http://nrotc.gatech.edu
Contents
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February 12, 2010
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BATTALION GOALS WITH FORMER BNCO
A GLANCE AT NAVY HISTORY
Navy/Marine Humor 10
14 WORLD NEWS
SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT
4 1-ON-1 WITH MIDN PHAM
ON THE COVER: MIDN 4/C BUDGE READY TO BE INSPECTED BY THE UNIT CO
Georgia Tech NROTC SINCE 1928 Commanding Officer Executive Officer Marine Officer Instructor Battalion Commanding Officer Battalion Executive Officer Public Affairs Officer
CAPT Kirby LtCol Sims Maj Shimp MIDN 1/c Blankenbeker MIDN 1/c Toohey MIDN 1/c McCarty
See all the photos taken at
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Georgia Tech Battalion
http://bit.ly/gtnrotcphotos
1-on-1 With MIDN 1/c Pham By: MIDN 2/c Hernandez
MIDN Hernandez: Why did you decide to apply for ATHO? MIDN Pham: I wanted make a major impact on the Battalion this semester. With physical fitness being one of the requirements for commissioning, it is vital that every midshipman is in excellent physical shape. Hernandez: What do you do to workout outside of PT? Pham: Crossfit helps with my overall fitness. Bodybuilding workouts and heavy lifts help me with bulking up and toning. PT-ing everyday at 0600 also helps a little too. Hernandez: Do you have anything exciting planned for PT in the near future? Pham: Flamingo Dodgeball
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Hernandez: How do you decide what we do for PT? Pham: I evaluate what the Battalion needs the most help with and I target those specific parts. Ex: Interval running or holding the push up plank position
Hernandez: Do you enjoy working out? If so, Why? Pham: I love it. Besides being healthy and looking good, my faith drives my workouts as well. Your body is a temple spiritually and physically; you need to keep both healthy and fit. Hernandez: What is your favorite exercise? Pham: Pull-ups Hernandez: What is your least favorite exercise? Pham: Forearms Hernandez: What is your greatest physical weakness? Pham: I sleep too much. Hernandez: What is your biggest workout pet peeve?
Pham: People not having heart. Hernandez: What athletic talent would you most like to have? Pham: Run a lot faster Hernandez: Did you play any sports in high school? If so, which ones? Pham: Football, Wrestling, Tennis, and Track Hernandez: What is your favorite sport to watch and who is your favorite team? Pham: Football, Georgia Tech Hernandez: Who is your favorite athlete? Pham: Ray Lewis, he has an amazing work ethic, even at age 34 he is still pushing strong and working the younger guys
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Hernandez: What is your motto? Pham: “Light Weight” – nothing is to heavy or hard for the human spirit to conquer
‘On the other hand, those students have to calculate travel costs and time into his/her schedule when coming into the battalion’
By MIDN 2/c Spooner
Battalion Goals with the Former BNCO Lessen the number of Every semester a new midshipman comes to fill the leadership role of BNCO and with that leadership come new goals for the Battalion. This semester MIDN 1/c Eilers has stepped up to the plate and has brought his new goals along with him. In an interview with the BNCO, we discussed his vision for the battalion and how he plans on accomplishing them. MIDN Spooner: What are the goals of the battalion this semester? Midn Eilers: Good grades Good scores on the PRT Make paperwork more efficient Make things more fun
insignificant things we have to do Spending money more efficiently Working hard to push the freshman off on the right start
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MIDN Spooner: How do you plan on accomplishing those goals? Midn Eilers: Our plan for improving grades is increasing the number of study hours for freshman and those on academic probation. For better PRT scores, Pham has been pushing people to work harder at PT and at remedial. To make the battalion more efficient we have been bringing new ideas to the permanent staff about how to get things done. For example we are thinking about exchanging the current muster
sheets for ones that will be used for multiple events therefore lessening the amount of paperwork. We are possibly moving all word to the website along with the plan of the week so its easier to access. The battalion has more money due to having a better budget as well as people actually paying dues. We are also having better participation in unit events This semester’s freshmen have been involved in meetings to learn drill and knowledge so that they are better prepared.
100 years ago…
The Great White Fleet returned to Hampton Roads, VA from its
A Glance at Naval History MIDN 3/c Biles
was commissioned on 30 December. Not only was the Washington the first ship to be named after our first president, but she was also the first sub to launch a Polaris ballistic missile (during July of 1960).
