Time Management

To succeed anywhere, but especially in the military, you will need to become effective at time management. In your MS1 class you will be tested on how much you know of the Army’s process for time management.

1. Recognize time wasters (black holes).
2. Set goals that will reduce patterns of wasted time.
3. Adopt a system like the POWER model.

Black holes are spaces of time that deter or prevent you from achieving your goals and sap efficiency. Two causes of black holes are procrastination and distracters. Recognizing and overcoming these obstacles will greatly free up your time.

For goal setting you should follow SMART goal model.

• Specific- goal should be clear.
• Measurable- goal should be able to be specifically measure in terms of success.
• Achievable- goal must be reasonable.
• Realisitc- goal should not be ridiculous .
• Time-bound- set a specific date for goal.

An effective time management system is the POWER model.

• Prepare- establish SMART goals.
• Organize- know what is happening around you.
• Work- work toward your goal.
• Evaluate- constantly review how your using your time.
• Rethink – identify what you need to change.

Introduction to Tactics

As an MS1 you will be introduced to basic squad level tactics. From there you will be introduced to platoon and more advanced levels of tactics. The smallest and most basic military unit in the U.S. Army is the fire team. Two fire teams and a squad leader make up an infantry squad.

Fire Team and Squad Leader

• Team Leader: armed with a M4 Carbine, is responsible for the command of the fire team and it’s successes and failures.
• Rifleman: armed with a M4 Carbine, their role is to engage appropriate targets and may serve as the pace man, compass man, near-or-far-side security, en route recorder, or ammo bearer.
• Automatic Rifleman: armed with a M249 Squad Automatic Weapon, their role is to use their heavy weapon to maximum effect.
• Grenadier: armed with a M203A1 grenade launcher attached to an M4, their role is to use their weapon to maximum effect.
• Squad Leader: armed with a M4 Carbine, is responsible for the command of the squad and it’s successes and failures.

The fire team is divided into two person buddy teams. Buddy teams support and watch out for each other during combat operations.

The Three Individual Movement Techniques

The Low Crawl: offers the greatest protection with the slowest movement. Use the low crawl when you do not have to move quickly and you have less than a vertical foot of cover and concealment, (or when the enemy has good visibility).

The High Crawl: use the high crawl when you have to move quickly and your route offers cover and concealment, (or when poor visibility limits enemy observation).

The 3-5 Second Rush: offers you the fastest movement with the least protection. Use the rush when you have no cover or concealment, and breaks in enemy fire allow you to expose yourself briefly.

The Two Fire Team Movement Formations

The Wedge Formation: The soldiers are spaced about 10 meters apart. The team leader moves at the point of the wedge. The wedge is easy to control, is flexible, provides good security, and allows the team members to fire immediately in all directions.

The File Formation: If terrain or visibility prevents the team members from using the wedge, they use the file formation. The team leader walks at the point, they walk about 10 meters apart. The file provides the team leader greater control then the wedge does, it is less flexible, less secure, and prevents the team from firing to the front and rear.

Introduction to Land Navigation

Land Navigation is a skill that every cadet is expected to be proficient at. You will be tested on this at LDAC and many grades in your MS3 year will be determined on how skilled you are. You can’t get around it and have to become good at it. As an MS1 you will be expected to have at least basic knowledge of this topic.

Map Reading 

Basic Colors

• Black – Indicates cultural (man-made) features such as buildings and roads, surveyed spot elevations, and all labels.
• Red-Brown – The colors red and brown are combined to identify cultural features, all relief features, non-surveyed spot elevations, and elevation, such as contour lines on red-light readable maps.
• Blue – Identifies hydrography or water features such as lakes, swamps, rivers, and drainage.
• Green – Identifies vegetation with military significance, such as woods, orchards, and vineyards.
• Brown – Identifies all relief features and elevation, such as contours on older edition maps, and cultivated land on red-light readable maps.
• Red – Classifies cultural features, such as populated areas, main roads, and boundaries, on older maps.
• Other – Occasionally other colors may be used to show special information. These are indicated in the marginal information as a rule.

Legend

The Legend is found in the lower left of the map.

