It seems like every semester

goes by faster than the one

before it and this one has

been no different! The Fall

was a very exciting time for

the Fightin’ Tiger Battalion

in particular. We came into

the year with one of the larg-

est enrollments in recent

years and it led to some great

training and learning from

the MS I class all the way up

to the MS IVs leading the

battalion. The battalion got to

experience some basic army

skills such as first aid, drill

and ceremony, and land navi-

gation. All Cadets got to ex-

perience some different as-

pects of the Army life from

early cold mornings in No-

vember to the spending the

night under the stars at the

Fants Grove Training Area in

the heart of the Clemson ex-

perimental forest. It took a lot

of people to make this semes-

ter possible and hours of

work behind the scenes. I

want to the thank the Seniors

for their dedication to im-

proving the battalion and

leaving their mark as a class.

We are blessed to have a

group of cadre that is patient

and is truly dedicated to help-

ing each Cadet grow into

their potential as a future

Army officer. However, none

of our goals can be accom-

plished without the under-

classmen being always ready

to execute the training and

vision provided to them by

the Cadre and Seniors. I have

been amazed by the talent

within this Battalion and look

forward to what can be ac-

complished by the end of the

year! Happy holidays and as

always, GO TIGERS!

J AN 7—ZERO DAY

J AN 8—CLASSES BEGIN

J AN 9—NEW CADET IN-

BREIF / MLIII&IV ADV

LAB

J AN 10—MLIII FTX

J AN 14 — MLIII&IV

APFT

J AN 16—MLI&II APFT

J AN 18—M.A.D BAS-

KETBALL GAME

J AN 22—SPECIALTY

SCHOOLS APFT

J AN 25—MLIII FTX

FEB 8—B ATTALION

FTX

FEB 18—MLIII&MLIV

APFT

FEB 20—MLI&II AP-

FT/ T ACTICS I I LAB

FEB 22—MLIII FTX

FEB 27—MLIII&IV

ADV LAB

As we close the semester, I

wanted to discuss how every-

thing went. To that end, the

battalion accomplished every

mission this semester. We

had the largest number of

Cadets enrolled this semester

than any of my previous three

years. Yet, the organization

and execution of the events

never faltered. Our first ac-

complished goal was PT

scores. At the beginning of

the semester our PT scores

class average ranged from

average to bad. By the end of

the semester every class had

increased their scores signifi-

cantly. The Sophomore class

raised their PT score average

by a whopping 21 points. The

Junior class led in highest PT

score average, as they always

do, with a 284 point average.

Here at Clemson we take

pride in those numbers and

indeed in all PT improve-

ments. Another accomplished

goal was the execution of all

of our training. The under-

classmen were trained in drill

and ceremony, first aid, com-

bat water survival, land navi-

gation, and tactics. The Sen-

iors plan these events and the

Juniors teach them. The Jun-

iors also received significant-

ly more training in tactics and

land navigation. The amount

of planning, training, and

execution hours put into this

battalion by our upperclass-

men is incalculable. Finally, I

would like to send a “thank

you” to all the Alumni out

there who help out the pro-

gram. Without you, none of

our goals and missions could

be accomplished. It was an

honor to represent Clemson

Army ROTC (both past and

present) this semester. This

We’ll Defend! Go Tigers!

THIS ISSUE:THIS ISSUE:THIS ISSUE:

From the Top Pg.1

Club Recaps Pg.2

Training Write-Ups Pg.3 Training Write-Ups Pg.4

Special Events Pg.5

Selected Pictures Pg.6

Fightin’ Tiger BattalionFightin’ Tiger BattalionFightin’ Tiger Battalion

Issue 02 December 2013Issue 02 December 2013Issue 02 December 2013

UPCOMING EVENTSUPCOMING EVENTSUPCOMING EVENTS

Message From c/LTC BassettMessage From c/LTC BassettMessage From c/LTC Bassett

From the TopFrom the TopFrom the Top

Message From c/CSM SmithMessage From c/CSM SmithMessage From c/CSM Smith

Pershing RiflesPershing RiflesPershing Rifles

Ranger ClubRanger ClubRanger Club

Ranger ChallengeRanger ChallengeRanger Challenge

This year I had the op-

portunity to be on the

Ranger Challenge team

for Clemson. Ranger

Challenge is a group of

twelve Cadets coming

from each ML class that

receives specialized

training and in October travels to Fort

Pickett, VA to compete against 40 other

schools in our brigade in a variety of

events. Some of the events were first

aid, radios, marksman-

ship, rifle disassembly,

squad attack, knock out

a bunker, obstacle

course, and reconnais-

sance among other

things. The experience

was very rewarding for

me, as I got some training that will be

very useful my junior year as I prepare

for LDAC. I was able to gain a lot of

knowledge from the upperclassman and

cadre, particularly CDT Smallwood, our

squad leader, and SFC Bielski, our ca-

dre instructor. In addition, the Ranger

Challenge team conducted extra PT to

prepare us to compete. I also enjoyed

the camaraderie the team developed.

