GMB Spring 12 pg. 1

Cadet Battalion Commander’s Greeting

Hello all, and welcome to the

Green Mountain Battalion

Spring 2012 Newsletter. As

always, a very special thank

you for your support,

Green Mountain Battalion

at

University Of Vermont

Spring 12 Newsletter

for the undying dedication of

our alumni, and warmest

regards to our Cadre, all

allowing our program to

function as well as it does.

All of our Cadets had great

fall semesters, winter breaks,

and spring breaks. Many

were privileged to participate

in training and fun events all

over the world, and are

looking to do so again this

summer. As the school year

winds down, the Green

Mountain Battalion has its

largest training event yet, the

Joint Field Training Exercise

with the University of New

Hampshire, Worcester

Polytechnic Institute, and

Canisius College.

This is a culminating event

for the Cadets as it allows

them to utilize everything

they have learned this past

year in a diverse

environment, challenging

them both physically and

mentally. The Cadets have

worked hard year round,

dedicating countless hours

each week to bettering

themselves as future leaders.

To follow our training events

and social occasions more

closely you can follow our

Facebook group, "UVM

Army ROTC" as well as

UVM ROTC's Cadet News

Section.

c/BC Brian Hamel

GMB Spring 12 pg. 2

Photos From The Spring

GMB Color Guard Team supports Frozen Fenway hockey game

Vermont Army National Guard Medic Combat Life Saving class

Cadets participating in Physical Training Monday, Wednesday, and Friday sessions

Dining-In Ceremony

On the third of

February, 2012, the Green

Mountain Battalion rekindled

a historic military tradition

that has its roots in the 18th

century British Army.

“Dining-In,” as it is called, is

an evening-long event that

centers around unit cohesion

and taking ceremonial drinks

from a grog bowl. The event

took place in a banquet room

at the Hilton Hotel in

Burlington, VT and included

Green Mountain ROTC

cadets and cadre as well as a

few guests of honor,

including the night's guest

speaker, MAJ Jason Pelletier.

The purpose of the night was

to start a new tradition within

the battalion by awakening a

traditional ceremony

designed to promote and

strengthen the Green

Mountain Battalion family.

At the outset, the

function was similar to most

battalion formal functions

with an hour of socialization

as attendees arrived, a

receiving line, the posting of

the colors, a benediction and

some introductory remarks

by the cadre battalion

commander, LTC Michael

Palaza. From that point

forward, the night was

dominated by the traditions

of Dining-In which proved to

be entertaining and at times

bazaar.

First came the

making of the grog. A line of

MSIVs stood at the center of

the banquet hall facing the

commander's table with a

large silver bowl ten yards

ahead of them atop a serving

table. Each cadet stepped

forward, spoke shortly about

the traditions and pieces of

history that together

represent the Green

Mountain Battalion, and then

contributed one ingredient

into the grog bowl for

symbolism. Full bottles of

various lubricants, cranberry

and apple juice, water, salt,

ketchup, atomic fire balls,

and what appeared to be

salad dressing and some

sweaty (?) tennis balls all

mingled together to create a

brown murky stew known as

The Grog. Other, more

questionable ingredients

were later contributed by

LTC Palaza that did nothing

to improve the beverage's

desirability.

Almost as soon as it

became clear that you didn't

want to drink from the punch

bowl, the cadets began

devising ways in which they

could get others to drink

from it; namely, the cadre at

the commander's table. In

addition to featuring the

delicious brown murk,

Dining-In traditionally has a

detailed list of infractions…

(Dining In story continued

on page 5)

GMB Spring 12 pg. 3

Fort Drum Trip

This semester, Cadets

had the opportunity to visit

and tour Fort Drum, an

active duty base in upstate

New York. This experience

was valuable for cadets to

understand everyday life as a

Platoon Leader. It gave them

insight on how best to

prepare themselves for life

after ROTC, and help decide

what branch to choose. From

eating in the dining facilities,

to sleeping in the barracks, to

shopping at the PX, Cadets

were engrossed in the real

active duty army, many for

the first time.

