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[2]
Greetings from the Commander
By: LTC Joel Stephenson
Its that time again to highlight a few
things the Maverick Battalion has
accomplished over the last Spring and
Summer months of 2012. As youll see in
the ensuing pages, these cadets are doing
some wonderful things.
The Leader Development Assessment
Course (LDAC) continues to be the seminal
training event for ROTC. Quite frankly, my
frst few years we
struggled during the
academic year
getting 3rd year (MS3)
students ready for the
rigors of LDAC. This
year we turned things
around. Our program
sent 19 Cadets and
fnished 20th out of 42
schools in our Brigade in LDAC
performance. Although still room for
improvement, it puts us at a much better
place for future classes. This years class
of Seniors (MS4) have taken charge and
set a great tone within the Cadet Battalion.
Great training is sure to follow in
preparation for next summers LDAC.
A point of emphasis for ROTC has
been providing quality cultural experiences
for selected Cadets throughout this past
summer. The program (CULP) has more
than tripled in size the past 3 years, and
now numbers in excess of 1,000 Cadets.
The Maverick Battalion sent fve of our very
best this summer, and you will hear their
stories and experiences later in this
newsletter. What a fantastic opportunity!
Were getting ready to commission our
last few Cadets from FY 2012 this month.
Proud to report were going to more than
double our projected mission with 24 total
new 2nd Lieutenants from MSU, Mankato
entering the Army this pas year - 11 Active
duty, 2 USAR, and 1 Educational Delay
(Medical School). Army guidance and
funding will require us to tighten up our
shot group somewhat in the near future in
terms of recruiting, but leave no doubt
were doing very well in this area.
This year I would like to welcome a
new cadre member to our sta. Chris
Andersen took over as
Training Ocer and MS3
Instructor in August. He
comes to us with an
impressive background in
both the active Army and
reserve component.
Recently deployed as the
Company Commander for
HHC/2-135 IN, Chris is an
Infantry Ocer and an ROTC
product. Chris and his wife Molly currently
reside in Belle Plaine - Welcome aboard!
Im writing this article on the 11th
anniversary of the attacks on the World
Trade Center towers and the Pentagon.
Sometimes its hard to remember while
living and working on a college campus the
sacrifces so many make on the day-to-day
basis to ensure our well-being and way of
life. Please take a moment to pray for the
safety and continues success of our more
recent graduates as they lead platoons of
American's fnest in Afghanistan - people
like 2LT Tim Harting in the 1st Brigade,
82nd Airborne, 2LT Marcus Piepho and
2LT Ben Bauknecht in 4th Brigade, 1st
Infantry Division, and 2LT Brittany Stadther
in 3rd Infantry Division.
GO MAVERICKS!
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
CULP Trips
Cultural Understanding and
Language Proficiency
CDT Putzier (Thailand)
CDT Pederson (Rwanda)
CDT Griffith (Brazil)
CDT Watts (Micronesia)
KU Buddy Challenge
Maverick Battalion
competes for its 1st time
at Buddy Challenge Event
Leaders are made, ey are not born. ey are made by hard eort, which is
e price which a of us must pay achieve any
oal at is worwhile.
Vince Lombardi
May Commissioning
2LT Graduates and their
Branches/Component
[3]
Maverick Battalion Competes at 17th annual KU Ranger Buddy Competition
For the frst time, Minnesota State University Mankato ROTC
Cadets will be among the 240 students from across the United
States competing at the 17th annual Kansas Army ROTC Ranger
Buddy Competition.
Two-person teams from 21 colleges and universities in 11
states will compete at the Overlook Park area at Clinton
Lake southwest of Lawrence. The contest is a
spectator event that is free and open to the public.
Cadets on male, female or co-ed teams went
through a series of events as they compete for the
title of Best Ranger Buddy Team. They are scored on
their performances, and the team with the best overall
time wins.
Some may be familiar with The Army-wide Ranger Buddy
Competition which gained incredible popularity years ago from its
exposure on the Discovery and National Geographic Tv channels.
Although Kansas Army ROTC Ranger Buddy Competition diers
slightly from that format, the competitors are universally refer to it
as the lron Man/Woman" competition for ROTC Cadets.
Competition begins at 6:30 a.m. with a 10-kilometer buddy
team run, followed by a fve-events conducted in a round robin
format and then ends with a fnal 10-kilometer ruck march.
Cadets know four of the challenges in advance, but the ffth is
kept secret until the contestants reach that part of the
competition.
One of the events that will challenge the Cadets is the M16
rife disassembly, reassembly and functions check. The
second event is a hand grenade assault course, that
test cadets in throwing dummy grenades at a variety
of targets. A third event requires cadets to tie a
series of increasingly complex knots in a rope. The
fourth event, the crucible" puts cadets through a
physically demanding obstacle course as shown above
in the photos.
lf there ever was an ROTC open house event, this is it! The
cadets leave nothing on the table when it is done. lf you are
curious about ROTC training, this event highlights the toughest
aspects of it. The Maverick Battalion sent 6 teams to this years
event and all performed superbly. lf you think you have what it
takes to be the next BEST Range Buddy Challenge team, you
better start training now as the competition never rests.
