Author: Laramee, Nicholas

THE LEADER
BOBCAT BATTALION NEWSLETTER
JANUARY 2023
PUBLISHED BY CAPTAIN NICHOLAS LARAMEE
ASSISTANT

8TH BRIGADE RANGER CHALLENGE COMPETITION
The Bobcat Battalion enthusiastically competed in the annual Task Force East, Ranger Challenge Competition from 4 November to 6 November 2022 at Washington State University in Pullman, Washington and Camp Grizzly, near Potlatch, Idaho. Eleven Cadets from the Bobcat Battalion trained for months, preparing for a head-to-head competition with nine other schools. The Bobcats excelled in many of the events: Pistol Marksmanship, Call for Fire, and Medical, while honing their Field Craft and Small Unit Tactic skills throughout the competition. The Cadets powered through sleet, snow, rain and wind, not to mention sub 35 degree temperatures. Finishing strong and completing over 30 miles of movement, all 11 Cadets earned the Ranger Challenge tab, no easy feat, and something they will wear until they graduate and commission as 2nd Lieutenants in the U.S. Army.

ARMY AND AIR FORCE CADETS BATTLE FOR THE PRESTIGIOUS MONTANA STATE UNIVERISTY BROWN JUG
This year, Cadets from the Army’s Bobcat Battalion and Airforce’s Detachment 450 battled it out in the snow and cold in the prestigious, 37th annual Brown Jug competition. Flag football, Soccer and Ultimate Frisbee were the games that decided who would take the Brown Jug home. After a few close games and even some heated challenges to the referees, Air Force took the prize with a 2-1 victory over the Bobcat Battalion. Although Army is looking forward to regaining the title next year, no one can dispute the comradery and cohesion displayed by all.

Cadre and Staff
Professor of Military Science: Lieutenant Colonel Christopher L’Heureux
Senior Military Science Instructor: Master Sergeant Camilo Carreno
Assistant Professor of Military Science: Major Matthew Owen
Assistant Professor of Military Science: Captain Nicholas Laramee
Assistant Professor of Military Science: Captain Jacob Pancheau
Military Science Instructor: Master Sergeant Jordan Cron
Military Science Instructor: Sergeant First Class Jessie Weaver
Scholarship & Enrollment Officer: Mr. Brent Reinhardt
Supply Technician: Mr. Stephen Peters
Human Resources: Mrs. Jennifer Wessel
MSU University Liaison: Ms. Merry Schlenker Bruce
Military History Instructor: Mrs. Kristen Hewitt
DATES
3 March 2023: Bobcat Battalion Dining Out.
14-16 April 2023: MSU/UM Joint Spring Field Training Exercise (FTX).
22-23 April 2023: MSU Staff Ride to the Battle of Little Big Horn.
5 May 2023: Bobcat Battalion Hail and Farewell.
12 May 2023: Bobcat Battalion Spring Commissioning Ceremony.

Bobcat Battalion Fall Field Training Exercise (Limestone Hills, Montana).

The Bobcat Battalion kicked off the school year with a literal “Rotor Blast” as we geared up for the annual Fall Field Training Exercise (FTX) conducted at LimestoneHills, Montana. Cadets enjoyed riding in style, thanks to the 1st Battalion, 189th Aviation Regiment out of Helena, Montana. The 1st Battalion, 189th Regiment have the capability to air-lift both troops and equipment utilizing airframes such as the CH-47 Chinook (top left) and the UH-60 Blackhawk. Cadets were afforded the opportunity to talk with the crews of these Army workhorses and better understand what it takes to become part of the prestigious Army Aviation Branch. Aviation is a sought after branch, and one that regularly pulls newly commissioned Officers from Montana State University. After the Cadets were inserted into Limestone Hills, training took over and the Cadet Battalion Commander, CDT/LTC Newman, and the rest of the MSIV class led 48 hours of exciting and intensive training. Training consisted of both day and night Land Navigation, Small Unit Tactics, and of course, leadership. For many of the Cadets, this intensive training is some of the last they will conduct before they head off to summer camp at Fort Knox, Kentucky, where they will test their skill and knowledge against thousands of peers.
Cadet Summer Training provides a truly exciting and anxious time in a Cadet’s career but a Bobcat always excels and shows the rest of the country what right looks like. For the Freshman Bobcats, the FTX provided a glimpse of their future as an Army Cadet and showed them what they need to do to excel at CST. With another successful event in the books, the Bobcat Battalion looks forward to their next FTX with the University of Montana’s Grizzly Battalion in the Spring.

A CH-47 from the 1st Battalion, 189th Aviation Regiment out of Helena, Montana transports 33 motivated Cadets to Limestone Hills, Montana.

Cadets begin to off load a CH-47 with equipment at the ready as their peers eagerly await their turn to do the same.

Cadets quickly learned that in the absence of a Helicopter Landing Zone, (HLZ) sometimes you just have to make your own in order to accomplish the mission

