IIT NROTC Unit Fall 2015 Volume 1, Issue 1 The Crow’s Nest II MESSAGE FROM THE CO: A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE After 28 years of service at 13 different commands, this is definitely the best job in the Navy. I am humbled by the privilege in helping to prepare you, our future leaders in the Navy and Marine Corps, in the Profession of Arms. There is not a more dedicated, uniquely talented team of midshipmen at any of the 63 other NROTC units/consortia and USNA -- because they’re all here in the NROTC Chicago Consortium -- especially at IIT and UIC! In August, we welcomed the five new fourth-class midshipmen into the unit during New Student Orientation at the Navy’s Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes. It was there that our upper-class midshipmen staff launched their leadership skills into action by conducting small arms familiarization, sailing and swim qualifications, close order drill, marching, military indoctrination and many, many PT sessions. You interfaced regularly with your Fleet counterparts and observed a “capping ceremony” in which the enlistees make that emotional transition from “Recruit” to “Sailor” towards the end of boot camp. In October, we held the Chicago Consortium drill competition with Northwestern and Loyola universities this quarter, and the IIT/UIC team won both the Color Guard and INSIDE THIS ISSUE Endurance Team competitions. These were resounding successes and came close to NSO Week ...............................3 breaking some team records! CAPT Stancy ............................4 We held our Fall Military Ball at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Chicago. Retired USMC CAPT Duncan ..........................4 Major General Mel Spiese, the IIT Marine Officer Instructor from 1983-1986, was our guest of honor. The General’s experiences as a NROTC graduate and young Marine of- LCS Shipyard ...........................5 ficer resonated clearly with all of you, not just the MECEPs and Marine Options in the Birthday Ball ............................6 crowd. IIT Drill Competition ...............7 The door is always open to our IIT/UIC NROTC alumni. If you know them, then please SULE Lab .................................8 let me know so I can invite them back home to share their knowledge and wisdom with Endurance Lab.........................9 us. I am proud of your achievements at school, in the unit, and out in the community. I know each and every one of you will make a very positive difference in the Fleet/Field following commissioning. Looking forward to seeing you around campus. MOI: CAPT DANIEL T. CARTICA Captain Daniel T. Cartica, originally from pany Executive Officer with 5th Marine Pleasant Valley, NY, was commissioned Regiment. into the United States Marine Corps in Captain Cartica holds a Bachelor of Busi- March 2011 through the Officer Candidate ness Administration in Finance from Course. He is currently the Marine Officer George Washington University, MBA from Instructor/Assistant Professor of Naval Norwich University, and is currently pur- Science at the NROTC Chicago Consorti- suing an Executive Certificate in Leader- um. Captain Cartica served as the Mainte- ship from the Kellogg School of Manage- nance Management, Motor Transporta- ment, Certificate in African Studies, and tion, and Assistant Logistics Officer with also studying the Swahili language. He 1st Battalion 5th Marines in Camp Pend- teaches Evolution of Warfare and Am- leton, CA. During his time in Camp Pend- phibious Operations. leton, he deployed with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and Marine Rotational Force-Darwin, respectively. Captain Car- tica also served as the Headquarters Com- New Unit Staff Biographies CO: CAPT THOMAS P. BRASEK Captain Tom Brasek of Medford, NJ, graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the United States Naval Academy in 1987. He is presently assigned as the Commanding Officer and Professor of Naval Science at the NROTC Chicago Consorti- um with staffs located Northwestern University and Illinois Institute of Technology. Following nuclear power and warfare specialty training pipelines, Captain Brasek served in various engineering division officer jobs in USS FLYING FISH (SSN 673) and USS BAINBRIDGE (CGN 25). His next sea duty assignment was Combat Systems Officer in USS HAWES (FFG 53). Following this first department head tour, he transferred to USS ENTERPRISE (CVN 65) and served as Electrical Officer. Captain Brasek’s next sea tours were Executive Officer in USS LABOON (DDG 58) followed by Operations Officer in USS KEARSARGE (LHD 3) and Commanding Officer in USS GUNSTON HALL (LSD 44). Ashore, Captain Brasek was the Inner Range Officer at the Atlantic Fleet Weapons Train- ing Facility in Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico. He served as the Executive Assistant to the Deputy Director for Naval Reactors (NAVSEA 08) in Washington, DC. He also completed a tour at the Pentagon as the lead military strategist for