MAVERICK BATTALION COMPETES AT KU
RANGER BUDDY COMPETITION
CDT Lynch and
CDT Pederson
Can you survive
the CRUCIBLE
[4]
Maverick Battalion
participates in Joint
Field Training Exercise
Held at Camp Ripley
The spring Joint feld training
exercise (JFTX) is the 2nd big
event of the school year. The JFTX
is a four day training event
designed to challenge the
leadership skills of MSlll Cadets
and prepare them for LDAC.
The JFTX also introduces new
MSls and MSlls to basic soldier
skills and squad training exercises.
ln addition the
FTX provides
the MSlv
class the
opportunity to
plan, rehearse
and execute a
multi-day
training event.
Since this is a
Joint exercise
between all
the ROTC
programs in
3rd Brigade,
MSUM was
tasked with the
following responsibilities: Weapons
Primary Marksmanship lnstruction
(PMl), Engagement skills trainer
(EST), and the weapons zero
range.
The frst day of the 2012 JFTX was
composed of PMl and the EST for
all students along with written
Land Navigation (LN) test for the
MSlll students. Day 2 comprised of
marksmanship training that started
at the zero range and then
progressed to the qualifying range
while rotating through the
rappelling tower and Field Leaders
Reaction Course (FLRC).
MSlll students during this day
conducted Day Land Navigation
(DLN) and Night Land Navigation
(NLN). The third day, and last day
of formal training consisted of DLN
for MSl and MSll students along
with Squad Training Exercises
(STX). During the STX MSlll
students are given a mission of
which they need to execute while
controlling a squad sized element
in the woods to their objective.
When Sunday comes all students
are exhausted from all the training
packed into 3 fun yet challenging
days.
JFTX PHOTOS
Cadets
navigate the
obstacle
course
Weapons Qualification
Rappelling
Road March
Confidence Course
[5]
2012 Minnesota State University Mankato 2LT Graduates of the Maverick Battalion
2LT Beal, Bryan ARNG, OD
2LT Callahan, Megan USAR, AG
2LT Campbell, Brian AD, FA
2LT Crumb, Matthew AD, FA
2LT Donovan, Osa ARNG, TC
2LT Fougner, Jonathan ARNG, EN
2LT Kaminsky, Philip ARNG, IN (DMG)
2LT Kasprisin, Jonathan AD, EN (DMG)
2LT Kienholz, Joseph AD, FA
2LT Lea, Christopher ARNG, AR
2LT Leary, Brittney AD, AN
2LT Miner, Robert AD, FA
2LT Paasch, Brett USAR, EN
2LT Pelto, Kevin AD, SC
2LT Pittelkow, Eric MC (DMG)
2LT Propst, Jonathan ARNG, FA
2LT Schmidt, Jacob ARNG, FA
2LT Sweeny, Daniel AD, AV (DMG)
2LT Switzer, Lance AD, IN (DMG)
2LT Thayer, Mario AD, IN
2LT Wingo, Nathaniel ARNG, IN
MAVERICK BATTALION
COMMISSIONS 16 OFFICERS IN MAY
2LT Pittelkow (DMG)
2LT Kaminsky (DMG) 2LT Sweeny (DMG) 2LT Kasprisin (DMG) 2LT Switzer (DMG)
[6]
MINNESOTA STATE UNIVERSITY ROTC PROGRAM CRITIQUES PROJECTS
The South Central/Southwest Minnesota Regional
Science & Engineering Fairs are a competition and an
educational experience. Minnesota state University
Mankato, regional businesses and industries, and
individuals with scientifc interests sponsors this fair
every year. Maverick Battalion through the years has
oered its support providing judges each year to help
as Special Awards Judges.
The Science fair project is the culmination of hard
work and persistent investigation. It aords a young
scientist the opportunity to share their interests with
parents, relatives, neighbors and teachers as well as
the chance to be interviewed by the judges who are
scientists, engineers, doctors and others with
scientifc interests.
The opportunity signifcantly contributes to the
education of students in the thinking process of
formulating the project and actually doing the
experiments. lt may mean the beginning of a life-long
fascination with science and the Maverick Battalion is
proud to be apart of this wonderful opportunity.
A FEW EXPERIMENTS JUDGED: FERTILIZER
EFFECTS
HEAT POWERED
WATER FILTER
DO WETLANDS
PURIFY WATER
HYDROGEN
POWER
ROTC CADETS ASSIGNED AS
SPECIAL JUDGES
FOR MINNESOTA REGIONAL SCIENCE FAIR
[7]
CDT Salazar goes to West Point to
participate in Cadet Field Training (CFT)
By: CDT Salazar
This summer I had the opportunity to attend
Cadet Field Training at West Point Military Academy in
New York. At frst l was a little nervous because l did
not know what to expect, or how challenging it was
going to be and how strict they were.
Right from the get-go I found out it was not going
to be as bad as l originally thought. During the frst
week I spent most of my time just milling around West
Point, taking in our sights and was even given a tour
of West Point and its history.
During week 2 l was issued my equipment and
moved into a training company in the area near West
Point called Camp Buckner. lf you have ever seen a
vietnam War movie of any kind and seen the
elongated buildings with the sheet metal roofs, that
was what I considered home for the following 3
weeks.not to mention it was built into the side of a
big hill.
