Norwich Independant Battery Destroyed

RancidRancid

RancidRancid

5-Year Member
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Oct 6, 2011
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I have been notified, that Norwich University has decided to disband NIB. Of the 28 members only 5 can remain in the newly formed artillery company thats run by Army ROTC, and is only open, currently, for Army ROTC contracting cadets. Also brought to my attention, Mountain cold weather company, has also been closed to any cadet not contracting with the Army. This also means cadets who were currently in candidacy or have completed candidacy for these special units, and are not contracting with the army, will or have been kicked out.

As someone who was recently accepted to norwich, with excitement, I feel my excitement quickly fading.

What is the school doing to its cadets? Its taking the military out of the military college of vermont, and as someone who wished to go out for candidacy in arty company, as a Marine option ROTC cadet, am really disapointed.

Many alumni are angered at the destruction of their traditions, and have taken action with a petition. ( http://www.change.org/petitions/nor...ollapse-of-the-norwich-indepedent-battery-nib )

I was just wondering what some of you think about this, especially any previous cadets of this institution.
 
RancidRancid said:
As someone who was recently accepted to norwich, with excitement, I feel my excitement quickly fading.
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Over the years, people have complained when Norwich removed all of the horses from campus. They complained when the M-60 Tanks left. They complained when women were admitted to the Corps. They complained when civilians came on campus. They complained when the Drill Team was changed from a "rook unit" to a "Corps unit". Did Norwich fall apart? No.

And why are you dissappointed about any changes that Army ROTC may decide to make? Didn't you say that you are seeking to become a Marine? Sorry, I was Mountain Cold Weather Rescue Team, and we didn't have Marines participate in Army ROTC programs. Nor Air Force. Nor Navy. Each branch of service had its own commissioning activities/training.

In any event, whatever changes are made to the Army ROTC program at Norwich (which Norwich doesn't control, the Army does), I suspect that you'll see similarly reduced training opportunities everywhere else. We live in tough times. And training is typically the first expense cut from the budget.
 
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Im only disappointed because MCWC and NIB were open to all cadets until recently, and just now have been taken over by AROTC (they weren't exclusive AROTC programs) I just think its unfair that cadets who have been in the program for years now, who weren't in Army ROTC, or weren't commissioning( because even AROTC cadets who aren't commissioning can no longer participate) are being kicked out.

They want to make a "citizen soldier" but how can they do they when they take these opportunities from them, those citizens who aren't commissioning.

EDIT: I shouldn't say my excitement is completely gone. Its just that these changes make you think. Im still ver honored to be accepted by this school, and my desire to possibly attend hasn't changed (waiting to hear back from TAMU), but if I was a cadet there, I would be really disappointed.
 
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RancidRancid said:
They want to make a "citizen soldier" but how can they do they when they take these opportunities from them, those citizens who aren't commissioning.
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It's likely because the Army wants to focus its training dollars on those who are actually enrolled in Army ROTC.
 
I guess so
Thank you for your perspective patentesq :smile:

(Sorry, Im about the hijack my own thread :cool: )As someone who's looking to maybe join the corps at Norwich, do you have any advice?
 
As a current Cadet and as a Provo BN member. It came to shock to most of us that this change to NIB was made over the winter break with no consulting of the current members. I will not speculate over the rumor mill and the many complaints of some of my friends who were in Arty and try and move on. There is not much we as a student body can do when these changes are in effect at any of the SMCs. A lot of these changes are also coming from Cadet Command from the respective ROTCs.

So here's somethings I know for a fact.
MCW and the new Battery are technically AROTC units now, but command allows any contracted Cadet or Midshipman to participate provided that their respective ROTC takes responsibility for their CDT or MIDN. As that stands, the Air Force allows their contracted cadets to participate in MCW and the Battery. The Navy/USMC department have decided not to let their MIDN participate.

The school has released statements saying that they are looking for ways to allow all Cadets to participate in these special units. What they are looking for I don't know but until then the rule stands.

Amid all the problems there seem to be currently, the Corps will have to stand strong. Will there be hard feeling about getting rid of NIB, yes by both current students and alumni, but there were these same feelings I'm sure when MP Company was disbanded not too long ago. The Corps is still here, I just hope they start expanding it. With a new Civilian Dorm in the works the Corps is quickly losing ground on being the majority of the school, and that would be my biggest fear to see Norwich turn into somewhere like Virginia Tech (Obviously not to the scale of that school but just saying)
 
To put this all in perspective, I was a member of the Drill Team (both as a rook and as cadre) when it was a separate platoon in Provisional Battalion at Norwich. The day came when it was disbanded as a separate unit to enable ALL cadets an opportunity to participate. In retrospect, this turned out to be the right decision. And the NU Drill Team appears to be just as fine now as it was in my day. Check out this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noauGoqh3mM (BTW, I did notice the unauthorized "slight eyeball shift" in this video at 1:02 -- this would NEVER have happened in my day!)

