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It seems like every semester
goes by faster than the one
before it and this one has
been no different! The Fall
was a very exciting time for
the Fightin’ Tiger Battalion
in particular. We came into
the year with one of the larg-
est enrollments in recent
years and it led to some great
training and learning from
the MS I class all the way up
to the MS IVs leading the
battalion. The battalion got to
experience some basic army
skills such as first aid, drill
and ceremony, and land navi-
gation. All Cadets got to ex-
perience some different as-
pects of the Army life from
early cold mornings in No-
vember to the spending the
night under the stars at the
Fants Grove Training Area in
the heart of the Clemson ex-
perimental forest. It took a lot
of people to make this semes-
ter possible and hours of
work behind the scenes. I
want to the thank the Seniors
for their dedication to im-
proving the battalion and
leaving their mark as a class.
We are blessed to have a
group of cadre that is patient
and is truly dedicated to help-
ing each Cadet grow into
their potential as a future
Army officer. However, none
of our goals can be accom-
plished without the under-
classmen being always ready
to execute the training and
vision provided to them by
the Cadre and Seniors. I have
been amazed by the talent
within this Battalion and look
forward to what can be ac-
complished by the end of the
year! Happy holidays and as
always, GO TIGERS!
J AN 7—ZERO DAY
J AN 8—CLASSES BEGIN
J AN 9—NEW CADET IN-
BREIF / MLIII&IV ADV
LAB
J AN 10—MLIII FTX
J AN 14 — MLIII&IV
APFT
J AN 16—MLI&II APFT
J AN 18—M.A.D BAS-
KETBALL GAME
J AN 22—SPECIALTY
SCHOOLS APFT
J AN 25—MLIII FTX
FEB 8—B ATTALION
FTX
FEB 18—MLIII&MLIV
APFT
FEB 20—MLI&II AP-
FT/ T ACTICS I I LAB
FEB 22—MLIII FTX
FEB 27—MLIII&IV
ADV LAB
As we close the semester, I
wanted to discuss how every-
thing went. To that end, the
battalion accomplished every
mission this semester. We
had the largest number of
Cadets enrolled this semester
than any of my previous three
years. Yet, the organization
and execution of the events
never faltered. Our first ac-
complished goal was PT
scores. At the beginning of
the semester our PT scores
class average ranged from
average to bad. By the end of
the semester every class had
increased their scores signifi-
cantly. The Sophomore class
raised their PT score average
by a whopping 21 points. The
Junior class led in highest PT
score average, as they always
do, with a 284 point average.
Here at Clemson we take
pride in those numbers and
indeed in all PT improve-
ments. Another accomplished
goal was the execution of all
of our training. The under-
classmen were trained in drill
and ceremony, first aid, com-
bat water survival, land navi-
gation, and tactics. The Sen-
iors plan these events and the
Juniors teach them. The Jun-
iors also received significant-
ly more training in tactics and
land navigation. The amount
of planning, training, and
execution hours put into this
battalion by our upperclass-
men is incalculable. Finally, I
would like to send a “thank
you” to all the Alumni out
there who help out the pro-
gram. Without you, none of
our goals and missions could
be accomplished. It was an
honor to represent Clemson
Army ROTC (both past and
present) this semester. This
We’ll Defend! Go Tigers!
THIS ISSUE:THIS ISSUE:THIS ISSUE:
From the Top Pg.1
Club Recaps Pg.2
Training Write-Ups Pg.3 Training Write-Ups Pg.4
Special Events Pg.5
Selected Pictures Pg.6
Fightin’ Tiger BattalionFightin’ Tiger BattalionFightin’ Tiger Battalion
Issue 02 December 2013Issue 02 December 2013Issue 02 December 2013
UPCOMING EVENTSUPCOMING EVENTSUPCOMING EVENTS
Message From c/LTC BassettMessage From c/LTC BassettMessage From c/LTC Bassett
From the TopFrom the TopFrom the Top
Message From c/CSM SmithMessage From c/CSM SmithMessage From c/CSM Smith
Pershing RiflesPershing RiflesPershing Rifles
Ranger ClubRanger ClubRanger Club
Ranger ChallengeRanger ChallengeRanger Challenge
This year I had the op-
portunity to be on the
Ranger Challenge team
for Clemson. Ranger
Challenge is a group of
twelve Cadets coming
from each ML class that
receives specialized
training and in October travels to Fort
Pickett, VA to compete against 40 other
schools in our brigade in a variety of
events. Some of the events were first
aid, radios, marksman-
ship, rifle disassembly,
squad attack, knock out
a bunker, obstacle
course, and reconnais-
sance among other
things. The experience
was very rewarding for
me, as I got some training that will be
very useful my junior year as I prepare
for LDAC. I was able to gain a lot of
knowledge from the upperclassman and
cadre, particularly CDT Smallwood, our
squad leader, and SFC Bielski, our ca-
dre instructor. In addition, the Ranger
Challenge team conducted extra PT to
prepare us to compete. I also enjoyed
the camaraderie the team developed.