Each company area was also aliated with a real
unit and thus proudly presented its emblem by
painting it on the walk way leading up to the
company, my company aliated itself with the 4
th

lnfantry Division. As with this company, came our
great Commander Major Wertz. In short terms he
made CFT seem almost like Special Forces training.
The quality of training he gave us was that of which
when we would go out for some routine training,
whether it be Land Navigation or out to the range for
qualifying, we would go out the evening before and
spend the night in the feld.
ln fact he had it as life-like as possible that our
Field Training Exercise (FTX), the fnal piece of
training, it felt as though we were thrown into a real
life war-time situation. We were almost always on the
move throughout the night and were also running
missions during the day. We moved around at night
so much we ending up setting a regimental record by
setting up 7 patrol bases in a period of 1 and a half to
2 days.
Because of all this moving around l think l only got
about 4-5 total hours of sleep the whole 3 days during
the FTX. But thankfully, due to the quality of training
given to us, my company was awarded 'Best
Company.' Sadly we never really got anything for
being Best Company but we did get to lead the 7 mile
run back to West Point from Camp Buckner. Looking
back at it now and even through all the hardships we
faced, l now see that this was an enjoyable and
worthwhile experience. l would defnitely recommend
this to another cadet who is given this opportunity.
CDT SALAZAR GOES
TO WEST POINT
[8]
Air Assault School Training
By: CDT Putzier
Air Assault was a great
experience, although not for the
faint of heart or the physically unft.
The frst day, Day 0, consists of
a 2-mile run and obstacle course.
One must pass both of these to
even be considered an Air Assault
student. For us, due to the heat,
the 2-mile run, which had to be
completed in 18 minutes or less,
was completed frst.
The obstacle course consisted
of 9 obstacles, which weren't all
that dicult in and of
themselves, but the
exercises we were
required to do
in between
obstacles
were designed
to physically
exhaust us
before each
obstacle.
One is given two tries to do
each obstacle and can even
outright fail one of the 7 minor
obstacles. The 2 major obstacles,
the Tough One" and the
Confdence Climb," must be
passed. lt was on this day where
we lost about 30 of our original
class size of 260.
The frst phase is easy
academically but tough physically.
PT is done two of the mornings
and a 6-mile ruck march, required
completion time of 90 minutes, is
done the morning of Day 2.
Classroom time is set aside to
learn helicopter specifcs and
pathfnder operations.
The class got smoked each
time anyone screwed up paying
attention to detail. The testing out
of phase one was very easy, with a
written test and hand-and-arm
signal test.
Phase 2 is tough academically,
but the instructors didn't smoke us
as much. Phase 2 had little
classroom time and a lot of hands-
on time. lt still required a lot of
studying and practicing of sling
load inspections. There were two
tests, one written and one
practical. Half the class failed the
practical test the frst time,
but only 14 failed the
second time around.
Phase 3 involved
rappelling, so it was
the fun phase. We
got to rappel out of
helicopters on the
second day of this
phase we were tested on
tying rappel seats, hooking up,
and rappelling the last day. We
lost 5 people during Phase 3
testing.
Graduation Day started with a
0300 12-mile ruck march. We then
ate breakfast and did graduation,
and that was the end of the school!
A couple of side notes: the heat
index reached 110 every day we
were there and we had many heat
casualties, and an Air Assault
student who failed out could insert
themselves at another Air Assault
School in the phase they failed.
Although demanding its a very
rewarding course.
AIR ASSAULT

Half
the class failed
the practical test
the hrst t|me.
[9]
My Experience in Thailand
By: CDT Putzier
CULP is a unique opportunity
presented to cadets. You are able
to travel to a foreign country and
be immersed in the culture and/or
the language, while getting paid for
it! My CULP trip was to
Thailand, where I spent
most of my time in
Bangkok. CULP
deployments run
for 31 days, with
21 days in
country and 5
days on either
end in Fort Knox.
The days in Fort
Knox are generally
spent squaring away
everyones ocial
paperwork before travel and doing
some pre-deployment cultural and
security briefs. The in-country
experience was great! I was part
of an Non Government
Organization (NGO) that was part
of a group that was put to work by
a Peace Corps-esque organization.
l worked with another cadet for fve
hours each day at a daycare in
northern Bangkok, mostly just
making sure the kids didnt get out
of hand. On our o hours, we
visited temples and experienced
the Bangkok nightlife. On the
weekends, we visited the cities of
Chiang Mai, in northern Thailand,
and Hua Hin, at the beach. Chiang
Mai was more American
tourist-oriented than
Bangkok and had
a more
pleasant
atmosphere.
Hua Hin
was
German
tourist-
oriented, so
there were
many vendors
who spoke
German. The cost of
food and lodging was incredibly
low as well, so it was a rather
economical trip. Most of the
people in the country spoke
English as well as Thai, so I didnt
have too much trouble interacting
with the natives. Overall, it was a
great experience and I would
defnitely like to return to Thailand
someday! Thailand Quick Facts
Area: 514,000 sq. km.
Capital City: Bangkok
Population: 61 Million
Language: Thai
Religion: Buddhism
Climate: Tropical
THAILAND
[10]
Next stop Rwanda Africa
By: CDT Pederson
ROTC has given me many
opportunities. My favorite coming
into my MS3 year would have to be
my CULP mission to Rwanda,
Africa. I was in a group with ten
cadets and two Cadre leaders,
Major Kelly and Captain Bethea.
