NEW CADET CHALLENGE: WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE?

MHS CADET RETURNS FROM STEM SAN DIEGO

Cadet Lieutenant Commander Tiffany Parker, a rising senior and the cadet commanding officer of Middletown High School's NJROTC Unit, recently completed the Navy's Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Seminar held at the University of San Diego from July 18th through the 22nd.  Tiffany was selected to attend from hundreds of applicants based on her record as a cadet and her potential for success after high school.  The program has been conducted for three years and has won praise from both the college faculty and Navy leadership.  While at STEM Tiffany and her classmates completed a series of practical engineering projects such as building and programing a robot and designing and building "water-walker" flotation devices.  They also attended briefings on cutting-edge technological developments and the faculty of the University conducted short classes introducing the concepts they would use in the practical projects.  It wasn't all work, after class the STEM participants went to the beach, attended fireworks, competed in a field day, and participated in a variety of other recreational activities.  The STEM Seminar is a great program and the Navy pays 100% of the expenses for the entire week.  To paraphrase Tiffany, "It was really fun and the food was great!"  If you are a junior this year and think you might want to participate next summer, see CDR Wall or MSGT Willard.  Here are a few pictures:

30,000 feet above seal level, somewhere over America.

Near sea level, San Diego, California.

Tiffany (right) and an unidentified cadet trade face paint. 

One of the robots designed and assembled and then programmed to follow a pre-arranged path. 

STEM participants at the beach.
(That's the Pacific Ocean--it looks just like the Atlantic, but it's larger and faces the other way.) 



A STEM exercise proving, once again, the universality of Newton's Law of Inertia. Or it could be a quiet time at the field day.




Before:  The two large pontoons are the water walkers prior to op-test.



During:  Cadet Parker walks on water.  You can't see the pontoons, but they were there.

After:  The exact moment at which the forces of gravity and buoyancy develop an upsetting arm (you'll learn about this in NS3!). 
So much for walking on water!

Graduation.  It is possible that Cadet Parker is here, but she might have been at work.

GUILTY

New Cadet Challenge.  Some cadet, not to be named, locked Commander's keys in the supply room.  Help us find out who did it:



"Stop me before I goon things all up again!"



PICNIC REMINDER: 24 JULY

Please remember that the American Legion on Waywayanda is hosting a Youth Picnic on Sunday, 24 July at 1:00 p.m. (that's 1300 for you military types).  All NJROTC Cadets are invited.  No uniform required, but wear an NJROTC t-shirt if you have one.

Question of the Day:  Unless there is an unexpected change, by October we will have a new Chief of Naval Operations (CNO).  President Obama has interviewed a number of candidates to replace the outgoing CNO, Admiral Gary Roughead, and reportedly has almost made his selection.  So:
   a) Who (reportedly) will be the next CNO?
   b) What happens next?

CONGRATS TO OUR NEWEST LEADERSHIP ACADEMY GRADUATES

Middletown Cadets David Geer, Jessica Glickman, and Lanae Rutland were added to the roll of NJROTC Leadership Academy graduates at a ceremony held on Friday, 15 July 2011 at Nimitz Field on the Newport Naval Station in Newport, Rhode Island.  The Leadership Academy, sponsored by the United States Navy and conducted by instructors drawn from throughout Area Four, is two weeks intense weeks of training in honors and ceremony, drill, physical readiness, sailing, and general self discipline.  Attendance is competitive and selection is limited to those cadets with a record of performance and a demonstrated potential for leadership.  Generally, graduates return to their schools to fill top leadership positions in their units, as is the case with David, who will serve as unit XO, Jessica, who will serve as unit OPS Officer, and Lanae, who will serve as Drill Team Commander.  Congratulations to all the graduates, particularly our own! Here are a few pictures of this year's ceremony:

Blue Platoon leads the Training Battalion onto Nimitz Field.  In the background is Nimitz Hall, home of the Navy's Officer Candidate School.

The Battalion Color Guard.

The Academy Director and Guest of Honor receive the report from the Training Battalion Commander.

