MIT NROTC

Editor: MIDN 3/c Brian Foley FALL 2011

THE LOG Inside this issue:

POW/MIA Parade 2

Holy Cross MEC 3

CORTRAMID 4

Semper Fidelis 5

Officer Candidate School

6

Birthday Ball 6

4/c Indoctrination 7

Welcome 4/c! 8-10

By MIDN 4/c Joseph Brennan

Students shuffle

(Lobby 10) in droves each day, hardly noticing the solemn inscriptions on the walls that surround them in the midst of their busy academic lives. The scene at Lobby 10 was far dif-ferent on Friday, September 16th. Just a day earlier, Presi-

dent Barack Obama signed a proclamation designating Sep-tember 16th as National POW/MIA Recognition Day in re-

vice members who are, or were, either Missing in Action (MIA) or Prisoners of War (POW). Though vigils for those who are, or were, MIA or POW have been taking place across the country for years, for the first time there is a day dedicated to remembering their sacrifice. President Obama echoed the promise of generations of grateful Ameri-cans with the invocation of the

On September 16th,

Midshipmen and Cadets of

Force ROTC programs heeded the call to remembrance with a 24 hour Vigil in honor of those brave service members who never returned home. The War Memorial was adorned for the Vigil with a display con-sisting of an American Flag, a flag from each of the four ser-vices, a POW/MIA Flag, and a

wreath. For 24 continuous hours, Midshipmen and Cadets marched back and forth across the display, saluting at the mid-dle of the display, and once again at each end. The Midship-men and Cadets marched rev-erently, each of their steps in honor of those who came be-fore them, each of their salutes to those who sacrificed so much. In addition to the Mid-shipman or Cadet who was currently marching, a Midship-man or Cadet was always on scene to make sure that no one walked through the cere-mony and to answer the ques-tions of curious bystanders.

Eight Naval ROTC Midshipman participated in the

ceremony. MIDN Anderson (MIT), Brown (Harvard), Dougherty (MIT), Foley (MIT), Hubbard (MIT), Lu (MIT), and McCoy (MIT), under the direc-

Sykora (MIT), spent time pre-paring for the ceremony and ensured that it successfully paid tribute to those brave men and women it was meant to com-memorate. When asked about

why he wanted to participate in the ceremony, MIDN Sykora

really wanted to participate in the Vigil because it gives me a good opportunity to reflect and pay tribute to those who served our country and have been taken as Prisoners of War or are Missing in Ac-tion. I think it is important that

we all remember that there are these men and women who gave a great sacrifice to our country. I was honored to be able to organize this recogni-tion of these service members and be able to show the public

POW/MIA VIGIL: STOPPING TO REMEMBER

and Cadets

marched

reverently, each

of their steps in

honor of those

who came before

Page 2 FALL 2011

time there is a

day dedicated to

remembering

By MIDN 3/c Catherine Philbin

Excellence Competition (MEC) was certainly one to remem-ber. Bright and early on Sep-tember 11, 2011 the Boston area Midshipmen were ready to go. They got into vans and headed to Holy Cross for a day of action packed competition. Upon arriving at Holy Cross they were met by dozens of teams from NROTC Units in the Northeast. Some teams even came from Maine! How-ever, the other NROTC Units did not faze the Boston Mid-shipmen.

The Boston Midship-men were tremendously suc-cessful during the MEC. Some notable competitions include swim relays, squad drill, and ironman/iron woman. During the swim relays MIDN 3/c Byrne, MIDN 1/c Fowler, MIDN 1/c Kipping-Ruane, and MIDN 2/c Kausch swam their hearts out. They respectively swam Backstroke, Breast-stroke, Butterfly, and Freestyle in a 200 meter medley relay. As stated by MIDN 3/c Byrne,

no other team even [came] close to challenging our speed

the 200 meter medley relay they also swam a 200 meter and 400 meter Freestyle relay where victory was also achieved.

