Spring 2014

1


BLACK BEAR
BULLETIN
UNIVERSITY OF MAINE, ARMY ROTC
Message from the Commander
C/LTC Nathan Ackerson
Greetings Black Bears! The spring semester has
been another very successful semester for the
Black Bear Battalion. We began the semester by
getting back into the Field House after all the
construction, which helped bring things back to
normal. We did not spend long inside, however,
before we got out and started doing tactical train-
ing in the woods during February and March.
The month of April and beginning of May was a
sprint to the finish, as we continued to develop
our leadership abilities during weekly labs, tested
that leadership further during our Squad Situ-
ational Training Exercise, and finally brought
everything together in the culmination of our tac-
tical training at the Field Training Exercise. We
capped the year off with a fantastic Military Ball
and a great Commissioning Ceremony. Con-
gratulations on a job well done!
Looking to the future, I would like to leave a few
words for each class:
To the incoming MSIs: thank you for deciding
to join the Black Bear Battalion. I have no reser-
vations saying that there is no other college class
that gives you the amount of hands on leadership
experience that Army ROTC provides. I encour-
age you to stick with the program, as it will set
BATTALION STAFF
Professor of Military Science
LTC Charles Rote

Senior Military Instructor
MSG Thomas Banister

Cadet Battalion Commander
C/LTC Nathan Ackerson

Cadet Battalion Command
Sergeant Major
C/CSM James Ciejka

Cadet Jones lays down fire from behind cover at
Spring FTX.
Spring 2014
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Continued Message from
Commander
To the incoming MSIIs: use your sophomore
year in ROTC as a time to learn as much as you
possibly can. Take every leadership and training
opportunity that you can get, as these will set
you up for success in the years to come.
To the incoming MSIIIs: get ready. The sum-
mer goes by quickly, and your leadership posi-
tions start on Day 1 of the school year. Have a
good summer, but make sure to stay in shape and
refresh your memory every now and then on the
things you have learned. With all that said, dont
be scared of MS III year. If you work hard and
give it your absolute best, you will succeed. You
will be amazed at how much you grow and de-
velop this upcoming year.
To the incoming MSIVs: good luck at LDAC. I
am confident that you will do well and make the
Black Bear Battalion proud. Bring home all the
knowledge and experience you gain at LDAC
and use it to make the Battalion better. MS IV
year is definitely not a kick back and relax
year; you will be amazed at the amount of work
and planning you will need to do to have a suc-
cessful year. My charge to you is to leave the
Black Bear Battalion in a better place than it was
when you began.
Finally, to my classmates: congratulations on a
job well done. It has been a long journey to this
point, but the twelve of us have persevered
through it all. You all put in an incredible
amount of work and effort this year, and I cannot
thank you enough for that. As we soon go our
separate ways, carry the legacy of the Black Bear
Battalion with you and do great things wherever
you go. Good luck in all your endeavors!
In conclusion I want to say congratulations on a
very successful year. This Battalion has come a
long way since the first day of school, and that
progress is due to the hard work, dedication, and
commitment to excellence that you all have ex-
hibited throughout the year. It is my firm opin-
ion that the Black Bear Battalion is poised for
Blackhawk lands at Plymouth
Training Area during Spring FTX.
Warrior Ethos

I will always place
the mission first.

I will never accept
defeat.

I will never
quit.

I will never
leave a fallen
comrade.
2014 Commissionees
Spring 2014
3
SPRING SITUATIONAL
TRAINING EXERCISE
CDT Tyler Vallee
On a beautiful spring semester Saturday in
Orono, most students are enjoying a baseball game,
some Frisbee in the yard, or going for a bike ride.
However, the Cadets of the Black Bear Battalion
had much more than a bike ride in store. Starting
bright and early at 0500, Cadets assembled in the
field house to get their gear together and prepare
for the day. At 0530 we marched out to Demeritt
Forest singing cadence to increase motivation.
We spent our day running through lanes to
solidify our proficiency with Battle Drills, Opera-
tion Orders and Troop Leading Procedures. In
squads of about 12 Cadets, we practiced attacks,
ambushes, movements to contact, and recon mis-
sions throughout the day, fighting off the South At-
ropian People's Army (SAPA) forces in Demeritt
Forest. At each lane the Squad Leader was given an
Operation Order (OPORD) with the mission for the
squad. Once they were given the OPORD the
Squad Leader gave out a Warning Order
(WARNO) to the team leaders to give to their
team. After the squad leader had formulated the
plan and set up a terrain model, the squad was
brought in to receive the OPORD. After the
OPORD, the squad went through rehearsals and
covered contingency plans to ensure everyone un-
CDT Rosebeary directs members
of her squad during spring STX.
Most missions required movements
to the ORP where, depending on the mis-
sion, the squad leader would send out a re-
con team to get eyes on the objective. Once
the recon team had eyes on the objective,
the rest of the squad moved out, ready for
anything. Anything could happen in each
mission and once under fire, each Cadet had
to be motivated and move quickly to assault
through the objective and finish the mis-
sion. On the objective we had to be loud
and demonstrate violence of action. As-
saulting through the objective should not
take long and everything moves quickly so
each Cadet must keep their head on a
swivel and be prepared to react to anything
that may happen. Once the mission is com-
plete the squad must take care of any casu-
alties and also get off the objective quickly.
We all stayed motivated throughout
the day, going through this process five
times. By the end of the last lane, each Ca-
det was tired, wet, sweaty, and hungry, but
that did not affect the Cadets, because we
were all highly motivated. The march back
to Battalion was very nice, knowing that the
Delta Zeta sorority had a spaghetti dinner
CDT Fenning pulls security.
The Battalion with Delta Zeta
Spring 2014
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TRANSITION FROM FALL TO
SPRING: AN MSIs PERSPECTIVE
CDT Laura Dunham
There are a lot of differences between
the fall semester and the spring semester. Al-
though the weather didnt seem to realize it was
the spring semester, ROTC certainly did. As an
MSI, I was constantly being introduced to new
experiences, ideas, and skills. Throughout the
fall semester, I was given information and al-
lowed to apply it on a small scale. During the
spring semester I have been able to see how eve-
rything I learned in the previous semester is ap-
plied on a larger scale, in a platoon sized ele-
ment.

