“Darkness had descended on this land,” said Defense Secretary Dr. Robert Gates. “Merchants of chaos were gaining strength. Death was commonplace,” and people around the world were wondering whether any Iraq strategy would work. 30,000 more troops and nineteen months later, this question has been answered. “Slowly, but inexorably, the tide began to turn,” said Gates. “Our enemies took a fearsome beating they will not soon forget.”

On Tuesday September 17th General Petraeus, commander of the Multi-National Forces in Iraq, handed control over to his former deputy, General Ray Ordierno. Ordierno will take control of a region vastly different than it was nineteen months ago. While much work remains to be done, much has been accomplished. In February 2007 the country was engulfed in sectarian violence with little promise to improve. Currently violence in Iraq has fallen to a four-year low, something analysts have attributed to Petraeus’s innovative counterinsurgency strategies. Iraqi security forces have grown in number allowing the United States to begin modest troop withdrawals. Local governance and infrastructure has flourished giving small businesses the opportunity to open and expand. All of these positive details are rarely mentioned due to election coverage which focuses more on lipstick than actual issues and constant complaints about a poor economy. Neither the candidates nor the newspapers are discussing Iraq at length because everything has been going so well, making it virtually a non-issue in this election.

Regardless of whether or not you agreed with the decision to go to war or with the decision to initiate the surge both General Petraeus and our troops have done a tremendous job and we owe them a debt of gratitude for their service. They have given the Iraqis and their government the opportunity to build their nation which will hopefully continue improving in the years to come. General Petraeus’s next assignment will be commander of U.S. Central Command where he will oversee operations throughout the Middle East including Afghanistan where violence is on the rise.

Popularity: 7% [?]

QUESTIONS

Novice

1. During the Second World War, this General lived up to his words “I shall return.”
2. During the First Gulf War, this General was know as “Stormin’ Norman.”
3. After leading Operation Overlord, this General went on to lead the United States as the 34th president of the Union.
4. This United States Civil War General is known for his “neckties” and assertion that he would “make Georgia howl.”
5. In charge of US Central Command, This General oversaw the invasion of Afghanistan and led the fight against the Taliban.

Pro

1. This General was given charge over a fictitious military group as a distraction to the Germans against the impending invasion of continental Europe.
2. Serving in the Revolutionary War, this General earned his nickname for his at times uncontrollable temper.
3. This Civil War General lends a variant of his name to a common type of facial hair worn by men.
4. Nicknamed “Old Rough and Ready,” This General and future President led US troops under President James K. Polk during the Mexican War.
5. Who famously made a pact with the British to surrender the American fort at West Point, New York before switching sides in the Revolutionary War?

All-Star

1. The quote “NUTS!” was given as a response to German demands of surrender by which future General during the Second World War?
2. Which Frenchman who served as a General under George Washington was awarded citizenship of the United States in 2002, and has a portrait in the chamber of the US House of Representatives?
3. After this General followed his native state of Virginia to secession, his family’s estate of Arlington was seized and later turned into a national cemetery for soldiers near Washington DC.
4. Which US General sued network CBS for libel after a 1982 documentary was aired?
5. This General led the American Expeditionary Forces that landed in France during the First World War.

ANSWERS

Novice

1. General Douglas MacArthur
2. General Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr.
3. General Dwight D. Eisenhower
4. General William Tecumseh Sherman
5. General Tommy Franks

Pro

1. General George Patton
2. General “Mad” Anthony Wayne
3. General Ambrose Burnside
4. General Zachary Taylor
5. General Benedict Arnold

All-Star

1. General Anthony McAuliffe
2. General Gilbert du Motier (Marquis de La Fayette)
3. General Robert E. Lee
4. General William Westmoreland
5. General John J Pershing

Popularity: 22% [?]

Before dismissing One Bullet Away as a book about the military whose only relevance at Marquette is for ROTC members, read the rest of this review. The story is more than a mere chronicle of the transformation of former Marine from a typical college student to a veteran of both the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Nathaniel Fick’s One Bullet Away emerges as both the preeminent literary work by a veteran and a wonderful exploration into the qualities required for effective leadership – an integral part of everyone’s “Marquette Experience.”

Fick rose to the rank of captain after graduating from Dartmouth in 1999. During his junior year, he decided to join the United States Marine Corps. He passed the rigorous test known as Officer Candidates School the summer before his senior year. On his graduation day from Dartmouth, he was commissioned a second lieutenant.

