This is the second Raider Battalion newsletter for SY 04/05. Welcome to our new cadets and students taking AROTC, and welcome back to our returning cadets from the fall. It’s great to see everyone again as we start the winter quarter! This edition of the newsletter covers many exciting events that are planned for the winter quarter. Special thanks to those cadre and cadet members who contributed to this edition. Go Raiders!!

PMS Corner – From the Top
RAIDERS…. It is hard to believe, but another quarter has quickly come to

a close and the Winter 2005 quarter is halfway over. The last quarter has been a fantastic one for the battalion. We have done a ton of exciting and educational events. The attitude and comradery that has been seen in the battalion is inspiring. Everyone has done an outstanding job both in the field and in the classroom. As I have said before, I am both honored and lucky to be your battalion commander. Let’s take this outstanding performance and improve upon it next quarter. We, the cadre, are constantly amazed with the level of dedication and effort that you bring to the table each and every day. You all are members of a very elite group; you have made a very deliberate decision to defend our country’s freedom as leaders in our Army. It is not an easy commitment to make. On another note, congratulations are in order for the battalion. We were selected by the United States Army Cadet Command as the “Most Improved” Army ROTC Battalion for Seventh Brigade, Eastern Region Army ROTC. Also, we in the Raider Battalion are implementing a new Hand Salute exchange policy. The soldier rending the salute will say: “Raiders Lead the Way” The officer returning the salute will say: “All the Way”. Keep striving for excellence in all your endeavors and remember that academics is your number one priority.

Raider Cadet Battalion Commander
Once again, another quarter comes to an end with spring quarter quickly approaching. I am proud to say that despite the cold weather, the Raider Battalion really stepped up it’s training this quarter. Not only did we conduct Lead Labs, but many dedicated cadets also found the time to attend extra training on Fridays with CDT Knight and CDT Martin’s Ranger Company. It is quite evident that our Battalion is not only growing in numbers, but quality as well.
Get ready because spring quarter will become even more intense with the MSIIIs getting in their last minute training before they head off to the wonderful state of Washington for Warrior Forge 2005. I hope you don’t mind getting muddy because as the weather gets warmer, we’re going to start focusing on a more hands-on training approach. Wright State woods here we come! Have a wonderful Spring Break and I look forward to seeing you all next quarter.
Brynne Tilley, C/LTC, AN, Cadet Battalion Commander

Raider Battalion Dining Out
Every winter quarter, the Raider Battalion holds its annual Dining Out event, which is a celebration of military heritage and tradition. This year it will be held on February 25th at the Hope Hotel and Conference Center at Wright Patterson Air Force Base. Many traditions are observed during the event. The Grog Ceremony highlights the history and accomplishments of the Raider Battalion, and is followed by a toast of sparkling grape juice. The Prisoner of War/Missing in Action (POW/MIA) table ceremony honors those soldiers who have died in battle and have served valiantly in times of war. This year, the guest speaker of the evening will be United States Army Retired Major Eric J. Henry, Sr. MAJ (R) Henry was the first PMS of the Raider Battalion from 1996 to 1999. The Professor of Military Science, LTC Jeffrey A. Hughes, will also address guests. Dinner selections for this year’s event are grilled swordfish with port wine plum sauce, honey lime chicken with polenta and black lentil peas, pork chops with au jus, or cheese ravioli with baby vegetables and cream sauce. At the end of the evening, cadets and their guests can dance to music provided by a DJ. Most importantly, the evening is a time for the cadets of the Raider Battalion to enhance their military social skills.

Raider Battalion Earns Most Improved
Each year the MacArthur Foundation and Cadet Command jointly present the MacArthur Awards to recognize the Command’s best battalions. These awards recognize performance among small, medium, and large battalions in each region during just completed mission set for 2004. For the second year in a row, our AROTC program was selected as the most improved medium size battalion in the 7th Brigade. This award is based on the unit’s overall performance and growth regarding increases in contracted and commissioned cadets for the past year. Congratulations to the cadre and cadet corps for this high honor.

