Change of Command - My Last Lead Lab

Last Wednesday was the last Leadership Lab class of the semester and the last Lead Lab of my ROTC career!  That last fact still hasn’t sunk in for me and probably won’t until I’m on my way to Oklahoma and pilot training.  The final Lead Lab of the semester always includes the change of command ceremony during which the new cadet wing commander assumes command of the cadet wing!  The ceremony is planned and executed by the AS 200(sophomore) class and lasts about 10 minutes. 

 

Other final Lead Lab staples are watching the End-of-Semester video that highlights all of the events throughout the semester and stuffing our faces with delicious pasta from Buca di Bepo!  Finally, it was time to present the gag gifts for the commissioning seniors.  It is a tradition to poke a little fun at those of us who are graduating and getting ready to commission.  It was strange to be the one on the receiving end of the gifts this year.  I can’t believe how fast my time here has flown by, but I’m excited to move on to the Active Duty Air Force!  My time in AFROTC has been a blast, and I will miss my family at the Det.  SKI-U-MAH!

 

-Cadet Larson

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgM7MlsUsI0

Dining In - Fall 2013

On Friday November 15, all cadre and cadets University of Minnesota’s AFROTC Detachment 415 joined together for their annual Dining In event.  We all met at the Fort Snelling Officer’s Club in St. Paul for dinner, speakers and good times.  Dining In is a tradition of the Air Force that represents the most formal aspects of Air Force social life.  It is a very old tradition that can be traced back centuries to celebrate military victory and individual achievements. 

The night started out with an introductory social hour where cadre, cadets and our guests had chance to acquaint themselves in a new environment.  It was a great opportunity for the GMC to get to know POC and cadre in a more relaxed environment.  As expected, our special guest, Brigadier General Robert F. Cayton was very popular with all the cadets.  Everyone wanted to introduce themselves and shake his hand before the proceeds of the night began.  After a semester of hard work, it was very fulfilling to have a great time with the people you spent so much time with in the classroom and in training.  For some, it would be their last Dining-In as a cadet. 

 As the mess opened, several ceremonies and procedures followed.  We welcomed the head table with General Cayton, Colonel Hoopes, and our Cadet Staff.  Cadet Gulsvig and Cadet Hash sang a beautiful rendition of our National Anthem followed by invocation.  Our detachment’s Arnold Air Society then carried out a POW/MIA Ceremony led by Cadet Krapf.  Toasts proceeded followed by dinner.  We had a delicious dinner prepared by the Fort Snelling Officer Club.  This was our chance to reward ourselves after all the hard work at PT this semester.  Dinner was followed by opening of the grog.  Cadets prepared rhymes calling out other cadets.  They had a chance to send a rebuttal but the President of the Mess, Cadet Tietz, had the final say.  The loser was sent to the Grog to take a glass of unsavory liquids, and toast, “To the Mess!”  It was difficult to escape the wrath of the Grog this year. 

 As the Grog closed we had awards for the detachment, from the best group centerpiece to the most plates consumed at dinner that night.  We then welcomed General Cayton to the mic for his motivational speech to our detachment.  He spoke about the riveting story of Captain Lance Sijanin, a POW in the Vietnam War, and how it applied to being a leader.  Speaking for the Cadet Wing, we really took a lot from his meaningful words that night.  It was an honor to have him as our guest for Dining In.  The night closed with some final words from the cadre and cadet staff.  Dancing proceeded after to top off the successful fall 2013 Dining In.  It was a great night for our guests, the cadre and cadet wing. The night really brought a lot of people closer in our Air Force family and was truly a great night to be a future Airmen.

-Cadet Wolsky

Veteran's Day

On November 7^th 2013 several cadets from Detachment 415 found themselves on the on the sideline of the Mall of America field, helping take part in a dedication to veterans and active duty personnel through the NFL’s Salute to Service program.  These cadets were in charge of initiating the cadet stunt that had been set up earlier in the week that stretched around the entire stadium.