Fick’s relationship with his non-commissioned officers illustrates the difficulty of leadership as a junior-level officer in the Marine Corps. On the day of his college graduation, he immediately out-ranked all enlisted Marines – some who had been in the Corps for longer than Fick had been alive. Yet, his rank alone did not necessarily garner the respect of his men. He would eventually have to prove himself competent. Fick’s relationship with his staff sergeant was one in which the staff sergeant would “back [him] up in front of the Marines” and “disagree behind closed doors.” Fick grows by learning from the men of his platoon, and his effectiveness as a leader emerges and then flourishes in battle.

One incident in the book is particularly indicative of the degree to which leadership is put into practice by Marine officers. At one point, supply lines were spread too thin, and there was not enough food for all the Marines. As a result, the officers gave the available food to the lowest-ranking Marines. This philosophy shows that Marine officers must not indulge in order to keep morale high. As for application in the real world, Fick cites a “former Marine officer who went on to be a Fortune 500 CEO. When asked for his guiding principle, the CEO replied, “Officers eat last.”

Fick’s purpose in writing does not seem political. During the occupation which followed the invasion, Fick and his platoon were placed in Baghdad. Fick criticized the plan for post-war Iraq by implying that it was short-sighted. During the initial liberation phase, Fick relays the overwhelming support the Marines received from many Iraqis. On one of the numerous occasions, the Marines encountered a large group of surrendering Iraqis.

Fick writes, “Many men sobbed when they realized we were feeding them instead of shooting them. A young boy, dressed in military trousers and a T-shirt from the Janesville, Wisconsin, YMCA, laughed and smiled, shouting, ‘I make love George Bush.’”

It was not always such a bright picture in Iraq. At one point, Fick’s platoon was slowed down by a girl who had been hurt in the Coalition’s initial bombing of Baghdad. As accomplishing their mission’s objective became increasingly difficult, Fick was forced to allow only basic medicinal procedures in order to move on and accomplish the mission’s objective. As he eventually concluded, leadership in war often consists of choosing not “between good and bad, but rather between bad and worse.”

One Bullet Away is recommended as an excellent chronicle of a Marine officer’s transformation as well as its literary merit. Fick’s moral dilemmas and snap decisions in the face of the enemy are applicable to any civilian who aspires to be a leader and develop good decision-making skills.

Popularity: 22% [?]

On October 26, the Marquette chapter of Silver Wings, a collegiate advocacy group supporting the United States military, will host their first ever service member appreciation day from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the Alumni Memorial Union Room 254.

The event will include videos and slide shows, as well as banners and cards for people to sign to show their appreciation. The slide shows and videos will include members of the military who are related to students at Marquette and some who attended Marquette. Silver Wings will then send the cards and banners to the troops in Iraq, who will hopefully receive them around Thanksgiving. Silver Wings Secretary Craig Kellner said that it will serve as a time of reflection.

One person for whom this day really hits home is Kristen Dvorak, a sophomore at Marquette. Her boyfriend, Seth, was deployed to Iraq just over a month ago, on September 15.

Kristen and Seth are from the same town and have been dating for five years. He has been a member of the United States Marine Corps since September 18, 2007 and is scheduled to return in mid to late spring of 2008.

Kristen joined Silver Wings this year because she wanted “to support the troops and meet people in similar situations. . . [and] help others understand the situations family and friends are in, both during times of deployment and being stateside.”

“Silver Wings has helped me stay strong and keep a positive attitude. I know other people are concerned at watching out for those overseas, whether they know them personally or not. They are not only there to support the troops, but to be support for others connected to people in the military,” she said.

The Marquette chapter of Silver Wings was founded five years ago and has grown into one of the largest chapters in the area.

The group includes civilians and Reserved Officer Training Corps members. Their president, Emily Fleck-Mitchell, said that one of their goals for the upcoming year will be to increase membership to 25 members.

The organization also wants to excel in their participation in the Joint National Project. This project has been the annual service project undertaken by Silver Wings along with the Arnold Air Society, an honorary service organization that supports the United States Air Force.

For the joint project last year, they sent the troops movies, candy, popcorn and other movie-related items as part of what they called “Take a Soldier to the Movies.” This year, the service project will help to feed the homeless. Other plans for the upcoming year include participating in ARCON, or the Area Regional Conclave, where the members of regional Silver Wings chapters meet to discuss fundraising, professional development, service and recruitment.

The mission of Silver Wings members has been to create “proactive, knowledgeable, and effective civic leaders through community service and education about national defense.” Through events such as Service Member Appreciation Day, Silver Wings hopes to achieve these goals.

Popularity: 8% [?]

They promote social justice, but don’t fast or engage in sit-ins or protests; they preserve freedom, but don’t petition or lobby for legislation; and they develop passionate leaders for change, but don’t sponsor outreach awareness events.They are the students of Marquette’s Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC), and although the value of their dedication to social justice, freedom and leadership development may not always be clear to or acknowledged by the Marquette community, the commitment and calling of these students has a lasting impact.

