Crow’s Nest II IIT/UIC NROTC Spring 2016

Volume 1, Issue 2

Inside this issue

Spring Awards ............................ 2

NLW Weekend ........................... 3-4

AMOI Challenge .......................... 4-5

FEX .............................................. 5-6

Dining In ..................................... 6

BatCom Closing Words ............... 7

Welcoming First Sergeant! By MIDN 3/C Arandia

The frocking ceremony took place during Naval Science Lab, with First

Sergeant’s family, fellow enlisted comrades, and IIT unit staff and Midshipmen

looking on with pride and admiration.

First Sergeant Andrew Williams has served as IIT NROTCU’s Assistant

Marine Officer Instructor for the past five semesters, and has shown strength and

patience as he led the IIT Midshipmen battalion through numerous PT sessions,

PRTs, lab GMTs, drill meets, and all other battalion events. Always professional

and knowledgeable, IIT Midshipmen always knew they could depend on First

Sergeant for direction, instruction, or advice for the task at hand. Although First

sergeant could be stern and intimidating at first (given his well-deserved Marine

rank), he genuinely cared about Midshipmen, not just as the future officers of the

Navy and Marine Corps, but as young, impressionable college students who

needed guidance in all kinds of aspects.

First Sergeant Williams is leaving in May to his new position at Camp

Lejeune. While the unit is beyond proud of his achievements and future leader-

ship position, First Sergeant will definitely be missed.

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At the beginning of both Spring and Fall semester,

Midshipmen are recognized for their hard work and receive an

award, or maybe two if you are MIDN 4/C Garcia. All of our

Midshipmen are pictured with our Commanding Officer, Cap-

tain Brasek.

(Top left) Midn 4/C Busalacchi earned the Physical

Fitness Award. Marine options are awarded this if they get

above a score of 285 on the PFT.

(Top middle) MIDN 2/C Wolstenholme also earned the Physical Fitness Award. Navy options are award-

ed this if they get an “outstanding” in every category.

(Top right) MIDN 4/C Hunt earned the Academic Excellence Award. Midshipmen, Navy and Marine, earn

this award when they get a 3.75 grade point average and above during the past semester.

(Middle left) Midn 2/C Frank earned the Physical Fitness Award.

(Middle middle) MIDN 4/C Garcia earned the Academic Excellence and Physical Fitness Award. Alt-

hough a College Programmer, MIDN Garcia is currently working towards making the switch to Marine

Option.

(Middle right) MIDN 2/C Orlovskiy earned the Physical Fitness award.

(Bottom) MIDN 3/C Braun earned the Academic Excellence Award.

Spring Awards!

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to yourself. Although you have to be in

service dress, wake up at an earlier hour

than you might on most weekends, and sit

through long lectures, you have plenty of

down time. It is time you can spend

meeting new friends, checking out the

campus, studying, or working out. The

campus is beautiful, the Notre Dame Mid-

shipmen love to talk about it and show you

around, and the chances of you meeting up

with friends from summer cruise are in-

credibly high.

This year’s theme was “One

Team, One Fight”. Notre Dame displayed

this by putting the saying on the backs of

our t-shirts this year instead of individually

representing each NROTC Unit’s name.

There were seven speakers: Admiral Da-

vidson, Major General Lukenman, Rear

Admiral Gumataotao, Rear Admiral (Ret.)

Kirby, Sergeant Major LeHew, Captain (Ret.)

Rinn, and Mike Seamon (Director of

Gameday Operations at Notre Dame). Each

speaker brings their own insight, experienc-

es, and lessons to the leadership weekend.

Biased as it may seem, my favor-

ite speaker was the SWO-tivating man

himself, Rear Admiral Gumataotao. Enthusi-

astic, dedicated, and loyal are the words

would use to describe him. He also passed

on the Six Things to Make a Habit to Be a

Successful SWO: Level of Knowledge, Proce-

dure Compliance, Forceful Backup (team

backup), Questioning Attitude, Integrity,

and Formality.

Sergeant Major LeHew focused

much of his time on working with enlisted.

The “golden nuggets” I saved from him

include the following. Be modest and hum-

ble. Consider who you want to relieve you

and how to make them successful. He

pointed out that no one comes to work

wanting to do a bad job. “Respect my

time,” as an officer, our time is no more

important than the enlisted. On a softer

note he said to make time for love. Love

your friends, your family, and your signifi-

cant other. One of Sergeant Major’s ringing

quotes throughout his speech was,

“represent the institution”.

