Editor's note: Eagle contributing writer Max Kopper traded in his civilian duds for camouflage gear on Nov. 5 and 6 to be an embedded reporter with the Georgetown Reserve Officers' Training Corps, or ROTC, program while it participated in a training exercise in Virginia. This is the first of three installments about his experience.
Damn. Another thorn in the face. I hope I get a scar from this. I bet I'll look cool. Oh crap, almost fell. Ha, the girl in front of me fell again. That's funny. Damn, another thorn in the face.
That was my night last Saturday, in the woods, in the dark. I was an embedded reporter on a two-day training mission in the woods of Fort A.P. Hill in Virginia for the Georgetown ROTC program. This is the story of my first day.
It started at 4:30 in the morning at Georgetown University. Drunk people stumbling home noticed us, yelling, "Hey, look at those army guys." AU College of Arts and Sciences senior and Georgetown ROTC Cadet Captain Jane Rosa's job had just ended. She helped plan this training exercise since the beginning of September. For the other 82 cadets from AU, GWU, Georgetown, Catholic and Marymount, the excitement of the two-day endeavor had just begun. Later on, cadets from Maryland and Howard would join the exercise.
Rosa is just one of 25 AU students who serve double duty as Georgetown ROTC Cadets. 21 of those 25 students, including Rosa's fianc?, CAS senior Cadet Captain Brian Capra, attended the exercise.
The training started with a land navigation exercise in which cadets, either in pairs or alone, were given the coordinates of five to eight points and had to locate them using only a map and compass.
This was School of International Service freshman cadet Tom Opalak's second land navigation training exercise. Opalak hoped to get at least three of the five points, which he did - only to learn they were the wrong points. "I don't know what went wrong," Opalak said. "I could swear they were right."
Kogod School of Business junior Cadet Staff Sergeant Jon McGuire finished early, finding eight of eight points. His next job was to teach freshman and sophomores battle tactics in preparation for the focus of the training mission: the night battle yet to come.
While these sophomores would be his opponents in the battle, McGuire used this as an opportunity to hone his leadership skills. "I'm lucky enough to be a squad leader tonight, so I could use all the leadership practice I can get," he said. After two hours of class, the cadets were ready for a little bit of fun.
All cadets moved to the obstacle course, known in army lingo as FLRC (don't ask me what it means). The third year cadets, along with a few fourth years, each took turns leading a squad of eight or nine over a set portion of the course and were graded on their leadership skills.
I was attached to a squad with McGuire and CAS senior Cadet Sergeant First Class Patrick Finn. Both received the highest marks possible for their performance. Finn was the only cadet to successfully lead his squad across the particular portion to which he was assigned as squad leader. Using only a ladder and a rope, Finn had to lead his squad across a pond and over a wall without touching the water or large portions of the wall.
FLRC was particularly fun because I acted as a regular member of the squad. While I actually got in there - like a real man - the student reporters from GWU, Georgetown and Maryland lazily watched from afar. Man, I thought; I am so much cooler than them. Be proud of The Eagle ... at least it has cool reporters.
The end of FLRC signaled a change of mood. Cadets were given about 10 minutes to eat MREs (meals ready to eat) that they carried with them. I had a delicious meal consisting of a veggie burger in barbeque sauce and wheat snack bread, which I'm pretty sure could have doubled as body armor. Not that I'm complaining or anything; it was the best tasting body armor I've ever had. However, I stupidly traded my "cookies with pan covered chocolate disks" for some peanut butter that was a little grayer in color than brown. Too bad for me, since "cookies with pan covered chocolate disks" is army speak for "cookies with M&Ms." Maybe I'm not so cool, after all.
After the meal the third year cadets were separated from the others. In the tactical training exercise and battle set to begin after nightfall, four squads of third year cadets would be pitted against a combined force of first, second and fourth year cadets. All six of the third year equivalent cadets from AU would have leadership positions. I would be shadowing them. All prepared extensively while I smoked one last cigarette before nightfall - once the night portion started there would no talking, no lights and, sadly, no cigarettes.