Contour Lines

Imaginary lines on the ground connecting equal elevation, they represent high and low ground elevation. There are 3 types of contour lines: index, intermediate, supplementary.

North

There are 3 norths: true north, grid north, and magnetic north.

Terrain

Hill

Saddle

Valley

Ridge

Depression

Draw

Spur

Cliff

This is the basic land navigation I would know before your first land navigation lab. This is a good way to get started.

Succeeding at PT

My class instructor loves to say, “Good things happen when you do PT”. He’s made a believer out of me. Whether you want to or not, you have to go and do PT,(Physical Training). You will NOT succeed in the Army if you do not do PT. There are no exceptions. This is the number one reason the MS1 class of the fall semester will have such a large dropout rate. Nobody wants to get up at 5:30am and run 4 miles, but if you want to get fit and pass your APFT, then that’s what you have to do. You will have to attend PT 3 days a week and possibly 5 days if your APFT score is too low or if you’re a MS3. So do well and you will get to sleep-in 2 extra days.

The correct uniform for PT consists of the: gray Army T-shirt, black trunks, black sweat pants (moisture wicking), black and gray running jacket (only allowed to wear for cold conditions), and accessories including the reflective belt and knit cap (you must always wear your reflective belt unless told otherwise). All the items listed will be issued to you, but you are responsible for your own running shoes and must wear your socks at least ankle high.

If you are seriously considering joining a ROTC program, I would begin doing my own exercising ASAP. Also make sure you have good running shoes,(replace your shoes about every six months).Many cadets including myself, were not prepared for the amount of running you’ll be asked to do. Remember the only way you can get better at running is by more running. If you are a weak runner, start off slow and build up your stamina from there. Constantly hydrate every day. You can’t drink heavily during PT without risking major cramps, so drink a lot beforehand,(days in advance).

Always show up to PT. It may be terrible at first and you’ll go through a lot of pain but you will get better. If you don’t get better your being too easy on yourself. In the long-term you’ll be glad you stuck with it. Remember, “Good things happen when you go to PT”.

Drill and Dress

It would be an excellent idea to learn all the military ranks and their symbols. Believe me, you do not want to call a Master Sergeant a Lieutenant or vice versa.  You will likely be issued ACUs and it will be your responsibility to wear it correctly. A good rule to follow in the Army is this, “Be in the right place, at the right time, and in the right uniform.”

Drill will seem intimidating at first due to the sheer amount of commands and the certain ways you have to execute them. But, after some practice, you will get the hang of it. It will be one of the first things the cadet leadership will teach you, and yes if you haven’t done it before, you will screw up. But, you shouldn’t make the mistake I did and go in with the knowledge of stuff you’ve seen on TV. Do a little homework before your DD lab and you’ll be better off for it.  The most important thing to remember is that there are two parts to most drill commands: the preparatory command and the command of execution.

For instance, the command: “Forward, march.” “Forward” is the preparatory; think of it as a heads up from the commander on what he or she wants the formation to do. “March” is the execution, this is when you start doing what you were order to do. A lot of people on their first day, will make this mistake and execute as soon as they hear the preparatory command of the order. Also you always lead with your left foot and whenever you pivot do so on your heel.

U.S. Army Values and the Warrior Ethos

You will be expected to do is know the seven core Army Values. For class instruction, it will be on a test or quiz, and throughout your career in the Army as an officer, enlisted, or even cadet you will be expected to be able to recite them off the top of your head.

The Seven Core Army Values, (LDRSHIP)

• Loyalty
• Duty
• Respect
• Selfless Service
•  Honor
• Integrity
• Personal Courage

Besides the core values you will also be expected to know the Warrior Ethos. Once again, this will probably be a test or quiz question in the classroom instruction and is something you should memorize if you plan to make a career out of the Army. The Warrior Ethos is the professional attitude and beliefs that characterize the American Soldier. The Warrior Ethos of the U.S. Army is defined in the Soldier’s Creed.

The Soldier’s Creed:

I am an American Soldier.

I am a Warrior and a member of a team.

I serve the people of the United States, and live the Army Values.

