the LONGHORN AIRMAN - College of Liberal Arts

AFROTC DETACHMENT 825—THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN
the LONGHORN AIRMAN
The Longhorn Airman
28 FEBRUARY 2009
Volume I Issue 3
In conjunction with the ceremony, the Arnold Air Society hosts a campus run in which the participants, above, carry the POW-MIA flag continuously for 24 hours.
DETACHMENT 825 WILL NEVER FORGET
On November 11, 2008 the Longhorn Airmen hosted the annual POW/MIA Formal Retreat Ceremony. This ceremony
honors those who have honorably served this great nation, but especially those who were Prisoners of War and those who were or
are still Missing in Action. Every year a military veteran who was a Prisoner of War or was Missing in Action is welcomed by the
attending ROTC units to speak about their experiences and give us a piece of their heritage and a glimpse of the legacy that they have
left, as an example for us. Master Sergeant (RET) Ken Wallingford was the hero who spoke with us during this year’s ceremony. MSG Wallingford was an Army Infantry Sniper during the Vietnam War and while teaching the south Vietnamese soldiers, was
captured and held in Cambodia for eleven months as a Prisoner of War.
The ceremony also featured a joint color guard comprised of Air Force and Army cadets and Navy Midshipmen and was
commanded by Air Force Cadet David Cunningham. The event is held here on the campus of The University of Texas and continues
to be an outlet for future military leaders to have one-on-one exposure with great leaders and exceptional models of the warrior ethos.
Thanks to all veterans who have served and may we always remember those who are not able to be with us today.
~Eric L. Hitzfeld
AFROTC DETACHMENT 825—THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN
the LONGHORN AIRMAN
OPS-SHOCK
Joining AFROTC at UT was exciting; I knew it was something new and challenging I
hadn’t done before. I didn’t do JROTC and I didn’t have any prior military experience so
I started my first semester expecting to learn a lot, but I didn’t think I would learn so much
about myself. I decided to try out for Arnold Air Society and just learn as much as I could so
I could be an effective cadet for the detachment. C/Col Stalford was the Wing Commander
and I noted his leadership ability and the other qualities that were needed to be a successful
Wing Commander. Little did I know that it would all come in handy.
I went to Lead Lab believing we would be doing some marching around the LBJ Plaza,
but Col. Bowman had an announcement to make. His words are something that I always
pay attention to but this one seemed a bit more serious: he stated that the POC had been
“activated” and had received instructions and would be sent to their respective bases soon. C/Col Stalford then stepped up and said that the Wing would be turned over to a new Wing
Commander…
“Cadet 3rd Class Bañuelos is the new wing commander,” was all he needed to say for my
chest to seize up. I couldn’t believe it! I’m the new Wing Commander? Why would they
pick me—a newbie to the ROTC scene—to lead the cadets of Det. 825? I didn’t have much
time to ponder those things, I had to react and make decisions. So I picked out my Wing
Staff and got down to business.
I had no idea there was so much going on behind the scenes (POC, you do a good job of
making it look easy), so it seemed with every decision that needed to be made there were
more and more details. But thanks to my excellent staff who helped lighten the load my job
was so much easier and bearable. It seemed like I was sweating bullets almost everyday and
my brain was consumed with thoughts of what had to be completed, I was a nervous wreck. As if that wasn’t enough this was during my “Candie” semester of Arnies, so I had more
on my plate than I could ever handle; but in between figuring out OPs Orders for the week
and having meetings with Capt. Potter I realized that this was actually cool. I realized that
Detachment 825 was full of cadets willing to help one another and when the call comes they
step up to the plate. We are all part of a well-oiled machine, comprised of cadets who excel and get the job
done above what is required. Looking back, OPs Shock went from a nightmare to an excellent learning experience and I look forward to one day becoming Wing Commander (again). ~Joel Bañuelos Jr.
What does it take to get through
Field Training?