We all worked very well together, and I
believe we were definitely one of the
better teams competing. I would en-
courage anyone who thinks this is
something they would like to do to try
out for the team.
Cadet McCall, Benjamin MLICadet McCall, Benjamin MLICadet McCall, Benjamin MLI
SFC Bielski teaches First Aid to SFC Bielski teaches First Aid to SFC Bielski teaches First Aid to
the Ranger Challenge teamthe Ranger Challenge teamthe Ranger Challenge team
Club RecapsClub RecapsClub Recaps Pg. 2Pg. 2Pg. 2
Company C-4 of the National
Society of Pershing Rifles is
a decorated military organiza-
tion of Clemson University.
This past semester we have
completed 7 football game
Color Guards. Members have
also completed 2 POW/MIA
table setting ceremonies, one
for the joint Army/Air Force
R.O.T.C lab and one for Air
Force dining-in. Tigerama
was a chance for the compa-
ny to show off our precision
drill with an exhibition per-
formance in front of Lit-
tleJohn Coliseum. The most
important day for Company
C-4 is Military Appreciation
Day (MAD). M.A.D. fell on
Nov. 23 this year with a
home game against The Cita-
del and the annual Guarding
of the Scroll of Honor in
front of the stadium. On this day, Com-
pany C-4 also conducts the annual
changing of the American Flag at the
flag pole near the Scroll of Honor along
with a 21 gun salute at halftime. Our
last big event of the semester was
“Cocky’s Funeral” in the Clemson Am-
phitheater before “the big game.” Five
members were “pallbearers” for Cocky
and then “retired” Cocky by dumping
him into a trash can and lighting him on
fire using a burning torch.
P/R CPL Ryan Goetz P/R CPL Ryan Goetz P/R CPL Ryan Goetz
Cadet McNeal, Jonathan ML IIICadet McNeal, Jonathan ML IIICadet McNeal, Jonathan ML III
After completion of the Clemson Rang-
er indoctrination program, known as
“Meat Phase”, four Clemson students
were welcomed into the Clemson Rang-
er Club. Inclusion into the Clemson
Rangers followed five weeks of gruel-
ing training for the new members. The
training was meant to test both the tacti-
cal proficiency and intestinal fortitude
of the candidates, and included a series
of physical and written tests along
with the successful completion of
what is known as “Hell Night”. This
year’s Meat Phase saw more than
80% of candidates who originally
tried out drop the program. The new
members are as follows: Freshman
Brennan Gedney, Freshman Trey
Phillips, Sophomore David Estes,
and Senior Brenden Colby.
Marksmanship ClubMarksmanship ClubMarksmanship Club Cadet Neese, Matthew ML ICadet Neese, Matthew ML ICadet Neese, Matthew ML I
Of the many clubs at Clemson Universi-
ty, I chose to join the marksmanship
club because I grew up shooting and
wanted to continue in college. It provid-
ed a perfect opportunity for some fun
range time on the weekends. Joining
was a pretty cool process that included
two weeks of PT and a final APFT to
judge our fitness level. The workout
sessions were more about building a
team and promoting friendship among
all the members, and most of us are
really close. It’s a great club to discuss
firearms and talk with like-minded peo-
ple who enjoy firearms. The first range
day was the best; it’s always great to
see someone fire a weapon for the first
time. Quite a few of the club’s members
had never fired a gun before and it’s a
great experience to teach firearm han-
dling and safety. Once everyone figured
out what they were doing, things ran
pretty smooth. We blasted targets
downrange with everything from old
Mosin-Nagant rifles to the extremely
popular AR-15. Many of us also had a
fun time shooting skeet on the shotgun
range; I was able to test out a new gun I
bought 3 days prior. All in all, marks-
manship club is great to make new
friends and enjoy shooting some guns.