Often spotted walking briskly in uniform or exercising early in the morning, the ROTC students are a visible part of campus. Despite their clear presence, does anyone really know what the ROTC program is about?

ROTC is a training program, integrated within many college campuses, intended to produce commissioned officers in the United States Military. ROTC is one of three ways officers are commissioned into the military, the other two including military academies and Officer Candidate School (the United States Air Force calls this commissioning source Officer Training School (OTS)).

The unique ROTC experience brings together not only the education, traditions and ethos of the military profession, but allows members to engage in and live in a civilian community, according to the 10 Year History of U.S. Army Cadet Command.

Marquette has three ROTC units on campus: the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC), the Army ROTC and the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC).

According to the NROTC Web site, students can begin to consider ROTC before their freshman year at Marquette and apply for an ROTC four-year scholarship. Scholarships are awarded by all branches at Marquette, and include tuition, books and a monthly stipend. There are also two- and three-year scholarships, which are for sophomores and juniors who join after their freshman year.

In addition to Marquette students, all three ROTC branches at Marquette also bring in students from other area colleges, including University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Milwaukee School of Engineering.

Army ROTC: Learning to be Leaders
The Army ROTC differs in its focus of leadership development and programming. The national Army ROTC program was established in 1915, in the years preceding World War I. According to the 10 Year History of U.S. Army Cadet Command, “institutions of higher learning were the source from which the United States should draw the bulk of its reserve officer training corps.”

Those involved in Army ROTC must fulfill physical fitness standards and supplement their coursework with military science courses.

Lieutenant Colonel Clark Backus, professor of military science, adds that Army ROTC focuses on leadership development and familiarization with small unit infantry.

“We’re trying to train college students for leadership roles and opportunities, and the Army’s way to lead,” Backus said. “Understanding infantry tactics within squad and platoon levels is a piece that we’re trying to combine with leadership experience by the times students are commissioned.”

When successfully completed, participation in Army ROTC leads to a commission as a second lieutenant with either full time service in the U.S. Army or part time service in the Army Reserve or Army National Guard.

As students progress through the program and take on leadership roles, they are evaluated on seven character qualities: loyalty, duty, respect, selfless-service, honor, integrity and personal courage.

“The leadership we’re teaching isn’t non-transferable,” said Backus. “It is not an indoctrinated leadership curriculum, but one grounded in behavioral science. The environment and technical piece might be different, but the application is the same.”

In addition to normal coursework and leadership training, Army ROTC students must complete physical training three times a week. The program also has several distinctive extra curricular activities, including a Bataan Memorial Death March, Cadet Rangers and Ranger Challenge.

According to the U.S. Army Cadet Command guidebook, the Army ROTC’s definition of leadership is “influencing people by providing purpose, direction and motivation while operating to accomplish a mission and improving the organization.”

The Army’s emphasis on leadership development is evident in the roles given to upper-classmen cadets. All lower classmen must participate in Leadership Lab, where cadets practice battle drills and learn some of the technical aspects of becoming commissioned. As students progress, they become responsible for planning and carrying out Leadership Labs.

After graduation, cadets are assigned to different branches to train for specific army positions

“To get into the branch you’d like, it can be very competitive, especially with what I want to do, which is aviation,” said Sam Thompson, College of Business freshman and cadet. “Grades are 60 percent of what’s considered, when you’re placed in a branch.”

Two of the four Marquette pillars—leadership and excellence— are also listed on the Army ROTC badge

“What Army ROTC and the University are trying to do is a good confluence of desires. Just as the Jesuits are service oriented, so are those in ROTC—they are serving their country. A lot of people at Marquette, whatever they believe, recognize that students are providing a service that should be admired,” said Backus.

In the midst of political conflict over military affairs overseas, Backus said he has only received positive feedback from the Marquette community.

“The faculty and students I’m in contact with express their support and admiration at what our students accomplish,” said Backus.

Although they may have a unique college experience, the average cadet has career goals and professional aspirations that aren’t so different from their peers.

“They happen to choose a calling that calls attention in a different way. It’s important to recognize that it’s a different commitment our country is asking people to acknowledge. The calling is this intangible, its not politically driven, but intrinsic kind of thing, not indoctrinated, and it ought to be acknowledged,” said Backus.

Air Force ROTC: Exercising excellence
Also an outpour of the need for military personnel during World War II, the Air Force ROTC gained momentum in 1946.

The AFROTC is another component of Marquette’s ROTC program and is focused on training, educating and commissioning officers in the Air Force.