FT can be a very intimidating environ-
ment, but with the right mindset it’s a piece
of cake. Success in any military training
requires a mature and optimistic attitude. The trainers will try to break you down, so to
maintain a positive attitude you must understand that only you can control how you feel. You can’t feel sorry for yourself. Instead,
make the most of every situation and tell
yourself every day that there is nowhere else
in the world you’d rather be. You have to
become comfortable with being uncomfortable. The Air Force needs disciplined, mature,
and professional leaders, Airmen with both
the confidence to lead from the front, and
the humility to set the example as a follower. Don’t strive to be the center of attention; you
can’t underestimate the influence of a good
follower. Help your commander and help
your flight. Don’t think about getting Top
Gun; focus on helping those around you who
might be struggling. The Air Force wants to see that you are
officer material. Show us what you’ve got!
~Kevin O’Brien
Former Secretary of the Air Force, Dr. Hans
Mark, was on hand to award scholarships to
Andy Stalford, Amela Kamencic, and Adam
Zillweger.
Det 825 welcomes Major Son Nguyen and his family, collectively known as the “six-pack,” to life in Austin.
The Nguyens attended First Friday, held at Rudy’s BBQ. First Friday is a monthly get-together for the activeduty members and staff of Detachment 825.
The Longhorn Airman is published quarterly; it is not an official publication of the Air Force, Air Force
ROTC or The Univeristy of Texas at Austin; the opinions expressed in this publication do not represent any
of these entities. No state or federal funds were used to print this newsletter. The Longhorn Airman was
created with Adobe InDesign and PhotoShop software.
Nan Bradford-Reid, Editor
Longhorn Airman Vincent “Trey” Levraea and Eugene “Gene”
Ledet commissioned 18 December 2008 at the
Texas capitol. Lt Levraea majored in Economics and is headed to Laughlin AFB. Lt Ledet
majored in Education and will begin pilot
training at Columbus AFB.
AFROTC DETACHMENT 825—THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN
the LONGHORN AIRMAN
What does it take to become a pilot?
Tom Clancy once said that being a fight-
Dining-Out
I attended Dining Out for the first time
this past fall. It was a unique experience,
and I’m glad I got to be a part of it. Attending something that has been part of the Air
Force tradition since the 1930’s was pretty
cool. Neither of my parents is in the military
so Dining Out was my first experience with
any type of formal military event.
Before I even set foot inside the Alumni
Center, I had the opportunity to talk with the
guest speaker, Colonel Gary Bryson. We
rode the elevator from the garage together,
and right after we got in and started up
toward the next floor he looked over at me,
adjusted my uniform, and said, “You’re a
freshman aren’t you? Don’t worry, it gets
better.” His humor was evident in his speech
as well. He continued to rag on Texas, and
put a Texas Tech symbol (his alma mater)
over the podium where he was standing for
his whole speech.
I had been warned about the Grog, but
I still wasn’t quite ready for it. This tradition has been in place for a long time, and
you can get sent to the Grog for pretty
much anything. I was Grogged three times:
once for being an Arnies Candidate, once
because I spilled some of it on my uniform
while drinking it for the first Grog, and once
because I dropped my fork and spilled my
food on the table during the dinner. I can’t
remember every ingredient C/Lt Col Kelly
Heinbaugh used in the gross mixture, but
I do know there was ginger ale, smashed
grapes, some sort of spicy sauce, and Rice
Krispies. Needless to say, drinking from the
Grog was not one of my favorite parts of the
night.
The ball after Dining Out was a fun
experience as well. After the cadre left, the
cadets loosened up and had a blast dancing.
It was a good chance for all of us, regardless of rank, to intermingle and just hang out
with each other. Dressing up and actually
looking like a girl was fun too.
All in all, Dining Out was an enjoyable
social event and a total success. All the
cadets had a blast, completely enjoyed the
Grog, and I can’t wait to go again next year. ~Kristen Hines
er pilot is like combining the dexterity of a
concert pianist with the focus and precision
of a heart surgeon. Fortunately, becoming a
pilot doesn’t take 7 years of med school and
can be a lot more thrilling. To become an Air
Force Pilot, all you need is a 4 year college
degree, to be in good physical condition and
be an officer in the Air Force. Any college
major is acceptable, you don’t have to be an
aerospace engineer, and no previous flight
experience is required. Wear glasses? Not a
problem. Perfect vision is not required and
today’s corrective surgery can often overcome pretty bad eyesight.