We all worked very well together, and I

believe we were definitely one of the

better teams competing. I would en-

courage anyone who thinks this is

something they would like to do to try

out for the team.

Cadet McCall, Benjamin MLICadet McCall, Benjamin MLICadet McCall, Benjamin MLI

SFC Bielski teaches First Aid to SFC Bielski teaches First Aid to SFC Bielski teaches First Aid to

the Ranger Challenge teamthe Ranger Challenge teamthe Ranger Challenge team

Club RecapsClub RecapsClub Recaps Pg. 2Pg. 2Pg. 2

Company C-4 of the National

Society of Pershing Rifles is

a decorated military organiza-

tion of Clemson University.

This past semester we have

completed 7 football game

Color Guards. Members have

also completed 2 POW/MIA

table setting ceremonies, one

for the joint Army/Air Force

R.O.T.C lab and one for Air

Force dining-in. Tigerama

was a chance for the compa-

ny to show off our precision

drill with an exhibition per-

formance in front of Lit-

tleJohn Coliseum. The most

important day for Company

C-4 is Military Appreciation

Day (MAD). M.A.D. fell on

Nov. 23 this year with a

home game against The Cita-

del and the annual Guarding

of the Scroll of Honor in

front of the stadium. On this day, Com-

pany C-4 also conducts the annual

changing of the American Flag at the

flag pole near the Scroll of Honor along

with a 21 gun salute at halftime. Our

last big event of the semester was

“Cocky’s Funeral” in the Clemson Am-

phitheater before “the big game.” Five

members were “pallbearers” for Cocky

and then “retired” Cocky by dumping

him into a trash can and lighting him on

fire using a burning torch.

P/R CPL Ryan Goetz P/R CPL Ryan Goetz P/R CPL Ryan Goetz

Cadet McNeal, Jonathan ML IIICadet McNeal, Jonathan ML IIICadet McNeal, Jonathan ML III

After completion of the Clemson Rang-

er indoctrination program, known as

“Meat Phase”, four Clemson students

were welcomed into the Clemson Rang-

er Club. Inclusion into the Clemson

Rangers followed five weeks of gruel-

ing training for the new members. The

training was meant to test both the tacti-

cal proficiency and intestinal fortitude

of the candidates, and included a series

of physical and written tests along

with the successful completion of

what is known as “Hell Night”. This

year’s Meat Phase saw more than

80% of candidates who originally

tried out drop the program. The new

members are as follows: Freshman

Brennan Gedney, Freshman Trey

Phillips, Sophomore David Estes,

and Senior Brenden Colby.

Marksmanship ClubMarksmanship ClubMarksmanship Club Cadet Neese, Matthew ML ICadet Neese, Matthew ML ICadet Neese, Matthew ML I

Of the many clubs at Clemson Universi-

ty, I chose to join the marksmanship

club because I grew up shooting and

wanted to continue in college. It provid-

ed a perfect opportunity for some fun

range time on the weekends. Joining

was a pretty cool process that included

two weeks of PT and a final APFT to

judge our fitness level. The workout

sessions were more about building a

team and promoting friendship among

all the members, and most of us are

really close. It’s a great club to discuss

firearms and talk with like-minded peo-

ple who enjoy firearms. The first range

day was the best; it’s always great to

see someone fire a weapon for the first

time. Quite a few of the club’s members

had never fired a gun before and it’s a

great experience to teach firearm han-

dling and safety. Once everyone figured

out what they were doing, things ran

pretty smooth. We blasted targets

downrange with everything from old

Mosin-Nagant rifles to the extremely

popular AR-15. Many of us also had a

fun time shooting skeet on the shotgun

range; I was able to test out a new gun I

bought 3 days prior. All in all, marks-

manship club is great to make new

friends and enjoy shooting some guns.