25 years ago…
Navy Trivia By LTC Daniel D. Smith, Sr. SHOW A LEG - In the British Navy of King George III many sailor’s wives accompanied them on long voyages. To avoid dragging the wrong “mate” out of the rack at reveille, the bosun asked all to “show a leg”. If the leg wore silk, it’s owner was allowed to sleep in. If the leg was hairy and tattooed, the owner was forced to “turn to.” DEVIL TO PAY - Originally this denoted a specific task aboard ship such as caulking the ship’s longest seam. The “Devil” was the longest seam on the ship and
50 years ago…
The USS George Washington (SSBN-598), the Navy’s first ballistic missile submarine (SSBN),
caulking was done with “pay” or pitch. This grueling task was despised by every seaman and the expression came to denote any unpleasant task. KEELHAUL - An extreme punishment given in which an offender was tied hand and foot, with heavy weights attached to his body. He was slowly lowered over the ship’s side and dragged under the ship’s hull. If he didn’t drown, which was usually the case, then barnacles usually ripped him, causing him to bleed to death. SKYLARKING - Originally, skylarking described the antics of young Navymen who climbed and slid down the back-
Photo Credit: riptheskull CC Licensed stays for fun. Since the ancient word “lac” means “to play” and the games started high in the masts, the term was “skylacing.” Later, corruption of the word changed it to “skylarking”. NAVY MASCOTS - the navy mascots name is Bill XXVIII (28), there has been 2 cats, 1 dog, 1 carrier pigeon. Goats have been the mascot since 1904. TAR - was given to sailors because in the old days they used to tar their clothing to make it waterproof. OLDEST U.S. MILITARY AWARD - The Navy’s Medal of Honor, authorized December 21, 1861, is the oldest continuous use military award in America.
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trip around the world on 22 February. The fleet was made up of 16 new battleships painted almost completely white. It was sent by President Theodore Roosevelt to showcase the might of the United States Navy to
the world. The trip covered approximately 43,000 miles and had 20 port calls on 6 continents.
The last Marines guarding the US Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon returned home on 23 August. US Marines had been in Beirut since 1983 in response to a suicide bombing that killed 63 people and wounded over 120 others at the US Embassy.
Exploring Majors By: MIDN 4/c Boyce
Mechanical Engineering
the end when the project is complete. A bachelor’s degree program in Architecture is broad, and an Architecture major will need to choose a specialty from a list that includes interior architecture, environmental design, landscape architecture, interior design, architectural drafting and regional and urban planning. Photo Credit: JPL Archives
Think about what you did today. Did you turn on a light, flush a toilet, use a computer, open a door, ride a bike, travel on the stinger, tech trolley or car? A mechanical engineer influenced all of these daily activities. Mechanical engineers are concerned with the principles of motion, energy and force. It is the responsibly of engineers to design machines whose parts function in a efficient and expected method. The next time you travel, whether by land, or by sea, remember that a mechanical engineer contributes to your trip.
Architecture
Architects are licensed and trained in the science and art of building design and development. Architects are generally involved with all phases of a construction project, from the initial meeting, through the creation of the plans to
NROTC Scholarship Changes By: MIDN 2/c McCarty
The economic downturn has hit everyone hard, and the Navy is no exception. As schools raise tuition to cope with cut funding, the Navy has been forced to put more money into its scholarship Midshipman. With finances already tight, the Navy needed a way to cover these increased costs. In order to make up the difference, the minimum service requirement upon commissioning was lengthened to five years as of last July. This change only affects Navy Midshipman, and not those who will commission to be Marine officers. The change puts the NROTC commitment on par with the United States Naval Academy service commitment, and Photo Credit: mainly affects those in the Surface highstrungloner Warfare community. Pilots, NFOs, and nuclear power officers already serve for longer than five years, and are not impacted by this change.
Navy Current Events
MIDN 2/c Allgood Marine Corps Birthday Formed on 10 November 1775, the Marines have grown from a small band of militia to one of the world’s finest fighting forces. Every year, Marines all over the globe celebrate the birth of their corps with tradition, honor, and the usual presentation by the Commandant. USS New York (LPD-21) The USS New York is scheduled to be commissioned on 7 November 2009. The ship contains 6.8 tons of steel in her bow that was salvaged from the rubble of the World Trade Center’s after September 11.
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Women to be allowed on Submarines The CNO, SecNav, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs all came to the conclusion in late September that females should be allowed to work on US submarines. The CNO, Adm. Gary Roughead, went on to state that “There are some particular issues with integrating women into the submarine force; issues we must work through in order to achieve what is best for the Navy and our submarine force,” but that he also did feel confident about the change.
