SEPTEMBER 2003 URI ROTC NEWSLETTER

     Hello again from Kingston, Rhode Island and the Cramers' Sabers Battalion.  Believe it or not, the new semester has already begun with the arrival of our faculty, students, cadets, etc.    MS III Cadets have completed their summer training at Fort Lewis, Washington and return to campus as MS IVs - ready to advance their emerging leadership skills and fine tune the varied military lessons learned the past three years as part of the corps of cadets.

      A very special "THANKS" and a job "WELL DONE" is extended to 2Lt John Chiappone, '03.  Lt. Chiappone "worked" a new email address listing of several of our (R.O.T.C.) alumni who we had on our "lost" list - those many graduates of classes past for whom we had no email address.  Thanks to our military channels, the Army Knowledge Online (AKO) hot line and work by Lt. Chiappone, we've managed to add another 40 email addresses to our master email list.  We now are in regular contact with over 340 R.O.T.C. alumni....................  Welcome back to the fold to so many of you.........

      A special welcome to our two new R.O.T.C. cadre/staff:   Major Kathleen Romano and CPT Eric Carlson.  Both officers joined the staff during the summer months and both are more than prepared to jump right in with the training of our cadets. The entire alumni organizations looks forward to working with you both over the course of the next couple of years.  Welcome to Rhody!!!

 ROTC & ALUMNI GOLF TOURNAMENT:

     There is still time to contact LTC Ted Higgins, '71 and sign up to play in the first ever URI ROTC & ROTC Alumni golf tournament.  It will take place Friday afternoon with a lunch at 1200 hrs followed by a shotgun start at 1300 hrs.  We need more players - no matter the quality/level of your game (if LTC Paul Helweg, '70 has the nerve to showcase his game;  then you folks out there should too;  rumor has it LTC Helweg's game is an astonighing thing to watch!!!!!  A score of 116 for him is reported to be "respectible".......).  For those out there who really haven't played the game there will be a special "putting green" only tournament so still call LTC Higgins at (401) 789-6228 and sign up to play in one or the other.  A variety of prizes will be awarded.  Come one, come all for a good time.  Rumor has it the R.O.T.C. Military Instruction Staff/Cadre will field a foursome too.........................

     Joining us for the tournament will be 1Lt Mark Padien, '01.  Mark just re-deployed back to Fort Stewart, GA with his platoon/company as part of his Brigade Combat Team of the 3d Infantry Division.  Many will recall his unit was so heavily committed and active in the early weeks and months of Operation Iraqi Freedom in the march from Kuwait to Baghdad.  Welcome home, Mark;  we look forward to seeing you again in Kingston on 19 September. The Corps of Cadets will be represented by MS III Cadet Dana Traversie ('05) who will be paired in a foursome with  Lt. Padien. 

CADET/ALUMNI "TAILGATE" / ROTC ENDOWMENT KICKOFF:

Saturday, 6 September the cadets and alumni gathered for a social "kickoff" event prior to the URI football home opener vs. Fordham University.  Though the afternoon football game was a bust insofar as URI football fans were concerned, the morning gathering was a splendid success.

 LTC Paul Krajeski, PMS, welcomed all and introduced the URI ROTC staff to parents and alumni.  He then swore in all new contract cadets (see photograph below).  Paul Helweg '70 then briefly welcomed all alumni and cadets on behalf of the ROTC Alumni Association.  He also announced the kickoff of a formal fundraising campaign for the newly established URI ROTC Cramers Sabers Battalion Fund - a new Endowment recently established with the URI Foundation on behalf of the ROTC program at the Univ. of RI.  LTC Helweg announced the foundation has already received $4,800 in donations from both alumni and cadets.  Of this $4,800 sum, $1,000 is a donation from the URI undergraduate cadets - what a super thing for our students/cadets to do to help us get started.  More on this endowment campaign in a few weeks when the real fundraising begins on the part of all ROTC alumni as we strive to reach our goal of $20,000.  In the attached picture, see a facsimile of the $4,800 donation check being presented by alumni (LTC Bob Ceprano '68, LTC Paul Helweg '70 and COL Bill Babcock) and LTC Paul Krajeski to Bob Beagle - V. P. of Advancement for URI.

MESSAGES FROM THE FIELD.................

We've received news from 1Lt Scott Mras & Elizabeth;  Lt Mras has been deployed with the 3d ID and remains in touch with Lt Mark Padien, '01.  As of early August, Scott remains in Iraq as part of his 3d ID brigade combat team participating in the all important follow-on missions subsequent to the move into Baghdad and surrounding cities.  Elizabeth has provided us with a couple of photographs of Scott - see attached.  We'll soon welcome Scott back to Fort Stewart as word has it they are now (18 August this date) in Kuwait and heading home soon.  Elizabeth can be reached at LIZZGAMBLE@aol.com

CPT Alan White has been on active duty for the past several weeks serving in Europe with the Defense Information Systems Agency (EUR-RCERT) fighting cyber crime for the DoD.  Alan lives in Richmond, Rhode Island and works as a systems support professional at URI.  He is expected home soon and we look forward to seeing him this coming semester.  Alan can be reached at alan.white@us.army.mil

2LT Lee Harris, '02  writes:    "I'm over here in Kuwait now and I have run into only one other URI alum, SCOTT MRAS and he's doing fine. I think that he may have already returned states side to Ft. Stewart.....as for me, we should be home before Nov. When we spoke you said that you had some pictures of our military ball and I would still like to see them if you have them. I have heard that LTC Stauffer moved to FL...he did a great job training us. Well Time is limited, thanks - Lee".   Lt. Harris also sends a photo of himself in Kuwait (see attached:  "Lee Harris").  Lt. Harris can be reached at:    lowell.harrisiii@us.army.mil

 MAJ Bob Levalley of the US Army Special Operations Command has been in touch with the following message:  "Just thought I would send a quick note to see how thing were with you. I hope you are having a great summer in Charlestown. Drop a note when you can. MAJ Clays and I are having a good time and every once in a while I mobilize a URI alum.  Maj Bob can be reached at either:  levaller@soc.mil   OR  levaller@usasoc.socom.smil.mil He also leaves the following telephone number:  (910) 432-0962

      LTC Mike Papadopoulos former URI ROTC PMS now resides in Latham, NY not far from his home town and parents.  He and Angelique and the two girls move into their new home shortly.  LTC Helweg recently met for lunch in Albany, NY.  Mike writes:  "Great to see you, and thanks for the newsletter. I actually used one of the email addresses to find an old friend of mine. Also, had a call from one of my old cadets this week, which was nice. Below you will find the info on BG Quinlan. Take care and stay in touch."  Mike can be reached at:   michael.papadopoulos@us.army.mil

      LTC Mark Barbosa has moved on to a new assignment and writes:  "Good to hear from you.  I just moved to the Washington D.C. area.  Starting Monday I start school at the Industrial College of the Armed Forces (ICAF) at Ft. McNair.  Just bought a house in Stafford Virginia.  New address is: 201 Wilson Cove, Stafford, VA 22554.  Wife Charlae and the four kids are all doing fine."  Mark can be reached at:  barbosam@ndu.edu

(Ed. note:  the above "Messages From the Field" is an abbreviated list of the many messages we've received since June 2003.  The rest of these messages will be listed in the early October 2003 Newsletter edition).