Another competi-tion that went well for the Old Ironsides Battalion was the armed squad drill compe-tition. MIDN 3/c Mehrman was squad leader. This com-petition consisted of drill with rifles. When asked about the drill competition MIDN 3/c Mehrman responded that

ing that they changed the rou-tine up 10 minutes before we

competition was one of chal-lenge and hard work that brought the Consortium to-gether. In addition to drill, there was the iron woman

consisted of MIDN 3/c Lu, MIDN 4/c Chen, MIDN 2/c Meadon, and MIDN 2/c San-ford. The competition consist-ed of pullups, pushups, situps, chair dips, and a 3-mile run (3/4

of a mile was uphill). The team came in 3rd place overall, and

a great work out and team-

Overall, the Holy Cross MEC was an excellent opportunity for the Boston area Midshipmen to represent the Old Ironsides Battalion. Through their hard work, de-termination, and dedication it was clear that the Old Iron-sides Battalion is outstanding.

Another MEC for Old Ironsides

even [came]

close to

challenging our

speed and

Page 3 FALL 2011

THE LOG

By MIDN 3/c Joshua Prince

The perfect blue sky and calm weather on arrival was typical of San Diego and foreshadowed the great experi-ence CORTRAMID West would become.

In Hotel Company, we had a rotation of Aviation Week, Marine Week, Surface Week, and Sub Week (best rotation ever). Appropriately, before Aviation Week, the relaxed weekend was kicked off with a huge picnic beach party along with an invasion of the San Diego Zoo by over 500 midshipmen.

During Aviation Week everyone got an oppor-tunity to fly in both a T-34C Mentor and an SH-60S Sea-hawk. However, most of Avia-tion week was spent on the ground asking questions and learning about the different missions and capabilities of the Aviation community. To end the week, we spent a morning at Naval Special Warfare Com-mand. After an informative brief on Naval Special Forces and after completing the SEAL obstacle course, we had the

weekend to gear up for Marine week.

If I could sum Marine Week up in one word, it would be: motivating. Driving around in AAVs, watching military working dogs, shooting M240s, M203s, AT4s, M16s, and learn-ing about IEDs was informative and exciting. The most valua-ble experiences of Marine Week were the interactions with Marines. Every night we listened to a different speaker recount his latest tour in Af-ghanistan. Listening to their stories and advice on leader-ship was a necessary reality check and lesson for us as fu-ture officers in the Navy and Marine Corps.

Surface Week fol-lowed and was a great experi-ence. For just over two days, I went underway on LHA 5, the USS Peleliu. Touring the com-partments, participating in DC Olympics, and watching the Harrier operations were amaz-ing. Some of us even got an opportunity to try our hand at the helm. One of the highlights of the week was the opportuni-ty to experience an LCS Inde-pendence Class simulator.

Surface Week was eye opening and demonstrated the exciting missions I could encounter as a future SWO.

CORTRAMID West ended with Sub Week for Ho-tel Company, and it was noth-ing short of amazing. The DC simulator was better than the USS Buttercup and the control simulator--simulating the con-trol room of an SSN--was thrilling. Underway on the USS Kentucky (SSBN 737) proved to be a great experience and I got to witness some of the best sailors in the Navy.

Whether it was hang-ing out in San Diego in the Gas lamp district, going to Balboa Park, visiting the beach, making homemade ravioli at the Curtis residence, or firing the .50 cal off the USS Peleliu, CORTRA-MID was the best vacation ever. The great weather, the city of San Diego, and the hard work of the men and women of the US Navy and Marine Corps ensured that CORTRA-MID was both an informative and amazing time never to forget.