The first morning,

Cadets attended Physical

Training, PT, with a platoon.

We were integrated into

squads, letting us observe

and fully participate in the

work out. Each squad in the

platoon had a litter and raced

up and down a hill, taking

turns carrying different

Soldiers. Intermittently, there

were upper body exercises,

resulting in a full body

workout as well as a team

building exercise. This gave

cadets an understanding of

the relationships within a

platoon and stressed the

importance of PT. It allowed

Cadets to assess their current

fitness level and encouraged

them to develop themselves

for the day they show up at

their unit and are expected to

lead from the front.

After PT, Cadets

informally sat down with the

platoon leadership (Platoon

Leader, Platoon Sergeant,

and Squad Leaders) and

picked their brains on what

they looked for in a new

lieutenant. The leadership

was open and informative,

giving Cadets great advice

on how to best prepare

themselves while still in

ROTC. Another great plus

was when Cadets observed

how the Platoon Leader and

Platoon Sergeant interacted,

a vital relationship that must

be great in order for the

platoon to operate effectively.

Then, a handful of

facilities were toured to give

cadets an idea of the training

resources that are available

to them. These included the

aviation hanger, medical

clinic, IED lanes, and various

simulators for vehicle roll

overs and such. At each

facility, we were graciously

received by the officer in

charge and given informative

briefings.

The tempo of the

schedule gave a similar feel

to that of everyday life on an

active duty base. It gave

Cadets a valuable

understanding of what life

will be like, how best to

prepare, and what branch to

choose upon commissioning.

The relationships built

during this trip will make

this successful trip an

annually scheduled event.

More Spring Photos

Junior Cadets Brief Operations Orders to their peers and seniors to receive feedback on their techniques

LTC Palaza pouring some mysterious ingredients into the ‘Grog Bowl’

Cadets submit and receive ‘Blue’ and ‘Yellow’ report cards for feedback on their two week leadership rotations

GMB Spring 12 pg. 4

Cadet Julian Summa Attends Basic and AIT

As 4:30 a.m. rolled

around, the words

“Everybody up!” had

become my alarm clock. As

soon as I heard those words,

it was a frantic dash to get

ready for morning physical

training, followed by a day

of skills training, corrective

physical training, and three

chow times.

My name is Julian

Summa and I am a current

student and Cadet at the

University of Vermont. I am

going into my junior year of

studying Community and

International Development. I

recently returned from taking

a semester off to become a

Cavalry Scout in the United

States Army. The four

months of training was

broken down into two main

sections, Basic Training and

Advance Individual Training.

The Basic Training portion

consisted of “Soldierization,”

basic army tactics,

marksmanship, emergency

medical training, and land

navigation. These were all

crucial fundamentals that

would be later extrapolated

into more complex training

exercises. During the AIT

portion we were trained on

the job of a Cavalry Scout,

ranging from foot patrolling

to driving the M3 Bradley

Fighting Vehicle.

Transitioning straight from

college where most learning

is done through books and

discussion, it was refreshing

to be able to learn by doing.

The skills and people I met at

training will have a lasting

impact on how I conduct

myself at school or in the

professional world for the

rest of my life.

Now that I am back

at school, I am a fulltime

student, ROTC cadet, and a

member of a Vermont

National Guard unit. I chose

to do the SMP option

because of the experience I

will gain through both ROTC

and my National Guard Unit.

ROTC gives me the

knowledge and confidence to

become a leader; but, as an

SMP, the combination of

witnessing officers in the

field allows me to get the full

experience. For example, on

my most recent drill

weekend we focused on

winter survival and warfare

in the mountains of Vermont.

It was a great opportunity to

witness the job an officer has

in the field. Our officers

were constantly checking in

on every one of their soldiers

while continuing to plan and

execute the mission. Over

the next two years I will

continuously learn from my

officers and fellow soldiers

at my unit.

