alumni - Pittsburg State University

Pittsburg State University/ROTC
Summer 2009
Battalion Commander
Lieutenant Colonel Don
Stoner
Welcome to the first edition
of the Gorilla Gazette. As I
complete my first academic
year as the Professor of
Military Science I feel
compelled to update you on
the strength and quality of our
BN. The cadets who compose
the Gorilla BN continue to shine as stellar examples of
leadership for our future, and we should all be proud of
their achievements and desire to serve.Currently we have
76 participating cadets, with 60 of those committed to
serve their country as contracted cadets. We are blessed
with an exceptional cadre, which over the past four
years has grown the battalion from only 30 cadets to 76.
This year we expect to commission 13 officers, making
mission for the first time in five years.The MS IV class
performed exceptionally well at LDAC last summer,
again above the overall Brigade average. Most significant
was their ranking with the third highest APFT average of
20 schools in the Brigade. Their high standards regarding
academics, APFT and leadership were again recognized
during the national order of merit list (OML) where senior
Cadets Baughan, Patrick, and Van Wey were recognized
as distinguished military graduates. The support of the
community, PSU faculty, alumni, cadets, parents and
friends remains a very critical part of our success. A
special thanks to those alumni and friends who help
supplement our budget through donations to the Military
Science Department.
This year has seen eleven cadets get commissioned
as Second Lieutenants in the United States Army. In
December 2008 Tyson Patrick was commissioned as an
Infantry 2LT and Jason Werner was commissioned as a
Field Artillery 2LT. The guest speaker at the event was
Marine Lieutenant General Duane Thiessen (’74) who
was a Marine Corps Aviator before becoming a General
Officer. Spring Commissioning was on 15 May 2009.
Nine cadets took the commissioning oath and became
2LTs in the United States Army. Brodie Holmes, Kyle
Kunkel, Robert Van Wey and James Westhoff were
commissioned as Infantry Officers. Anna Helmer was
commissioned as a Military Police Officer. John Horsch
was commissioned into the Army Nurse Corps. Andrew
Steuterman was commissioned as an Engineer Officer.
Emery Baughn and was commissioned as a Military
Intelligence Officer. Scott Lechner was commissioned as
an officer in the Transportation Corps. 2LTs Steuterman
and Westhoff will be Kansas National Guard Officers.
The guest speaker at the Spring Commissioning was
Lieutenant General (Retired) Ronald R. Watts, a Pitt
State graduate and 6th Inductee to the PSU ROTC Hall
of Fame. The Department of Military Science wishes
them the best of luck in their future endeavors and knows
they will bring great credit upon themselves, PSU and the
Gorilla Battalion.
How has ROTC prepared me for success
Cadet Battalion Commander
CDT LTC Van Wey
I believe Pitt State in general, and specifically ROTC, has prepared me for any obstacle I may face in my career as an Infantry officer,
or life thereafter. The life of a college student can be strenuous and adding the demands of the ROTC curriculum makes it even more
so. Enduring the extra rigors taught me hard work, determination, and the ability to learn. Without these personal attributes most
would not be able to accomplish both a degree and a commission. Balancing the physical and mental challenges of both along with
extracurricular activities forced me to learn the value of hard work. The easier alternative would have been to accept substandard
performance in one or the other; however, I was determined to do well in both. My desire to excel in GPA and PT standards led to
early mornings and late nights, but the hard work put in realized its worth when the OML was published and I saw how well I really
did, along with the other seniors here in Pitt State ROTC. The last thing I learned was actually learning how to learn. I know I will
never have all the answers, but with the information technology now available I should never have to tell anyone, “I do not know” but
instead “I will find out.” Learning how to learn is something I can take with me into any endeavor that I may choose. Thanks to Pitt
State for an excellent year of ROTC.
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