Our mission for the trip to Rwanda
was to teach English to ocers in
the Rwandan Defense Force.
When I was told I was
going to Rwanda Africa I was
nervous and judgmental. I formed
pre judgments of Africa and
Rwanda before I left the United
States and every thought I had
about Rwanda before I left was
proven wrong. Rwanda is a
beautiful country, extremely clean,
and cultured. There is poverty
found across the country side and
also in the capital city of Kigali;
however the government is making
strides in improving the standard of
living for every citizen in Rwanda.
Our mission for the trip was
teaching English. It was a lot of
hard work. We started teaching at
seven in the morning and we
fnished at about noon. After
classes we had to plan our lessons
for the next day. The men and
women we taught were either
lieutenants or captains in the RDF.
They were incredibly intelligent
people. On average the RDF ocer
we taught could speak three or
four languages. All the ocers
varied in the amount of English
they could speak and understand
but they were fast learners and
they were interested and wanted to
learn English. Teaching was the
easiest part of our mission
because it is easy teaching
students with as much
determination, interest, and
motivation the RDF ocers had
every day.
On the weekends we got to
relax at the four star hotel which
was our house for our four week
duration in Rwanda and we also
went on some amazing trips. We
toured the country of Rwanda we
made it to almost every far corner
of the country. We went to the
West and saw Lake Keevu, we
went east and visited some
national museums and memorial
sites of the 1994 Rwandan
Genocide, and we went south on a
Safari at the National Park.
Rwanda is a beautiful mountainous
country.
In my three weeks, I learned
about Rwandan culture and how to
talk and form relationships with
people who live very dierent
lifestyles from our American
culture. I learned how to be
professional in a US Army
deployment and how to represent
the US Army in a foreign country
along with foreign military ocers.
During my CULP mission to
Rwanda I formed lifelong
memories and learned lifelong
lessons and I owe it all to the
people I worked with in American
and Rwanda, Mankato ROTC, and
most of all the US Army for giving
me the opportunity.
RWANDA
CULP Group before the Safari
CULP Group with RDF Officers
Hippo sighting during Safari Tour
Rwanda Quick Facts
Area: 26,300 sq. km.
Capital City: Kigali
Population: 11 Million
Language: Kinyarwanda,
French and English
Religion: Roman Catholic
Climate: Tropical Highland
[11]
Brazilian Tactics
By: CDT Grith
My CULP deployment to
Brazil was from May 27 to June 27.
I started out at Fort Knox and
ended up departing for Brazil
around June 1st. We few into Sao
Paulo, Brazil, which is the
5th largest city in the
world, after 15 hours of
fight time.
I really enjoyed
the food that we got to
eat. At most restaurants,
it was buet-style and you
payed for your food by the kilo.
The food was amazing! There was
so much meat and a lot of fresh
fruits. A big cultural dierence that
I noticed was the food and diet.
Brazilians eat 3 meals per day. The
typical breakfast is bread and
butter. For lunch and dinner, you
will typically see rice and beans,
unless you are going to a
restaurant.
We also went to a few
dierent military academies. We
got to see the Air Force Academy,
Army Academy, a Military Police
Academy, and the Brazilian Special
Forces Academy. At these
academies, we got to interact with
all of their cadets, which was a very
interesting experience. The cadets
lives are very dierent from the life
of a ROTC cadet, as it is a lot more
strict and disciplined. The Army
Academy was by far the most fun
place that we got to go to. We did
various activities such as
horseback riding with their calvary
team, front rappelling, shooting
assault rifes like the FAL, and see
a feld artillery and armor live fre.
The other academies that we went
to were basic introductions of their
academies.
Another activity that we
experienced was hiking in the
Amazon and feeding monkeys. I
got to take amazing pictures
of Brazils beautiful land
and feed wild monkeys
right from my hand.
The monkeys would
jump on you and climb
like it was nothing. It
was a little scary at frst
because you do not see a wild
monkey on an average day, but
come to fnd out they were quite
harmless. All they wanted was a
banana.
We volunteered a lot at
dierent places. One of my
favorite places to volunteer at, was
a drug rehabilitation center. I really
feel like we made a dierence in
these peoples lives. A lot of them
had tattoos, so I was able to
connect with them right away. We
played soccer with them, painted
some walls and cooked food with
them. The biggest dierence we
made was just giving them
someone to talk to. It is truly
amazing how big of a dierence
you can make in someones life just
by talking to them.
The last thing we did, which
was in my opinion the most fun
activity was going to a mixed
martial arts club. MMA is
becoming just as big as soccer in
Brazil. These fghters have true
skill. They taught us dierent
moves and we got to train with
some of the best fghters in the
world. To say the least, I learned a
lot and I would not want to meet
one of them in a dark alley.
Overall, my CULP Brazil
deployment was a great
experience. I had a lot of fun! A lot
of these activities I will never get to
do again in my entire life. It was
really a once in a lifetime
experience and I learned a lot
about dierent cultures and
customs.