“These new members entering
Ranger Club is just the first step
towards them becoming the best
Cadets AROTC has to offer, a title
which the Clemson Ranger Club
proudly claims year in and year
out.” -Ranger Club Commander
CDT Charlie Hachat
Training WriteTraining WriteTraining Write---UpsUpsUps Pg. 3Pg. 3Pg. 3
Land Navigation Lab October 3, 2013Land Navigation Lab October 3, 2013Land Navigation Lab October 3, 2013
.
On September 26, 2013, the ML III
class conducted daytime land naviga-
tion training in order to sharpen their
skills and improve their confidence in
navigating with a map and
compass. To accomplish
this training in the allotted
two hours of lab time, the
Cadets had a quick for-
mation on Lot 12 in front
of the Army ROTC head-
quarters and then loaded
the battalion vans to be
transported to Fants Grove
for training. Upon arrival,
the ML III class had anoth-
er quick formation for ac-
countability, the clock was
set with a time limit of an
hour and a half, and the Cadets set off
to try and find four markers each in
Fants Grove. Land navigation training
is not only a test of the Cadets' ability to
navigate, but it is also a test of their
physical fitness as they move as quickly
as possible through rugged terrain in an
attempt to find all of their assigned
markers. Some of the ML IIIs who were
weaker in their land navigation compe-
tence received guidance from ML IVs
(seniors) to assist them and give them
pointers. The training went very well,
and the ML III class is progressing well
through their junior year. The lab ended
with transportation back to Lot 12 and a
final formation for dismissal.
ML III FTX September 21, 2013ML III FTX September 21, 2013ML III FTX September 21, 2013 Cadet Williamson, Christopher ML IVCadet Williamson, Christopher ML IVCadet Williamson, Christopher ML IV
ML III Land Navigation Lab September 26, 2013ML III Land Navigation Lab September 26, 2013ML III Land Navigation Lab September 26, 2013 Cadet Williamson, Christopher ML IVCadet Williamson, Christopher ML IVCadet Williamson, Christopher ML IV
On September 21, 2013 the ML
III class conducted their first
field training exercise as a class.
The training lasted for approxi-
mately seven hours and included
a field leader response course
with three obstacles and day land
navigation. At dawn, the ML III
class was staged at Fants Grove
and the training commenced.
The class divided into three
squads to begin their rotations
around the field leader response
course with the obstacles includ-
ing a 'mine field', 'downed pilot',
and 'mined wall' events similar
to those seen at Warrior Forge.
After completion of the FLRC,
the Cadets commenced land nav-
igation for the remainder of the
training day, and completed
training at about 1300
On October 3, 2013 the
Fightin' Tiger Battalion con-
ducted land navigation train-
ing for the ML Is (freshman)
and ML IIs (sophomores),
while the ML IIIs conducted
land navigation at Fants
Grove. The area of opera-
tions for this lab was the
rugby field and crew hill.
The following write up was
provided by Cadet David
Spearman: "The Fightin'
Tiger Clemson Army ROTC
battalion met for a Land
Navigation or LandNav, for
short, crash course. The
ML1 and 2 Cadets were led
through various and diverse
exercises including; but not
limited to; taking wooded
and trail pace counts, finding
azimuths and back azimuths,
finding points that aren't
visible from the apparent
destination, and map read-
ing. The course began in the
woods of Crew Hill where
Cadets participated in wood-
ed LandNav events and con-
cluded in nearby rugby field
where ML4 Cadets ensured
that the younger cadets were
up to scratch on the more
theoretical aspects of Land-
Nav.”
