NEW YEAR'S ENTRY

Every year on each ship in our Navy the first deck log entry of the New Year is made in verse.  To honor this tradition, the first entry in this year’s blog is presented in verse.  This year it is based in part on Admiral Hopwood’s The Laws of the Navy  (quoted in part in the second stanza below), in part on The Night Before Christmas, and in part, apparently, on the works of Dr. Seuss.  Apologies to all. 

Middletown High School NJROTC New Year’s (B)Log Entry

Now this is the state of our unit,

Sad and feckless it may be,

For winning surely requires

Far more commitment from we.

Know that “On the strength of one link in the cable,

Dependeth the might of the chain,

Who knows when thou mayest be tested?

So live that thou bearest the strain!”

So rig fenders, my hearty weasels,

Rig fenders and come alongside,

For this is the state of our unit,

Be prepared for a troubling ride.

Now read thee the state of our unit,

Read it and see if you agree,

For I asked for someone else to write it,

But predictably the task fell to me.

So ‘vast all you lubbers, sheer off and make for port,

Find ye safe harbor, afore the cannons’ report,

For commitment is the watchword,

But sadly, so sadly, it is not often heard.

And now I speak of the Squeaker; the Squeaker she’s our CO.

General Quarters, set Material Condition Zebra and get thee set for the show,

Right full rudder, shift your rudder, all ahead full,

Of elfin Jessica what more can be said?

That she’s mean and made fun of a balding white head.

And of the XO, well we fervently all wish,

That come next year she’ll be not such a fish.

Sam’s small and she’s whining

And Navy bound, so not so surprising

That in her ship’s bilges she’ll soon be a’ diving.

Good luck to her, we’re sure she’ll be thriving!

The Torpedo, too is Navy-bound, that much we know is true,

So three cheers for the Navy, three cheers  for the gold and the blue,

But any cheers for Fergie?  Well, I’ll leave that to you.

What will he do?  We all ponder,

Where on the ship will he wander.

Two Rs, two Ns, but just one E, please.

Her sense of orthographical precision is something at which not to sneeze.

Why it must be the Ops Officer, OPS say we,

And from her, it’s a little more C2 that we all pray to see,

‘Cause a little less confused, the staff hopes to be.

And what of the sheep, the prodigal sheep?

It made all the rounds, it saw all the sights, it really climbed the heap,

And it sure fooled me, har-dee harr, tee-hee-hee.

But now the question must be asked, well it just must be:

“How you gonna keep ‘em down on the farm after they’ve seen Gay Paree?”

Elephant’s feet, and mousing,

A brief comment follows, no grousin’,

On a knuckle draggin’, deck apin’, paint slingin’,

Cadet, one who’s just waiting to be hangin’ with the goats,

Why, he’ll be another BM3 McCarthy, our own “Baby Boats.”

But wherever he goes, whatever he does,

I’m sure his success will cause a great buzz.

 Of our cadet master chief, well what should we say?

That he is motivated, and dedicated, all of the day;

That he’s hungry, always hungry, always ready to attack,

His name? What is his name?  Well it rhymes with “snack.”

Burgers and chips, candy and fries, food piled so high it would make strong men quail,

And yet, he’ll eat it all up, from the beak to the tail.

Next there’s our Logistics Officer, well she’s very quiet,

Surrounded by files, like a very slow riot.

Around her the paperwork flies in a great swirl,

And then she hides it, like a small frenetic squirrel.

And of ole A.J., what can be said?

His “Yellow Peril,” well it’s almost dead.

He’s slammed it and banged it;

Verily, he’s darned near pranged it!

Now what should he do, Oh where should he go?

Why of course--onto the Net, to seek his elusive twin tur-bo.

Our drill team they try, they try, try, try, try,

Their efforts are enough to make grown men cry.

Why they drill, they drill, they drill every day,

If they finally get serious, it might even pay.

But when they drill, they squirm and they talk,

And when they march, why it looks like a walk.