As for Mountain Cold Weather Company, I totally missed that the Army was allowing non-Army ROTC types to participate. The nerve of them! That must have happened some time after I left. It's good to see that Norwich is RETURNING to its long-held traditions! :wink:

Also, in my day, we didn't have a Ranger Platoon or a SEAL Platoon or anything even close to the things they have now. And we did just fine. :thumb:

I suspect things will be different after you graduate, Devil5891!! Change is a good thing. Watch, you too will have a different perspective some day.
 
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RancidRancid said:
I guess so
Thank you for your perspective patentesq :smile:

(Sorry, Im about the hijack my own thread :cool: )As someone who's looking to maybe join the corps at Norwich, do you have any advice?
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Patentesq is right, study hard. Also get in shape starting right now. Be a gym rat until August.

Good luck
 
RancidRancid said:
EDIT: I shouldn't say my excitement is completely gone. Its just that these changes make you think. Im still ver honored to be accepted by this school, and my desire to possibly attend hasn't changed (waiting to hear back from TAMU), but if I was a cadet there, I would be really disappointed.
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And as for civilians on campus at Norwich, I think you'll find a civilian or two at TAMU. And TAMU is doing just fine. :wink:
 
patentesq said:
And as for civilians on campus at Norwich, I think you'll find a civilian or two at TAMU. And TAMU is doing just fine. :wink:
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True, but A&M and Va Tech are very different places than what they were like when Civilians weren't on campus. However I don't think Devil5891 needs to be too concerned- I don't see adding a civilian dorm as changing much at Norwich. They made the decision a long time ago to become a mixed college. Any of the changes in lifestyle occured 25 years ago and there doesn't seem to be much difference between being a little more than half military and a little less than half military in terms of the overall ambience of the school. If it were going from 60% military to 5% (A&M is around 4% military on a campus of >50,000 and VaTech is about the same on a campus of >20,000)- then it's a different world but I don't think the swing is going to be all that dramatic just because of where Norwich is. The college isn't going to triple in size anytime in the near future- it's sitting in Northfield Vermont for starters- it's not going to turn into "NYU east" overnight:rolleyes:
 
Having civilians on campus in my day sure would have saved me and my classmates some gas money (in terms of fewer weekend trips to UVM and UMass)! :biggrin: VC was a good alternative for those, like me, on a budget.

My solution to the gas-money situation was simply to join Mountain and Cold Weather Company. My non-MCW classmates actually used to laugh and wave at me from their car as they drove past Bolton Rock on I-89 on the way up to Burlington on many a Saturday night.

BTW, sleeping under the trees in the middle of a Vermont winter sure stinks! But I was young and foolish at the time. :wink:
 
I actually narrowed down my choices to Norwich and TAMU based on the fact they have a civilian population. I was originally interested in VMI and The citadel too, but I didn't want to be at an all military school ; I don't think that type of environment would work for me, but I have serious respect for those they decide thats the route they want to go.

But at either school Ill most definitely be a cadet and am looking forward to it, even though I'm sure its going to be tough, harder then anything else Ive ever probably done, thats why Im looking for advice and help from anyone that has a perspective. NO one in my family has really been in the military, bar being drafted in WW2, and a cousin who married into the family (a marine) , so this is something my parents are having a hard to trying to help prepare me for.

I have been going to the gym reguraly, approx. 3 times a week , its been really fun :wink: haha
 
Can't speak for TAMU, but I think Norwich would be thrilled to have someone like you in the Corps. (I suspect TAMU would, too). Both are terrific schools, and you can't go wrong with either of them.

Good luck, RancidRancid. Check out the video about Norwich barracks life that I just posted.
 
Thank you patentesq :smile:

nice video
Good to see the cadets having a good time, can't wait to maybe be apart of that life.

I heard actually that you can't nap as a rook. so all the rooks head to white chapel to have a quick snooze. Saw some funny pictures of that on the Norwich university photography Facebook and when I visited, my tour guide who was a cadet there, recalled some stories of sleeping in white chapel so the Cadre couldn't yell at her haha :biggrin:
 
I wasnt saying Norwich was gonna turn into a 50,000 student campus, I dont think state could take it. I was just hoping that they start expanding Ransom and Wilson so we can fit more Cadets on the UP. So things I've come up with over the past few days. AROTC has filled their Arty slots and that seems to be getting underway. Boards are starting, personally I'm aiming for Provo S3. Next year Floors 1 and 2 of Crawford Hall are going to be Corps Dorms, so we officially don't all fit on the UP anymore. Fresh and Sophs will not be allowed to have Cars on campus due to losing one of the lots for the starting construction of North Hall. And our hockey teams are still ranked #1 in Div III.

Oh and 78 days till Jr Ring. :thumb:
 
patentesq said:
Having civilians on campus in my day sure would have saved me and my classmates some gas money (in terms of fewer weekend trips to UVM and UMass)!
My solution to the gas-money situation was simply to join Mountain and Cold Weather Company.
BTW, sleeping under the trees in the middle of a Vermont winter sure stinks! :wink:
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Mountain and Cold Weather Company was the Norwich equivalent of a cold shower?:confused: :yllol:
 
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