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KNOWLEDGE CORNER During Inform, Inspections, and whenever any other of upperclassman or officers ask a Midshipman a question, it is most likely going to be about their knowledge. This knowledge includes, the five basic responses, leadership principles, core values, midshipmen honor code, leadership traits, general orders, and the Chain of Command. Since the newly elected President and his cabinet were set in place, the chain of command has changed drastically. Here is the updated chain of command that all midshipmen are required to know by heart:
Commander in Chief: The Honorable Mr. Barack H. Obama Vice President: The Honorable Mr. Joe R. Biden Secretary of State: The Honorable Hillary Rodham Clinton Secretary of Defense: The Honorable Dr. Robert M. Gates Secretary of the Navy: The Honorable Mr. Ray Maybus Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff: Admiral Michael Mullen Chief of Naval Operations: Admiral Gary Roughhead Commandant of the Marine Corps: General James T. Conway Chief of Naval Education and Training Command: Rear Admiral Arnold O. Lotring CO, Naval Service Training Command (NSTC): Rear Admiral Clifford S. Sharpe, USN CO, Atlanta NROTC: Captain Stephen Kirby, USN XO, Atlanta NROTC: Lt. Col. Michael S. Sims, USMC -MIDN 4/c Okon
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SPORTS / ENTERTAINMENT
Offensive Shake-Up: Retirement of Kurt Warner Unlike many other quarterbacks who retire due to lack of work, Kurt Warner has retired due to personal will. Due to the fact that he was not forced to retire, Warner, unlike his Minnesota Vikings counterpart Brett Favre, is unlikely to return to the NFL. Kurt Warner is the former quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals, New York Giants, and the St. Louis Rams. He originally signed with the Green Bay Packers as an un-drafted free agent in 1994 after playing for Northern Iowa. Fame came to Warner first as he played for the Rams from 19982003 and won two NFL-MVP awards in 1999 and 2001 and the Super Bowl MVP award in Super Bowl XXXIV. He owns various awards for the highest passing yardage totals in games as well as the highest completion percentage in a single game during the regular season at 92.3% on September 20, 2009 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. -MIDN 4/C Carson
Cameron’s Avatar Remakes the Movie Experience
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Avatar is a film that completely utilizes the current technology in special effects, and I must say it does so flawlessly. The running time is over two hours but one is so engrossed they hardly notice. In Avatar, James Cameron presents us with a totally new world called Pandora. Here we are like dwarfs in comparison to the native humanoids, and the dangers of venturing out beyond the safety of the compound are far greater than that of any rain forest on earth. This story takes place in a beautiful world largely untouched by human technology, where one does not even need light at night because nature provides it in every plant or animal in the forest. Avatar follows the story of Jake Sully, a former marine now paralyzed from the waist down. He joins the Avatar program for the promised surgery to allow him to walk again when his twin brother who was supposed to be in the program dies, making him the only person able to use the avatar because of his identical DNA. The movie quickly shows its anti-war and pro-green views as Jake finds himself falling for one of the natives in his new body that he controls with his mind where he can finally walk. The movie has just enough character development to make the nigh action fight scenes matter not just for the visual effects, but also for the outcome. On this far away planet full of mysterious plants, animals and struggle between staying loyal to your kind and doing what you know is right. It’s a film that is sure to follow in the footsteps of other great fantasies such as Star Wars and Lord of the Rings. -MIDN 4/c Hoover
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Just Because You Aren’t In Combat Doesn’t Mean You Don’t Face Lethal Hazards.
Traffic wrecks remain the Leading killer of Marines during peacetime.
Find out more about safe driving: http://safetycenter.navy.mil/ashore/motorvehicle
SPORTS / ENTERTAINMENT
2009-2010 Georgia Tech Basketball Preview The 2009-2010 basketball season is on the horizon. We as the Georgia Tech NROTC unit are forced to take a glance at the GT Basketball team who are, in the least to say, impressive. The team is ranked in both the ESPN and USA Today polls at the No. 20 spot, high expectations fall onto the shoulders of the Jackets. New additions such as Derrick Favors and Mfon
By MIDN 4/c Jackson
Udofia will only lighten the load of the returning players, Favors is picked to win conference rookie of the year. Head Coach Paul Hewitt says “We’re a much better rebounding team, our depth is outstanding. We have a chance to be a very good rebounding team with Gani Lawal, Zachery Peacock,
Derrick Favors, of course, along with Brad Sheehan and Daniel Miller” (via www.ramblinwreck.com). The team is deep, players ready, and the schedule posted. First game Nov. 8th at Alexander Coliseum against Indiana University, Tip-off at 1700, Go Jackets!