The reason I joined

the Army and ROTC was

mainly due to what I have

learned at the time I have

been at the University of

Vermont. While studying

community and international

development, it became clear

to me that physical security

for communities is the

primary start to the

rebuilding process. There

have been too many projects

that have failed due to

violent acts directed towards

the organization trying to

help. Combining the skill set

I will learn in the Army with

my education will set me on

the right path to a career in

providing security for

development organizations

and humanitarian efforts

across the globe.

Cadet Creed

I am an Army Cadet.

Soon I will take an oath and become an Army Officer

committed to defending the values which make this nation great. Honor is my touchstone.

I understand mission first and people always.

I am the past – the spirit of those warriors who have made

the final sacrifice.

I am the present – the scholar and apprentice soldier

enhancing my skills in the science of warfare and the art

of leadership.

But above all, I am the future – the future warrior leader of the United States Army. May God give me the compassion

and judgment to lead and the gallantry in battle to win.

I will do my duty.

GMB Spring 12 pg. 5

Dining In (Continued)

forbidden during the

ceremony known as

Violations of the Mess.

The rules of the mess state

that any attendee can charge

any other attendee with

having committed a violation

and the accused is allowed a

rebuttal. If the accused is

found guilty (as determined

by the President of the Mess)

he or she is obligated to

drink from a Grog Bowl. If

the President of the Mess

deems the accused not guilty

or the charge too petty, the

accuser is obliged to take a

drink. Soon after the floor

was opened for accusations,

the banquet hall became a

circus of charges, counter

charges and trips to the Grog

Bowl for cadets and cadre

alike. Revenge was had and

personal vendettas revealed

by the entire battalion. Our Dining-In featured 18 of

these Violations. They

ranged from the sensible #

10: Commencing a course

before the president of the

mess, to the suggestive,

almost encouraging # 13:

Impugning the reputation,

competence, or intelligence

of a staff or headquarters, to

the bazaar # 16: Inverted

cummerbund. During the

course of the night, each of

the Violations was made use

of for better or worse.

Oftentimes both the accuser

and the accused were obliged

to imbibe the Grog as the

charges became too

convoluted for the President

of the Mess to justly choose

between the two.

Remarkably, no

attendees of the Dining-In

were poisoned by the toxic

brews. All who drank were

only strengthened by the

brown murk and in turn

provided a new strength for

the battalion as a whole. By

the night's end, amends had

been made between even

those who levied and

received the most punishing

accusations. We reunited

under the banner of the

Green Mountain Battalion

happy to have participated in

this historic tradition and

excited to continue it next

year.

Cadets place flags in the main UVM green for Veterans Day

Cadets litter carrying Soldiers up the hill.

Spring Photos

Cadet Rachael Bassett is awarded a 3 year ROTC scholarship based on her hard work and effort this year

At Fort Drum, Cadets are briefed on training resources that will be available to them as Platoon Leaders

Cadets doing PT with Fort Drum Engineering Platoon

GMB Spring 12 pg. 6

2012 Tough Mudder

On May 6, 2012,

nineteen members of the Green Mountain Battalion participated in the annual Tough Mudder event at Mount Snow, Vermont. The event consisted of a 12-mile obstacle course that had participants running up and down Mount Snow; a 3600 ft elevation gain. The obstacles ranged from swimming through frigid ice water and crawling in underground tunnels to

running through electrical

wires.

The course was

designed by the British

Special Air Service (their

Special Forces) and tests

your all-around strength,

stamina, mental grit, and

camaraderie. To date, Tough

Mudder has already

challenged half a million

inspiring participants

worldwide and raised more

than $3 million dollars for

the Wounded Warrior Project.