So how do you become a pilot? Well if
you’re already here at The University of
Texas, your best bet is to join AFROTC.
There are three paths to becoming an officer
in the Air Force: the AF Academy, AFROTC
or OTS, a 12-week program after college.
If you do ROTC, you earn college credits
while you do your training, so the day you
graduate, you join the Air Force as an officer.
While in AFROTC, you can compete for a
Brand new rated candidates flash “Hook ‘em” horns.
From left: Elizabeth DiPaola, Farren Sullivan,
Richard Pope, Dustin Hanson, and Winston Bull.
Congratulations, Longhorn Airmen!
pilot slot. This is a guaranteed entrance into
pilot training once you graduate. The spring
of your junior year, you submit a packet
to a pilot selection board, and you’ll hear
back in March whether or not you get to be
a pilot. The information in the packet and
weight that each carries is as follows: 50%
is commander’s ranking, 15% GPA, 15%
PCSM score (combination of written and
hand-eye coordination tests and any flight
hours), 10% Physical Fitness Score, and
10% Field Training ranking.
If you are fortunate enough to earn a pilot
slot, your job is to finish up your degree
and graduate on time. Once you graduate,
you go off to pilot training, where the Air
Force pays you full time to learn to fly. Pilot
training takes about two years in all, from
introductory flight school to getting to your
operational squadron. If you want to become
an Air Force pilot, your goal is entirely attainable, and you’re in a great place to do it.
Last year, 100% of UT Air Force cadets who
went up for a pilot slot got one. Not many
schools can say that.
~Chandler Thorpe
Click on www.det825.org for
more news and photos.
Arnies Say “You Are Not Forgotten”
The Arnold Air Society hosts the 24-hour POW/MIA Flag Run every fall semester at Detachment 825. This event is a 24-hour, continuous run of the POW/MIA flag by cadets and cadre
of the Air Force ROTC program and other volunteers. This run honors Prisoners of War
and those Missing in Action who have given so much for our country and the cadets of our
detachment are proud to be able to give back. During this year’s run, the Arnold Air Society
collected over $100 in donations on the UT campus to send to the Fallen Heroes Fund which
supports the men and women of the Armed Forces and their families. In order to execute this
event, cadets signed up for at least two 30-minute time slots within the 24 hours. While most
cadets completed their two shifts, two cadets performed above and beyond the expectations. Cadet Shawn Cameron and Cadet Chris Mesnard each ran for seven shifts or three and a half
hours of running in one day. As commander of the Arnold Air Society last semester, I was
proud and honored to be able to continue this tradition and look forward to being involved in
the Taj to Tower run which will be happening later this semester. ~Winston Bull
Longhorn Airman
AFROTC DETACHMENT 825—THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN
the LONGHORN AIRMAN
Crudmaster MMBOP calls CRUD!
Elinore Ray and the winning team, Adam
Zillweger and Ralph Castillo
In January, we said farewell
to MSgt Donnell
CRUD!!
Once again the semester began with a
quest for immortality. The champions of
the spring 2009 crud tournament would
have their names forever emblazoned on
the majestic Crud pitcher next to all former
champions, reaching decades back. Their
names would be seen by all future generations of cadets, inspiring them to one day be
among the champions.
The night began with nine hopeful teams
comprised of players ranging from rookie
cadets who had never played a game of crud
in their lives, to past champions fighting to
regain their glory. Even seasoned officers put
in a bid to go down in history.
Once the first round of matches was
underway, it was blatantly evident everyone
was reacquainting themselves with the rules
and gauging their competitors. Movements
were slow and cautious and competitors
fidgeted, waiting for the crudmaster to start
the game with the familiar “Crud.” There
were many mistakes made and “lives” lost
as the players tested and developed new
techniques. By the end of the first round,
half of the competitors had been eliminated.
The defeated were not only new cadets, but
even some veterans upon whom luck did not
smile.
