September 2013

EDITORS COMMENTS Welcome back!

I want to welcome back everyone from an eventful summer. I hope everyone is ready for this exciting year we will be having in ROTC.

This addition of the Soaring Warrior is going to go over what some cadets did over the summer as well as some advice from Cadet Kron for the new cadets.

Lets have a great semester and year detachment 205!

Cadet Allen

CADET KRON’S NEWSWelcome back Det. 205 and A Big Welcome to the newest members of Det. 205.

I hope everyone had a fun and safe break and is ready to get the ball rolling this semester. It is going to be a fun one. We have a lot of exciting events planned and the new Cadre are just as excited. My Name is Cadet Kron and I am the fall 2013 General Military Course Advisor (GMCA). My job was created to help you, the GMC, in any way possible so please don’t hesitate to contact me. I can help you with anything ROTC related or something not related to ROTC at all.

Advice for the new cadets and returning cadets; start off the semester right and hit the books. Make it a habit from the beginning to do all your school work right away. A key to making it through ROTC and college is to practice good time management, you need to set your priorities from the beginning of the semester and follow them for the entire semester. Be sure you have good balance between your work and play and when you do decide to play be sure you are playing smart and making the right choices. Finally PT is not a punishment it is a time for you to push yourself and to get fit or go home, the more fit you are, the better you will feel about yourself. Also make sure that your twice a week PT workouts are not all you are doing. You need to be working out outside of ROTC also.

Events to watch for in the near future would include the first home football game on 7 September and then on 11 September at 1800 on the SIU Campus a run is taking place and it counts for a mandatory PT for SIU cadets. You can find these and many more events on the Detachment Google calendar.

My Experiences at Field TrainingBy Cadet Atkisson

This past summer I went to the Max 4 encampment for Field Training down at Maxwell AFB in Montgomery, Alabama, and at Camp Shelby JFTC in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. This 28 day training was probably one of the hardest things I have done to date and was definitely an experience I will never forget. Going through Field Training prep at our detachment gave me all of the tools I needed to succeed at Field Training, which made it easier on me since I had already put in the time to learn things like the quotes or who the chief of staff is. One of the hardest things I found about Field Training was learning all of the names. You had all of your CTA’s and FTO’s who expected you to know who they are and then some by TD-0. I always messed up names and they picked up on it pretty quick so I got some one on one time with those CTA’s I did not know. On top of the yelling and stress, I enjoyed Field Training because I got to do some amazing things with a random group of people who over 28 days became as close as my own family.Some helpful hints that I could give you 200’s getting ready for Field Training would be to keep a positive attitude on your worst day. They say life is what you make it, and that is definitely true at Field Training. Keeping a positive and upbeat attitude at Field Training will make your time go by so much faster. Another hint is, study your field training manual cover to cover. Know every quote that is in the book. You will need it. Finally, when you are at Field Training, have fun! There will be times when you have to be locked on 24/7 but when they allow you to have fun, take full advantage of that, just don’t over-do it. If you take some of these helpful hints, your Field Training experience will be a positive one in the end.

Field TrainingBy Cadet Hensen

Field Training is the most memorable experience within the Air Force ROTC Program. It was my first time experiencing real teamwork and it really pushed the need to think creatively and quickly. In everything my flight did in Field Training, we worked together to achieve. It helped that we developed a strong trust for each other early on and had kept each other’s morale high throughout every day.

With Field Training, you are always being evaluated, even if you aren’t in any leadership position. If you haven’t been to Field Training, then prepare as much as possible. Don’t just study your knowledge; make sure you know it word for word. Make sure you watch your attitude, if you don’t work well with others or if you show frustration, then you’ll have to work out a way to change that. Be sure to keep yourself at your physical peak. Make a workout schedule now and keep to it, do not rely on Physical Training. The Physical Fitness Assessment at Field Training is the hardest one any cadet will experience.

Overall, Field Training is a great experience. Cadets find out their true potential and realize how to effectively use their skills. For those who are wanting to go to Field Training: work hard, stand out, and help your wingman.

~ 2 ~

Warbird Veterans Salute

~ 3 ~

Summer TimeBy Cadet Paul

I strapped myself into the cockpit of the freshly painted bright orange and white Schweitzer 233 glider. One by one, I checked off each item on the preflight checklist and gave the wing runner the thumbs up. Slowly I waggled the rudder of my craft, signaling the tow-pilot in the L-19 Birddog that I was ready to depart. Slowly at first, then gathering speed, I began my ascent up into the blue.