To compete for the win they’ll have to get serious,

Boy, when they do, why I’ll be just delirious!

To look ahead just a bit, the day will soon come,

We will have our inspection, our day in the sun.

All our cadets will turn out, and their families will see

Whether they rate Distinguished Unit—this year… could be!

Considering this, their shoes they must shine,

Oh those cadets, they’ll look just fine!

But that’s not enough, enough to guarantee

That inspection ready on that day they will be.

To be ready then, ready to go,

Their general knowledge they also must know.

If they do, it’ll be quite a show.

If they do, they’ll be all set to go!

And if they do not, why it’ll be quite sad,

Everything that could go well will instead be quite bad.

And what of our sturdy instructors,

So able and true,

Of them it could be said,

That they’re in it for you.

So to shipmates not present,

And to those not mentioned,

We wish them the best.  Trust us, we are well-intentioned.

Commitment is the law of our unit,

Commitment so simple and true,

And it’s the way to success for each, for every, and especially for you.

So Cadets keep to your courses,

Cadets keep plugging away,

And it’ll all get better some soon sunny day.

SENATOR DOLE SALUTES SENATOR INOUYE

Two weeks ago I discussed the passing of Senator Inouye and the close connection he shared with Senator Robert Dole.  The two were grievously wounded in two separate actions in April of 1945 and met in a military hospital during their recoveries.  Although they represented different states and parties in the United States Senate, the scene of Senator Dole saluting the casket of his colleague, rendering the salute with his left hand because his right hand is unusable, is poignant almost beyond words.

GENERAL NORMAN SCHARZKOPF, JR.

General Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr., USA

Born August 22, 1934, General Scharzkopf rose to command of the United States Central Command during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.  He died today and should be remembered as a great soldier and a true operational genius.  RIP.

MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Season's greetings to Al Qaeda!



...and to all a Good Night!



WHO'S GONNA DO IT?

It's a long-standing tradition in the navy that the first entry in the ship's deck log is written in verse.  We don't have a deck log, but there will be a blog entry written in verse.  If you are interested in writing the entry, submit it to me for consideration by the end of school on December 21st. 

NEW CHALLENGE

No takers...so sad.

Here's the latest challenge.  There is no trick, but read it carefully.

What is the maximum number of areas or regions that result when 3 intersecting circles are intersected by a rectangle? The resulting answer should again reflect the fact that the resulting areas or regions are not further subdivided.

This challenge will expire at 0730, Monday, 17 December.  Good luck.

Three intersecting circles--no rectangle depicted.

CONGRATULATIONS

Congratulations to the MHS NJROTC Academic Team consisting of Cadets Ferguson (Team Leader), Jessica Glickman, Samantha Migliori, Derek Fitzgerald, and Jorge Esquivel for their performance in the annual Fleet Reserve Association academic postal challenge.  Our team came in a respectable 40th out of 137 teams from schools all over the country. 

Our standing placed us comfortably in the top third.  A perfect team score was 500.  The first place school was Lakewood High School in Lakewood, Florida.  We scored 317.  With so many schools participating, there were several ties.  For the purpose of the scoring the test, ties were broken by the order in which teams submitted their answers.  Considering the ties, we tied for 30th place. 

The individual high scorer was Cadet Ferguson with a score of 82 against a perfect score of 100.  The high scoring individual was Cadet Brian Bordeaux of Lakewood, Florida with a score of 96.  By rough inspection (me looking quickly through a long list of individual scores), it looks as if Cadet Ferguson was tied for about 5th place as an individual.  Good job, Robert.

NEW CHALLENGE

Congratulations to Cadet Geagley who provided the correct answer...I will leave it to you to figure out what it was.

Here's the latest cadet challenge. Below you will find a sentence about a man who ate and ate and ate. Within the sentence are hidden the five parts of his body which grew the fastest. Can you work out, using all the letters, what the five parts are?

