THE LANCE Liberty Battalion Army ROTC Newsletter, Fall 2006 www.rotc.neu.edu Northeastern University President Joseph E. Aoun and LTC John C. McClellan, Jr. Liberty Battalion Gets a New Professor of Military Science By Cadet Andrew Campbell Boston is known nationwide as a hub of academia, a requested the Liberty Battalion for his next city full of remarkable schools and universities. assignment. The new Professor of Military Science The metropolitan center of New England, Boston is no stranger to ROTC programs. LTC McClellan holds numerous historical sites and a myriad of initially did not plan on joining Army ROTC when ROTC programs. It is the home of Faneuil Hall, he was a freshman at Rensselaer Polytechnic Northeastern University, Boston College, and of Institute. However, after watching (Cont’d on Page course the Red Sox. These are just a few of the 2) reasons Lieutenant Colonel John McClellan Jr. Page 2 The LANCE – Fall 2006 Cadets rappel from the armory roof and realizing the opportunities Boston provides. He also notes the program could fulfill the school’s physical that this ROTC program performs at the top levels education requirement, he decided to enroll. As a in nearly every category for our brigade, and that Cadet, LTC McClellan earned a 3-year scholarship the “opportunity to be a PMS in this type of and made full use of the opportunities the ROTC program is remarkable.” Since his arrival in June program offered, joining the Ranger club and LTC McClellan has been impressed with the level attending Airborne school. LTC McClellan was of experience and dedication provided by other commissioned a second Lieutenant on the 16th of Cadre members and support staff, as well as the top- May 1986 and entered his top branch choice, the notch quality of the Cadets. The support of the host Corps of Engineers. university’s administration and a committed alumni Since that time LTC McClellan has been association has also kept the program running around the world. As a second lieutenant he was smoothly during the transition. stationed in Korea, then joined the 20th Engineering The future of our program looks bright Battalion at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. He deployed under the guidance of LTC McClellan. Sustaining to Operation Desert Storm in August of 1990 with our current level of excellence is a priority, as well that same unit, and was promoted to Captain during as recruiting an increasing number of Cadets. He his deployment. LTC McClellan spent seven years hopes to provide some more diverse opportunities in Germany, and deployed to Turkey in support of for Cadets, including a possible trip to the Natick Operation Iraqi Freedom. LTC McClellan also Labs, Lexington and Concord, as well as our spent time as an Assistant Professor of Military continuing participation in Ranger Challenge, the Science at State University of New York Rockport Boston Marathon, and the numerous other provided an introduction to ROTC as a Cadre community events. Lieutenant Colonel McClellan member. looks forward to commissioning the next generation Our PMS selected the Liberty Battalion to of Army leaders coming from the Liberty Battalion. be close to his and his wife’s family, as well as all The Leader’s Training Course By Cadet Jeremy Armstrong Leaders Training Course (LTC): twenty-nine days repetition of drill and ceremony techniques, and at Fort Knox, Kentucky in order to reveal and concluded with a guidon ceremony. The Soldier develop the leadership potential within Army First phase was conducted solely by Drill Sergeants. ROTC Cadets. For many, LTC was their first We were in their barracks, and they let us know it. experience with the United States Army; others They were exceptionally professional and our have had a semester or two of ROTC. For all, it biggest influence while at LTC. My platoon was was a challenging and fun month of Army training led and mentored by the number one drill sergeant for Cadets from all over the country. Personally, I on Fort Knox, who the week previous to my had bay mates from Puerto Rico, California, Texas, company arriving, came in second in the Drill Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois, so there was Sergeant of the Year competition. We knew we quite a diversified demographic represented. were getting the best training possible. Each LTC is conducted in four phases: Soldier company also heard from an array of distinguished First, Warrior Leader, Bold Leader, and Future speakers including Colonel Danny McKnight, Leader. Each phase challenged Cadets to Retired, who led the Task Force Ranger convoy in strengthen soldiering tasks, drills, and skills. The Mogadishu, Somalia, the events of which would be first phase, Soldier First, taught Cadets “what right detailed in the book and film, Black Hawk Down. looks like.” It included in –processing, the constant (Cont’d on Page 3) The LANCE – FALL 