“These new members entering

Ranger Club is just the first step

towards them becoming the best

Cadets AROTC has to offer, a title

which the Clemson Ranger Club

proudly claims year in and year

out.” -Ranger Club Commander

CDT Charlie Hachat

Training WriteTraining WriteTraining Write---UpsUpsUps Pg. 3Pg. 3Pg. 3

Land Navigation Lab October 3, 2013Land Navigation Lab October 3, 2013Land Navigation Lab October 3, 2013

.

On September 26, 2013, the ML III

class conducted daytime land naviga-

tion training in order to sharpen their

skills and improve their confidence in

navigating with a map and

compass. To accomplish

this training in the allotted

two hours of lab time, the

Cadets had a quick for-

mation on Lot 12 in front

of the Army ROTC head-

quarters and then loaded

the battalion vans to be

transported to Fants Grove

for training. Upon arrival,

the ML III class had anoth-

er quick formation for ac-

countability, the clock was

set with a time limit of an

hour and a half, and the Cadets set off

to try and find four markers each in

Fants Grove. Land navigation training

is not only a test of the Cadets' ability to

navigate, but it is also a test of their

physical fitness as they move as quickly

as possible through rugged terrain in an

attempt to find all of their assigned

markers. Some of the ML IIIs who were

weaker in their land navigation compe-

tence received guidance from ML IVs

(seniors) to assist them and give them

pointers. The training went very well,

and the ML III class is progressing well

through their junior year. The lab ended

with transportation back to Lot 12 and a

final formation for dismissal.

ML III FTX September 21, 2013ML III FTX September 21, 2013ML III FTX September 21, 2013 Cadet Williamson, Christopher ML IVCadet Williamson, Christopher ML IVCadet Williamson, Christopher ML IV

ML III Land Navigation Lab September 26, 2013ML III Land Navigation Lab September 26, 2013ML III Land Navigation Lab September 26, 2013 Cadet Williamson, Christopher ML IVCadet Williamson, Christopher ML IVCadet Williamson, Christopher ML IV

On September 21, 2013 the ML

III class conducted their first

field training exercise as a class.

The training lasted for approxi-

mately seven hours and included

a field leader response course

with three obstacles and day land

navigation. At dawn, the ML III

class was staged at Fants Grove

and the training commenced.

The class divided into three

squads to begin their rotations

around the field leader response

course with the obstacles includ-

ing a 'mine field', 'downed pilot',

and 'mined wall' events similar

to those seen at Warrior Forge.

After completion of the FLRC,

the Cadets commenced land nav-

igation for the remainder of the

training day, and completed

training at about 1300

On October 3, 2013 the

Fightin' Tiger Battalion con-

ducted land navigation train-

ing for the ML Is (freshman)

and ML IIs (sophomores),

while the ML IIIs conducted

land navigation at Fants

Grove. The area of opera-

tions for this lab was the

rugby field and crew hill.

The following write up was

provided by Cadet David

Spearman: "The Fightin'

Tiger Clemson Army ROTC

battalion met for a Land

Navigation or LandNav, for

short, crash course. The

ML1 and 2 Cadets were led

through various and diverse

exercises including; but not

limited to; taking wooded

and trail pace counts, finding

azimuths and back azimuths,

finding points that aren't

visible from the apparent

destination, and map read-

ing. The course began in the

woods of Crew Hill where

Cadets participated in wood-

ed LandNav events and con-

cluded in nearby rugby field

where ML4 Cadets ensured

that the younger cadets were

up to scratch on the more

theoretical aspects of Land-

Nav.”