HE SAT THERE AND HE FEASTED 

This challenge will expire at 0730 Friday, 14 December.  With some sadness, I note for the record that the previous challenge remains unanswered. 

REMEMBER PEARL HARBOR

Much has happened in the intervening 71 years, but on this the anniversary of the day, we should all stop and recall the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the losses we sustained, and the almost four years of destruction that followed.  Although there are fewer with each passing year, there are still many who served at Pearl Harbor and remember that fateful day and a talk with any of them will serve to remind us that freedom is never free.

From Walter Bourneman:

Seventy-one years ago today the Imperial Japanese Navy launched a devastating, surprise attack against American naval forces at Pearl Harbor. That moment became the defining memory marker of a generation—much as the Kenney assassination and 9/11 would become for later generations. Everyone of age to understand that Sunday morning would always remember where he or she was when the news crackled out of a radio or sprawled across the front page of a newspaper.

On that day, December 7, 1941, Europe was fighting Nazi Germany and President Franklin D. Roosevelt was slowly preparing the United States for an inevitable entry into the conflict. But America was still divided; many held strong isolationist views. Roosevelt had been slowly chipping away at American isolationism for years, but in two hours on a quiet Sunday morning, Japan finished his task.

The magnitude of Japan’s attack was sobering, but it was the long-planned, secretive manner in which it was executed that truly enraged the American people. America suddenly stood united in purpose as never before.

At Pearl Harbor that morning, America lost eight battleships, hundreds of airplanes, and 2,400 navy, marine, army, and civilian personnel. The memories of those lost that day are sacred, but no less so than the contributions of those who answered the call in response. Over the next four years, 8 million American men and women would serve in the armed forces.

Today, those who remain are in their late eighties and nineties. They have many memories of long and fulfilling lives, but in the twilight of their years so many of their sharpest memories seem to be of that time long ago when as fresh-faced teenagers they gave their all to a common purpose. Much has been written about their leaders, but it was their individual efforts that made this difference.

Perhaps the greatest lesson of Pearl Harbor is that nothing is impossible for the American people.
The most amazing transformation in American history may be the 1,366 days between December 7, 1941, and September 2, 1945—and the speed with which the Axis powers were reduced to ruin once the United States entered the Second World War. During this time, the tremendous outpouring of America’s industrial strength in ships, planes, tanks, and other armaments was exceeded only by the bravery and determination of the nation’s men and women.

They were a “can-do” generation who did not take “no” for an answer. They did not put off until tomorrow what needed to be done today. We should remember their resolve, honor their commitment, and seek to emulate their example. They truly were the greatest generation.


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/12/07/pearl-harbor-greatest-lesson/#ixzz2EOfUkWXI

From Wikepedia:

The attack on Pearl Harbor (called Hawaii Operation or Operation AI^[7][8] by the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters (Operation Z in planning)^[9] and the Battle of Pearl Harbor^[10]) was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941 (December 8 in Japan). The attack was intended as a preventive action in order to keep the U.S. Pacific Fleet from interfering with military actions the Empire of Japan was planning in Southeast Asia against overseas territories of the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and the United States.
The base was attacked by 353^[11] Japanese fighters, bombers and torpedo planes in two waves, launched from six aircraft carriers.^[11] All eight U.S. Navy battleships were damaged, with four being sunk. Of these eight damaged, two were raised, and with four repaired, six battleships returned to service later in the war. The Japanese also sank or damaged three cruisers, three destroyers, an anti-aircraft training ship,^{[nb 4]} and one minelayer. 188 U.S. aircraft were destroyed; 2,402 Americans were killed^[13] and 1,282 wounded. Important base installations such as the power station, shipyard, maintenance, and fuel and torpedo storage facilities, as well as the submarine piers and headquarters building (also home of the intelligence section) were not attacked. Japanese losses were light: 29 aircraft and five midget submarines lost, and 65 servicemen killed or wounded. One Japanese sailor was captured.
The attack came as a profound shock to the American people and led directly to the American entry into World War II in both the Pacific and European theaters. The following day (December 8), the United States declared war on Japan.



