Valentines Edition

Feb 2011

Cowboy of the Month by CDT Stanley Sutton

One of the requirements cadets are to fulfill before commissioning is to be in good, physical shape. Through the school year, APFTs are conducted to determine who meets the standard and who still needs improvement. One cadet has worked hard to reduce his weight in order to commission this year. In this months cadet spotlight the Cowboy Battalion looks at Brian Uhls, who shares the methods he uses to drop the pounds. Q: How much weight have you lost since last Summer? A: Thirty-Five pounds and counting. Q: So what workouts have you done to help get into shape? A: Ive done a lot of running and lifting. Ive also been dieting and eating healthier. I try to eat 1,000 calories a day. Q: So how do you feel physically now compared to, say, last year? A: I feel a lot better. Im able to work out better, have more stamina and just feel real good. I want to commission so after meeting with LTC. Beck, I found I had to get back into shape first. If you know an exceptional cadet that you think should be in the cadet spotlight contact Gabbert to make it happen.

College Blitz at OSU by CPT Casey Campbell

Braving the winter weather, cadets from the Cowboy Battalion and Army Reserve Recruiters from the Stillwater Recruiting Station are executing Operation OSU College Blitz, a joint recruiting effort intending to promote the United States Army and Reserve Officer Training Corps. With the assistance of the Aviation Adventure Van, ROTC cadets and Recruiters have experienced a highly successful campaign that has generated more than twenty potential candidates. According to LTC Will Beck, Professor of Military Science at OSU, this operation is an example of synergy in action.

The Aviation Adventure Van on the Library Lawn

The Aviator Adventure Van provides interested students the opportunity to learn about the various opportunities available within the US Army Aviation Branch. The highly interactive platform allows participants to pilot an AH-60 Apache, a Predator Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, and an OH-58 Kiowa Helicopter, all while learning about the Aviation field as well as other opportunities within the Army and ROTC. The turnout for College Blitz has been extremely high despite the weather. Cowboy Battalion Cadets spent the week handing out flyers around campus, and the central location has been a popular stop for passers-by. Recruiters said that participation at Oklahoma State has been better than at previous stops, including the University of Miami.

Cowboys Abroad by CDT Dustin Gabbert

Six Cowboy Battalion cadets were selected for the Cultural Language Program for this summer. The CULP program is designed to allow cadets to spend time in a foreign country, get immersed in the culture, and return a more well-rounded cadet. Enrollment into the CULP program is easy. According to CDT Larres, who is traveling to Guatemala this summer, the application form was simple and took only about 15-20 minutes to complete. Unlike their counterparts in Airborne or Air Assault schools, cadets in CULP get paid for the time they spend on orders. CDT Judkins, who is going to Togo, Africa, said Enrollment in the program is a huge boon for cadets because you get $1000. This helps cadets to focus their entire summer on the program, rather than getting a temporary job to pay the bills. Just like any other ROTC program, CULP enrollment counts as points for the national order of merit list for commissioning. CDT Bryant, who will spend 21 days in Thailand, claims participation in this program can raise an LDAC score by 2-3%. The following Cowboy Battalion cadets have been selected for CULP this summer:

Justin Larres, Guatemala

Emily Bryant, Thailand

J.D. Terry, Brazil

Angel Lemen, Korea

Todd Judkins, Togo

Megan Duncan, Togo

Courtney May, Tanzania If you would like to learn more about CULP talk to your military science instructor.