Brazil Quick Facts
Area: 8,514,877 km
Capital City: Brasilia
Population: 193,946,886
Language: Portuguese
Religion: Catholic
Climate: Tropical
BRAZIL

[12]
Enjoying the island culture
of Micronesia
By: CDT Watts
During my CULP I had a great
time. It was a once in a life
time experience to enjoy a
place you'd probably never
go to. You get to meet new
people in ROTC doing the
same thing you are, in
addition to experiencing a
new culture and dierent
kind of people depending
on where you are in the world.
I got to teach kids as part of
the PICS program sponsored by
the upward bound program. My
group taught a class to kids in
sophomore and junior level high
school classes. We taught english,
math and some science to the best
of our ability. We also did a lot of
great activities like snorkeling,
mountain climbing, hiking,
swimming, and visit places like the
Ruins of Non Madol.
How many times will you ever
get to go visit a country for 30 days
at no cost while learning about
another culture. If you are
considering ROTC you should
take advantage of the CULP
program they oer.
MICRONESIA
CDT Watts
with local
villagers
Micronesia Quick Facts
Area: Consists of
thousands of islands
Capital: Palikir
Population: Mix of
Melanesians, Polynesians
and Filipinos.
Language: Austronesian
Language family
Religion: Roman Catholic
[13]
Medical Internship in
Honolulu Hawaii
By: CDT Clinchoc
After completion of LDAC, I
made my trip for follow on training
to Tripler Army Medical Center in
Honolulu, HI for an AMEDD
internship where I would
shadow multiple areas.
I started with the
Virology, and Immunology
lab, where I followed a
specialist who is a 68K
(clinical laboratory
specialist). I learned the
basic laboratory
techniques for D3 Fast,
of which is a clinical test
for 6 dierent respiratory
infections.
I performed the
test per standard
operating
procedures (SOP) for
the lab, and was able
to see through the
microscope frst hand
what the test showed
as well as what
positive samples
looked like.
In the lab, I also
shadowed a civilian who
performed various other tests for
tuberculosis using quantiferon
testing. She also performed
laboratory tests for HPV from
patients who were found to have a
high risk.
The one downside that I saw of
the 71A (Microbiologist), is the
ocer side is not hands on with
the testing, and perform mostly
oce work. The ocer that I
shadowed before he left on
vacation, performed only minimal
research and was very rarely in the
lab.
The upside of being able to
shadow a Medical Service ocer is
that it gave me the
opportunity
to see my future job, and I decided
that Medical Service is not the job
for me.
The following week I shadowed
a Physician Assistant in the
Emergency Department as a
possible career choice. I worked in
the EDs gold area where they saw
patients that were considered a 4
or 5, that meant that had minimal
injuries that could be handled
quickly so they could be treated at
a fast rate and then discharged to
allow for a more ecient turn
around rate.
I saw various procedures
performed to include lab testing,
patient interactions with the PA,
and the ability of the PA to keep
me informed about the tests they
were going to
perform, and the
reasoning behind it.
I was able to get a
good grasp on what
a Physician
Assistants role is in
the Emergency
Department, so I can
utilize that information
to decide my future
course of action.
I also was informed of
the IPAP (Interservice
Physician Assistant
Program) where I
could apply, and
possibly use that to
help further my
career goals instead
of utilizing the
civilian side.
During this time I
was able to see a wide variety of
procedures to include suture
removal, UTIs, respiratory
infections, muscle and bone
injuries to include breaks, and
corneal scratches of the eye. I had
the opportunity to interact with
dierent professions of the Army
based on the case to help
determine the best course of
action for the patient.
[14]
Medical Internship in
Hawaii cont.
I also shadowed a CPT in
Vascular Surgery who was a
resident. I was able to work with
them on one of their
clinical days where
they sat in with
patients, and listened
to their problems to
determine which
procedures would be
best for their future.
Vascular surgery
looks at the veins and
arterys throughout
the body that may be
obstructed from
plaque, and they
place either stints or
do bypasses in order to correct the
problem.
I also had the opportunity to
enter the operating room to see
some of the various procedures to
include a bilateral temporal artery
biopsy, where there was an 89 year
old female who was having both
her temporal arteries removed for a
biopsy to determine if there was
impeding blood fow to her optic
nerve that was causing her vision
to change.
I saw a wound debridement of
a male that had an amputated leg,
and they were debriding the dead
skin that was located in the wound
by using a saline solution. They
then placed a wound vac onto his
lower extremity to remove the
excess fuid that was seeping out
of the wound.
Vascular surgery also plays a
large role in varicose vein removal
and I saw several of those
procedures where they place
several puncture marks along the
vein to be removed, and then they
use hook type utensils to pull out
the vein that is superfcial and
close to the skin surface. They
also used a procedure called laser
abrasion where they insert a
catheter like tube through the
saphenous vein that goes along
the thigh, and they use a laser that
after time will slowly close the vein
o.
I even saw an arteriovenous
fstula for a patient to better
undergo dialysis. They take an
artery and a vein close to the
elbow, and they attach the artery to
the vein in order to get greater
blood fow to the area which allows
the vein to get bigger in size to
allow for more blood fow for
dialysis, so the procedure does not
take as long if the vein is bigger.