The USS West Virgina burns and settles in the mud of Pearl Harbor.  In the foreground is a small boat going to rescue those who have jumped overboard.



The USS Arizona explodes.  This is where most of casualties occured.  Hundreds remain entombed on the ship, which is now a historical site administered by the U.S. Park Service.



IN CASE YOU WERE WONDERING...

As you know, we have started our annual push-up challenge.  If you were wondering what it's all about, here's the gouge.  We do push ups to remember those Americans service members who died during the Vietnam conflict.  There are 58,267 names on the wall and between Veterans' Day and Memorial Day we, as a unit, will do one push-up for each.  If you are wondering, that comes to about 12 push ups per day per cadet.  As an extra challenge, and to highlight the fact that a winner always try to exceed the goal, we will push to 100,000 by the end of May (about 24 push ups per cadet per day).  Doing these push-ups is not a punishment, each push up should remind us of the sacrifices of those thousands of Americans who gave their lives so that others could enjoy freedom from want and fear while enjoying freedom of speech and liberty.  The last push-ups will be completed ceremonially by members of the senior class at our change of command ceremony. 

As of 6 December we have completed 6.087 putting us at 6.1% of the goal.

The Vietnam Memorial Wall, Washington, D.C.

ALL THAT GLITTERS IS NOT GOLD

Congratulations to Cadet Migliori who answered the previous challenge.  The correct answer is "marigold."  Clever fish.  Here's a new challenge:

For NS1s:  What was Commander Hankin's warfare specialty?  (Easy.)

For NS2, 3, and 4s:  Sid Jones was driving in his recently purchased sports car when he noticed that the odometer read precisely 12345.6 miles. What is truly amazing is that his trip odometer underneath read precisely 123.4 miles. What is the smallest distance that Jones can drive so that the two odometers have all ten digits between them, but share no digits in common?  (Hard--give up now.)

The NS1 challenge will close out 0730, Monday, 10 December.  The other will remain open until solved.  Be prepared to demonstrate your solution.

ANOTHER CADET CHALLENGE! WILL THEY NEVER END?

Congratulations to Cadets Migliori and Barone who both solved the previous puzzle.  Sam got it first and the correct answer is Garfunkel.  In the same vein, here is the latest:

My first 3 letters backward are an acronym for a type of memory. My last half is a valuable metal. What am I?

This challenge will close out 0730 Friday, 7 December.  Good luck you feckless cadets.

Memory

NEW CADET CHALLENGE

Here's a new cadet challenge:

My first 3 letters are a fish, and my next 4 are a state of depression. I made music with a fellow who had the same name as a memory game. Who am I?

This is a four-letter fish.

This challenge will expire at 0730 Tuesday, 4 December 2012.  Good luck.  Hah! 

THE ESSENCE OF DESTINY

Watch your thoughts for they become words. Choose your words for they become actions. Understand your actions for they become habit. Study your habits for they become your character. Develop your character for it becomes your destiny.

(Often attributed to the 6^th Century BCE Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu)

ASPIRANT INSPECTIONS

Do you want to have a billet next year?  If so, you aspire to rank and are therefore an aspirant.  Aspirants will fall out for a separate inspection at the uniform inspections and musters held weekly in the theater.  The first such aspirant inspection will be tomorrow, 27 November.  Tomorrow will be for current sophomores and juniors only, next week and thereafter we will inspect all aspirants.  

Bond Volunteer Aspirants at the Citadel.

NEW CNSTC ANNOUNCED

As of the change of command on 4 December, the new Commander of teh Naval Service Training Command will be Rear Admiral (Sel.) Dee L. Mewbourne, USN.   Rear Adm. (select) Mewbourne was raised in Ormond Beach, Fla. He graduated in 1982 from the United States Naval Academy and was designated a naval flight officer in December 1983. He later earned his master’s degree in Business Administration from Colorado State University. He is an honor graduate of the United States Naval Test Pilot School and completed the Navy’s Nuclear Power Program, Air Command and Staff College, and Joint Forces Staff College.