Cadet Spearman, David ML ICadet Spearman, David ML ICadet Spearman, David ML I

Training WriteTraining WriteTraining Write---UpsUpsUps Pg. 4Pg. 4Pg. 4

From November 1-3, The Fightin' Tiger

Battalion conducted its first, battalion

field training exercise of the year at

Fants Grove. This operation entailed

weapons familiarization, live fire exer-

cises, and day and night land naviga-

tion. Each ML class had different types

of training tailored to their class and

experience level. The ML IIIs went out

to Fants Grove Friday afternoon to re-

ceive some extra night land navigation

and experience staying in the field. Ear-

ly Saturday morning, the ML IIs left

from campus and linked up with the

ML IIIs at Clemson's firing range. At

the range, the ML IIs had some weapon

familiarization classes and practiced

disassembling/ assembling the M16

while the ML IIIs conducted live fire

exercises. While the ML IIs and IIIs

were conducting operations at the

range, the ML Is arrived at Fants Grove

and received some land navigation clas-

ses taught by ML IVs. At noon on Sat-

urday, the entire battalion linked up at

Fants Grove and began setting up patrol

bases divided by platoons. Shortly

thereafter, all Cadets began receiving

maps, land navigation cards, and safety

briefs before stepping off for day land

navigation. For land navigation, both

day and night, the ML Is went out in

groups of three or

four Cadets lead by a

ML IV, the ML IIs

went out in pairs, and

the ML IIIs went out

alone. After day land

navigation, Cadets

took a break to eat

dinner, received an-

other safety brief,

and set out to experi-

ence the challenges

of navigating in the

woods at night. To

end a long Saturday of training, Cadets

went to sleep in their respective patrol

bases for the remainder of a very chilly

night. Early Sunday morning, Cadets

awoke, packed up their ruck sacks, gave

after action reviews by squad, and re-

turned to campus. After an equipment

shake down and a safety brief, Cadets

were released.

Tactics I Lab October 24, 2013Tactics I Lab October 24, 2013Tactics I Lab October 24, 2013

PCC/ PCI Lab October 31, 2013PCC/ PCI Lab October 31, 2013PCC/ PCI Lab October 31, 2013

Fall FTX November 1Fall FTX November 1Fall FTX November 1---3, 20133, 20133, 2013

Cadet Williamson, Christopher ML IVCadet Williamson, Christopher ML IVCadet Williamson, Christopher ML IV

Cadet Day, Jonathan ML IICadet Day, Jonathan ML IICadet Day, Jonathan ML II

Cadet Williamson, Christopher ML IVCadet Williamson, Christopher ML IVCadet Williamson, Christopher ML IV

On October 24, 2013, The Fightin'

Tiger Battalion conducted its first

tactics lab of the semester. The low

crawl, high crawl, 3-5 second rush,

buddy team rush, and a few squad

formations were the training focus

of this lab. To give them practice

developing their command pres-

ence, the ML IIIs took the lead

teaching the skills learned in this lab

to the younger Cadets. The last part

of the lab was used as drill and cere-

mony practice. The ML IIIs prac-

ticed taking charge of formations

and calling cadence, and the ML Is

and IIs developed their knowledge

of marching commands and march-

ing form. At the conclusion of train-

ing, Cadet Charity was nominated

as “Cadet of the Lab” not only for

taking charge by marching a platoon

as an ML I, but also because she did

an excellent job above and beyond

what is expected of a ML I.

On October 31, 2013, Clemson

Army ROTC conducted a PCC/PCI

lab in order to prepare our Cadets

for Field Training this upcoming

weekend. During this lab, we gath-

ered every Cadet's issued equip-

ment and made sure nobody was

missing anything. Afterwards, we

huddled around our ML IVs as they

taught us how to set up our sleeping

system while out in the woods and

how to maintain good hygiene. This

quick and easy lab taught everyone

the importance of foot care, shav-

ing, and the best ways to eat an

MRE. This lab is very important to

the cadre and ML IVs because they

want to make sure they set us up for

success in the world and as future

officers in the United States Army.

After meeting at 1000 hours for ac-

countability, the battalion heard a short

speech from Lieutenant General John F.

Mulholland, Jr., Deputy Commander of

United States Special Operations Com-

mand, about the importance of serving

in the U.S. Army. Afterwards, the bat-

talion marched through the cheering

crowds of Clemson fans and past the

Scroll of Honor memorial and Clemson

University’s Memorial Stadium both of

which honor the Clemson Alumni who

made the final sacrifice in service to the

United States. After marching, the bat-

talion was dismissed to take our places

on “The Hill” where we watched the

Clemson Tigers play the Citadel Bull-

dogs. Since Clemson University was

celebrating Senior Day as well as Mili-

tary Appreciation Day, Clemson recog-

nized the seniors on the team who

would be leaving the

University before the

next football season

began. During the

breaks in play, Clem-

son University held

several tributes to vari-

ous members of the

Clemson family who

had served, are serving,

or will soon be serving in the armed

forces. Among these tributes was recog-

nition of recipients of the Purple Heart,

a United States military decoration

awarded in the name of the President to

those wounded or killed while serving

in the U.S. military on or after April 5,

1917. Among those recognized was the

NCO instructor for the ML3 (Junior)

class, SFC Jason Biel-

ski. During the

halftime show, the

Clemson University

Tiger Band performed

a medley of the songs

of each branch of the

Armed Forces in

recognition of current

and former Armed

Service Personnel. The Citadel’s premi-

ere silent Drill and Ceremony team, the

Summerall Guards, preformed their

signature “Citadel Series”. Also, the

Ranger Club presented the soldier’s

cross and wreath, and the Pershing Ri-

fles conducted a 21 gun salute.

