Sea Cadet Quarterly U.S. NAVAL SEA CADET CORPS VOLUME 6, ISSUE 1, March 2019 CATEGORY PARTNERSHIP Honoring the Fallen this Memorial Day MARCH 2019 VOLUME 6, ISSUE 1 Top Story 8 The New Faces of Leadership FROM THE In its inaugural launch, National Headquarters will be hosting a week-long leadership academy. Thirty of the EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR program's top chief petty officers will learn and lead in our nation's capital. BUILDING LEADERS OF CHARACTER What does leadership mean to you? This is a question we Features asked of applicants interested in attending our inaugural Senior Leadership Academy (SLA). They answered in a 4 Alumni Spotlight myriad of ways, focusing on the principles of leading by Emily Traynor explains how Sea Cadets prepared her for the example, having a plan, and caring about the people you United States Military Academy. lead. 6 2018 Award Winners Reading their applications, I was astounded by their grasp Join us in congratulating the cadet and officer recipients of of leadership concepts and the ways in which they wrote our annual awards. about their applications. From leading important recruit- ing initiatives to aiding their communities in times of need, 24 More than Just a Diagnosis each of these thirty Sea Cadets bring unique strengths to Read about a unit that rallied around a shipmate diagnosed SLA 2019. Even more impressively, essay after essay, what with cancer. drives them is an unquenchable desire to learn more so they can be even better prepared to help those they lead. More Bringing Back the Original Meaning of Memorial Day: 13 Training My challenge to all cadets, from the newest League Ca- 22 Around the Corps det to the "saltiest" chief petty officer, is the same: Never We are Proud to Partner with the Memorial Day Flowers stop trying to grow as a leader. The mastery of leadership ON THE COVER: Seaman Kaiser completes an obstacle course dur- isn't a destination; it's an expedition. A trek on which we ing winter POLA in Florida. all fail and falter at times, but one that is so worthy that Memorial Day is a time to honor and remember our fallen troops and veterans. Efforts to place floral PHOTO BY: Tony Woodfin we must continue to pursue despite the challenges and tributes around the country for the holiday just got a boost, thanks to a new partnership between the setbacks. As you read more from the cadets selected to at- Memorial Day Flowers Foundation and the U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps. tend SLA on pages 8-11, remember that they too started as As part of the partnership, participating U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps units nationwide will recruit Sea Cadet Quarterly is the official THIS PAGE: Cadets attending Winter inexperienced League Cadets and Sea Cadets. So, in those sponsors for floral tributes being placed over Memorial Day Weekend at dozens of cemeteries around publication of the U.S. Naval Sea Survival Training in Colorado stand by moments when you doubt your ability to lead, remember the country. Cadet Corps. Written primarily by an evening bonfire to get warm. They can also help recruit sponsors for flowers to honor the 350,000 interred at Arlington National cadets, it covers a wide range of that even the most confident of leaders have stood at those topics, including stories about The deadline for the next issue of Sea crossroads and had to make a courageous choice to keep Cemetery. One of the Foundation’s major goals is to fully recognize all those interred at Arlington. training and leadership experiences. Cadet Quarterly is May 16. trying. Many of the Sea Cadets and League Cadets will also participate in ceremonies honoring our fallen Submission guidelines can be found troops for Memorial Day, and be part of placing flowers at gravesites over Memorial Day Weekend. Website: at www.seacadets.org/scq. Send www.seacadets.org submissions to [email protected]. Policy and Reference: homeport.seacadets.org Sea Cadet units interested in participating can visit www.seacadets.org/mdff. Online Unit Management: magellan.seacadets.org National Facebook page: If you are interested in sponsoring flowers, please contact your local Sea Cadet unit about our Memorial Day www.facebook.com/usnscc CAPT Paul A. Zambernardi, USN (Ret) Flowers campaign. National Twitter page: www.twitter.com/seacadets Executive Director, U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps International Exchange Program: iep.seacadets.org 2 SEA CADET QUARTERLY / MARCH 2019 U.S. NAVAL SEA CADET CORPS / WWW.SEACADETS.ORG 3 ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT By Alicia Gavin me that the academies were United States Coast Guard Acad- academies were, and often being