CORTRAMID WEST 2011

Marine Week

up in one word,

it would be:

was the best

FALL 2011 Page 4

By Midn 3/c Catherine Brown It is amazing how quickly one can adjust to starting the day in darkness. The average college student might find a 0900 class to be a toll, but for the members of the Semper Fidelis Society, there is nothing unordinary about waking before sunrise. We are pulled from our beds by a calling strong-er than that of a few extra hours of sleep. For many of us in SFS, this calling is to join the proud tradi-tion of the United States Marine Corps. Each early morning, each mile ran, each push-up, sit-up, fire-man-carry, or rope climb, each drip of sweat, brings us that much closer to earning the title of US Marine. New challenges are at-tacked with enthusiasm as another opportunity to improve and devel-op as a future leader. There was a Saturday morning spent hiking through Lexington and Concord, improving both our bodies and minds through physical exertion and new knowledge of our na-

ends spent in the woods of Fort Devens, gaining experience in land navigation, fireteam and squad tac-tics, and leadership reaction cours-

es. And on 10 NOV, the Society read the citations of Marine Medal of Honor recipients and conducted exercises in memory of each of them, symbolizing the unity shared by past, present, and future Marines. Yet while the Marines and the Marine Options of NROTC form the bulk of the Semper Fidelis Society, there are those Navy Options that con-sistently come out to train, proving that the experience is valuable for future officers of any branch. In truth, SFS is about training to become the best we can be. We strive always to hold ourselves to a higher stand-er, continually improving our mental and physical dis-cipline and challenging ourselves to be better. We strive toward the values of the Marine Corps, to-ward contin-uous im-provement, toward per-fection. We sweat and learn so that one day, we may have the honor of lead-ing and serving men and women of the US military and of defend-ing this great nation that we call home.

SEMPER FIDELIS

Page 5 FALL 2011

By Midn 1/c William Dougherty

This past summer, I attended Officer Candidate School in Quantico, Virginia. It was the culmination of three years of work, stress, and strain in my ROTC career. It was the first time that I was no longer just acting as a Marine, but in-stead taking the first step in earning the title. The six weeks there was the longest time span in my life. The end state goal of OCS is not to train future offic-ers; rather, it is simply to deter-mine if they possess the requisite mental and physical attributes to one day, potentially, lead Ma-rines. Simply put, OCS was a job interview.

That being said, it was so much more than any other job interview. What takes place down in the swamps and woods

on Quantico will remain in the minds of Marine Corps Officers forever. It is an experience like no other, a vast leap from the civilian to the Marine mindset. Every Marine is bound to every other Marine, and that bond is formed in the sand pits at Parris Island, the mountains at San Diego, and the woods at Quantico. That bond is earned, not given. In the end, OCS is not an experience that can be retold or explained or de-scribed; the only way to under-stand it is to go there.

Officer Candidate School

Birthday Ball Bash

a clamor. Before anyone really knew what was going on, there stood before us a real life replica of the second flag raising at Iwo Jima, brought to you by the Marine option midshipmen. Then the napkins went over the eyes of the bewildered 4/c as they competed for dance floor glory. As usual, the MIT battalion won with a classy perfor-mance by MIDN 4/c Humber who showed his mastery of the Bernie. Soon thereafter the guest of honor Captain Majors made her way to the dance floor and showed all the midshipmen that there is no school like the old school.

By MIDN 4/c Sebastian Saldivar

Remember, remember the 4th of November. This year, the 4th of November out shown the 5th because of the celebration for the 236th birth-day of the Navy and Marine Corps.

campus, the birthday ball was a great occasion for the Boston midshipmen and staff to see their Cambridge coun-terparts. Everyone looked sharped in their service dress blues, but the sword detail stole the show with a perfor-mance of precision. The cake detail and color guard also did a fine job repre-senting their units during the ceremoni-al cake cutting. Shortly following, a flash of green came through the doors with

was no longer just acting as a

Marine, but instead taking the

Page 6 FALL 2011

   

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4/c Indoctrination

Page 7 FALL 2011

OLD IRONSIDES WELCOMES INCOMING MIDSHIPMEN

Page 8 FALL 2011

MIDN 4/c Stephanie Akpunku is a freshman at MIT, and plans to study Brain and Cognitive Sciences. She is from Irving, Texas and enjoys dancing, sports, and volunteering. MIDN Akpunku also enjoys searching Wikipedia and speaks Igbo. She hopes to join the Medical Community.