2006 Page 3 The Warrior Leader phase consisted of more intense training that tested Cadets’ abilities in more advanced training exercises such as daily physical training, the Combat Water Survival Test, Field Leaders Reaction Course, building and crossing rope bridges, rappelling, and basic rifle marksmanship. One of the favorite events was the Above: Cadets with a Zodiac Boat Right: Cadets on the MOUT Course MOUT course, whereby Cadets employed squad alpine and climbing towers. The Bold Leader phase battle tactics and room clearing techniques with culminated with a 3K tactical road march into a paintball guns through a simulated urban rites of passage ceremony in Memorial Grove. environment. This was a very challenging phase Here, Cadets received Army Value tags and then that was rather difficult for many Cadets, but it was passed through a honor corridor, receiving also extremely motivating and instructional. congratulations from the cadre. The pinnacle of the Leader’s Training And so, the Future Leader phase starts as Course is the Bold Leader phase, which is six days LTC nears the end. It was highlighted by Family of intense training. Cadets spent the day training Day and Graduation. Every Cadet got something and then slept out in the field. There were three out of LTC; many have continued with ROTC and phases to the Bold Leader Phase: Call of the Wild, contracted, others learned that the Army was not a Bold Leader FTX, and Where Eagles Dare. The career they wanted to pursue. Strong friendships Bold Leader phase included a day of water were made. Above all, the cadets returned from the operations such as zodiac boat training, field Leaders Training Course proud of their survival skills, and construction and racing poncho accomplishments, expertly trained in basic rafts. The FTX incorporated squad battle tactics soldiering skills, and with a strong sense of the and day/night land navigation through very tough Army Values; loyalty, duty, respect, selfless terrain. Where Eagles Dare challenged Cadets with service, honor, integrity, and personal courage. a massive rope obstacle course and conquering Page 4 The LANCE – Fall 2006 Cadets Dialogue's Trip By Cadet Kelly Sullivan It is morning. A melodic chant is heard echoing all access pass to the League of Arab Nations, and through the desert. The sun is rising and the Mullah, the US Embassy. an Islamic cleric, is sounding the first call to prayer After the tours, our students were able to engage for the day. There will be four more calls to prayers in conversations with Egyptian students at the today. With one look out the window; the rising sun University of Cairo. Participants were guided by warming your face, the enchanting sounds and the NU faculty throughout the trip, and were constantly history engulfing you, you realize how lucky you encouraged to think about the ways in which are. You are in Egypt. everything they were experiencing would apply to Following the commencement of classes this their lives as Army officers. past spring, select students from Northeastern “This program is special to Northeastern University’s Liberty Battalion Army ROTC visited University,” said Dennis Sullivan, creator and Egypt and China. While there, they immersed faculty leader of the Immersion Program. “Of themselves in the countries’ language, culture and course other universities have programs in Egypt, people. but our program is faculty led. For example, we’ll Cadets Brian Vaeni, Jonathan Janiec, Dennis talk about the meaning of Islam in a mosque. This Geary and John Kilcoyne participated in Dialogues program is designed to break down barriers between of Civilizations. The 13-year-old program has its the West and the Arab world. This really challenges roots in Cairo, Egypt and has expanded to include everyone to reevaluate what they think of the many other countries including Turkey, Northern Islamic culture.” Ireland and China. Participation in the Dialogues of Civilizations The 4-week program in Cairo allows students to Cairo program, counts as 2 classes or 8 credit hours. act as independent researchers. They learn, first There are 2 options; a cultural option, in which hand, about Egyptian and Arab politics, history, students engage in a wide-range of on-site lectures, culture, economy and society. research, people-to-people "dialogues" and on-the- “This is a great program,” Jonathan Janiec, a 23- ground experiences in Cairo, Alexandria, and the year-old junior said. “It really broke down the Sinai Peninsula or Siwa Oasis, or a language option barriers and stereotypes I had of the Arab world. where student speak Arabic throughout the duration You can’t learn about this experience in a book, you of the trip. need to see it first hand like I did.” Liberty Battalion Cadets’ participation in the This is not CDT Janiec’s first visit to the Immersion Program was in response to an initiative Muslim world.