told She pushes herself to beat the odds, Communications Coordinator very physically demanding... emy and the United States Air that it would "be impossible" for question the status quo, and continues so I knew there was something Force Academy. "You have to be her to get in, she pushed to learn and mature as she completes "Putting yourself in uncomo- I had to do." Traynor would willing to put in that work, effort, onwards. her journey to become an officer in the fortable situations, seeking go on to join her school's and time. I would finish school, "My friends would United States Army. opportunities and be willing cross country and track and go train in cross country, then go tell me constantly, Upon graduation, Traynor will be to work for them," Emily field teams where she dedi- directly to my job, and then go 'Traynor, you commissioned as a Second Lieutenant Traynor says as she speaks cated herself to bettering her home to study. Having that kind probably won't in the United States Army, serving as a about the importance of mo- physical fitness and condition- of routine has set an incredibly get accepted.' Transportation Officer in Germany. Al- tivation and commitment to ing. "Putting yourself in un- important foundation for my time They remided ready, Traynor's time in the Army has one's goals. comfortable or new situations, here at West Point." me just how brought her across the globe and she is Traynor, a West Point Cadet no matter how daunting, and After attending all three pro- selective the ready for the future adventures it will graduating this spring, is a pushing through the harder grams, she felt an immediate process was. bring. former Sea Cadet But at my high When reminiscing about the time from Constella- school gradu- she spent in the Sea Cadet Corps, she tion Division in ation, I walked recalled the values and ethos instilled in Harrisburg, onto [our] field her by those with whom she was work- Pennsylvania. with my cap deco- ing. She commented on the friendships She joined the rated with black and built and the vast opportunities she was program at 11 gold and West Point afforded. But to cadets, she had three years old after written across it." words of advice: "Get physically fit!" her older sister Traynor is motivated, "Don't come to West Point if you are had joined dedicated, and driven. not dedicated to physical fitness, don't her local unit. From her first moments as show up to West Point if you are not Her father is a a cadet, to her application physically fit, and don't stay at West United States to the United States Military Point if you are not willing to put in the Marine Corps veteran and moments, is kinship to USMA's campus and Academy, and now her time time to be physically fit. The Sea Cadet has raised his four children something values, citing that while "Sum- there, she always push- PRT should only be the first of many with a deep sense of patriot- you have to mer Seminar definitely gives you es herself to do the steps in your physical fitness, and you ism and respect for the armed do. " a glorified view of West Point, best she can, have to be dedicated to really pushing forces. Traynor the atmosphere and the cul- and then yourself to accomplish many physical Traynor began her career knew that in ture was something I re- more. fitness goals. The Army profession relies with the Corps as a League order to stand ally loved. and I was heavily on physical fitness, if you don't Cadet. While she was not out to the surrounded by people start getting physically fit now, you will well-versed in the rigours of academies, that I wanted to be- never be physically fit enough to lead military structure and dis- she would come. I knew that soldiers." cipline, she quickly found need to par- I had to be there." To Traynor, the military is not sim- a home. She forged several ticipate in as Traynor was ply a career choice, it is a lifestyle and a close friendships and grew many acad- determined to family. The bonds she has already built as a both a follower and a emy related succeed when and those will continue to forge, both leader. programs she returned to from her time with the Sea Cadets and Her journey to the Unit- as possible. high school in the Army, have led her to be the per- ed States Military Academy These came the fall of her son she is today. (USMA) began during her at a steep senior year. She commends the commitment time at Sea Cadet Recruit cost, how- She studied that cadets have to the program and Training. While there, she ever. Traynor the USMA to their country. Traynor sees the spoke with a cadet who had decided that application quality of their character and sees recently attended a summer in order to from front to future leaders in the cadets.