Captain Rinn was the CO of the

USS Samuel B. Roberts, a frigate that took

heavy damage after hitting mines in the

Persian Gulf. Listening to Captain Rinn talk

about his ship and crew was certainly emo-

tional. The way the crew worked together

to save the ship is inspiring, to say the least.

Not only did Captain Rinn talk to us about

teamwork, but he had a special point of

view since he had been in the Navy during a

much different time compared to the Navy

we know now. Captain Rinn commissioned

into the Navy in 1968, so he served through

many changes within our country and our

military. During his recounting of the time-

line after the ship hit the mines, he simulta-

neously told a story about one of his enlist-

ed sailors that had made several mistakes

up to that point. Captain Rinn had stood by

him and gave him multiple chances, be-

cause he was a part of his crew. This sailor

ended up being an important actor in the

role of saving their ship and crew, and he

saw great success after his time in the Navy.

After our dinner on the last night at NLW, I

had the opportunity to talk to him. I asked

him how he knew to stand up for that sail-

or. He told me you don’t actually know who

you will see success with, but the important

thing is that you stand by your sailors and

“give it all you got”.

This year, NLW hosted a LT pan-

el, representing each community. Each

officer was given the opportunity to speak

about leadership, and then it was turned

over to us for questions. This was an ex-

citing opportunity to seek advice from

“He told me you don’t actually know who you will see success with, but the important thing is that you stand by your sailors and ‘give it

all you got.’”

Naval Leadership Weekend by MIDN 2/C Wehmeyer

When sitting through an enlist-

ed-to-officer relationship brief, do you ever

feel overwhelmed? This semester, I lis-

tened intently as usual. However, I noticed

I did not have the same astounding appre-

hension about being that new Ensign on

the ship. What was it that gave me confi-

dence in my abilities to properly work with

my future enlisted? I could attribute it to

many things: our training in unit with our

staff, the enlisted cruise, advice from prior

enlisted officers, and the Leadership and

Management course with Commander

Holihan. While these are all contributing

factors to developing your own leadership

style and “golden nuggets”, the Naval

Leadership Weekend held at Notre Dame

University every year submerges you in a

weekend focused on developing your abili-

ties as a leader, learning from some of the

best leaders our country has to offer, and

connecting with Midshipmen from many

other units.

The three days you take out of

your schedule to attend the Naval Leader-

ship Weekend are not days for the unit.

They are days for you. Our unit is lucky

enough to provide the opportunity to

attend the event more than once. Each

year has a different theme, a different

lineup of speakers, and new opportunities

to learn. If you do not go to NLW at least

once during your time as a midshipman, I

truly believe you are doing a disservice to

Naval Leadership Weekend

(NLW) is a conference held at

the University of Notre Dame,

located in Indiana. It is held

every year during early Spring.

A multitude of guest speakers

in Navy and civilian communi-

ties come to share their wis-

dom with Midshipmen from

all over the country. As of this

year, NLW has been going on

for 21 years!

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Golden Nuggets From NLW

”One team, one fight”

”It’s a people business.”

“[the Navy is the] art of

building relationships. Art

of listening.”

“Respect the institution.”

“Build the team.”

“Make time for love.”

“You don’t want to solve

world hunger as an En-

sign.”

“...myself, my job, my

community, my family.”

“Leadership is conta-

gious.”

“Be a fixer. Don’t just fix

the sexy problems; fix the

crap.”

“Be a visionary.”

“Adapt to adversity.”

“Be a chemist.”

Recommended books:

Man in the Arena by Theo-

dore Roosevelt

Neptune’s Inferno: The

U.S. at Guadalcanal by

James D. Hornfischer

Let the Games Begin! By MIDN 3/C Cernok and Midn 4/C Busalacchi

It was a warm and sunny morning on February 20th as the Illinois Institute of Technology battalion gathered for yet another year of the AMOI Challenge, a sports day where IIT and UIC go up against their brethren at Northwestern University. The energy was high as the final list of teams for football, soc-cer, and basketball were meshed out, and everyone was still upset about last year’s turn of events. After a drive to Northwestern the events were ready to start. The schedule for the day was football, soccer, basketball, dodge-ball, and finally tug of war. The scoring was simple; every event was worth 120 points with some being able to be split in half for a tie. IIT was confident about their football teams, as they should have been with their large victory. Up next was soccer. This was a hard fought sport as NU and IIT tied, splitting the points in half. Then came basketball, and in an unfortu-

