FEBRUARYNEWSLETTER

CadetBattalionCommander’sNotes By:CadetFernandez,MSIV

AstheNewYearbeginsandmytimehereatUNMcomestoanend,IhavebecomeincreasinglynostalgicofallthatIhavedoneandbecomeasaperson.Thereissomethingtobesaidabouttheincreasinglygreenertreesandwarmerdays.Likethetrees,wecanstartanewbutcontinuetogrowandprogressinthedirectionweneedtogo.MyfellowMSIVsareintentonhelpingCadetsintheirgrowthasfutureleaders.Ourownmentorshaddaredustoapproachchallengeswithconfidenceandhumility.Thereweremanychallengesalongthewaybutinthosechallenges,welearned.WenowshareourexperiencesoffailurewithotherCadets,sothattheytoocanexperiencesuccess.

Rubthesleepfromyoureyes,Lobos!It’stimetogetbacktowork!Wehopeyouallenjoyedyourwinterbreakandfeelwell-restoredforthespringsemester.

Althoughthisisthetailendoftheyear,donotlosesightofyourgoalsandstaymotivated.Weencourageyoutotrynewthings,whethertheybecampus

organizationsorCadet-ledprograms.Becomeinvolvedinyourcommunity.Let’smakethissemesteroneforthebooks!

OurProfessorofMilitarySciencewaspromotedtoLieutenantColonelon1

February2017.CongratulationsLTCMcKaig!

BataanMemorialDeathMarch By:CadetStivers,MSIII

ThespringsemesteralwayssignalsthattheinfamousBataanDeathMarchisapproaching.ThememorialmarchisconductedinhonoroftheheroicservicememberswhodefendedthePhilippineislandsduringWWII,sacrificingtheirfreedom,health,and,inmanycases,theirverylives.Forthosenotintheknow,theeventisaparticularlyuncomfortablemarathoninwhichmanyofthecompetitorscarrya35-poundruckacrossWhiteSandsMissileRange.Theevent,whiledifficult,hasgainedafollowinginourprogramasameansoftestingone’smettle.Anybodywhohascompletedtheeventcanconfirmthatdoingsoisafeatworthyofsomedegreeofadmiration.

Onceagain,weplanonfieldingafewteamstogoout,ruckthefull26.2miles,andtrulytestthemselvesattheevent.Currently,wearestillinthetrainingphase,withonlysixmoreweeksuntiltheevent.Eachweekend,wehaveallcompetitorsmeetingupforaruckranginganywherefromsixmilestotwentymiles.Ouraimistoconditioneverymemberoftheteamphysicallyandmentally,thelatterbeingmonumentallymoreimportant,totryandbringhomethetrophytoUNMArmyROTC.Thisapproachworkedoutquitewellforallofourteamslastyear,andweexpecttodoevenbetterthisyearasaresult.

WehighlyencourageparticipationfromeveryCadetinthefuture.Ifyoumissedoutthissemester,makesureyousignupnextyear!

ThePack:UNMArmyROTCFamilyandFriends TheUNMArmyROTCprogramiscurrentlyputtingtogetheranorganizationcalled“ThePack”to

gatherlike-mindedsupportersofCadetstoincludebothfamilyandfriends.WeareworkingtogrowthebrandoftheLoboBattalionwhilecreatingacommunityandweknowtherearesupportersthatarewillingtohelpusdoso!Wehopethatsuchanorganizationwillbeabletoworktowardsmakingourawardsceremoniesandcommissioningmoreexceptional.WearealsolookingforsupportersduringourmajoreventssuchastheBataanMemorialDeathMarch,RangerChallenge,andMilitaryballwhetheritbethroughcheeringusonorhelpingwithfundraising.WeareproudofthehardworkandachievementsofalloftheCadetsinourprogram.Wewanttoincludefamiliesandfriendsinrecognizingthesesuccesses.

ThiswouldbeanintroductionformanyCadetstosomethingsimilarintheArmycalledtheFamilyReadinessGroup(FRG),whichprimarilyconsistsofSoldiers,theirleadership,andspouses.Theirpurposeisgenerallyforthedistributionofrelevantcommandinformationtofamiliesaswellasprovidingasupportgroupforfamiliesduringpeacetimeanddeployments.ThisisanimportantpartofArmylifethatOfficerswillbeexpectedtoparticipatein.