As the quarterfinals and semifinals commenced, the players, now familiar with the
boundaries of the sport and confident with
the techniques they used, were much more
agile and sure of themselves. The games
were faster-paced and the balls moved across
the table with lightning speed. The desire
to win was so strong that players would do
anything to gain an advantage. The deceit,
stretching of the rules, and brute force characteristic of true, unsuppressed crud finally
surfaced as the men and women fought to
compete in the final game. Stress levels only
increased as time went on. Some could not
handle the elevated intensity and cracked
under the pressure. Cadet Shawn Cameron
was one of these unfortunate participants.
Longhorn Airman He lost concentration and absentmindedly
knocked the object ball before the game had
even started. His opponent, Cadet Adam
Zillweger, identified this lack of attention
and immediately took advantage of his weak
state, pushing into the unsuspecting Cameron with an immobilizing blow that left
him flat on the floor while the ball rolled to
a stop on the table. This play lost Cameron
a critical point that would eventually lead to
his team being taken out of the competition.
This act was only one of many that brought
the number of contending teams down to
two: Cadet Winston Bull and Captain Heidi
Potter on one team and Cadet Ralph Castillo
and Cadet Zillweger on the other.
All eyes in the Hangar concentrated on
the pool table and the four finalists as the
closing game began. The room was still until
the crudmaster declared “Crud!” for one of
the last times of the night. The spectators
roared with excitement as the players—some
of the best crud players in the detachment—
began sprinting around the table. Luck was
with them as muscle and mind were strained
by the instantaneous strategy and copious
force of a full-contact sport. Each point was
so fast that even the crudmaster had trouble
seeing what happened at times. Some points
were finished in as little as a second with a
single hit of the object ball straight into a
pocket. As the game progressed, Bull was
eliminated, leaving Captain Potter as the last
hope for her team. In the end, she was left
with one final point against her two opponents. She used her last point well, taking a
considerable number of points away from
her competitors. In the end, it wasn’t enough
and she was finally eliminated.
Castillo and Zillweger emerged victorious, claiming their right to be immortalized
on the great crud pitcher with the champions
from years before. This heroic team will be
guardians of the pitcher for the semester and
honored by all future competitors for all of
eternity. ~Ralph “Chastity” Castillo
Det 825 presented the colors at the UT Longhorn
baseball opener. From left, Col Bowman, Cadets
J. Bañuelos, Cameron, Bull, and Mesnard
Upcoming Events
March
7—Explore UT
Prickly Pear Run
26–Tri-Service Games
28–AFOQT
Rockwall Climbing
29–Mud Run
30–Warrior Week (through 3 April)
April
4—40 Acres Fest
5—Taj to Tower Run
6-7-Base Visit, Lackland AFB
10-13-NATCON
24–Combat Dining-In
25–Field Day @ TCU
29–Tri-Serivce Run
30–Awards Day
May
7—Senior Send-off
8—Salt Lick
9—CoC/Parade/Open House
15–Senior Get-Together
22–AF & Joint Commissioning
For details, click on www.det825.org/
AFROTC DETACHMENT 825—THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN
the LONGHORN AIRMAN
HAIL...
...AND FAREWELL!
Longhorn Airmen,
I am honored to be the new wing commander for Detachment 825. I would like to express my thanks to the selection
board for picking me for this prestigious position. I would
also like to thank the past wing commander, C/Col Matt Stalford, for doing an excellent job in giving me a good foundation to start the spring semester.
The spring semester changes the focus of the corps; the
mindset of the training changes from that of the fall semester.
The spring semester is about showing what you have learned
and polishing those skills whereas last semester was about
learning the basics. Every cadet in the corps is still training to
be an officer in the Air Force, but each class is training in its
own way. This semester the Introductory Military Training cadets (IMT) now know the basics about military concepts such
as drill and customs and courtesies. In the spring, the IMT
hone those skills and enter Field Training Preparation (FTP).
FTP cadets are focusing on field training, a big milestone in a
ROTC student’s life. The FTP must refine all of their skills in
order to prepare for the four-week summer program. Intermediate Cadet Leader (ICL) cadets are on the front lines training
FTP cadets to get through the obstacles to come. The ICL cadets are also main points of contact for majority of the events
that are planned for the corps. The Senior Cadet Leader (SCL)
cadets are in charge of overseeing everything that happens in
the corps. For a lot of the SCL cadets this is their last semester and they want to leave the corps in the best possible shape
for the future. My training philosophy is about training the cadet in what
they need to do, letting that cadet demonstrate what they have
learned and then giving them good feedback on how they
did and how they can improve. I look forward to seeing this
training philosophy implemented throughout the semester. I
am excited to know that I am helping develop future Airmen
for the Air Force.