I was not able to see the
following procedure, but the last
procedure the day was a skin
graft of a man who had about an
8cm by 12cm area that was
about 2 cm deep into his lower
leg, and he also had a similar
wound on his foot. He had been
using wound vacs as well to keep
the wound free from liquid, and
safe from the environmental
bacteria.
The AMEDD internship was a
great opportunity for anyone
thinking of going into the medical
feld. Our cadre here were very
helpful in allowing us to move
throughout the hospital to dierent
areas so we could be
exposed to various
aspects of the feld.
After I explained to
him that I no longer
liked the lab, he was
very eager to get me
to a new area the
following week so
that I could get the
optimal experience of
the hospital. I would
encourage anyone to
apply for this internship, and I
would do it again in a heartbeat.
We were also able to enjoy much
of the island traveling around to go
on hikes that overlooked the
ocean, and 2LT Emde was nice
enough to take us around the
island to see all the sites.
[15]
CDT Wilson 2nd CDT this
sumer to visit HAWAII for
Medical Internship
By: CDT Wilson
On the CLS training day at LDAC
SFC Vereen, my platoon NCO,
called me out of training to ask me
a question. He asked, CDT
Wilson, your school called and
they want to know if you would like
to do a medical
internship after
LDAC? I didnt
have anything
scheduled for the
rest of the summer
so obviously my
response was,
Where is the
internship? SFC
Vereen had no idea
where the internship
was, but l fgured no
matter what it would
be a good
experience so I told
him I would love to
go. He
congratulated me and for the next
2 weeks I didnt hear anything
about where I was going after
LDAC. Once I found out where I
was going I was more than thrilled
that I decided to go without
knowing where I was going. I
headed home for a week after
LDAC, and then I head to Tripler
Army Medical Center in Hawaii!
I landed in Hawaii and was
immediately stunned by the beauty
of the island of Oahu. From the
airport I headed up to the big pink
hospital on the hill. We stayed at
the guest house above the
hospital, even farther up the hill the
hospital is on, 112 stairs higher to
be exact. Those stairs got a little
long after a 12 hour shift, but
defnitely worth it for the
experience I gained while working
in the hospital.
The frst two weeks l was in
the hospital, I worked in General
Surgery/Trauma Care. I learned
more in those two weeks than I
could have dreamed of in a
classroom setting. Rounds
started at 0545 and after rounds
was morning report. At morning
report two days a week the
residents at the hospital presented
patient cases and explained why
they chose to take the steps that
were being taken for each case.
The residents used blood work and
multiple journals and other
information to explain their
reasoning. The notes I took in
those mornings, flled half of a
composition notebook. Following
morning report I would head to
either the clinical setting or to my
favorite, the operating room (OR).
The frst surgery l sat in on
in the OR was a simple melanoma
(skin cancer) removal. The surgery
was simple and a very good way to
ease me into the OR. After the
melanoma removal I got to see a
laparoscopica laparoscope is a
camera that is put through a hole
in the skin and used to conduct a
surgery without fully opening a
personcholecystectomya gall
bladder removal. The surgery was
amazing. I got to see many of the
body functions I have learned
about through anatomy and
physiology classes live and frst
hand. The surgery took much
longer than expected due to
complications with infection,
but I learned a vast amount
due to the sta physician who
stayed with me throughout the
surgery to answer any
questions I had.
That night following
the cholecystectomy I was
told to study my heart and
lung anatomy. I had no idea
why I needed to do this, but I
followed the instructions and
showed up ready for anything
the next day. This day was
probably my favorite day in
the OR. The morning started with
a right upper lung lobectomy due
to lung cancer. Then following that
I got to see the most amazing
surgery. I got to sit and watch a
Coronary Artery Bypass Graft.
Also known as open heart surgery
or CABGpronounced cabbage.
They decided to skip using the
heart lung machine during the
surgery, so I got to watch the heart
beat as the doctors conducted
their surgery. This surgery takes
multiple hours, but I was
completely enthralled throughout
the whole process.
Continued on page 16
[16]
CDT Wilson Hawaii
Internship continued
I saw multiple surgeries
following the CABG, but those
were the major highlights of my
time in the operating room (OR).
After the OR I spent the
majority of my time in the
Emergency Department. This
Department at Tripler AMC was
very busy due to the Navys
RIMPAC exercises.
I saw everything from broken
ankles to severe motorcycle
accidents; simple coughs or small
gashes. The environment in the
emergency room (ER) was much
faster pace than the OR, but I still
learned a signifcant amount.
The ER defnitely taught me the
need to make quick and well
thought out decisions. This will
defnitely help me in all aspects of
my future Army career.
Aside from
my time
working in the
hospital, I also
got to spend a
signifcant
amount of
time exploring
the island of
Oahu. Between the hikes, Waikiki,
Luaus and the North Shore.
However evan a month was not
enough time for me to see
everything I wanted to see.
The most amazing hike I went
on was the Koko Head Crater Trail
hike. The trail is about 3300 feet
long and rises around 1200 feet.
Hiking to the multiple water falls
around the island was also quite
incredible. The 160 foot tall Manoa
Falls wasn't fowing with a rush of
water yet was still breath taking.
Maunawili Falls gave me the
opportunity to cli dive from 40
feet over the pool under the water
fall.
