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Army ROTC News

by Zenas Korantang-Mensah ’21

Navigating the Waters

Being committed requires one to navigate the waters — sometimes murky waters. Alex Yerina ’21 is no stranger to challenges, and he continues to overcome those, even at graduation.

He earned his bachelor’s degrees in economics and political science in May. He branched into the infantry and is preparing to head to Fort Benning, Georgia, for the Basic Officer Leader Course (BOLC).

He served as the cadet commander of the New River Battalion during the fall 2020 semester, and shortly after passing the baton this spring to Tori DeFilippo ’21, he departed for the Maritime Assessment Course (MAC) at Fort Lewis, Washington.

After successfully completing MAC, he attended the Combat Diver Qualification Course in Key West, Florida. The course typically has a 40 percent attrition rate, as prospective divers find themselves unable to complete phases of the intensive course to standard. However, Yerina stood proud at the pinning ceremony when he received the coveted U.S. Army Diver Badge.

When asked about his experience at the course, Yerina stated, “Being developed in ROTC to pay attention to detail helped me in the course. Attention to detail is critical, and, although challenging, the training I have received definitely helped.”

Yerina enjoyed learning the different water infiltration techniques, whether it be through diving, boats, or jumping out of a helicopter. He highly recommends the course to any cadet that wants a challenge.

Cadets, with instruction from the 104th Training Division, qualifiy with the M4 rifle at the Fort Pickett.
Cadets, with instruction from the 104th Training Division, qualified with the M4 rifle at the Fort Pickett, Virginia, pop-up range. Photo by Staff Sgt. Joseph Courtney.

At Fort Pickett

As a new semester began, cadets found themselves honing their marksmanship skills on Feb. 27-26. Junior and senior cadets embarked on a long journey from Blacksburg to Fort Pickett, Virginia, to complete their Basic Rifle Marksmanship, using the Army’s newest qualification standard.

This year, there was a slight twist from how it normally occurs. Cadets were expected to shoot at pop-up rather than stationary targets.

Seniors focused on meeting the Army standard for this event to fulfill their requirements for Operation Agile Leader and for commissioning. Juniors, on the other hand, used this event to familiarize themselves with the pop-up range in preparation for Advanced Camp this summer.

As usual, the weather was not on the side of the cadets during the weekend. It rained all day with temperatures in the 30s and 40s. This made the event a challenging one, considering that some cadets used a whole day just to zero their rifle before moving on to the qualification range.

At the qualification range, cadets stepped onto a platform with a barrier and executed commands given by the range tower.

William Caldwell ’21 was the top firer for the New River Battalion, shooting 34 out of 40 targets. He credits the training he received in Ranger Company for his high score.  “Sgt. 1st Class [Matthew] Fiedler trains us on the importance of concentration in all things. That advice was crucial for me to shoot well on range day,” Caldwell said.

Firing on a pop-up range was a first for many of the cadets because COVID-19 forced the cancelation of the 2020 event.

Cadet Battalion Commander Alex Yerina ’21 (right) walks with Cadet Harry Fleck ‘21
Cadets work on their buddy-team live fire training. Photo by Zenas Korantang-Mensah ‘21.

Spring FTX ’21

On the weekend of April 9-11, the New River Battalion conducted its semi-annual field training exercise (FTX) at the nearby Radford Army Ammunition Plant Dublin Annex.

In previous years, the spring FTX consisted of training events such as the Land Navigation Course, the Field Leaders Reaction Course, the 12-mile ruck for the junior cadets going to Advanced Camp, and tactical situational training exercise lanes. This semester, there were numerous changes.

For starters, all cadets were required to receive a COVID test prior to participating. In addition, all seniors were required to complete multiple tasks as part of Operation Agile Leader Part II. These tasks — the hand-grenade assault course and buddy-team live fire — normally are completed at Advanced Camp. With Advanced Camp 2020 canceled because of COVID, those tasks needed to be conducted by Army ROTC battalions.

On the first day of the event, freshman, sophomore, and junior cadets conducted a day and night land navigation course, while seniors conducted the hand-grenade assault course and buddy-team live fire.

The hand grenade course incorporated hand grenade simulators that operated like a live grenade — with sound but no fragmentation. The live fire incorporated M4 rifles and blank ammunition. These events provided realistic training conducted in a controlled and safe manner, and they provided cadets a morale boost following a flash hailstorm that occurred just moments prior.

The second day consisted of tactical situational training exercise lanes, primarily focused on juniors attending Advanced Camp this summer. New for this year was a “Tactical Dining In” for the seniors in place of the annual Dining Out that occurs every year on campus. Participating in the Dining In with its traditional receiving line, ceremonial toasts, and grog ceremony ensured cadets were trained on the traditions, customs, and courtesies of military service. Even though the rain continued to fall, it didn’t dampen the spirits of cadets. 

The FTX culminated on Sunday morning with a 12-mile road march for all cadets. In past years, the ruck was only conducted by juniors. This year the other cadets participated to build esprit de corps.

While the New River Battalion maintained many old traditions, including the ever-present rain, new events helped build the foundation for new traditions that will likely be a part of the battalion’s leadership training excellence for years to come.

Senior cadets enjoy the “points of order” at the Tactical Dining In held during the spring FTX
Senior cadets enjoy the “points of order” at the Tactical Dining In held during the spring FTX. Photo by Zenas Korantang-Mensah ’21.