Military Appreciation DayMilitary Appreciation DayMilitary Appreciation Day

Dining In (ML IIIs and ML IVs)Dining In (ML IIIs and ML IVs)Dining In (ML IIIs and ML IVs)

On November 21st, the ML IIIs and ML

IVs along with Army R.O.T.C. cadre

conducted our annual Dining-In cere-

mony. The purpose of this ceremony is

to familiarize Cadets with some of the

formalities of such a ceremony and

build camaraderie among the IIIs and

IVs. This year, the Dining-In was host-

ed at the Galley Restaurant in Ander-

son. The evening began with approxi-

mately a half an hour of social time

which led into the official ceremonies.

The ML IIIs took charge of this event

and the mixing of the ‘grog’ which was

a combination of ‘incompatible’ ingre-

dients into a large bowl. After the grog

had been prepared and tested, the floor

was opened to challenges with the at-

tempt of having the Cadets at fault be

punished by drinking from the grog.

After grog challenges ceased, the buffet

line was opened and everyone had their

fill of a large variety of food. Following

diner, the guest speaker for the evening,

1LT Wes Cooler IV gave a speech to

the ML IIIs and ML IVs about his expe-

riences as a young officer. After his

speech, 1LT Wes Cooler was presented

with an engraved Ka-bar knife and a

hand painted cooler, gifts from the Ar-

my ROTC program. The next event of

the evening was a series of skits per-

formed by the ML IIIs and ML IVs

along with a video skit that was present-

ed by the ML IIIs. At the end of the

evening, after everyone had eaten their

fill and been duly entertained by the

great shows of talent, the Dining-In was

concluded.

Cadet Williamson, Christopher ML IVCadet Williamson, Christopher ML IVCadet Williamson, Christopher ML IV

Cadet Spearman, Matthew ML ICadet Spearman, Matthew ML ICadet Spearman, Matthew ML I

Special EventsSpecial EventsSpecial Events Pg. 5Pg. 5Pg. 5

Sports Day LabSports Day LabSports Day Lab Cadet Williamson, Christopher ML IVCadet Williamson, Christopher ML IVCadet Williamson, Christopher ML IV

On December 5th, the Fightin’ Tiger

Battalion conducted its Sports Day

Lab and final lab of the Fall semes-

ter. Due to inclement weather, this

lab was held inside of Fike gym, on

the basketball courts. Each platoon

arrived wearing their on specified

‘team’ colors and came ready to par-

ticipate in some shows of athleticism.

The lab began with end of semester

awards being presented for things

such as high GPAs, high APFT

scores, and to Cadets who did their

part recruiting for the battalion. The

only official sports event of the day,

due to the limited space inside, was a

tug-of-war competition in which each

platoon selected its strongest Cadets

to show what they were made of.

After several rounds of competition,

Alpha company, second platoon, was

named the overall winner and was

rewarded with being the first platoon

to go through and get pizza that had

been provided for the battalion. After

a few announcements and a safety

brief from LTC Mullinax, Cadets

were released to go home.

“..the battalion heard a short

speech from Lieutenant Gen-

eral John F. Mulholland, Jr.

the Deputy Commander of

United States Special Opera-

tions Command about the

importance of serving in the

U.S. Army.”

SSSELECTEDELECTEDELECTED PPP ICTURESICTURESICTURES PPPAGEAGEAGE 666

ML Is receiving their safety brief during the Fall FTX LT. General Mulholland and his wife Miriam

ML IIIs attempting to cross a ‘minefield’ during their FTX General Jackson and Cadet Patrick Smith on M.A.D

Cadets learn movement techniques during Tactics I Lab ML I Cadets lining ‘the hill’ during the M.A.D. game

ML I Cadets learn their ‘pace count’ during Land Nav Lab c/LTC Bassett helps Cadet Stoltz during Adv. Land Nav