The Battalion conducts a ceremonial "Pass-in-Review."  In the backgrouhnd is Ripley Hall, used as the barracks for the Leadership Academy and normally the barracks for the Naval Academy Prep School.



Cadet Glickman beside a beachball.  Newport Bridge and Narragansett Bridge in the background.




Cadets Glickman and Geer "strike a pose" after the graduation.

Cadet Glickman and the illusive Cadet Rutland in the Navy Exchange.  (Proof positive that Cadet Rutland actually attended LA/ST, although she apparently spent all two weeks at the Exchange.)

Officer Candidate School Graduation and Commissioning Ceremony.  The ceremony was held on the Navy's Pritchard Field.  These men and women will be headfing to the Fleet to begin their careers as officers in the Navy where, as the saying goes, "Every day's a holiday, every meal's a feast!"

Cadets Geer and Glickman with Master Sergeant Willard and Commander Wall.



NEW CHALLENGE

Here's a simple one:

Tropical storms originating over the Pacific Ocean are called monsoons.  True or False?

TIFFANY PARKER RETURNS FROM GIRLS' STATE

Cadet Tiffany Parker recently returned from the prestigious New York Girls' State Convention sponsored by the American Legion Women's Auxiliary.  The event was a week-long mock state legislature designed to teach outstanding young leaders parliamentary procedure, decision making skills, and leadership.  This year's Girls' State was held at on the campus of SUNY Brockport near Rochester.  Aside from being fun, participation is a definite growth experience, not to mention a real honor that is well-regarded by college admissions offices.  Over 300 girls from throughout the state, all members of the rising senior class, were selected to attend based on teachers' recommendations and proven leadership potential.  As most of you know, Tiffany is the cadet commanding officer of our NJROTC unit; as such she is responsible for leading a unit of over 150 cadets and regularly interacts with community leaders, educational and government officials, and members of the business community.  Sounds like proven leadership to me.  As a payback for their sponsorship, Tiffany has been asked to write a short essay on her experiences at Girls' State and will share it with the Legion at a future meeting.   Congratulations Tiffany, and thank you American Legion Post 151 Women's Auxiliary for sponsoring this most worthwhile program and for your continued dedication to America''s youth!



The Education Committee--selected girls representing their counties' educational interests to the Legislature.




Members on the way to a meeting of the General Legislature.



Tiffany Parker and her County Housemother



Nationalist pride! (The Nationalists were one of two political parties, the other being the Federalists.)




Graduation--The State of States Ceremony



MIDDLETOWN CLEAN-UP DAY, SATURDAY, 9 JULY

Just a reminder:  We have been requested to help in the Middletown Clean-Up this Saturday, 9 July, at 0900.  If you can help, muster by city hall at  0845--you'll see the crowd.  If you participated last time, please wear the yellow shirt you were provided.  Everything else will be provided.

Question of the Day:  Who is the commander of the Naval Service Training Command?

MHS CADETS REPORT TO LA/ST, NAVSTA NEWPORT

Recently three Middletown High School NJROTC cadets reported to the intense two-week long Navy-sponsored Leadership Academy and Sail Training (LA/ST) held at the Naval Officer Training Command, Newport, Rhode Island.  From Sunday, 3 July through Friday, 15 July, the cadets will participate in program that balances hands-on experience with small sailboats in the Narragansett Bay with drill, physical training, and academics stressing leadership, honor, and ceremonies.  Over 140 cadets from throughout the Northeast will join cadets David Geer (MHS cadet executive officer), Jessica Glckman (MHS cadet operations officer), and Lanae Rutland (MHS drill team commander) as they are put through their paces by certified instructors drawn from the ranks of the Navy's NJROTC program.  The training days often start at 5 a.m. and extend into the evening.  The work is hard, but rewarding.  The Academy will culminate with a full dress graduation at 10 a.m., Friday, 15 July, after which the graduates will be among the select cadets nationwide who are entitled to wear the coveted silver cord on their right shoulder--a cord them marks them as proven cadet leaders.  Here are a few images of our cadets as they start their training:

From right to left:  David Geer, Jessica Glickman, and Lanae Rutland

Cadet Glickman with her sea bag--bigger than her.