nate turn of events, NU won the event. The score at this point being tied 180 to 180. It was nearing the end of the sched-ule and the amount of points available to earn were dwindling. Dodgeball came as an intense scuffle. This is a sport where both battalions are evenly matched, but in the end NU took all of the points. Finally, came tug of war. This was the final event that IIT had to win in order to tie it. Last year NU went undefeated, but since then, there were some changes to the rules. The teams were cut down, but still of equal size. In the end the results were flipped and IIT won every round. The final score of the main events was 300 to 300. This brought confusion for every-one. How would the outcome be determined? The first decision was a tug of war against the unit staff from both battalions. Yet both NU and IIT won against the chosen team.

Midshipmen from the Consortium standing with Rear Admiral Gumataotao.

officers who were similar to our own advisors

within NROTC. A lot of great advice came from

the officers during the panel, but I think it im-

portant to note “you don’t want to solve world

hunger as an Ensign”. As we asked more and

more questions throughout the panel, it became

clear we were all a little overwhelmed by the

things we had talked about. This quote brought

it back into reality for us and was followed by the

statement that when we first commission the

best way to be successful is to

focus on four things: Myself, my job, my commu-

nity, and my family.

Naval Leadership Weekend is defi-

nitely time well spent away from campus. The

amount of information and advice you receive, in

addition to the connections you get to make

within our Navy, will guide you throughout your

future. As you look around, even the officers are

taking notes from each other. It is a great atmos-

phere and a wonderful opportunity!

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Preparations for Field Exercise,

aka FEX, started several weeks before we

left for Tennessee on April 7. There were

several classes to ensure that we would

know all the information required for the

event, as well as practice ruck marches to

ensure that we would have the endurance

to last throughout the FEX. The week prior

to the official event, a consortium wide FEX

was held at IIT to give all the participants a

clearer understanding of what was to come.

Finally, during Naval Science lab on Thurs-

day, we headed out for Tennessee.

FEX took place at Volunteer

Training Site Tullahoma and lasted four days

total, beginning on Thursday and ending on

Sunday. During that time, we had the op-

portunity to practice many of the skills

required to perform well in the field and at

OCS. On Friday, our first full day on site, we

ran a confidence course, carried out a land

navigation course, practiced patrol for-

mations and squad tactics, and conducted a

9-mile ruck march with the Vanderbilt

NROTC unit. On Saturday we got the chance

to practice on a replica of the OCS obstacle

course, compete with the Vanderbilt NROTC

unit in paintball, and use everything we had

learned so far in SULE labs. Saturday night

we were given liberty in Nashville, and

Sunday morning we packed our gear, load-

ed back onto the bus, and started the nine

hour drive back to Chicago.

In addition to the scheduled

events, the exercises were conducted in

field conditions. The moment we arrived,

we were issued rifles and required to keep

them with us at all times and observe strict

weapon safety rules. We carried our rifles

with us absolutely everywhere, and it didn’t

go well for any Midshipman who lost track

of their rifle, even for a few seconds. Being

in the field also meant that chow was con-

tinuous. No matter what the event was, we

were permitted to eat while doing it. When-

ever we were issued MRE’s we would stash

the smaller pieces of it in our cargo pockets

to eat while on the move. Every night there

was a fire watch rotation, with two Mid-

shipmen who completed one hour shifts

together. When a Midshipman had to sepa-

rate from the main group, he/she travelled

with a buddy. All rules were established and

followed in order to accurately simulate life

in the field.

The best part about FEX was

how much we learned. Every event taught

us something new, and gave us a chance to

The feelings of tension escalated as the uncertainty grew. Everyone was dismissed to get changed and travel to Leona’s, a local pizza joint. Upon arrival, and to every-one’s surprise, a written test of Navy and Marine Corps knowledge was administered to both battalions. Both groups formed up and wrote down their best answers. Everyone was able to relax as the results were final. The camaraderie of the two units began to show as always since these two units have been united as the Chicago Consortium. Everyone had respect for the effort put forth by everyone else. Both teams fought their hard-est and this definitely showed. The results were the clos-est they have ever been, with the winners being deter-mined by a mere three points. NU won the 2016 AMOI Challenge. Every year the results have been closer. Who knows what the outcome will be next year.