MIDN 4/c Joseph Brennan is a freshman at Harvard, and plans to study Human Evolutionary Biology. He is from Boerne, Texas and would like to participate in public service at Harvard. MIDN Brennan has won a wild hog wrestling competition. He is considering the Surface Warfare Com-munity and EOD.

MIDN 4/c Joanna Chen is a freshman at MIT, and intends to study Biological Engineering. She is from Richland, Washing-

MIDN Chen has a twin sister and twin younger siblings (as well as an older brother). She is undecided as to which na-val community she would like to enter.

MIDN 4/c Angel De La Cruz is a freshman at MIT, and plans to study Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. He is from Fabens, Texas and is the first person in his family to serve in the military. MIDN De La Cruz hopes to enter the Aviation Community.

OLD IRONSIDES WELCOMES INCOMING MIDSHIPMEN

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MIDN 4/c David Forsey is a freshman at Tufts, and intends on majoring in Mechanical Engineering.

MIDN 4/c Connor Humber is a freshman at MIT, and in-tends to study Nuclear Engineering. He is from Nashua, NH and sings for the Logs, an A Capella group. MIDN Humber has traveled to Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Netherlands. He would like to join the Submarine or Sur-face Warfare Community.

MIDN 4/c Stephen Johnson is a freshman at MIT, and plans to study Chemical Engineering. He is from Green Bay, Wiscon-sin and enjoys skiing. His love for skiing is so great that he has even experimented by skiing in jello three times. At MIT, MIDN Johnson participates in Roadkill Buffet, an improve comedy group. He hopes to join the Submarine Warfare community.

MIDN 4/c Erik Klatt is a freshman at MIT, and plans to study Me-chanical Engineering. He is from Uniontown, Pennsylvania and is very musically inclined. He has played the piano for 11+ years and the saxophone for 8+ years, and hopes to start learning the cello in the near future. At MIT, MIDN Klatt intends on participating in

like to join the Aviation or Submarine Warfare

MIDN 4/c Bridget McCoy is a freshman at MIT, and plans to study Mechanical Engineering. She is from Aurora, Illinois and was homeschooled as a child. MIDN McCoy enjoys backpacking and intends on participating in Club Ultimate Frisbee and Dance Troupe while at MIT. She hopes to en-ter the Aviation Community.

OLD IRONSIDES WELCOMES INCOMING MIDSHIPMEN

Page 10 FALL 2011

MIDN 4/c Vadim Reytblat is a freshman at Tufts, and plans to study Mechanical Engineering. He is from Ukraine, but was

include hiking, soccer, and searching Wikipedia. He speaks Russian, has biked up a volcano, and owns a motorcycle li-cense. MIDN Reytblat would like to enter the Surface War-fare Community

MIDN 4/c Sebastian Saldivar is a freshman at Harvard, and plans to study Engineering. He is from Dallas, Texas and is a descendant of Genghis Khan. MIDN Saldivar intends on participating in Harvard Boxing and Veritas Financial. He would like to enter the Submarine Warfare Community.

MIDN 4/c Joshua Vagts is a freshman at MIT, and plans to study Chemistry. He is from Crofton, Maryland and is a

regards to which community he would like to enter.

MIDN 4/c Rachel Weinberg is a freshman at MIT, and plans to study Aerospace Engineering. She is from Manassas, Vir-ginia and was born on the 4th of July. MIDN Weinberg plays Varsity Lacrosse for MIT, has a black belt in Tae Kwon Doe, and wants to become an astronaut. She would like to enter the Aviation Community.

   

   

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