~C/Col Scott Davis
Throughout my tenure in college and ROTC, in everything from New Cadet Orientation of Fall 2005, to my last
task as fall 2008 Cadet Wing Commander, I have come to
believe that you will be surprised at what you accomplish
if you just do not quit. As Cadet Wing Commander, this
could not have been truer. There were very stressful times
during which it would have been easy to just disengage,
and coast through my job, but I knew that doing so would
hinder the performance of Detachment 825—cadets and
cadre alike. And now, looking back (hindsight is 20/20),
we accomplished an incredible amount. The wing pulled
together on a daily basis to train and educate the future
leaders of America’s Air Force, and did so in an exemplary
manner.
New Cadet Orientation transitioned both new AS100s
and AS200s to the wing and quickly allowed them to be
highly functioning units of the detachment, and really set
the standard for the rest of the semester. The successful
events that the wing pulled together and accomplished are
actually quite extraordinary, such as the POW/MIA ceremony, paintball, broomball (minus a few injuries), Blazer Tag,
and Dining Out. We implemented several new techniques
for training at LEADLAB; they were highly effective, and
way more interesting than just marching around everyday! Our detachment has a challenge ahead of us. We must
continue to excel and be a premier detachment even with a
smaller-than-normal staff, a change of several cadre members, and all the adjustments that the Air Force is throwing
at us. But there is good news. The re-vamped cadre, and
new Cadet Staff is eager and willing to keep the pride and
tradition of Texas excellence strong and successful. I am
proud to have served detachment 825, and will continue to
do so. So for this semester, and semesters to come, keep
your head up and always show your swagger. Be proud to
be a Longhorn Airman. I know I will.
~C/Col Matthew Stalford
Dining-Out, From a Planner’s Perspective
Detachment 825’s Dining-Out—an
Air Force tradition which includes a
formal dinner—occurred Friday evening,
November 14th, 2008. Planning the event
was my first assignment in the detachment
as a graduate of Field Training. Although
the process included many unforeseen
hurdles, I enjoyed the experience and
learned many unforgettable lessons, the
most important being the value of teamwork.
My work began late, because I missed
quite a few days at the start of the semester*, but my boss, Cadet Sullivan, covered
for me in my absence and worked hard to
set all the plans in motion. Her hard work
did not end upon my return; Ms. Sullivan
was busy with the other cadets she was in
charge of and their particular assignments,
but still assisted me with planning and
organizing Dining-Out. I could not have
asked for a more diligent, reliable boss.
I learned that details matter! I’m a big-
picture type of person and in planning for
Dining-Out I focused on the obvious todo’s like the food, corresponding with the
guest speaker and other duties I remembered seeing that needed to be done when
I had attended the previous years. With
this past one, however, I learned to place
myself at the event and walk, minuteby-minute, through the evening. It didn’t
take long to notice the details I’d missed.
Learning to plan while affording great
attention to details will surely assist me in
the future, planning and organizing events,
both in my civilian and future military life.
On the evening of the event a rather
large mishap occurred hours prior and
forced us to open the doors a bit late. It
was amazing, though, to see the handfuls
of cadets eager and willing to help. We
came together as a team and finished the
job and honestly, I do not think anyone
else noticed any problem had taken place.
Throughout the night, I was so preoccu-
pied with the execution and making sure
that everything ran smoothly that I did
not thoroughly enjoy myself like I had
the previous years. All the preoccupation
was forgotten though while I danced the
night away with my fellow cadets during the Formal Ball we had immediately
afterward.
I am thankful for the opportunity I had
to plan Detachment 825’s 2008 DiningOut. The experience, to include my invaluable boss, the mistakes that were made,
the life-lessons that were learned and the
coming-together of the wing, make me
want to plan another Dining-Out! Well,
maybe in a few years... ~Jasmine Bogard
*Go to http://www.rotcprojectgo.org/flash/
morocco_slideshow_large.html
to hear Cadet Bogard describe her
experiences in Morocco.