FEX by MIDN 4/C Hunt

FEX Schedule of Events

April 8th:

0500: Lights

0600-0630: Confidence Course

090-1300: Land Navigation Course

1700: 9 mile hike

2030: Evening chow

2200: Begin fire watch

April 9th:

0500: Lights

0630: O-Course

0900-1230: SULE Rotations

1300-1500: Paintball

1730: Arrive at Vanderbilt NROTC

1900: Dinner

2000-0030: Liberty in Nashville, TN

Above: Midshipmen from IIT winning against NU in tug of war event

Below: MIDN participate in football and dodge ball

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This year’s Dining In was definitely enjoy-able and memorable. I was glad to be able to finally go, as this was only my second time due to personal conflicts for years before. The night of festivities started with socialization during the cocktail hour between the Midshipmen, active duty staff, and our Guest of Honor, Mr. Ira Graham. He was a fascinating individual to speak with and learn about his life experiences. I was glad to have had the opportunity to meet him. Next, there was the call to dinner. We all made our way to our seats then called attention to the POW/MIA table, which is always a humbling experi-ence. Father Patrick Dorsey said grace after that, then seats were taken. The socialization continued over salads and

followed with the parading of the beef. As main courses were being served, the challenges began. Not two seconds after the floor opened up for challenges, MIDN Kearney was the first to stand and deliver the first blow. The night continued with several more challenges, including myself (receiving at least three of those), and ended with CDR Holihan giving a wonder-ful speech about how much he has en-joyed his career and his position as the Executive Officer at the Consortium. It definitely was a tear-jerker for us all. Not soon after that, the skits began! The IIT 1/C Midshipmen went first and, not being biased because I was part of it, I believe that we started off the skits with a bang. The night went on with skits from every class from both units, and

from my freshmen year to now, it has definitely improved regarding the quality and humor of the jokes. Everyone from the 4/C midshipman to the active duty staff had a good laugh at all of the jokes.

After skits were completed, we made our way back to our seats and com-menced the toasts. After toasts, the NU Midshipmen presented CDR Holihan and LT Dunsford with parting gifts, as they will be leaving the Consortium not too long after the school year’s end. I know I can speak for myself and all other Midship-men when I say they will both be missed. Unfortunately, this was my last Dining In as a Midshipman, but I was glad to par-take in the events and had a good time with my fellow Midshipmen.

Dining In by Midn 1/C Manuel

get hands on experience with it. Not only were we

learning new information, we were also learning about

ourselves. My personal favorite part of FEX was the nine

mile hike because it required me to push myself much

further than I thought was possible, which meant over-

coming my exhaustion to complete the hike. FEX gave

us the chance to experience and learn about life in the

field, and to see what is required to do well in that

environment. It required us to take on more responsibil-

ity and gave us more opportunities at leadership.

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Greetings fellow Midshipmen! I want to start off by saying it was an honor serving you as BATCOM for the Spring of 2016. I feel that I was able to learn a lot from all of you and I hope you’ve learned a few things from me as well. It feels like we had just welcomed our five new 4/C to the unit and yet we are already preparing for another wave of Midshipmen to join us next year. I am very lucky to have been given the opportunity to mold and teach the future leaders of the Navy and Marine Corps. Over the semester I’ve seen many of you grow into the leaders I know you were meant to be. I’ve seen you overcome adversity and continue to strive to be the best you can be. What I am most proud of is the atmosphere we have created in our battalion. We may be students, friends, shipmates, but above all, we’re family. The camaraderie here is some-thing that we may one day realize we took for granted. Being a small sized unit we have the opportunity to create relationships that some units will never experience. We have our differences, but at the end of the day I know that we take care of one another. So enjoy the moment while you’re in them, because before you know it, it will be just a memory that you wish you could re-live. To close out the semester I leave you with a few lessons I have learned over my time in NROTC:

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. What is important is that you learn from those mistakes and improve yourself.

Always push your limits. You’ll never know your potential unless you leave your com-fort zone.

Be true to yourself. Never compromise who you are. The best thing you can do is be honest with others and yourself.

I wish you all good luck on your future endeavors and I look forward to seeing you again next year.

Closing Words with MIDN 1/C Aragon MIDN Aragon over the years

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