Cadet Spearman, David ML ICadet Spearman, David ML ICadet Spearman, David ML I
Training WriteTraining WriteTraining Write---UpsUpsUps Pg. 4Pg. 4Pg. 4
From November 1-3, The Fightin' Tiger
Battalion conducted its first, battalion
field training exercise of the year at
Fants Grove. This operation entailed
weapons familiarization, live fire exer-
cises, and day and night land naviga-
tion. Each ML class had different types
of training tailored to their class and
experience level. The ML IIIs went out
to Fants Grove Friday afternoon to re-
ceive some extra night land navigation
and experience staying in the field. Ear-
ly Saturday morning, the ML IIs left
from campus and linked up with the
ML IIIs at Clemson's firing range. At
the range, the ML IIs had some weapon
familiarization classes and practiced
disassembling/ assembling the M16
while the ML IIIs conducted live fire
exercises. While the ML IIs and IIIs
were conducting operations at the
range, the ML Is arrived at Fants Grove
and received some land navigation clas-
ses taught by ML IVs. At noon on Sat-
urday, the entire battalion linked up at
Fants Grove and began setting up patrol
bases divided by platoons. Shortly
thereafter, all Cadets began receiving
maps, land navigation cards, and safety
briefs before stepping off for day land
navigation. For land navigation, both
day and night, the ML Is went out in
groups of three or
four Cadets lead by a
ML IV, the ML IIs
went out in pairs, and
the ML IIIs went out
alone. After day land
navigation, Cadets
took a break to eat
dinner, received an-
other safety brief,
and set out to experi-
ence the challenges
of navigating in the
woods at night. To
end a long Saturday of training, Cadets
went to sleep in their respective patrol
bases for the remainder of a very chilly
night. Early Sunday morning, Cadets
awoke, packed up their ruck sacks, gave
after action reviews by squad, and re-
turned to campus. After an equipment
shake down and a safety brief, Cadets
were released.
Tactics I Lab October 24, 2013Tactics I Lab October 24, 2013Tactics I Lab October 24, 2013
PCC/ PCI Lab October 31, 2013PCC/ PCI Lab October 31, 2013PCC/ PCI Lab October 31, 2013
Fall FTX November 1Fall FTX November 1Fall FTX November 1---3, 20133, 20133, 2013
Cadet Williamson, Christopher ML IVCadet Williamson, Christopher ML IVCadet Williamson, Christopher ML IV
Cadet Day, Jonathan ML IICadet Day, Jonathan ML IICadet Day, Jonathan ML II
Cadet Williamson, Christopher ML IVCadet Williamson, Christopher ML IVCadet Williamson, Christopher ML IV
On October 24, 2013, The Fightin'
Tiger Battalion conducted its first
tactics lab of the semester. The low
crawl, high crawl, 3-5 second rush,
buddy team rush, and a few squad
formations were the training focus
of this lab. To give them practice
developing their command pres-
ence, the ML IIIs took the lead
teaching the skills learned in this lab
to the younger Cadets. The last part
of the lab was used as drill and cere-
mony practice. The ML IIIs prac-
ticed taking charge of formations
and calling cadence, and the ML Is
and IIs developed their knowledge
of marching commands and march-
ing form. At the conclusion of train-
ing, Cadet Charity was nominated
as “Cadet of the Lab” not only for
taking charge by marching a platoon
as an ML I, but also because she did
an excellent job above and beyond
what is expected of a ML I.
On October 31, 2013, Clemson
Army ROTC conducted a PCC/PCI
lab in order to prepare our Cadets
for Field Training this upcoming
weekend. During this lab, we gath-
ered every Cadet's issued equip-
ment and made sure nobody was
missing anything. Afterwards, we
huddled around our ML IVs as they
taught us how to set up our sleeping
system while out in the woods and
how to maintain good hygiene. This
quick and easy lab taught everyone
the importance of foot care, shav-
ing, and the best ways to eat an
MRE. This lab is very important to
the cadre and ML IVs because they
want to make sure they set us up for
success in the world and as future
officers in the United States Army.
After meeting at 1000 hours for ac-
countability, the battalion heard a short
speech from Lieutenant General John F.
Mulholland, Jr., Deputy Commander of
United States Special Operations Com-
mand, about the importance of serving
in the U.S. Army. Afterwards, the bat-
talion marched through the cheering
crowds of Clemson fans and past the
Scroll of Honor memorial and Clemson
University’s Memorial Stadium both of
which honor the Clemson Alumni who
made the final sacrifice in service to the
United States. After marching, the bat-
talion was dismissed to take our places
on “The Hill” where we watched the
Clemson Tigers play the Citadel Bull-
dogs. Since Clemson University was
celebrating Senior Day as well as Mili-
tary Appreciation Day, Clemson recog-
nized the seniors on the team who
would be leaving the
University before the
next football season
began. During the
breaks in play, Clem-
son University held
several tributes to vari-
ous members of the
Clemson family who
had served, are serving,
or will soon be serving in the armed
forces. Among these tributes was recog-
nition of recipients of the Purple Heart,
a United States military decoration
awarded in the name of the President to
those wounded or killed while serving
in the U.S. military on or after April 5,
1917. Among those recognized was the
NCO instructor for the ML3 (Junior)
class, SFC Jason Biel-
ski. During the
halftime show, the
Clemson University
Tiger Band performed
a medley of the songs
of each branch of the
Armed Forces in
recognition of current
and former Armed
Service Personnel. The Citadel’s premi-
ere silent Drill and Ceremony team, the
Summerall Guards, preformed their
signature “Citadel Series”. Also, the
Ranger Club presented the soldier’s
cross and wreath, and the Pershing Ri-
fles conducted a 21 gun salute.