Luaus gave me the chance to
eat some great pork and
experience culture Im not
accustomed to. Of course no trip
to Hawaii is complete without
some time on the beach.
Waimanalo Beach was a
fabulous way to conclude my
internship. The shallow teal water
backed by the unimaginably blue
water of the deep ocean
surrounded by island bird
sanctuaries left me with an
unforgettable memory of my time
in Hawaii.
After my time in Hawaii
at Tripler AMC I know
that I could not ask for
a better internship than
the one I got through
ROTC. I not only got
to work in a hospital
setting and learn an
immense amount
about a future desired profession.
I also got to explore a culture
very dierent from my own and
explore one of the most beautiful
islands in the world. After
spending my 28 days in Hawaii I
am sure glad I said I would go on
this internship, even though I had
no idea it would take me to Hawaii.
HAWAII
Hawaii Quick Facts
Area: 10,931 sq. mi
Capital: Honolulu
Population: 1.3 million
Language: English,
Hawaiian
Highest point: Mauna Kea
13,796 ft
[17]
Cadet Troop Leadership
Training (CTLT) Experience
at Fort Riley
By: CDT McGillick
I spent the latter part of my
summer at Fort Riley, KS
participating in Cadet Troop
Leadership Training (CTLT). It was
a valuable experience and showed
me what is
expected from
2LT's. It also
showed me
how an active
duty unit
works. I had
more
responsibilities
than I had
originally
expected due
to the fact that
there was an
inexperienced
PSG and a new
2LT.
I was assigned to Charlie
Company, 2-34 Armor Battalion
and responsible for 16 soldiers of
2nd Platoon. With this
responsibility I was required to
attend leaders' meetings every
morning at 0600 and report on
what 1st platoon had completed
and the missions they were going
to accomplish.
I helped prepare the company
for its six week Division level
Augmentation Reaction Force
(ARF), planned and implemented
training for the Platoon, assisted
with sensitive item inventory and
ensured all weapons and
equipment where maintained and
accounted for.
I also learned and assisted with
many administrative tasks, such as
writing CONOPs (Concept of the
Operation), OERs (Ocer
Evaluation Report) and NCOERs
(Noncommissioned Ocer
Evaluation Reports). There were
many other tasks that had to be
accomplished
each day that
kept me busy.
Despite the job,
CTLT wasn't all
work. I was
able to do
some things
that most
ROTC Cadets
don't have the
chance to do. I
had the
opportunity to
use the tank
driver
simulators, fy
in Black Hawk helicopters, and
serve as PL (Platoon Leader)
during Dreadnaught First
Responder MOUT practical
exercises.
Overall, I think CTLT is a great
program and would recommend it
to anyone that wants to better
prepare for their future as an
Ocer. I had to do more work than
most Cadets, but l am defnitely
better prepared and feel better
prepared to meet my frst platoon. l
learned many things that I will take
with me into my active duty military
career.
FORT RILEY
FT Riley Quick Facts
Location: Kansas
Area: 5,760 acres
Named after: Gen. Bennet
Riley
Original Purpose:
Established in 1852 to
protect travelers on the
Santa Fe Trail from
attacks by Native
Americans.
[18]
CDT Sawtelle goes to New
York for CTLT
By: CDT Sawtelle
I attended CTLT at Ft. Drum
with 1 PLT D CO, part of 2-22 INF
("triple deuce"), which is home of
10th Mountain Division that has
served frequent deployments in the
past decade.
l spent my frst weekend with
the infantry platoon I was assigned
to and watched them do some last
minute training for the Expert
Infantry Badge competition coming
up the following week.
While the unit tested for the EIB
throughout the frst week, l spent
time in the 1st platoon oce with
the PSG and learned about
administrative duties.
When I wasn't attending cadet
briefngs from various post
commanders I spent time with the
company XO as well as the
company Commander who
introduced me to some previous
operation orders they had trained
with.
Once the EIB competition had
fnished up i continued to shadow
my PL and PSG where I was
introduced to things like
counseling, keeping track of
property, and preventative motor
check services.
Since they were a heavy
weapons company they had
smaller numbers than a
conventional infantry company and
could ft in 4 or 5 humvees per
platoon.
With that kind of setting l was
exposed to some of the heavier
weapons they utilized as well as
the tactics they employed, such as
screening movements.
I also got a chance to visit
some of the surrounding cities like
Watertown and Alexandria Bay
which hosted an annual event
called Riverfest.
Due to their schedule at the
time and the EIB event, my
sponsoring company did not have
a lot of rigorous training planned
but the experience was invaluable
and I learned some important
things that a platoon leader does
on a weekly basis.
FORT DRUM
FT Drum Quick Facts
Location: New York
Area: 107,265 acres
Named after: Lt. Gen.
Hugh A. Drum
Original Purpose:
Established originally in
1908 as the Pine Plains
was ideal for military
training exercises.
[19]
CTLT at Fort Benning
By: CDT Wesolowski
Iparticipated inCTLT at
FortBenning Georgia and was
assigned to C Co 1-19 IN,
198thBDE Sandhill.
For those of you who don't
know, the 198thBDE
isresponsible for training some
of the fnest lnfantrymen on the
planet. I had twothoughtsinitially
when I was informed I was
assigned to the 198th.