One of AFROTC’s primary goals is to “recruit, train and retain America’s best young men and women to provide global vigilance, reach and power to our nation in the 21st Century.” AFROTC aims to cultivate an atmosphere where students can, “lead effectively at all levels – with decisiveness and concern for our people and provide an environment that encourages all our people to achieve personal and professional excellence,” according to the AFROTC Web site. Integrity first, service before self and excellence are three pillars of the AFROTC curriculum.

Like NROTC and Army ROTC, AFROTC also has fitness standards as well as specific training requirements, which can include summer programs and academic classes.

The Air Force also requires students to participate in leadership laboratories and assume specific roles in their groups within their Cadet Wing. The Command staff then oversees different Groups within the Cadet Wing. Each Group consists of underclassmen with a specific job to help the Wing function.

Joeli Anderson, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences and the AFROTC Recruiting and Retention Squadron Commander spends 25 to 35 hours a week involved with AFROTC activities.

“I am basically in charge of organizing and recruiting events and making sure we have personnel there. I also oversee that morale activities are run and planned well to further professional development within our Cadet Wing.”

AFROTC has its own extra-curricular activities to further develop leadership within the Wing.

“There are unlimited activities to practice leadership and communication skills in almost everything that you do,” said Anderson.

Although often a challenge, physically, emotionally, academically and spiritually, Anderson said that through AFROTC she has accomplished things she never would have imagined.

“I am ultimately a better leader, student, sister, daughter and person because of it. The training I’ve received and the way I’ve grown as an individual is amazing,” said Anderson.

Throughout her four years in AFROTC, Anderson has seen both sides of the spectrum in others reactions and views of ROTC.

“Yes, I’ve been discriminated against by peers. Yes, anti-military protests and conflicts have arisen, but I’ve also been thanked by a random stranger,” said Anderson. “What it ultimately comes down to is the fact that I am confident in what I am doing and through both the disrespect and praises, I still feel the call to serve.”

Naval ROTC: Cultivating character
Established in 1926, the national NROTC has grown to 57 units in 34 states. According to Marquette’s NROTC Web site, the Marquette NROTC tradition dates back to 1940 and was the first unit in the country established at a Catholic university. In the midst of World War II, the program was formed with the goal of being ready in the event of a serious national emergency.

There are three obligations for students involved in the program: intellectual development, physical growth and moral and ethical development, said Captain Jay Smith, commanding officer of Marquette’s NROTC. Just as Marquette emphasizes “cura personalis,” or care for the whole person, students in the NROTC program are expected to perform well academically, stay in good physical shape and develop as a Naval Officer.

“It’s a huge amount of responsibility placed on their shoulders at a young age,” Smith said.

Students accepted into the NROTC program come from a variety of majors, but must also take several Naval Science courses in addition to their regular course load.

Students enrolled in NROTC can choose a Navy or Marine option, and although both groups train and work together, their requirements throughout their years at Marquette and after graduation differ.

Students on a NROTC scholarship must serve four years on active duty, according to Marquette’s NROTC Web site. But while Navy students begin serving directly in the Navy’s warfare areas – including surface warfare, aviation, submarines and special warfare –Marine options will report to the Basic School to undergo additional training after graduation.

Before NROTC midshipmen are commissioned, much of their time at Marquette is devoted to leadership training and experience. Students participate in Naval lab once a week, which consists of drill and general military training. They are also encouraged to participate in extra curricular and service activities through NROTC, including drill team, color guard and field meets between battalions.

NROTC students also participate in a Prisoner of War-Missing in Action vigil, Veteran’s Day celebrations, Hunger Clean-up and Al’s Run. Participating in these activities builds a sense of camaraderie among the midshipmen. For College of Engineering freshman and Marine NROTC student Dominic Chiaverotti, this is especially true:

“We spend so much time together that we practically live with one another. It kind of feels like an extended family.”

As students progress through NROTC, there are opportunities to fill leadership positions.

“They do a good job of picking roles to suit different personalities and progressively giving you leadership roles,” Chiaverotti said.

Peter Schunk, Navy NROTC senior in the College of Business, is a Battalion Commanding Officer and acts as a liaison between the officers and the rest of the unit. He is constantly evaluated by his superiors to make sure he is fulfilling his role to the best of his ability. He also said Thursdays, the days NROTC wear their uniforms on campus, reinforces the students commitment to their role in the military.

“We really live what we’re trying to learn… uniform day is practice time in uniform for those days after college when we’re going to be wearing a uniform every day,” said Schunk.

Smith said the NROTC program directly applies to the mission of the university.

“NROTC is really a program about the values we share with Marquette. Our commitment to service correlates with the values of the university.”

Popularity: 15% [?]