Military Appreciation DayMilitary Appreciation DayMilitary Appreciation Day
Dining In (ML IIIs and ML IVs)Dining In (ML IIIs and ML IVs)Dining In (ML IIIs and ML IVs)
On November 21st, the ML IIIs and ML
IVs along with Army R.O.T.C. cadre
conducted our annual Dining-In cere-
mony. The purpose of this ceremony is
to familiarize Cadets with some of the
formalities of such a ceremony and
build camaraderie among the IIIs and
IVs. This year, the Dining-In was host-
ed at the Galley Restaurant in Ander-
son. The evening began with approxi-
mately a half an hour of social time
which led into the official ceremonies.
The ML IIIs took charge of this event
and the mixing of the ‘grog’ which was
a combination of ‘incompatible’ ingre-
dients into a large bowl. After the grog
had been prepared and tested, the floor
was opened to challenges with the at-
tempt of having the Cadets at fault be
punished by drinking from the grog.
After grog challenges ceased, the buffet
line was opened and everyone had their
fill of a large variety of food. Following
diner, the guest speaker for the evening,
1LT Wes Cooler IV gave a speech to
the ML IIIs and ML IVs about his expe-
riences as a young officer. After his
speech, 1LT Wes Cooler was presented
with an engraved Ka-bar knife and a
hand painted cooler, gifts from the Ar-
my ROTC program. The next event of
the evening was a series of skits per-
formed by the ML IIIs and ML IVs
along with a video skit that was present-
ed by the ML IIIs. At the end of the
evening, after everyone had eaten their
fill and been duly entertained by the
great shows of talent, the Dining-In was
concluded.
Cadet Williamson, Christopher ML IVCadet Williamson, Christopher ML IVCadet Williamson, Christopher ML IV
Cadet Spearman, Matthew ML ICadet Spearman, Matthew ML ICadet Spearman, Matthew ML I
Special EventsSpecial EventsSpecial Events Pg. 5Pg. 5Pg. 5
Sports Day LabSports Day LabSports Day Lab Cadet Williamson, Christopher ML IVCadet Williamson, Christopher ML IVCadet Williamson, Christopher ML IV
On December 5th, the Fightin’ Tiger
Battalion conducted its Sports Day
Lab and final lab of the Fall semes-
ter. Due to inclement weather, this
lab was held inside of Fike gym, on
the basketball courts. Each platoon
arrived wearing their on specified
‘team’ colors and came ready to par-
ticipate in some shows of athleticism.
The lab began with end of semester
awards being presented for things
such as high GPAs, high APFT
scores, and to Cadets who did their
part recruiting for the battalion. The
only official sports event of the day,
due to the limited space inside, was a
tug-of-war competition in which each
platoon selected its strongest Cadets
to show what they were made of.
After several rounds of competition,
Alpha company, second platoon, was
named the overall winner and was
rewarded with being the first platoon
to go through and get pizza that had
been provided for the battalion. After
a few announcements and a safety
brief from LTC Mullinax, Cadets
were released to go home.
“..the battalion heard a short
speech from Lieutenant Gen-
eral John F. Mulholland, Jr.
the Deputy Commander of
United States Special Opera-
tions Command about the
importance of serving in the
U.S. Army.”
SSSELECTEDELECTEDELECTED PPP ICTURESICTURESICTURES PPPAGEAGEAGE 666
ML Is receiving their safety brief during the Fall FTX LT. General Mulholland and his wife Miriam
ML IIIs attempting to cross a ‘minefield’ during their FTX General Jackson and Cadet Patrick Smith on M.A.D
Cadets learn movement techniques during Tactics I Lab ML I Cadets lining ‘the hill’ during the M.A.D. game
ML I Cadets learn their ‘pace count’ during Land Nav Lab c/LTC Bassett helps Cadet Stoltz during Adv. Land Nav