First, that I was going home. I
went to basic training here
onSandhill 12 years ago and I was
my fnal duty assignment before l
separated from the Army in 2008.
Second, what on earth are they
going to have me do with a basic
training unit and what beneft will it
be to me?
This came to mind, since the
whole purpose ofCTLT is to
shadow a Platoon Leader (PL) and
learn the tricks of the trade when it
comes to managing a platoon.
Basic Training platoons do not
havePLs. I quickly discovered how
much more of abeneft this would
be.
During my time attached to C
Co 1-19 IN I shadowed two
ocers. The Company
Commander,CPT Morris and
theCompanyExecutive Ocer
(XO),1LT Choe. There is the frst
beneft. l had theopportunity to
follow, observe and be mentored
by two Ocers, not just one PL.
In addition the this, I was able
to interact with 4 Senior Drill
Sergeants and 6 Drill Sergeants.
Many of these NCOs have already
been Platoon Sergeants and the
rest will more than likely fall into
the Platoon Sergeant position once
their time on the trail is complete.
Lastly, the trainees of C Co
1-19. This cycle rotation was a
splitoption cycle. The splitoption
is anopportunity for National
GuardInitial Entry Trainees to
complete the frst 9 weeks of Basic
Training during the Summer
between their Junior and Senior
years of High School. This
translated into 95% of the trainees
being only 17 years old.
While at CTLT, I was assigned a
few "homework" assignments. I
conducted anInitial Counseling of
one of the Senior Drill Sergeants to
mimic what it would be like when I
arrived at my frst duty assignment.
I was provided feedback and
critiqued on my method and ability.
I also was given
theresponsibility of planning,
coordinating and supervising one
of the training events. The event
assigned to me was theM249
SAW andM240B machine gun
range. Planningincluded the hour
by hour timeline for anything
associated with the event to
included Instructor walkthrough of
PMI, the event itself and
concurrent training.
Coordinating this event
included Recon of the training site,
flling out theappropriate
paperwork with both the range
cadre and civilian range
personnel and backbriefng the
XO on the training event. The
supervising portion required me
to ensure the days training
adhered to what was planned
and adjusted when deemed
appropriate.
Another "homework"
assignment was to plan a weeks
worth of training for anupcoming
cycle. Once the plan was
complete, the plan wasbriefed to
the Company Commander.
Aside from these assignments,
I participated in the same training
that the trainees were involved in.
This included: an APFT; Basic Rife
Qualifcation; a week of Advanced
Rife Marksmanship which included
engaging target from a barrier and
moving target ranges; Throwing
live hand grenades; Firing the
M249, M240B,M2 .50 cal, MK-19
grenade launcher, M-203, AT-4
qualifcation (9mm), High crawled
through the Night lnfltration
Course where live7.76mm rounds
were fred overhead; and ran
through an Obstacle Course.
Overall my time at FortBenning
was a benefcial experience. l was
able to observe how a functioning
unit operates, continue to build
develop my leadership style, as
well as explore the culture of
downtown Columbus.
[20]
Do you want to be put into a
dynamic, challenging and
rewarding leadership position
immediately after graduating
from a university, instead of
waiting for years to reach a
position of real responsibility?
Do you want to join one of the
most esteemed institutions in
America? Do you want to join an
organization where your
advancement is based solely on
your job performance and
commitment, and not by who
you know or your connections?
Are you interested in pushing
yourself to achieve and do more
than you ever thought you
could? If you answered yes to
any of these, then becoming an
Army officer through Army
ROTC could be the answer, and
the Maverick Battalion Army
ROTC wants to talk to you.
With cadets from Minnesota
State University, Mankato
(MSU), Gustavus Adolphus
College (GAC) and
Bethany Lutheran
College (BLC), the
Maverick Battalion
program produces
highly trained
and qualified
Second
Lieutenants for
the U.S. Army.
Our graduates
serve in the Active
Duty Army, National
Guard, and Army Reserves.
We are one of 270 Army ROTC
programs scattered across
America. We provide college
elective courses that will expand
your leadership skills. We send
our cadets to structured and
challenging leadership
internships known as National
Advanced Leadership Camp
and Leaders Training Course
each year. We also offer exciting
summer training/internship
opportunities for our most
committed cadets, including
Airborne, Air Assault, Nurse
Summer Training, and Cadet
Troop Leader Training.
If you are a freshman or
sophomore and aren't sure if
service to the nation as an Army
officer is right for you, give our
MSL 100 and 200 level courses
a try. There is NO obligation and
is open to any university
student. Our MSL 300 and 400
level courses are only for those
committed to the program and
becoming an Army Officer.
If you're up to the challenge of
becoming an Army officer and
are committed to excellence, I
look forward to having you join
our program.
WHAT IS THE MAVERICK BN
ROTC PROGRAM?
A member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System and an A rmative Action/Equal Opportunity University.
This document is available in alternative format to individuals with disabilities by calling
Department or O ce Military Science at 507-389-6229 (v), 800-627-3529 or 711 (MRS/TTY).
|hT8$T0 |h 80T0
Call (507) 389-6220
08 $T0P 8Y:
Department of
Military Science
and Leadership
316 Wicking Center
Mankato, MN 56001
Are
yo0 0p to the
cha||eoge oI
becom|og ao
0Ihcer