Ifyou,yourfamily,orfriendsareinterestedinparticipating,pleasefeelfreetogetintouchwithyourinstructororourPackLeader,Ms.EvelynFleming-Cavitatunm.armypack@gmail.comor505-903-4900.

ByeByeBrandon! By:CadetMoore,MSIII

CDTMartinezwillsoonbeofftospendtheremainderofhisundergraduatedegreeinabasinatthefoothillsoftheHimalayas.Thismonth,hewillbeleavingforoverfourmonthstostudyabroadinChengdu,China.Inhistravels,hehopestocontinueimprovinghisMandarin,expandinghisunderstandingoftheworldanddifferentcultures,andexploringaforeignplace.

Currently,CDTMartinezisstudyingLinguisticsandLanguageswithSpanish,Mandarin,andNavajoashisfocuses.Alongwiththis,healsoiswritingathesisonEndangeredLanguagePedagogyandTeachingMethodology.Hisloveoflanguageisalargemotivationforhisdrivetotravel.Forexample,similartowhenhewenttoQuito,Ecuadorthispastsummer,heisexcitedtoexperiencethesameimprovementsofMandarinthathedidwithSpanish,aswellaslearnaboutnewperspectivesfromotherpeoplewhoareoutsideofhisusualsocialsphere.

Asafinalword,CDTMartinezencouragesalltothinkaboutthepossibilityofstudyingabroad“notinauniform.”Headdedthat“ifyouhavethetime,inclination,andmoney…justdoit.”Beforeheisoff,wishCDTMartinezaneyeopeningexperienceandexpecttoseehiminAugusttobecommissionedasaSecondLieutenantArmyOfficer!

WelcomeBackLab By:CadetMathews,MSIII

Thissemester’swelcomebacklabintroducedthenewchainofcommandandprovidedtheCadetswithmanyresourcesaswellupcomingopportunitiesoncampus.Thissemester’sCadetBattalionCommanderRolandoFernandezandCommandSergeantMajorTrentonDeanwillleadthepackintoatactics-centricsemesterandpreparetheCadetsfortheJointFieldTrainingExercise(JFTX)inApril.TheLoboBattalionwelcomedmanynewCadets,includingMSIIJoleneVigil.CDTVigillooksforwardto“beingapartofsomethingbigger,havingsomethingtobeproudof,andmakingadifference.”

Inaddition,CasasDelRioandoneofNewMexico’sNationalGuardAviationUnitsofferedvariouspossibilitiesforCadetstobemoreinvolved.CasasDelRiointroducedtheirnewplantodesignateanentirefloorforjustROTCCadetswantingtobuildcamaraderieinResidentLife.CasasDelRioishopingtohireaResidentAdvisorfromoneoftheROTCbranchesavailableoncampus.Ifinterested,CadetsshouldstopbythefrontdeskofCasasDelRio.CadetsalsohadthechancetohearaboutopportunitieswithintheNationalGuard,specificallytheFlightBoard.TheFlightBoardisnecessarytobeacceptedintoanAviationUnit.ManyoftheNationalGuardAviation’soperationsincluderescuemissionsintheSandiaMountainorsupportmissionsforfloodsandfires.CW3BoehlerencouragedMSIIIsandMSIVstoconsiderNationalGuardAviation.AlthoughMSIsandMSIIscannotapplyyet,researchingbranchesandstayingincontactwithCW3Boehlerwouldbebeneficial.

Let’skeepmoralehighandbereadyto“LeadthePack!”

WhatDoesSelflessServiceMeantoYou? By:CadetDesquitado,MSIII

CadetsDesquitado,Martinez,Parra,andCallawayrepresentedtheLoboBattalionatWestPointtoattendtheNationalConferenceonEthicsinAmerica.Selflessservicewastheoverarchingthemeforthisyear’sconference.TherewereelevenspeakersincludingMr.RajivVinnakota,anExecutiveVicePresidentoftheYouth&EngagementdivisionattheAspenInstitute,LieutenantGeneral(Retired)JamesLovelace,Ms.BeachPace,theCEOofBigBrothersBigSistersColumbiaNW,andtheHonorablePatrickMurphy.

Mr.VinnakotaexpressedthechallengeshefacedasafirstgenerationAmericanwhenhisfamilyemigratedfromIndia.HewasawareofthepovertysurroundingtheWashingtonD.C.areaandwasinspiredtomakeachange.Thoughhisjourneywasnotsmooth,hepersevered.