For the seniors, this was the last event prior to their commissioning. Cadets Brian Hamel, Dallas Apotheker, Ryan Finnerty,

Melinda Fortin and Jill Bardon represented the commissioning class. Cadets Jeffrey Edmonds, Julian Summa, Nicholas Selig, John Helm, Justin Adams, Robert Matzelle, Lindsey Moore, Leigh McNeil, and Rachael Bassett represented the underclassmen.

Five Cadre members also participated this year; namely, Major Matthew Amsdell, Major Robert Monette, Lieutenant Brad Patnaude, Master Sergeant Travis Crow and Sergeant First Class Joshua Casto.

Throughout this adrenaline-enriched event, the Cadets represented the Green Mountain Battalion by either spray-painting our logo on their bare backs, or on a T-shirt. The first group of participants completed the course in less than 2 hours and 30 minutes which was one of the best team times that weekend. Furthermore, it was fast enough for the participants to qualify for the 2012 World’s Toughest Mudder, held annually in New Jersey.

Overall, the event was a great way to end the 2012 spring semester; the Battalion was represented well, the Cadets further developed their camaraderie, and an overall sense of accomplishment was achieved.

GMB Spring 12 pg. 7

2012 Commissioning

Green Mountain Battalion’s Newest Second Lieutenants!

Brian Hamel (Infantry, AC)

Kevin Farrell (Infantry, AC)

Ryan Finnerty (Engineering, AC)

Torrey Crossman (Engineering, AC)

Matthew Tierney (Engineering, AC)

Jin Dorso (Ordnance [EOD], AC)

Dallas Apotheker (Ordnance, AC)

Diego Russell (Ordnance, AC)

Kristy Coty (Ordnance, AR)

Emily Nunez (Military Intelligence, AC)

Melinda Fortin (Military Intelligence, AC)

Matthew Dubie (Aviation, VTARNG)

Robert Rouillard (Aviation, MEARNG)

Jill Bardon (Medical Service, VTARNG)

Richard Smith (Armor, VTARNG)

William Abbey (Signal Corps, VTARNG)

Elizabeth Army (Nursing, AC)

Sarah Hahn (Adjutant General, AR)

Jessica Stein (Adjutant General, VTARNG)

AC Active Component

AR Army Reserve

ARNG Army National Guard

GMB Spring 12 pg. 8

Spring Photos

Color Guard at the Awards Banquet

Volunteers from the Vermont National Guard jam out for the Green Mountain Battalion family at the Awards Banquet

Cadet Battalion Commander Brian Hamel receives award from Mr. Charles Zabriskie, UVM ROTC, class of 1953

Cadet Sergeant Major Closing

Once again, I would like to

thank all of the alumni, cadre,

and families for all of their

steadfast support of the

Green Mountain Battalion.

The various training

opportunities and cultural

trips provide these men and

women with vital skillsets,

and more importantly, it

serves to build the unique

camaraderie that is found in

so few places. In the coming

weeks, the seniors will gain

an Officer’s Commission to

their respective branch while

the juniors make their final

preparations for the Leader

Development and

Assessment Course this

summer.

Our freshman and

sophomores will be attending

specialty schools and are

looking forward to increased

leadership roles next year.

The path of the student

warrior is not facile, but

these Cadets exemplify the

Latin motto, “Per ardua ad

alta” meaning “Through

difficulties to the heights.”

As a Purple Knight I am

apprehensive saying “Go

Cats”, but I am contractually

allowed to close with well

wishes to the Green

Mountain Battalion and all of

those who support us!

c/CSM Crossman

MSG Crow loving life at the Awards ceremony

Cadets in front of ‘Dick’s

Country Store & Music

Oasis,’ a pit stop on the way

to Fort Drum. Groceries,

Gasoline, Guns, and Guitars,

the four main essentials

Contact Us Email: goldbar@uvm.edu Web: http://www.uvm. edu/~goldbar/ Facebook: ‘UVM Army ROTC’ Address : 601 Main St. Burlington, VT 05401