PMS&L October 2015 Update
Oct 27, 2015The Buckeye Battalion continues to lead the way in the brigade and across the country. As alumni, we couldn’t be more proud. Below is an update from Professor of Military Science and Leadership, Lt. Col. Jim Bunyak:
Army ROTC Buckeye Alumni,
Another busy month. I hope everyone had a great homecoming. Cadets and I took the Ohio State homecoming to the Alumni in the DC area who couldn’t get back to Columbus.
State of the Corps of Cadets
We have 168 enrolled cadets. We have a commission mission of 25, but will commission 27 this year.
Army Ten Miler:
Two teams from The Ohio State University Army ROTC competed in the Army Ten Miler. 16 Cadets participated from OSU. The men’s team placed 21st out of 80 teams with a four-man combined time of 4 hours and 30 minutes and the Co-ed team placed 46th with a time of 5 hours and 11 minutes. BG (R) Keith McNamara hosted the ten miler teams to a cookout at his house following the race with several promenade OSU Army ROTC Alumni including, LTG John Murray, MG (R) Richard Sherlock, and BG (R) Jeffery Horne. Cadets had an opportunity to talk with the alumni about leadership, Army ROTC, and the Buckeye Battalion. A special thanks to the Alumni for taking the time to meet with the Cadets. The Cadets in my van told me that the cookout was, by far, the best part of the trip. I thought running ten miles would have been, but apparently not. It is a rare occasion for these young Cadets to have the opportunity to interact with such experienced and distinguished officers. They will carry all of your stories and leadership advice with them throughout their career.
Cadet Command Consortium Concept:Cadet Command is going through some major changes. The new consortium concept was recently approved and we will begin to implement this immediately. The Ohio State is designated a “supporting program.” We will now provide Direct Support to Capital, DeVry Institute of Technology, Franklin University, Ohio Dominican University, Otterbein College, Ohio Wesleyan, and Denison. We will also provide GS Support to Ohio University. Each institution will maintain their program, but with support from The Ohio State University. The support includes, HRA and Logistics (OSU is the LOG HUB), Recruiting, combined training exercises, and cross-program instructor support. The Cadet and Cadre are excited about having the chance to work with and support other programs.
The Ohio State Homecoming Alumni Flag Detail:Thank you to the Alumni who came back to campus for homecoming. 7 Army ROTC Alumni who are currently serving on Active Duty returned to join the Cadets on the sideline during the Ohio State football game against Maryland and helped raise the flag prior to the game. This is a new initiative to honor currently serving Army ROTC Alumni during homecoming weekend. Alumni included: LTC Cathleen A. Labate, 1983; MAJ Scott Smitson, graduated 2000; CPT Jenna Meyers; LTC Paul Allmon, 1992; LTC Blaine Smrekar, 1986; CPT Robert Cisler, 2009; COL Matthew Dawson, 1986. I look forward to seeing more of you out there on the field next year.
Hispanic Heritage Event:MAJ Orlando Carmona was the keynote speaker at the Latino Student Association’s Hispanic heritage event. He spoke to students, faculty, and staff about his journey as a Hispanic officer in the military. The event was titled: Hispanic Americans and the US Army: A Partnership of Excellence. Three Hispanic Cadets, Cadet Santos, Cadet Apicella, and Cadet Michaud joined MAJ Carmona and talked to the audience about their experience.
Fit to Fight Competition.
This year we have implemented a Fit to Fight Competition with in the Battalion. This is very similar to the Fit to Fight programs we all grew up with in the XVIII Corps or other units around the Army. Cadets must complete an APFT, a 6 Mile ruck march in under 2 hours, and a 4-mile run in under 36 minutes. Bravo Company has already completed their road march and did it in just over 1:30. We will award Fit to Fight streamers at the end of the semester.
German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge:
Nine cadets participated in the German Armed Forces Proficiency Competition held at Ohio University. Four received Gold, 2 silver, and 2 bronze. Cadets will have another opportunity to compete in the spring.
83rd Retired ARCOM Scholarship Luncheon: The 83rd Retired ARCOM hosted some Cadre and Newark cadets at a luncheon at Buckeye Lake Yacht Club. The Cadets had a chance to talk to the distinguished group of officers. We also had an opportunity to recognize and thank LTC (R) Jim Parris for his significant contribution to the Ohio State Cadets at Newark Campus. Through his generosity, we will be able to award scholarships to Cadets attending Newark. Thank you LTC (R) Parris!!
US Army Drill Team: The US Army Drill Team from the 3rd Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) will be performing prior to the military appreciation football game against Minnesota on 7 November 2015. They will be performing two hours prior to the game at St John’s Arena during the Skull Session. The Platoon Leader, 1LT Lauren Glover, is an Ohio native and is the first ever female platoon leader for the Drill Team. If you are in the Columbus area, please come support the team. The event is free and open to the public.
Upcoming Events:
- October 23rd: Dining In
- November 2nd-6th: Cadet Command Inspection
- November 5th: Rock Ceremony
- November 7th: Military Appreciation Football vs Minnesota
- November 7th: US Army Drill Team performance at St Johns Arena 1800
- November 9th: Active Duty Branch Day
- November 11th: Veterans’ Day
- November 14th-15th: Fall Leadership Development Exercise (LDX) at Delaware State Park
- November 25th-29th: Thanksgiving Break
- December 1st: Joint Service Olympics
- December 9th End of Semester
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GO BUCKS!!