Army and Air Force ROTC Cadets Work Together To Help Disabled Veterans By CDT Stanley Sutton
Forty-two disabled military veterans came to OSU this month to learn how to be better entrepreneurs, and OSU Army and Air Force cadets came together to lend a helping hand. The program, in its second year, allows veterans to visit OSU for a week to receive training in how to run a business and how to make that business profitable. With help from the OSU Business College, the V.E.P. program selects veterans based on degree of disability, distinguishments, feasibility and creative business ideas, said Charlene Ripley, one of the programs coordinators. These veterans dont have to be Oklahomans either. The program covers cost of transportation to Stillwater and housing at the Atherton hotel in addition to educational fees, such as books and instructor fees. To help facilitate the weeklong event, 25 Air Force ROTC cadets and 25 Army ROTC cadets volunteered to help do various tasks, such as carrying luggage to eating with the veterans at off-campus restaurants like Eskimo Joes and the Ranchers club. There were so many volunteers that showed up at the introductory meeting last month that some cadets were told their names had been crossed off the volunteer list. In return for their time, cadets were given free tickets for the Missouri-OSU mens basketball game on February 2nd. CPT Campbell appreciated the amount of cadets that were able to volunteer.

OSU ROTC Family Growing by David Snuffer

Its been months since I walked through the doors of Thatcher Hall, but Ive been in this military science class every Tuesday this semester at 0800. The instructor is OSUs CPT Casey Campbell, and the patch on my right sleeve still says Oklahoma State, but its a safe bet that most of the curious students walking past the classroom have never been to Stillwater, OK. This class is in Tulsa on the campus of Oral Roberts University. With Army ROTC making its first-ever launch at ORU, a new era begins for both the Golden Eagles and the Cowboys. Making it to this day has taken an incredible amount of work, and to be sure there are still challenges ahead, but the potential benefits to both sides make it all worthwhile. For the Cowboy Battalion, it opens up tremendous new recruiting possibilities on a campus that boasts a very diverse student population, a willing acceptance of the Army Values, and a commitment to physical fitness. For ORU students, it makes the difficult process of obtaining a commission through Army ROTC much more attainable. When I was an MSIII, ROTC involved a three-hour long commute for every class, lab, or program function in Stillwater. Driving three hours to attend a one-hour class or worse to spend fifteen minutes signing paperwork gets old quick, and its hard to sell that to a prospective cadet. LTC Beck saw that he had a golden opportunity to expand the program and he assigned me to spend my MSIV year recruiting here at ORU. Along with recruiting came a long series of meetings involving Cowboy Battalion cadre and ORU administration officials to work out the details of how the program would work. As part of the agreement, CPT Campbell was given an office at ORU, where he now works on Tuesdays. The full program will kick off in Fall 11, when ORU will accept its first four-year scholarship cadets. For this semester the focus is on recruiting sophomore candidates and preparing them for LTC. These candidates attend a two-hour class weekly to acquaint them with basic military courtesies and skills such as map reading and basic tactics to give them an edge when they arrive at Ft. Knox. This class is also open for any interested ORU students to visit and can be used as a recruiting tool. Details are still being finalized for next year, but even with currently plans including a weekly trip to Stillwater for lab, interest in the new ORU ROTC is gaining steam. With at least three solid LTC candidates already and several more cadets coming in next year, it seems that OSU has now has a solid beachhead in Tulsa, and it will be interesting to watch how quickly it grows.

LTC Deadline Almost Here By CDT Dustin Gabbert

The deadline for LTC enrollment is approaching fast. If you have a friend who is interested in ROTC and only has 2 years left in school, make sure you bring them to see CPT Tasi before the 15 March cutoff so that they have a chance at getting into this excellent leadership school. Only LTC or Basic Training graduates can enroll in the MS3 class without finishing their MS1 and MS2 years. If you know someone who is interested in ROTC and could benefit from enrollment in LTC over the summer, have them talk to CPT Tasi before it is too late.

Cowboy Battalion Awards by CDT Dustin Gabbert

Two of our Cowboy Battalion cadets have recently been nominated for ROTC awards. Both of these are nation-wide competitions across all of Cadet Command. Amanda White was nominated for the Pallas Athene Award. Only two cadets are selected each year to receive the award, which rates cadets based on 3 letters of recommendation, GPA, and LDAC evaluation. I felt honored to have been considered for such a prestigious award, said Amanda. Being nominated is humbling. Dane Miodov has won the J.D. Metcalf Scholarship and the Joseph C. Cribbins Award for his exceptional performance in school and ROTC as well as community service. I would not have applied for any of them had it not been for the encouragement of the cadre. This is truly an incredible program we have here at Oklahoma State University. Congratulations to both of you. COWBOYS.