NOTES FROM THE PROFESSOR OF MILITARY SCIENCE: LIEUTENANT COLONEL TYLER L. JONES

NOTES FROM THE PROFESSOR OF MILITARY SCIENCE: LIEUTENANT COLONEL CHRISTOPHER D. L’HEUREUX

Hello, Bobcat Battalion community! This is the first newsletter that the Bobcat Battalion has done in quite a few years, but a tradition we thought worthy of bringing back. We aim to provide a place where Bobcats can connect, so please send us a note about where you are and how you are doing. Everything we receive will go into next semester’s newsletter.
Over the last semester, the Bobcat Battalion accomplished a lot. Several cadets volunteered to participate in a three-day Ranger Challenge competition at a Boy Scout camp in the middle of nowhere northern Idaho. We lost power the first night, and it sleeted, rained, and snowed on us all weekend. Despite the arduous conditions, the cadets persevered. They even walked 15 miles to EIB standard in 35-degree rainy weather with a foot of snow on the ground!
Courtesy of the Montana Army National Guard (and a few Bobcats), we again flew to our FTX at Fort Harrison to practice land navigation and infantry squad tactics. Under the watchful eye of our noncommissioned officers, the MSIVs taught, trained, and coached the underclassmen, getting them ready to compete at Camp this summer. The seniors added to the realism by setting up a company command post to track training like they’ll do once they are lieutenants. Lastly, the program hosted two Army Special Operations Command professionals to discuss leadership, balance, and personal accountability with the help of the local chapter of the Special Forces Association.
The most important event all semester was to commission two Active Duty, one Army Reserve, and two Montana Army National Guard Second Lieutenants on 16 December. You’ll find some pictures inside. It was a fantastic ceremony that we did jointly with the Air Force ROTC detachment.
As I said, we want to hear from you, so please email us with updates on where you are and how you are doing. If you know someone who did not receive this newsletter but should have, please send us that email address, and we will add them. I would love to link up soon-to-be lieutenants with Bobcats with the same branch in the Force - no more powerful a thing as mentorship.
“Be the one!”
Sincerely,
Christopher D. L’Heureux

FALL 2022 COMMISSIONING CEREMONY
The Montana State University Army and Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps programs were pleased and proud to commission eight 2nd Lieutenants into the Army and Air Force. Over two hundred friends and family joined the Bobcat family on this momentous day as the eight young Lieutenants pictured pinned on Gold Bars for the first time. Both the Bobcat Battalion and Detachment 450 are extremely proud of these talented individuals and can’t wait to see what the future has in store for them.

2nd Lieutenant Justin Campbell, from Missoula, Montana, received his degree in Nursing. Justin joined the Nurse Corps on Active Duty.
2nd Lieutenant Grady Dehler from Rapid City, South Dakota, received his degree in Political Science. Grady branched Infantry on Active Duty.
2nd Lieutenant Alexander Gilbert from Haddonfield, New Jersey, received his degree in Environmental Studies from Lawrence University, NY. Alex branched Infantry on Active Duty.
2nd Lieutenant Frederick Hunter from St. Charles, Illinois, received his degree in Agricultural Business. Frederick branched into the Ordnance Corps in the United States Army Reserve.
2nd Lieutenant Nicholas Turner from Hamilton, Montana, received his degree in Electrical Engineering. Nick branched Signal Corps in the Montana Army National Guard.
2nd Lieutenant Genevieve Weiss from Palmer, Arkansas, received her degree in Sociology with Criminology. Genevieve branched Military Police Corps in the Montana Army National Guard.
2nd Lieutenant Jordan Liebold from AirForce Detachment 450, received her degree in Mathematics and Latin American Studies. Jordan is an Active Duty Force Support Officer.
2nd Lieutenant Braydon Manning from AirForce Detachment 450, received his degree in Mechanical Engineering. Braydon is an Active Duty Acquisitions Officer.

NEWLY CONTRACTED CADETS OF THE BOBCAT BATTALION

MSII
CDT Morgan Ericsson
CDT Matthew Gerard
CDT Logan Graham
CDT Nicholas Guerentz
CDT Caleb Humber
CDT John Orme

MSI Class
CDT Patrick Alexander
CDT Evan Jajack
CDT Kevin Lajoye

MSIII
CDT Craig Atkins
CDT Nicholas Hutson
CDT James Komas
CDT Macy Schowalter
CDT Michael Shannon
CDT Eli Wollenman

HAILS

CPT Nick Laramee is a North Carolina native who commissioned out of Campbell University’s ROTC program in 2014. Nick is married to the former Christine Benedict and they have two children, Savannah (5) and Orion (3). Nick and his family are coming from Fort Carson, CO were he served as an Advisor in the 4th Security Force Assistance Brigade from 2019—2022. A former Non-commissioned officer and Green to Gold Cadet, Nick brings a plethora of experience and knowledge as well as a passion for the ROTC program. The Laramee’s are thrilled to be in Montana and can’t wait to see what the next three years bring.

CPT Jake Pancheau is a Billings, MT native who commissioned out of MSU Bozeman’s ROTC program in 2014. After commissioning, he spent four years at JBLM, WA before, transitioning back into the Montana Army National Guard, moving home to Billings, and teaching high school. In August, CPT Pancheau returned from a deployment to CENTCOM, during which he commanded the MTARNG’s 1063D Support Maintenance Company. CPT Pancheau began working as the Assistant Professor of Military Science for MSUB and RMC in September and is loving the opportunity to train the Army’s future leaders. He is single and has no children, but enjoys spending his time with his parents, his siblings, and his nieces and nephews. He’s active in his church and enjoys taking advantage of all that Montana has to offer.

PROMOTIONS
The Bobcat Battalion had the privilege to promote Master Sergeant (MSG) Jordan Cron on 1 Oct 2022. The rank of MSG is a very prestigious rank that comes from years of experience throughout various Infantry positions and units, to include the storied 101st Airborne Division. MSG Cron has been at Montana State University for two years and has become a very important dynamic within the program. As an MSII instructor, MSG Cron has had a strategic influence on hundreds of Cadets as they continue to progress through the program. MSG Cron and his family recently found out they will be staying with the Bobcat team for an additional two years, something for which they and the Bobcat Battalion are very excited for.

CLASS NOTES
None yet, but we want your input! Please send us a quick note or picture about how you’re doing, we would love to feature you in our next newsletter.
Please send any contributions and updates to CPT Nick Laramee at: Nicholas.laramee@montana.edu