Mewbourne’s command tours include: Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 139 embarked in USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), USS Nashville (LPD 13), USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), USS Enterprise (CVN 65) and USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75).

At sea, Mewbourne completed sea assignments flying the A-6E Intruder aircraft in Attack Squadron (VA) 34 embarked in USS America (CV 66); VA-75 embarked in USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67); Carrier Air Wing (CVW) Three embarked in Eisenhower; and as the executive officer of VA-196 embarked in USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70). After transitioning to the EA-6B Prowler aircraft, he served as the executive officer of VAQ 139 embarked in Lincoln. He also served as the executive officer in USS George Washington (CVN 73).

Ashore, Mewbourne served a flight instructor in VA-42, the East Coast A-6E Fleet Replacement Squadron, and project officer at the Strike Aircraft Test Directorate. Later, he served as military assistant and trip coordinator for the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Defense; chief of staff for Navy Cyber Forces; and on the staff of Commander, Naval Air Force Atlantic.

Mewbourne’s awards and decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit (four awards), Meritorious Service Medal (five awards), Air Medal with Combat "V", Strike/Flight Air Medal (two awards), and various other personal and unit awards and campaign medals. While at the Naval Academy, he received the Carl Vinson Leadership Award. Upon completion of initial flight training in the A-6E Intruder aircraft at VA-42 in 1985 he was selected as the Replacement Bombardier/Navigator of the Year. Two years later, he was selected the East Coast A-6 community’s Junior Intruder of the Year. In August 2012, he was awarded the Truman Foundation Leadership Award for inspirational leadership.

Mewbourne has deployed supporting Operations El Dorado Canyon, Provide Comfort, Deny Flight, Southern Watch, Iraqi Freedom, New Dawn, Enduring Freedom, and the 2006 Lebanon War. He has accumulated over 3,500 total flight hours in 47 various type aircraft and over 1,000 arrested landings on 13 carrier decks.

A PROBLEM OF SOME SIGNIFICANCE

Here's a tough cadet challenge.  Because this is significantly more involved than our standard challenges, the challenge will extend through the 2nd marking period and wrap-up at 0730 on Monday, 28 January 2013.   The challenge is to create a one- to two- minute video that

• explains a problem of some significance to and describes how it impacts you, your family, your community or the global population;
• describes a new innovation or solution that could solve or impact the problem;
• explains the science, technology, engineering and/or mathematics behind your innovation; and
• illustrates how your innovation could both address the everyday problem you've identified and have a broader impact locally or globally.

There will be a $25 prize for the best effort and this will count double toward qualfication for the end of the year competition. 

A problem of some significance.

GILLIAM AWARD COMPETITION ANNOUNCED

Every year the Navy sponsors the Joseph C. Gilliam Academic Achievement Award.  The award is based on overall academic achievement as exemplified by one's grades, class standing, faculty recommendation, and an original 500 to 750 word essay written on an assigned topic.  This year the topic is "Describe how the Navy Junior ROTC has provided a foundation that has allowed you to more fully develop as a citizen and a future leader in your community."  The essay should highlight examples of positive reinforcement, leadership challenges and goal attainment that are attributable to the lessons learned and experiences of NJROTC. Provide details and feel free to use personal experiences and examples in the essay.

While it may seem like it, this is not strictly an essay contest.  The winner need not have the best essay.  The best candidate will be a well-rounded senior, but any cadet may apply.  I will select the best overall candidate and nominate him or her to Area Four.  The prize is $1,000 (minus taxes) and one winner will be selected from among the approximately fifty schools competing in Area Four.  The last winner to be selected from Middletown High School was Cadet Marquis Cabrera in 2006.  Marquis received a check for $856 ($1,000 minus taxes) and went on to attend Northeastern University.  He served as a White House Intern between his junior and senior year of college and went on to found FosterSkills, a not-for-profit corporation that seeks to support children in foster care and those who foster them. 