I will always place the mission first.

I will never accept defeat.

I will never quit.

I will never leave a fallen comrade.

I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my warrior tasks and drills.

I always maintain my arms, my equipment and myself.

I am an expert and I am a professional.

I stand ready to deploy, engage, and destroy, the enemies of the United States of America in close combat.

I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life.

I am an American Soldier.

You stand at the position of attention when stating the creed. These are the fundamentals of the Army, and like the etiquette, is best learned ASAP.

Basic Etiquette of the U.S. Army

If you are like me, then you didn’t do JROTC and you are not prior service. I didn’t really have a good idea of what to expect. My first week was pretty much a crash course in how to act and look like a soldier. Yours will likely be too. You will soon learn that the Army loves acronyms, you will hear phrases like: LDAC, ACE, PIRs, ORP, ERP, AAR…etc these you will learn in time, (this is an excellent site for finding any army acronym and it really saved me a few times: http://www.acronymslist.com/cat/us-army-acronyms-%28official%29.html) but you must, within the first week learn and understand the code of huah.

David Lipsky remarks in Absolutely American,(a book that chronicled the life of cadets at West Point) “Huah is an all-purpose expression. Want to describe a cadet who’s very gung-ho, you call them huah. Understand instructions, say huah. Agree with what another cadet just said, murmur huah.”(11) This is the best definition of the word huah out there. You will also want to learn your battalion motto as soon as possible. You also must keep your hair in regulation.

Other commands you should learn immediately are “ATTENTION” and “AT EASE”. Attention is simple: you stand straight, eyes front, feet together, arms at your side, and your hands in a fist with your thumb placed on your index finger. “AT EASE” is just as easy: you spread a your legs a shoulder length apart, place your hands behind your back, have your elbows at about a 45 degree angle, open your palms, place your right hand over your left hand, with your palms facing away from your body, and the eyes should follow the person in command. This position is called” parade rest”.

You will be around cadre, so it would be best to know how to address and act around them. You should address the NCOs as “Sergeant”, and only during a few situations will you have to salute them, (the transfer of command and such). When they enter the room you should assume the position of parade rest until told otherwise. Officers you should address as “Sir” or “Ma’am” depending on gender, or their rank “Lieutenant”, “Colonel”, “Major”…etc. Then depending on the circumstances you will salute the officer. This is an excellent article that will tell you all you need to know about saluting.

To salute, you take your right hand, open your palm, keep your fingers together, and place your right hand above your right eyebrow.

This post should get you through your first week in any ROTC program, however, I will be going into more advance procedures from here on out.

Myself and this Blog’s Purpose

Hello everyone. It would be rude for me to expect you to listen and heed what I have to say if you didn’t have an idea of who I am and what this blog is about. I’m currently a freshman student at the University of Central Florida and enrolled in the Army ROTC program here, (Reserve Officer Training Corp). I’m straight out of high school and am currently 18 years old. So far I would consider myself to be a successful student, I did very well last semester and I should finish this semester with similar grades. My current GPA is a 3.7. I have also managed to succeed my first year in the Army ROTC programs at UCF.

My purpose for this blog is to inform and assist those interested in joining an Army ROTC program and those who are in their first year. For starters I should start off by saying that I’m currently finishing my first year in the program. This is called my MS1 year. I’m not a qualified soldier and my training level has been very basic. This blog will not contain a very in-depth analysis of anything, but entry-level ROTC training, knowledge, and advice for the MS1 year of training. I simply do not have the authority or experience to discuss anything else related to the program in substance.  Also, this blog is going to contain my personal experience at UCF’s program. Please understand that my experience will vary from yours if you are attending a different school. Also, always consult with your instructor about serious questions. This blog will have very good and useful information, but they will be able to answer any of your specific questions far better than I can. Don’t be intimidated they are there to help you.

Below are several links that have information that is very useful for deciding whether or not you would like to join an Army ROTC program.

http://www.ucfrotc.com/

http://www.goarmy.com/rotc/scholarships.html

http://www.goarmy.com/rotc.html

This website is great for cadets who are currently enrolled in the program.