Before any of this occurred though, the cadets had a chance to walk around the field and experience the VIP sideline experience. As we began walking around we were greeted by several active duty members as well as several veterans. The experiences and stories that these great men and women shared with us was truly awe inspiring. Many of them took an active interest in what ROTC and were very supportive of what we were doing, even going as far as offering pieces of advice on career choices, or which bases were the best to be deployed to.

When the time finally came for the card stunt to occur we walked out on the field into our spots that we had been assigned earlier in the day. We stood there with our yellow signs as we looked up into the seats. The Mall of America field was almost full that night and to stand there and list as the fans cheered and yelled as the various servicemen and women were being introduced was overwhelming. To see that much support and admiration from people was amazing! Once the nation anthem started we held up our cue cards to initiate the card stunt, and let me tell you something, it was amazing how it all came together. In one moment there was a sea of purple, and the next you could see the massive letters spelling out a thank you to veterans as well as the stars and stripes around the field. It was beautiful!

Once the card stunt was finished we began walking off the field to cheers and cries of admiration, people wanted to shake our hands and as they did continued to thank us over and over. It was overwhelming! I was honored and blessed to be able to be a part of that night.

  

We move forward to November 9^th 2013 the day of the Minnesota Penn State football game. This game was also a salute to veterans, and as such almost every member of their respective ROTC branch was present at the game. We all had several duties that day, such as handing out American flags before the game, being a part of the joint color guard and flag detail, or being a part of the tunnel crew. Due to the special nature of the game, the ROTC branches had also coordinated and planned out a T-6 Texan formation to fly over the field during the pre-game warm ups. That was truly a sight to see! It felt great to a part of the Veterans Day events here on our campus.

-Cadet Wells

JMAC

Last weekend, on Nov 2^nd, the Air Force, Army, and Navy ROTC branches at the University of Minnesota came together for the annual Joint Military Athletic Competition or JMAC!  Cadets and midshipmen from the three ROTC branches went toe-to-toe in Flag Football, Ultimate Frisbee, Volleyball, Basketball and a 4 x 400m relay race.  After a year under Navy control, the JMAC trophy is back where it belongs in the Detachment 415 Cadet Hangar!

The Air Force cadets started the day out strong sweeping the Army and Navy in Flag Football and Volleyball.  Wins in the 4 x 400m relay and Basketball clinched the victory for the Flying Gophers!  More importantly, the cadets were able to engage in healthy and fun competition.  The teamwork, competitiveness, and support shown by the Air Force cadets are exactly the type of qualities you want to see in future leaders!

-Cadet Larson

Air Force Color Guard

On October 26th 2013 several cadets from Detachment 415 helped the University of Minnesota start out its home game the right way. By presenting the colors and raising the American Flag before the game got underway.  A time honored tradition for all football games that really help showcase and represent the American spirit.

Members of the color guard that day were Cadet Burneske, Cadet Lamers, Cadet Reding, and Cadet Wells. These cadets were in charge of marching across the field and presenting the American and Air Force flag in front of the entire crowd which that day included 49,995 people while the nation anthem was played in the background. As a member of that color guard I can attest to how awe inspiring that moment was. Standing there in front of the crowd as they sang along with the national anthem was one of the proudest moments of my life.

The members of the flag detail that day included Cadet Seitz, Cadet Krapf, Cadet Timinski, Cadet Braun, Cadet Norwig, and Cadet Carr. These cadets were in charge of raising the American flag as well as the Minnesota state flag during the national anthem.  Raising the American flag that day was more difficult than usual due to a heavy wind that started right before the game but they persevered and did an outstanding job.

All cadets did an outstanding job representing not only Detachment 415 but the United States Air Force. I look forward to all future color guard events here at the University.

-Cadet Wells

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scholarship Luncheon

This semester five of the cadets from our detachment were awarded the Minnesota Air Force Alumni Memorial Scholarship.  They were cadets Carlson, Carr, Kornhoff, Krapf, and Sarno.  On Wednesday 30 October the cadets along with Colonel Hoopes and Major Peterson attened the University of Minnesota Scholarship Luncheon held at the A.I. Johnson Great Room in the McNamara Alumni Center.  The semi-formal event was an opportunity for the scholarship benefactors to interact with the students who were awarded the scholarships and celebrate the students' achievements.

