. “I enjoyed rappelling because I personally am greatly afraid of heights, and it did not help that I was wearing a seat made out of rope,” said MSI CDT Joshua Durairaj, from Silver Spring, Maryland. “But it gave me a chance to face my fear, and I had an awesome time doing it, I definitely look forward to doing it again.”
Overall, the most difficult event was the night land navigation course. The course challenged the cadets to find several points in very dense woodland. A small white stake in the ground measuring only five feet high marked the points. Thick thorny briar bushes covered the forest floor, making it much more difficult to stay on track. MSII CDT Joe Furnari said of the night land navigation, “I loved the weekend, figuring out where I was when I was lost in the woods really was a good experience.”
The weekend gave all cadets a great training experience. “It was a great time. I feel like everyone learned and enjoyed getting some training in,” said MSII CDT Matthew Allen, 2nd Squad Alpha Team leader of Hampton, Virgina.
--CDT Josh Horneck
“I didn’t know we had to be blindfolded,” one of Charlie Company’s Cadets mumbled, as he anxiously waited in line for the 3 meter dive. Thirteen of Maranatha’s ROTC Cadets climbed one at a time up the ladder and were guided to the edge of the diving board. Each Cadet held out his rifle in front of him and plunged into the 13-foot pool, with a scarf tied around his eyes. This exercise was one of the four tests required to pass Combat Water Survival Training.
The training was very familiar for the Cadets who had gone in past years, but it was a new experience for many of the MSIs and IIs. The University of Wisconsin at Whitewater hosted this year’s CWST on September 18, 2008. The assessment began with two laps in the 25 meter swimming pool, and from there the Cadets participated in a series of water endurance tests.
After everyone finished the 50 meter swim, they were tested on their ability to demonstrate proper survival skills with their LBEs (load bearing equipment). The Cadets were individually lined up with their backs to the pool, holding a rifle and wearing an LBE. One by one, each cadet was pushed into the water, and had to drop their rifle and equipment belt before they came back to the surface.
Next, the Cadets had to qualify in the rifle swim. The Cadets swam the pool’s width, clutching their rifles, attempting to keep the barrel above the water. When everyone had succeeded in the rifle swim, their last objective was to test their water confidence off the 3 meter dive.
CWST is meant to analyze a Soldier’s physical and psychological readiness in emergency water situations. After Combat Water Survival Training, many of the Cadets recognized their ability to overcome fears and determine their strengths to become better leaders.
--CDT Megan Pierce
On Saturday, August 30, 2008, Maranatha ROTC hosted their 2nd annual Orientation Day for incoming freshman. New incoming Cadets and their families were invited to the event in order to receive further information about the ROTC program, as well as to meet the officers and enlisted men and women who comprise the staff of the program. The new Cadets were introduced to 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year cadets who have comprised the Maranatha ROTC program for the last one to two years.
Orientation started with a presentation from CPT Schultheiss and a tour of the Maranatha campus by CDT Comstock, this semester’s Detachment Commander. Incoming cadets and their families were able to experience the school first hand and ask questions pertaining both to the school and the ROTC program. Representatives from the Wisconsin Army National Guard were also present to answer questions, as well as provide team building activities. Team-building activities consisting of the HMMWV pull and the low ropes course obstacle team races were arranged to provide some healthy competition and some good laughs for all. CDT Furnari’s rope bridge was a huge favorite. The event came to a close with a lunch of sub-sandwiches and chips provided by the University of Wisconsin Army ROTC.
The Maranatha Army ROTC program is starting its third year on the shoulders of much success from the previous two years. Last year the “Ranger Challenge” team won 5th place at the 2008 Ranger Challenge competition at Fort McCoy, the highest for any first-year ROTC program. Paul Shirk, who was the 2007-2008 Charlie Company Commander received the John W. Sterling award and saber, the highest battalion award available. So far, the program has commissioned three new officers. This year the program has introduced twelve new cadets to include Maranatha’s first female Cadet, pushing the current total to twenty-two, which is an increase of six over last year’s sixteen. This is just the beginning, as the program is expected to continue to grow and diversify in the years to follow.
--Written by Eric Spagnolo and Nathan Riese
MBBC Army ROTC Orientation
WELCOME PROSPECTIVE AND RETURNING CADETS!
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Date: Saturday, 8/30/08
Time: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
RSVP no later than 8/27/08 to:
schultheiss@wisc.edu or
(414) 852-8825
Location:
745 W. Main Street
Watertown, WI 53094
(Meet at DC 116) |
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The Badger Battalion at Maranatha College will be hosting its annual orientation for new students and returning cadets on
Saturday, August 30th, 2008 at DC 116 on the MBBC campus. For this year’s orientation we will be participating in various team building activities.
Key Points:
- Orientation begins at 10 a.m., please arrive at DC 116 by 09:45 a.m.
- Wear your Military Science class t-shirt. If you don’t have a t-shirt, arrive early to be issued one.
- Wear closed-toe shoes and comfortable, loose clothing (no shorts) for activities participation.
- Bring appropriate clothing in case of rain.
- Events will include a rock wall, low ropes course, rope bridge, and HMMVW pull competition.
- The day will end with a free lunch from Subway. We encourage you to stick around and meet your fellow cadets and cadre.
***The event is mandatory for all cadets, but anyone interested in the program is welcome. Cadets unable to attend must clear it with their Military Science Advisor. Please RSVP by August 27th to schultheiss@wisc.edu so we can get enough food and beverages for everyone.
It’ll be an exciting and fun day. We hope to see you there!
Jay G. Pitz
Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army
Professor of Military Science
Badger Battalion