MHS BEAT PORT--BRAVO ZULU MIDDIES!

In the Navy the signal "BRAVO ZULU" means "well done."

BRAVO ZULU to our varsity football team for rolling over Port Jervis 30 to 0 in the 134th Erie Bell Game.

"Go Middies!"

CADET CHALLENGE--YET AGAIN

Congratulations to Cadets Migliori (the "g" sounds like a "s") and Esquivel who both correctly determined that the puzzle below refers to Jack Spratt.  In fairness, Sam got it first.

Congratulations to Cadet Misliori who provided the correct answer to the previous challenge (the answer, as a couple of other cadets also knew, is Loki).  Here's a new challenge:

Complications arose during an investigation of dietary influence; one researcher was unable to assimilate adipose tissue, and another was unable to consume tissue consisting chiefly of muscle fiber. By a reciprocal arrangement between the two researchers, total consumption of the viands under consideration was achieved, thus leaving the original container of the viands devoid of contents.

The challenge?  Name the nursery rhyme.  This challenge will expire at 0730, Monday, 26 November.

NEW CHALLENGE

Here's a new cadet challenge:

I am a mischievous deity, the second part of my name is pronounced the same as a tool used for unlocking doors. Who am I?

This challenge will end at 0730 Monday, 26 November.  Good luck.

BETHEL: IT WAS A SLOW START, BUT...

On Saturday, 17 November the MHS NJROTC Drill Team competed in the 9th annual Bethel High School NJROTC Invitational Drill Meet against a field of 12 other schools.  After a slow and disorganized start, we ended up doing rather well: 

• The Marksmanship Team (Samantha Migliori, Derek Fitzgerald, and Tyler Jetjomlong) came in first overall and swept the field coming in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd as individuals.
• The Academics Team came in third.  They missed just one question--there was a tie for first and second place between two teams that missed no questions.
• The New Cadet Color Guard (Alexander Velazquez, Jacob Moody, Tyler Jetjomlong, and Christian Bailey) placed third in the new cadet division.  Good job to all, especially Cadet Vasquez, who commanded.
• Our new cadets placed 2nd overall in the new cadet division--a strong indication that they consistently placed high in all the events.

The common comment from the judges was that our senior armed, senior unarmed, and new cadet platoon lacked "snap, pop, and polish."  That being said, we looked better than we have in recent drill meets and we are definitely on the up-ramp.  Want to win more next time?  Get really serious about practicing the way you will perform--pay real attention to the fine points.

Here are a few photos:

I don't know which is better, the expressiopn on the CO's face when she is getting chewed out or...

...Ferguson smirking about it!

Jessica gets a cookie!

New cadet inspection

Senior inspection

Air rifle competition

Senior unarmed

Senior Color Guard

Samantha (the "g" sounds like a "s") Migliori and Corrinne (two r's and two n's, please) Jewell head to the bus.
(We later determined that Migliori was transporting parts of two jeeps, a small refrigerator, and the left wing from a F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet fighter-attack aircraft..)

A COUPLE NEW PHOTOS FROM THE PARADE

Courtesy of Mrs. Glickman, three more images from among the many taken during the NYC Veterans' Day Parade. 

Cadets with Miss America International



A good shot of the color guard, banner detail, and Middie NJROTC marching unit



If you look closely you can see where King Kong climbed the building.
(You know he did, 'cause he chased away all the pigeons.  You know he was there, because you don't see any pigeons, right?)

NEW CHALLENGE

Congratulations to Cadet Samantha Migliori who correctly determined that the answer is 19. 

Here's a new challenge for the logically or mathematically inclined among you:

At a classic car auction, thirty buyers were present. Ten of the buyers bought fewer than 6 cars. Eight of the buyers bought more than 7 cars. Five buyers bought more than 8 cars. One buyer bought more than 9 cars. What is the total number of buyers who bought 6, 7, 8, or 9 cars?