Armed Forces Recognition Week By CDT Dustin Gabbert The week of 21 February is Armed Forces Recognition Week, and the Army Blades are showing their support throughout the week. Some of the events they are sponsoring are: Monday Chipotle Restaurant Night Thursday ROTC Labor Auction Friday Halo Tournament For more information on any of the events the Blades upcoming events contact CDT Womochel.

PT Divisions by CDT Dustin Gabbert

Special PT has started for all those intending to go to Hooah schools over the summer break. If you are planning on attending Airborne, Air Assault, Mountain Warfare, or Sapper school make sure you report to the right PT session on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Regular MS1 and MS2 PT is every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 0600-0700 usually starting at the Colvin Center. The goal is 10% improvement on the APFT and a 100% pass rate Through the semester. Mondays scheduled as short runs with push up and sit up improvement, Wednesdays as long runs, and Friday as road marches and other task focused PT. These cadets by the end of the semester will have completed a 6 mile run, and road marched with a 40-45 pound rucksack 8 miles. If you want some experience running distances longer than 5 miles, Running Team PT has practices every Saturday morning. The team is going spend the rest of the semester building up to a 26.2-mile marathon by the end of April. If you would like to join the running team or if you want to know what time they are practicing contact CDT Matt Brown.

TRIBES by Gabbert

CDT

Dustin

The Cowboy Battalion has just launched the new mentorship program TRIBES. Every cadet in the battalion is assigned to one of six tribes, led by a MSIV cadet and his cadre mentor. Tribe members have already started getting to know each other with Facebook groups and pizza parties. If you havent yet, make sure you talk to the cadet at the top of your column to find out what your tribe has planned for the rest of the semester.

A New way to Follow the Cowboy Battalion by CDT Stanley Sutton

Cadets Fight Weather Basketball The Cowboy Battalion has made another leap by CDT Dustin Gabbert
into the world of social media this month. In addition to having its own Facebook page, the Battalion now has its own Twitter page that will provide real time updates about battalion related functions.

to

Support

OSU

Because of the small turnout due to dangerous road conditions, tickets to the OSU mens basketball game against Mizzou were given out for free to anyone willing to make the trek. Despite these rough conditions, CDTs Nicholson, Fitzgerald, and Taylor still showed up to shoot t-shirts into the crowd and Twitter can be accessed on various mobile cheer the team on to a narrow victory. devices in addition to desktop computers. There are only a few chances left to volunteer for Getting an account is free, but even if you dont the OSU mens basketball events this year. If you are want to sign up, you can still view the updates. interested in helping out and getting a courtside The page can be found at: view of the game for your troubles, contact CDT www.twitter.com/OSU_Army_ROTC William Gill.

Upcoming events AFAST (Aviation Aptitude Test) OSU vs Texas A&M Armed Forces Recognition Week Midterm Grades Published OSU vs Texas Tech OSU vs Baylor Deer Creek Run in Edmond, OK Spring Break One-day FTX at Camp Redlands Army Blades Pledge Interviews Army Blades Pledge Sneak Dining In Record APFT Joint FTX Friday, 18 February 2011 Saturday, 19 February 2011 21 25 February 2011 Tuesday, 22 February 2011 Saturday, 26 February 2011 Friday, 1 March 2011 Tuesday, 5 March 2011 12-20 March 2011 Saturday, 26 March 2011 Wednesday, 30 March 2011 Friday, 1 April 2011 Friday, 8 April 2011 Monday, 11 April 2011 14 17 April 2011