Longhorn Airman
AFROTC DETACHMENT 825—THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN
the LONGHORN AIRMAN
Incentive Flight
A teaser for any aspiring pilot
RANDOLPH AFB - I was truly at a loss
for words after my flight (and lunch for
that matter, but I will get to that part soon
enough) on that chilly December morning.
C/Capt Dustin Hanson, C/Capt Elizabeth
DiPaola, C/3c Deeandrea Burgos, and I
arrived at Randolph AFB a little after 0700
and had our physical with the flight surgeon.
Slightly behind schedule, we proceeded to
Life Support for training on parachute and
emergency escape procedures. At around
1100, C/Capt Hanson and I headed to the
560th Squadron to get fitted into our masks
and G-suits. Shortly thereafter, we met
our pilots--mine was Major Heft, call-sign
“Beef.”
Around 1200 we headed out to the flight
line for a scheduled takeoff time of 1230.
Before I knew it, we were rolling toward the
runway as Major Heft gave me some words
of wisdom and insight into his prior career as
an F-16 pilot and his adventures in Afghanistan. On our left, Cadet Hanson and his pilot
performed a simultaneous takeoff with us. At
full afterburners we rocketed away. “Beef”
was eager to show me what the T-38 was
capable of once we reached our maximum
altitude of 18,000 ft. We performed a variety
of maneuvers with C/Capt Hanson on our
wing. Then came the really fun part. We
pulled 4…then 5.5 Gs and I began to feel the
full effects of the G-suit. At one point, we
shot straight up 90 degrees as we inverted
and turned right-side up.
The climax of the flight came when I was
given the privilege of taking the controls.
I asked the pilot what he thought I should
do--his words, “Just don’t crash”. I was not
feeling particularly daring at that moment,
so I decided to see if I could keep up with
C/Capt Hanson and his pilot as they wandered about. The experience could best be
described as euphoric as it felt very natural. After a glimpse of my hoped-for future, the
pilot took over and continued doing what he
did best with the T-38. Leveling out near the
end of the hour of flight and countless barrel
rolls and high-G maneuvers, my stomach began sending strange signals as I felt the onset
of what I feared might happen. I won’t go
into any details, but I will say that it required
two “doggy bags” to manage. Still feeling
ill, I kept an eye on the approach with excitement. We landed and exited the aircraft
minutes later. I was in disbelief of what had
occurred in that past hour even as I cleaned
up the aftermath of the flight. I thanked
Major Heft and the staff at Squadron 560th
for the rare opportunity. C/Capt DiPaola
and Cadet Burgos were not as fortunate. Weather conditions were not favorable for
flight on the T-6 that afternoon, so they were
rescheduled for the following Thursday.
I would like to send a sincere thank you
to those who took the time to make this
could happen. A lot had to come together
behind the scenes to make this possible and
those people deserve just as much credit and
appreciation.
~Grant Georgia
Cadets Hanson, DiPaola, Burgos, and Georgia
ABUs cleared for AFROTC Issue
AS 400 cadets John Lee-Garduno, Richard Pope,
Brad Poronsky, Kelly Heinbaugh, Matt Stalford,
Austin Landry, Scott Davis, and Nivien Sathasivam
model the Air Force’s new battle uniforms.
We want to email this newsletter to all Det 825 alumni. Help us by
passing it along to your buds. Have them send us their email address
at [email protected]. We’ll get ‘em on our distro list.
We’ve added a “heritage” section to our website. Check it out at
http://www.det825.org/
If you have an ROTC commissioning photo and would like to have it
included on the webpage, please forward to the address above.
Longhorn Airman “No ----, there I was...hangin’ in the straps...”
Cadet Elizabeth DiPaola trains on ejection
procedures.
Answer to last issue’s trivia
question: Created in 1955 by head
cheerleader Harley Clark Jr., the Hook
’em Horns hand signal is recognized
worldwide as the symbol of the Texas
Longhorns. Source: http://www.utexas.
edu/opa/pubs/facts/traditions.php