  This challenge will close at 0730 20 November 2012.  The winner will receive, along with the respect of their classmates, a tasty box of Milk Duds. 

A classic car auction

VETERANS' DAY PARADE PHOTOS

On Sunday, 11 November, Middletown High School cadets participated in the annual NYC Veterans' Day Parade.  Here are a few photos and pertinent comments:



Two blond girls stare into the sun...kind of like turkeys stare into the rain.



Master Sergeant's evil twin

Cadet Barone and the Park Service Bald Eagle



Our color guard



Coast Guard recruits from Cape May Training Station...they are almost as good as the Navy, but they don't like deep water.



The ceremonial first push-up of the annual push-up challenge.  Between now and Memorial Day we will do at least one push up for each of the 58,627 names on the Vietnam Memorial Wall.



Our cadets render honors at the reviewing stand.

Our color guard renders honors to the Grand Marshall.

What's better than this--it was a sunny day and for a few short moments nearly everyone was in step.

CADET STANDARDS

Gentlemen, time to square-away.  If you are in uniform, ensure you you have a proper haircut.  Look like "A" and not like "B":

"A"

"B"





And ladies, please go easy on the lipstick!



NEW CADET CHALLENGE

Congrats to Cadet Esquivel who found the coin behind the Middie Bear's paw print on the bulletin board in the back of the classroom.  BZ?

Here's the first part of a multi-part cadet challenge.  I have hidden a coin around the NJROTC classroom, your task is to find it.  You will not, should not, and MUST NOT disturb any personal areas or equipment.  The coin will not be hidden in a desk, LCD projector, or any similar place; it will be hidden from easy view, but in a common area.

Your first hint:  Look on the "best" page of the book written by the old China Station hand.

USS Tutuila, Chungking, circa 1925

BILLETS

The most recent billet list is posted on the bulletin board in the back of the class.  There are a number of open billets available to qualified NS2s and NS3s.  If you are interested, see the next senior in the chain of command; for example, if you want to be a squad leader in the 3rd platoon, talk to the assistant platoon commander.  Note that we will generally not move a cadet from one platoon to another.  Also note that you must be approved--slackers need not apply. 



If this looks like you on a uniform day, don't bother to apply!





SO SAD...

As part of my continuing effort to discover and highlight cadet goof-ups, errors, failures, and embarrassments, I present the following photographic evidence documenting why cadets shouldn't be be trusted to handle technically complex tasks such as sweeping the deck.  Behold:

This used to be a broom.  Note how carefully it has been repaired with masking tape and parts of coat hangers as side splints. 
How professional!



HOW MANY SQUARES CAN YOU FIND?

Congratulations to Cadet Karen Santamaria for correctly answering that there are 40 squares in the diagram below.  Karen is the first freshman to correctly answer a challenge this year.  BZ!

Here's a new challenge...how many squares can you find below:

This challenge will close out at 0730, Wednesday, 24 October.  The winner will receive one soda.  Good luck.  Notice that the squares are empty--much like my file of pictures taken at the dining-in.  Thanks, PAO!

HOW MANY FACES DO YOU SEE?

Congratulations to Cadet Jorge Esquivel who correctly (I think) answered that ten faces can be seen.  Can anyone see more?

Here's a new challenge.  How many faces do you see in the image below:

This challenge will close out at 0730, Wednesday, 24 December.  The winner will receive a candy bar or soda.  Good luck. 

THE PUPPY IS NOW HAPPY

Congratulations to Cadet Robert Ferguson for correctly answering the challenge.  The Commander challenged Fedorka with the number ten.  The correct response should have been "three" because the correct answer is the number of characters in the first number. 

Is it just me, or does this particular "happy puppy" look a lot like A. J. Geagley?



BAZINGA!

A former cadet, now a proud member of the USAF, had his mom return his text books.  Notice the spelling of "Academic Officer."  Sheldon says it all.