The luncheon started with an introduction my University President Eric Kaler's wife Karen Kaler followed by a wonderful turkey dinner style lunch.  Next there were remarks from the Phi Upsilon Omicron Scholarship winner Crystal Compton from the College of Design, the Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Education Robert McMaster, and the Leslie Scholarship Benefactor Jim Leslie.  The event ended with a photo opportunity for students and benefactors as they enjoyed a dessert bar.

Congratulations to the five cadets who were awarded this scholarship!

-Cadet Carr

Trick-or-Treat for Cans

On Halloween night, 31 October 2013, cadets from our detachment, led by Cadet Michael Krapf the Det. 415 Arnold Air Society squadron commander, participated in the AAS October monthly service project.  Some cadets dressed up in Halloween costumes and others in detachment gear and traveled to Edina, MN and went trick-or-treating for canned goods and other non-perishable foods to be donated to a local Minneapolis food bank.  The event was a success and five to six full grocery bags of food were collected.  The eight cadets who participated had a lot of fun and hope that everybody had a Happy Halloween!

-Cadet Carr

You Betcha Con 2013

On 12 October 2013 Cadets from our detachment's Arnold Air Society Squadron attended the Area VII Area Conclave (ARCON) hosted by The University of St. Thomas's Detachment 410 Richard E. Fleming Squadron.

The weekend started off with a fun night at the Mall of America where the cadets from the all squadrons in our area came to enjoy the rides at the Nickelodeon Universe indoor amusement park.

The next morning Cadets arrived at St. Thomas University in St. Paul.  As representatives for the Lauris Norstad Squadron, the nine cadets from our detachment who attended participated in a day filled with briefings and had an opportunity to exchange ideas with other squadrons and representatives from the national staff.  The area voted on the new area staff and it was decided that the Squadron from the Illinois Institute of Technology's Detachment 195 will be the new area staff.  The hosts for next year's ARCON was also voted on.  Cadets from our Squadron ran unopposed and are proud to announce that it will be hosted in the Twin Cities again, this time at the University of Minnesota.

The event ended with a formal banquet with Major General Marvin Jay Barry, a member of the Board of Trustees for Arnold Air Society, as the guest of honor.

This year's ARCON had the highest attendance ever and all who attended from our detachment felt that it was a fun and worthwhile experience.  We look forward to sending cadets to National Conclave (NATCON) in Washington DC this spring and hosting ARCON next year!

-Cadet Carr

Area VII Website:  http://arnoldair7.org/

Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon

Working the 10 mile run and Twin Cities Marathon on 6 October 2013, was a great first time experience for many of the volunteers. We were to arrive at the location of the St. Paul capitol around 0630 and break into different groups depending on what they needed. Some cadets worked security on the medical tent, some worked as security right at the finish line, and some cadets worked at the ending portion of the marathon. Another important job that didn’t involve security, was the cheering section. They were able to cheer on the nine runners from our detachment! The cadets that participated in the marathon included Cadet Malcom, Wilson, Kornhoff, Lamers, Sawina, Tietz, Collar, Leeper, and Carlson. It was a crazy and fun experience to watch 12,000 people cross the finish line and earn the rewards at the end. Each finisher, whether it was the 10-mile run or the 26.2 mile run, was awarded a nice t-shirt and a medal for completing the race. The first place finisher ran the tough 26.2 miles in 2 hours and 13 minutes, winning $25,000. Overall it was an experience that the participating cadets enjoyed and would love to work again. We’re extremely proud of the cadets who completed the race.

-Cadet Hubert

 

Eagle & Anchor 5k

On Saturday 5 October, 2013 Cadets from our detachment ran in the U of M Navy ROTC Unit’s Eagle and Anchor 5k around Lake Como in St. Paul.  Despite the foggy and cold weather cadets carried a desk and chair with a coffee pot and mug to show our pride and represent our detachment and the US Air Force.

-Cadet Carr