developing warfare planning scenarios in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy. Captain Brasek was assigned to Commander, Naval Air Forces Atlantic as Officer-in-Charge of the Surface Nuclear Propulsion Mobile Training Team, which readied aircraft carriers for safe, effec- tive nuclear propulsion plant operations. Most recently, he was the Director of Inspec- tions at the Board of Inspection and Survey ensuring Fleet material readiness through periodic equipment/systems inspections and ship trials. Captain Brasek holds a Master of Science Degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School (1994) and in Engineering Management from Old Dominion University (2012). He is a licensed Professional Engineer (Mechanical Engineering) in the State of California. 2 OUTLINE OF NSO Day 2: Reveille begins at 0445. The mid- shipmen PT by 0515. At 0730 the midship- men take a tour of the Battle Stations training area where they get to witness a real capping ceremony of enlisted sailors. Later on that day the midshipmen are put through a swim qualification to determine their level of experience of being in the water. Once they have returned from their swim quals midshipmen are given a SAPR training (Sexual Assault Prevention and Response). They are also taught rank structure and the basics of the chain of command. They then begin their first close order drill practice. Close order drill the most basic leadership-follower rela- tionship that teaches both the importance of knowing how to lead and knowing when to follow. Day 3: The midshipmen PT and get chow to start the day. Their first event of the day is seamanship training. Here the midshipmen learn the basics of sailing like how to tie specific knots. Then they go to the SAMT (Small Arms Training). Here the midshipmen learn gun safety and how to fire a small arms weapon properly. MIDN 4/C performing a fire safety drill during the later part of NSO Week. Once they’ve completed the SAMT train- ing they are given classes that emphasize the importance of fitness standards, drug and alcohol abuse, and prevention of hazing. They finish the day off with NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION WEEK another close order drill practice. Day 4: By this time the midshipmen are By MIDN 1/C Xavier Aragon developing good habits and are displaying proper customs and courtesies. They begin New Student Orientation is designed to welcome new members to the battalion, which the day with a mock PFT/PFA now that included and transform them from civilian college students to NROTC midshipmen. It is they know what the fitness standards are. fully planned and ran by midshipmen, emphasizing from day one the importance of peer They have another close order drill prac- tice so that they begin to understand the leadership within the program. Orientation requires students to focus and promote disci- importance of discipline and attention to pline, as they receive information from their instructors immediately. detail. They spend the majority of the day at the marina where they learn how to sail. The week’s program involves physical training, classes orienting the students with the Learning how to sail involves classroom Naval Service and its constituent parts and their missions, and instruction in discipline time as well as hands on learning on how and drill movements. Morning workouts encourage the new class to work together and to sail a small boat. The midshipmen are given information and are required to take motivate each other in preparation for their first physical fitness assessment, conducted a test the next day in order to have their at the end of the week. Topics ranging from basic Navy and Marine Corps knowledge to sailing qualifications. uniform wear and proper customs and courtesies are taught every day. Moreover, the Day 5: All day the midshipmen are out on students are at a civilian university, so much guidance is provided on time management, the water sailing. Once they return from class scheduling, and general tips on student life. It is an intense week, intended to inte- sailing they are given the opportunity to grate the freshmen into their new role as members of the student Battalion and the Unit- speak with RADM Evans. Upon returning to the living quarters the midshipmen ed States Navy and Marine Corps. have a field day to clean up the area and prepare to leave the next day. The first day of NSO week begins as soon as new midshipmen arrive at their respective units and are given a presentation welcoming them to the program. Once they have been Day 6: The midshipmen pack up all their welcomed, students say goodbye to their parents and begin their check-in and adminis- gear and make their way to the ACU (Assault Craft Unit). Here the midshipmen trative paperwork. The students are issued their uniforms and gear for the week. Once learn about the reserve units and go everything is accounted for, they load up in the vans head to RTC Great Lakes for the underway on the small craft boats.