There have been some incredible training
opportunities this semester, including a lab filled
with obstacle courses, snow-filled security, and
the ever important Drill and Ceremonies (D&C).
However miserable pulling security in the snow
may be at the time, I think most other MSIs
would agree that what we are getting out of the
training this semester is in-depth and useful.
Now, being a little more confident in our abili-
ties and our knowledge of the program, we are
able to have more input, and take on some more
responsibilities.

Not only has there been plenty of oppor-
tunity for training, but there have also been quite
a few Color Guard events and details as well to
Every ROTC event Ive been
involved in has been a great
experience.
CDT Abbot takes aim at SAPA forces.
The OPORD process.
Battalion Ruck March.
20
th
Maine Honor Society at the blood
drive.
Spring 2014
5
HOW SPRING FTX PREPARED AN MS III FOR
LDAC
This summer I, along with thousands of other Army
ROTC Cadets from over a hundred different colleges, will be
traveling to Fort Knox for our final evaluation as MSIIIs.
Throughout my junior year I, along with my fellow MSIIIs,
have been working on developing and fine tuning my leadership
skills.
This past weekend the Black Bear Battalion went out to
conduct our spring FTX. This three-day training tested my land
navigation skills, leadership, and basic knowledge in the field.
The first day tested our land navigation skills at both day and
night land navigation. The course was made just as difficult if
not harder than what we will experience at LDAC. Making the
course harder than LDAC allowed us to fine tune our skills and
build confidence in an area that many cadets at LDAC struggle
with each year. We as a school are fortunate enough to have such
a great opportunity to practice land navigation where as other
schools in the city may not get the same opportunity.
Saturday I had the opportunity to work and adapt my
leadership skills by acting in a range of positions from a Platoon
Sergeant to a squad member. At LDAC we will be thrown in a
variety of leadership positions at any time with little notice. At
spring FTX we would switch positions throughout the mission to
simulate LDAC. By integrating this into our training it gave us
as close to the real experience as we could get without actually
being at Fort Knox. Throughout the mission we were constantly
called upon to use our leadership skills to maneuver elements
and make quick decisions to complete the mission at hand. Put-
ting us into these leadership roles helps build a solid foundation
that allows us as leaders to handle any situation that is thrown at
us. By giving us a base to fall back on when the storm hits, it al-
lows us as leaders to build a plan starting at the foundation we
have made throughout our time in ROTC. By the end of FTX, I
Cadets cross a road with concealment
by white smoke at Spring FTX.
REPORT ON COLOR GUARD

The Black Bear Battalions Color
Guard is a group that always takes
pride in the honorable job of present-
ing the colors. Since the beginning of
the school year the Color Guard has
worked hard at their trade and has
continually improved. The Color
Guard strives to always represent
both the Black Bear Battalion and the
Army in a professional manner, and
to always pay attention to the small
details involved in their job.

The beginning of the year laid the
foundation for the Color Guard. Basic
proficiency in drill and ceremony is a
necessity in Color Guard, and the Ca-
dets worked hard in achieving that
proficiency. The Color Guard then
worked on mastering the skills in-
volved with rifle and flag drill and
ceremony. As the weeks progressed
the Color Guard began to tackle more
complex commands such as wheels
and colors reverse. Once a Cadet was
deemed proficient in these basic
skills, they were allowed to partici-
pate in the various Color Guard
events.
Spring 2014
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Color Guard Report Continued...
This year the Color Guard pre-
sented the colors in a variety of events
both on and off campus. On campus the
Color Guard presented the colors at foot-
ball games, hockey games, basketball
games, and baseball games. There were a
variety of special events that the Color
Guard was also privileged to attend. They
presented the colors for the annual Relay
for Life, and were even able to post the
colors when the United States Army Con-
cert Band came to perform for the univer-
sity. Perhaps the most exciting event the
Color Guard attended was the Frozen Fen-
way Hockey Tournament. A handful of
Cadets were able to march onto the frozen
field of Fenway Park, and present the col-
ors in front of thousands of people.