Throughhishardworkanddedication,Mr.Vinnakotaproudlyownsthreeboardingschoolsforunderprivilegedandat-riskchildren.“Bevulnerable,yetstubborn,”hesaid“andactwithgraciousnessalways.”Thisservedasareminderthatyoumayencounterstrugglesandneedtofindseveralalternatives,butrememberyourvaluesandwhatyouintendedtodo.

LTGLovelacesharedaninspirationalanecdote,iteratinghowthesmallestselflessactshavesuchanimmenseimpact.Youmaynotseetheoutcomerightaway,butwhenyouhelpsomeone,itleavesalastingimpression.“Ifnotyou,thenwho?”Beingcalledtoservice,nomatterwhatkind,meansputtingtheneedsofothersbeforeyourown.It’snotalwayseasytodotherightthing,butyoucanbethatchange.Youcanbethepersontoaidandencouragesomeonewhennobodyelsewill.LTGLovelacewantedeveryonetorememberthatleaderscangivethesesixthings:praise,considerationforothers,gratitude,attention,inspiration,andpresence.

Overall,thisexperiencewasonetoremember.Ifyou’reanupcomingMSIIIorMSIV,itishighlyrecommendedyoutakeadvantageofthisopportunity.

IfyouwouldliketobeapartoftheNewsletterCommittee,pleasecontactCDTsMofleyandMathews: CDTMofley,Nathan 505-918-0525 CDTMathews,Jasmine 949-357-5169

AlumniSpotlight:JanuaryCommissioning By:CadetMontez,MSI

OnJanuary27,2017,UNMandtheLoboBattaliongainedanothercherishedalumniinthecommissioningof2ndLieutenantBuenrostro.AgraduateofDelNorteHighSchool,BuenrostrochosetoenrollintheROTCprogramasanMS2afterreceivingadvicefromhisMSGaboutpotentiallybecominganArmyOfficer.AsanArchitectureandPlanningmajor,hetouchedonanissuethatmanyCadetscansympathizewith-schedulingconflicts.However,2LTBuenrostrowasabletoriseabovethechallengeandcreditedagreatdealofhissuccesstotimemanagementandworkprioritizationtoROTC.“Intheend,itwasallworthit,”hesaid.Manywouldagree,asCadetsandmembersof2LTBuenrostro’sfriendsandfamilygatheredintheAlumniChapeltocelebratethebeginningofhisnewchapterasaSecondLieutenantintheUnitedStatesArmy.AsanewEngineerOfficer,2LTBuenrostroislookingforwardtogainingexperienceinconstructionanddemolitions.Thisexperiencewillnotonlyprovebeneficialinhismilitarycareer,butalsoinhiscivilianlifewhereheworksforaconstructioncompany.Oneskillthat2LTBuenrostroiseagertogainistheknowledgeofjoinerythroughconcrete,wood,masonry,andsteel.Joineryisapartofwoodworkingthatinvolvesjoiningtogetherpieces,toproducemorecomplexitems.Havingthishands-ontrainingwillbeaninvaluableresourcefor2LTBuenrostro,ashisultimategoalistoearnhisMaster’sinArchitecture.

WhenconductinganAlumniinterview,itiscustomarytoaskwhatadviceheorshewouldoffertothosehopingtobecomeArmyOfficers.2LTBuenrostro’sanswerspoketohistruecharacterandreflectedhistimeatROTC:“Learntoworktogether.”Teamworkwasatopichementionedseveraltimes.Commissioningcanbebothanexcitingandnerve-wrackingexperience.However,2LTBuenrostrofoundcomfortandstrengthknowinghewasfullypreparedwiththehelpofhispeers.HeurgesCadetstobeinvolvedinasmanywaysaspossibleandtoutilizethetalentsofeachpersoninordertomakethemostofeveryexperience.OneofhisfavoritememoriesinROTCwasoverlookinglabasanMSIVandseeingwhatCadetswerecapableofwhengivenamission.Beinggiventheopportunitytotalktothisnewlycommissionedalumniwastrulyagift,andhisadvicewasmotivational.Iwouldpersonallyliketothank2LTBuenrostroforhistimeandwishhimgoodluckwiththerestofhiscareer.

CONTACTUSATARMYROTCPhone:505-277-2250 505-277-2275Facebook:Facebook.com/UnmArmyRotc13Instagram:@unm_army_rotc