"Starting off on the right foot….or actually the left."
by
Cadet Joshua Bailey
As we started off a new semester of ROTC, it was that time again, a time of familiar places and smiling faces. From the first moment there seemed to be a feeling of a new beginning placed on the semester. We had C/Midgett as the new Wing Commander, taking over the reins from C/Stauffer, as well as a new Commander and Chief to lead our country and our armed forces. Colonel Tulberg’s comments centered on the inauguration of our newest President, Barack Obama, and the words that he had for the great country of the United States and its people. Words marked with a distinct feeling of patriotism that would cause every cadet to remember the importance of the path they are taking to becoming 2nd Lieutenants in the Air Force. Just as America was placing its trust in a new leader, so was the cadet wing as C/Midgett rose to the challenge. He followed Colonel Tulberg with some words of welcoming to the new and returning cadets, as well as sharing some of his plans for the coming semester.
After the briefings were finished the semester kicked off in routing fashion with the undergoing of In-processing in which cadets update information, take their semester picture, and swap out rank for their uniforms. I was given the task of taking each cadets picture for the new semester and was able to greet them with some welcoming comments of my own. It seemed that every cadet was both anxious and excited to start a new semester and ready to see what this semester would have in store. Overall In-processing ran smoothly and professionally thanks to the planning of the new Mission Support Group Commander C/Herndon. The Lab finished with some squadron time in which cadets got the chance to meet their new squadron and flight commanders, and also get the opportunity to meet their fellow squadron members. You could already see the camaraderie started off right where it left off last semester. The motto of this semester seemed to be a “new beginning” and it was definitely starting off right.