In addition to these special events,
the Color Guard also posted the colors for
the various traditional events in the battal-
ion. The Color Guard was on hand to post
the colors at both the annual Dining In
ceremony and the Military Ball. Those Ca-
dets involved with Color Guard are always
the individuals that fellow Cadets look to
for guidance in drill and ceremony. The
Color Guard takes pride in their role in the
Black Bear Battalion, and they hope to fur-
RAAAANGERRR CHALLENGE!
The Black Bear Battalion's Ranger Chal-
lenge team started this year running right from the
get go. With only a few short weeks before the
annual Ranger Challenge Competition, the team
trained hard in a variety of areas. Mornings began
at 0530 with practicing the One Rope Bridge, a
staple in the annual competition. Then from 0600
to 0700 the team conducted PT that pushed
Cadets far beyond the normal physical condition-
ing requirements. To excel on the Ranger Chal-
lenge team a Cadet needs to have a true passion
for PT. Ranger Challenge Cadets love to push
their bodies to the limits; if you ask any Cadet on
the team they will tell you the same thing, "I
joined Ranger Challenge because no other group
in Battalion does the kind of PT that they do.

But the Ranger Challenge Team does far
more than just regular PT. On weekends they par-
ticipate in a variety of extra training events. One
weekend the team may be going on an eight mile
ruck march, and the next they may be practicing
their land navigation skills. One privilege that
those on the team enjoy is the extra training they
receive with weapons. Successful assembly and
disassembly of the M16, M249, and M9 weapons
systems is crucial at competition. That is why the
team receives more training with these systems
than any other group in the Black Bear Battalion.
Cadets on the team know that these events are rare
privileges, and they look forward to the extra train-
ing opportunities.

Despite a middle of the pack finish at this
year's competition the team is still hopeful for the
future. After the competition the team returned to
the usual PT and extra training that they had come
to love and adore. During the past few months the
team has continued to grow and improve in all ar-
eas of the competition. Next year's team should
prove to have a strong and experienced roster. All
Ranger Challenge at the annual competition.
Spring 2014
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Message from LTC Charles Rote
We have had another banner year for the program. Two major parts
of our program have really served Maine this year especially.
The Cadet led, 20
th
Maine Honor Societys philanthropic activities
have brought great credit to the Cadets. Some of their most recent
activities included involvement with the Black Bear Mentorship Pro-
gram, providing area youth with the opportunity to develop assets
needed to thrive by building safe, healthy relationships with trained,
committed college student volunteers. They have also conducted vis-
its to the Veteran's Home in Bangor, supported the local Relay for
Life which benefits the American Cancer Society, and aided in the
execution of an on campus blood drive. This does not even include
all their help with our formal events.
The UMaine Army ROTC Color Guard was on the cover of the Alumni magazine. They supported numerous
UMaine athletic events to include hockey at Frozen Fenway in Boston. Boston Universities do in fact have
ROTC programs, but it was the UMaine Color Guard who presented the colors and supported our Black Bear
hockey team. They also supported commencement and the important William S. Cohen Lecture Series.
We have a new field house this year, but continue to work to improve our fighting position. Currently, there is
planned and approved construction for a complete remodeling and environmental control of internal office, oper-
ating, and classroom space to occur from MAY 14 to SEP 14. Additionally, construction will start for installation
of pull up bars, a rope climb, and monkey bars for UMaine Army ROTC.
LDAC this year will be in Fort Knox, Kentucky. Other huge opportunities for the Cadets this summer include
going to Togo, Montenegro, Germany, Texas, Alaska, Hawaii, and Georgia. They will attend special schools, in-
ternships, lead active duty units, and execute security cooperation operations. We are definitely fighting above
our weight class and many thanks go to MSG Banister, MAJ Shirland, CPT Gauthier, Mac, Cheryl, and Paulette.
We continue to have great support from friends and alumni of the program to include support of our events from
BG Campbell, BG Carmichael, and COL Klingaman (Plans and Resources Directorate Army G-1). This year we
also established the Army ROTC Military Science Excellence Fund, to enable supporters of our program to con-
tinue to improve the opportunities our Cadets have.
Academically, in addition to the Military Science Minor, Cadets can now use MS credits towards a Minor or Cer-
tificate in Leadership Studies. Through this summer we will focus our efforts to make summer training count to-
ward college credit and increase the MS credits that count towards degree requirements.
One challenge I have for you over the summer is to come back in September fitter than you left. You do not want
to have to regain all the progress you have made this year by not working out over the summer.
I cannot list all of the goodness we bring here. Everywhere I look I see examples of leadership and discipline,
management techniques, cultural awareness, and problem solving skills. You should be proud of what you have
Spring 2014
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University of Maine
5750 Armory, Rm. 114
Orono, ME 04469-5750