Several times over this past summer I would make the hour journey from my house in Palatine, a northwest suburb of Chicago, up to a flying club located in Hampshire Illinois, near the Rockford area, where I have been slowly working towards my private pilot’s license for unpowered flight. Although slightly hesitant at first at the thought of flying an aircraft completely at the mercy of the wind and gravity, I have grown to absolutely love flying these aircraft. Upon arriving at the airfield the mixed smell of aircraft fuel and fresh cut grass, coupled with the roar of the Birddog’s propellers, instantly hits you as you opened the door of your car. After completing an examination of the aircraft and preflight checks I’d give the wing runner the “wing up” signal and wag the rudder and off we’d go. After being pulled up to 3,000ft by the Birddog I’d disengage the tow cable and watch the tow pilot break away left as I dropped into the wind and broke right. As the cable breaks free there is a feeling of weightlessness as the glider drops slightly until it catches the wind and

begins to fly. I’d then race through the sky at 60miles an hour, hearing only the sound of the wind rushing by, as I was hunting columns of rising warm air called thermals. Circling inside these columns I’d be able to stay up in the sky for hours on end during perfect days. Sometimes while circling I would look down out the cockpit window and see another glider breaking away from the tow plane as it began its own hunt for thermals. As the day wore on and thermals became less and less common I’d begin my landing pattern. On occasion I’d have to crab my glider ever so slightly to compensate for the cross wind. Having only one chance to land, it became extremely important that I learned where and how to maneuver the glider once I was in the final leg of the pattern. Although I haven’t been able to consistently fly at a regular basis, I am hoping to complete my lessons and earn my license this coming summer or the following summer.

~ 4 ~

My SummerBy Cadet Robinson

This summer has been one that I will never forget. It has been filled with some wonderful adventures. But there is one thing in particular that I will never forget. My family vacation to Lynn Haven, Florida. On Friday, August 9th, my father, mother, sister, cousin, and I loaded up and headed south. We were on our way to visit my Uncle Jimmy, Aunt Heather, and cousin Corey Swiger. They live in Lynn Haven, Florida, which is not very far from Tyndall AFB. My uncle has been retired from the Air Force for two years now. He worked as a mechanic for various types of jets, during his military years. He is currently working on base for Boeing, as a civilian. He works on the Jet simulators. After we had arrived at the Swiger’s beautiful home, and went through the usual rounds of hugs and greetings, we had developed a little “plan of action”. The things that we wanted to do while we were visiting. We were only staying a few days, but we wanted to make the most of our trip. Uncle Jimmy told us he would check with his boss and see if he could get us clearance so we could go try out the Jet simulators. Shortly after that, my dad and uncle left to go get a visitor’s pass for Tyndall Air Force base. Whenever they returned, they let us now that we would certainly be going to check out those simulators. When we got to the area where my uncle works, I was instantly awe struck. We went through the gate, and as soon as we got through, we were able to see a bunch of hangars with jets in them. It was a sight that I have never got to see before. And it filled me with such deep feelings of pride and respect. There were F15’s and F22’s and some others that I didn’t know the name of. As we entered the building where my uncle works, my family and I were asked to turn in all of our electronics. There is a very strict policy when it

comes to taking pictures there. You are absolutely not allowed to. We were brought into the place where they kept all of the jet simulators. He informed us a little on what the computers could do. The technology that the computers and all those simulators possess is amazing. There were several different simulators, but some of those were classified. He took us into this boxed in area where one of the simulators were. First, he showed us what we needed to do to accurately fly the jets. There were all sorts of buttons, levers, and things that we had to watch and be aware of. When we got in the simulator, we were informed to put on our headset. Jimmy left the room and went to the big computers. On the computers, he could see what we were doing and where we were going. His job was to remind us what we needed to do, and to help guide us back to the runway. I was so excited to “fly” the jet! To be honest, I thought it was going to be easy. I hopped up there feeling so confident and ready to be a show off. But that certainly didn’t happen. It was so neat, because the views in the screen were of the Air Force base and all the places nearby, and they were so vivid. But it was so difficult to fly. I had to pay attention to the altitude and speed, as well as make sure I’m going the right direction. There are so many different gadgets on the simulator that I couldn’t keep them straight. It was so exciting, and challenging. Yet, I managed to crash the jet seven times in a row. I kept going in at either too high of a speed, or too high of an altitude. The trip to the Air Force base, and to this facility, was really an exciting time. I got to see and experience some things that I have not been able to before that point.

~ 5 ~

Contact Us

Contact Information:Mailing Address:AFROTC DET 205Southern Illinois University Carbondale807 S. Normal AveCarbondale, IL 6290-6899Phone Number:618.453.2481

Cadet Chad Allen

Email: challen190@aol.com

Phone: 217.825.6082

~ 6 ~