Cadets Reach a Milestone
Congratulations to nine (9) new Raider Battalion cadets that contracted in December 2004 and January 2005. This is an important milestone in their pre-commissioning leadership development. Here is a breakout of the cadets that contracted since the end of the fall quarter: MS I cadets – Daniel Drake, Anthony George, Anthony Osman, and Adam Webb; MS II cadets - Jason Leffingwell, Christopher Lohr, and Wesley Sparks; and MS III cadets – Stephon Daniels, and Charles Smith. Good work cadets and we are proud of you. Continue your strong performance and drive hard to the ultimate goal of the “Gold Bar”!

Cadet Profile: Who am I?
I grew up in the small, rural town of Russia. I was a member of National Honor Society, Science Olympiad, Social Studies Shootout, and Academia. I was co-captain and starting catcher of our Varsity baseball team. My senior year I was involved in a near fatal car accident but fully recovered. The same year I earned the Eagle Scout award. I am a Criminal Justice major, participate on the Ranger Challenge team and hold two jobs, one at Urban Krag Climbing Center and the other at Honda.
Do you know who I am?

Leader Training Course
The Leader's Training Course (LTC) will give you some very special skills while simultaneously presenting you a combination of mental and physical challenges. Specifically, challenges designed to test you by assessing and learning about your leadership skill and potential. It's full of adventure, excitement and fun. An added benefit is the opportunity it provides to meet many other college students and establish some valuable and potentially lifelong relationships. Moreover two-year scholarships are available for qualified applicants. In many ways, this course will raise your leadership stock in an amazingly short period of time -- twenty-eight days. The 28-day Leader's Training Course is conducted during the summer at Fort Knox, Kentucky and it consists of three phases -- the "Future Leader" phase, "Bold Leader" phase and "Discover Gold" phase. If you have a friend, classmate, roommate, associate that would be interested in LTC encourage them to talk with LTC Arneson today. To check out more about LTC visit:
http://www.armyrotc.com/leaderstrainingcourse/

Hampton Commissions in November
Cadet Tracy Hampton graduated and commissioned on 20
November 2004 by taking the officer oath and receiving her commission from the President of the United States. 2LT Hampton majored in psychology and will serve as a Medical Service Corps Officer in the USAR. Her husband, 2LT David Hampton administered the oath of office with her proud family witnessing the ceremony at the Student Union. Best wishes 2LT Hampton for continued success!

Top Nurse Award
C/LTC Brynne Tilley, the Raider Battalion Commander, has been named the top nursing student in the Eastern Region of the United States Cadet Command. CDT Tilley is ranked 92nd out of more than 3000 cadets in the country. She maintains a 3.5 grade point average, and will be assigned to Tripler Army Medical Center in Hawaii as a newly commissioned second lieutenant upon graduation this year.
Congratulations Ms. Tilley!!!

The Airborne Experience
Airborne School is an experience that I would recommend to any cadet. The first thing that I thought when I heard about going to Airborne School is “Oh, I get to jump out of planes!” While that is true, Airborne was an enriching experience in other ways. It was my first time living on a military installation. Being in formation at 0430, having Sergeant Airborne in my face, and waiting around required some adjusting to. It was good to be around other soldiers, guys who had just finished basic or Ranger School. I was the only cadet in my company.
When we finally were able to jump I was nervous. On my first jump, I was just scared until my canopy deployed and I knew that I would live to jump again. That’s when I fell in love with the experience. GO AIRBORNE!!!
CDT Nathan Wike

Airborne School was one of the best, worst, and overall most intense experiences of my life. All in all through, I enjoyed it a lot. We were up at 0400, ready for a long day of training. We went through “pre-jump” training. On the third week though, the intensity and seriousness increased. We were nearing the jump and had to be focused.
We waited in the harness shack for what seemed like an eternity. I found out what “hurry up and wait” is all about. We loaded the plane and I heard the C-130’s engines thunder to life. The butterflies in my stomach rose as we ascended. I rose with the rest of my chalk on the sergeant’s command.
GO! GO! GO! I took the plunge out the door finding the rush of adrenaline that is the experience of Airborne.
CDT Matthew Dean

How to Contact Us:
328 Fawcett Hall, Wright State University
Dayton, OH 45435-0001
Additional information is at www.armyrotc.com and
www.wright.edu/academics/armyrotc