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Favors is picked to win conference rookie of the year
WORLD NEWS
Space Exploration Update The Space shuttle Endeavour is scheduled to launch February 7, 2010 where it will go on a mission to deliver the final module (piece) of the US portion of the International Space Station (ISS) and change out its crew. The piece, known as Tranquility, will give astronauts more room aboard the ISS and houses a robotic control station and windows that give a panoramic view of Earth. The significance of this mission is that this flight is the first of five final flights before the aging fleet is retired in September. This is an important mission because not only is America looking towards the future, but we are also remembering the past. On January 28, 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart during takeoff; a tragic accident that killed all seven of the crew members. The modifications since this accident have been tremendous, but every year around the end of January NASA, the Navy, and all of America remembers the astronauts aboard the Challenger. Their deaths, conceivably, are typically not viewed as heroic, such as a soldier who was killed in battle, but this does not mean it is any less extraordinary. The Navy takes great pride in its maritime fleet, but also great pride in its fleet soaring above the waters. If it was not for NASA then many of the prototype planes currently used in the military would not be as advanced as they are, or even exist for that matter. The more NASA grows, the more the US Navy grows. The launch of the Endeavour should be regarded with great triumph, but also great respect. The efforts of the men and women before us have certainly paved the way for our great nation of today, and past mistakes have been our springboard for success. This in no way praises the deaths of our astronauts, but rather commemorates them. Let us remember these historic people, for they are the foundation on which we will build our future. -MIDN 4/C Jeremiah Roberts
A Cry For Help The Haiti Crisis
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Over the past couple of weeks it has become more evident that the tragedy stricken nation of Haiti is in a state of growing turmoil. The initial reports out of the island nation were that the hospitals had collapsed due to the 7.0 earthquake. To make matters worse, a series of aftershocks struck the nation in the days following. With their capitol in ruins and citizens downtrodden, the soul of this nation lay covered by the shambles of what was once a pride filled island culture. On 23 January 2010 the world was presented with a charity telethon with all proceeds going to Haiti relief efforts. The ticket included, but was not limited to, musical performances by Alicia Keys, Jay-Z, Rihanna, Kid Rock, Jennifer Hudson, Mary J. Blige, Bruce Springsteen, Bono, Stevie Wonder, Justin Timberlake, Coldplay, Madonna, Christina Aguilera and John Legend. We have a personal responsibility as citizens of the civilized world to aid nations in need in times of crisis. Organizations assisting in aiding the island nation of Haiti can be reached at web sites such as; www.unicefusa.org, www.Heifer.org/Haiti, and www.feedhaiti.com/. -MIDN 4/C Jackson
A BETTER LOOK
Marine-options help proctor the Navy Physical Fitness Assessment
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PFA
A BETTER LOOK
Barefoot?
A midshipman wears a pair of Vibram Five Fingers during PT, an alternative to barefoot running.
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A BETTER LOOK
Marine-options push each other through pull-ups at the CRC’s 5th Floor.
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Teamwork
SEE A DIFFERENT BATTALLION
MY PROFILE
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(What you won’t find on Facebook... even if you are approved as a friend)
MIDN 1/c Timothy Preston
OCS Graduate Georgia Tech NROTC
ÄBorn: Atlanta, GA ÄStatus: In a relationship ÄAlma mater: Woodstock HS in Woodstock, GA ÄWhat’s on TV: The Shield, Sons of Anarchy, Man vs Wild,
Myth Busters, Generation Kill, Modern Marvels... ÄWhat’s in my iPod: Zach Brown, T. Pain, Wes Scantlin, ÄWhat I drive: 2000 Mercury Mountanieer ÄFavorite Flicks: The Dark Knight, Tears of the Sun, Transformers, Momento, Rocky Movies ÄBookmarks: Zimbra Webmail, T-Square, Bing.com ÄWorst habit: Not getting enough sleep ÄOn my dorm walls: Thousands of post-it notes thanks to my girlfriend and roomate, and the USMC flag ÄLove to trade places for a day with... Tiger Woods ÄFirst job: Cashier at CVS Pharmacy ÄTalent I’d most like to have: I would like to be able to make money grow on trees ÄFor dinner: Juicy steak, mashed potatoes, maccaroni n cheese and a cold lager to wash it all down ÄFavorite athelte: Tiger Woods ÄFavorite city to visit: New York, New York ÄFavorite sports team: Falcons, Braves and of course Georgia Tech
ÄFavorite leadership trait in others: Knowledge ÄMy greatest love: Eat, sleep, be surrounded by friends and family ÄMy heroes: Those who go aobve and beyond the call of duty. ÄMy bucket list: Sky Dive, enter a motorcycle race, own a boat ÄMy motto: Live life to the max.
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’ Lookout for our next issue scheduled for next month NROTC Unit Atlanta Region 225 North Ave NW Atlanta, GA 30332-0125 Tel: 404.894.4771