Friday, June 5, 2009

Name: Meagan Walerko

Rank: 2Lt


Graduated: 2008
In school, it was very important for me to balance my academics and ROTC commitments with other activities and social events I enjoyed. While at Saint Mary’s College I became very active in different clubs that were of interest to me, such as Africa Faith and Justice Network and Friends with Sisters and even spent time volunteering as a teacher in Ghana, Africa. After graduation I commissioned into the Army as a 2LT in the Adjutant General Branch. I started my active duty service in October when I went to Fort Sill, OK for BOLCII. From there I went onto Fort Jackson, SC for my Adjutant General training. After completing Airborne school in Fort Benning, GA I will report to my unit in South Korea where I am projected to serve my first few months as a Postal Platoon Leader.

Profile: Hayden Piscal


Name: Hayden Piscal


Rank: 2Lt


Graduated: 2008


I thoroughly enjoyed my time in ROTC at Notre Dame. I found that by getting involved and making friends within the battalion, it made the entire experience much more enjoyable. My most rewarding experience by far was being in charge of the Ranger Challenge team my senior year. Outside of ROTC I was also a member of the Equestrian team and found that having other friends not in ROTC helped keep a good balance. It was always nice to get away and not talk Army every once in a while. After graduation I worked at LTC at Fort Knox, KY for most of the summer before heading down to Fort Benning, GA for BOLC II and then Fort Sam Houston, TX for Medical Services BOLC III. It has been a blast meeting all the other LTS in training. Just like with ROTC, they have made training so much more enjoyable. I am currently at Fort Rucker, AL where I will go through flight school to learn how to fly Blackhawk helicopters as a MEDEVAC pilot. I will be here for about two years before I head to my first duty station.

Alumni eNewsletter

Check out Notre Dame Army ROTC's Alumni Page at http://www.nd.edu/~army/Alumni.html

You can:
*Connect with our Facebookand LinkedInreunion networks
*Make a donation to the program

Profile: Chris Govekar

Name:Chris Govekar


Rank: LTC

What year did you graduate? 1990

Current Status? Reserve

If you are still in, what is your current unit, duty station, and position? Chief, Logistics Operations, Joint Deployable Team, US Joint Forces Command, Norfolk, VA

Profile: Michael A. Casey

Name: Michael A. Casey


Rank: Colonel

What year did you graduate? 1980

Current Status? Active Duty

If you are still in, what is your current unit, duty station, and position? I am the Command Inspector General for the 88th Regional Readiness Command, Fort Snelling, MN

Profile: Chris Brusznicki

Name: Chris Brusznicki


Rank: Captain

What year did you graduate? 2002

Current Status?IRR

Deployment History: How many, where, with who, duty position(s), and mission? Fallujah, Iraq, 1-505 PIR, Platoon Leader

Profile: Ross Davidson

Name: Ross Davidson


Rank: MAJ

What year did you graduate? 1996

Current Status? Active Duty

If you are still in, what is your current unit, duty station, and position? USA MEDDAC
Fort Drum, NY Chief, Logistics Division


Deployment History: How many, where, with who, duty position(s), and mission? 3 deployments (from most recent) 2006 - Afghanistan: 10th Mountain Division; Chief, Medical Construction Operations; Responsible for the planning and execution of healthcare construction operations. Primary mission: construction project manager for 45-bed hospital. 2003 - Iraq: Coalition Provisional Authority (State Department); Ministry of Health, Health Facility Project Manager Advisor; Primary mission: advisor to Iraqi Ministry of Health to develop repair and replacement program for all of Iraq's health care facilities. 1998 - Bosnia: 1st Armor Division; Project Engineer; Primary mission: planning and programming construction requirements and base master plan development.

Profile: Amanda Dodd Miller

Name: Amanda Dodd Miller

Rank: Captain (now veteran)

What year did you graduate? 1999

Current Status: My IRR time has been completed. I am a veteran.

Deployment History: How many, where, with who, duty position(s), and mission? I graduated ND in May 99, went Active Duty in June 99. I went to Ft. Bliss, TX for Air Defense Artillery OBC. Then Ft. Benning, GA for Airborne School. Then Wurzburg, Germany for four years. It was a three-year-tour, but I loved Germany and extended to be there for four years. My twin sister, Lacy (also ND AROTC '99), and I were both stationed there. We lived together in a fairy tale looking town, Sommerhausen. We worked at Giebelstadt Army Airfield which is now closed. Unfortunately, it was at one point in history a base Hitler used. From Germany, I deployed to Saudi Arabia and Israel. Lacy deployed to Iraq. I got out from Germany Dec 2003. Lacy went to Ft. Campbell, KY for another year and got out there.

Deployment stories or any lessons learned/advice from your deployments to current ND Army ROTC cadets?

Friday, May 8, 2009

Notre Dame and Saving Private Ryan History

Quiz Question:  What did the movie, “Saving Private Ryan”; the book, “Band of Brothers”; and Notre Dame all have in common..??

By MAJ Masapollo

       For those who have seen the movie, “Saving Private Ryan”; you understand that the premise of the movie is based upon a squad of men (lead by actor, Tom Hanks) trying to find a Private James Ryan of the 101st Airborne Division during the midst of the Normandy invasion.  Private Ryan’s other brothers had been killed in different theaters and as the sole surviving son; the military authorities wanted to send him back to the states to his family.  Hank’s patrol was being sent out to find him in the midst of battle.

     Likewise, for those who have read the book, “Band of Brothers” by Stephen E. Ambrose; a similar story centers around a soldier named, Fritz Niland contained on pages 102-03.  In Ambrose’s version; Easy Company soldier, Fritz Niland is being sent home because he had just learned the news that his brother, Bob had been killed on D-Day with the 82nd Airborne Division; while another brother had also been killed on D-Day with the 4th Infantry Division at Utah Beach.  Regretfully, his third brother; who had been a pilot in the China-Burma theater had been killed during that same week.          

     Unlike the underlying basis for the patrol in the Steven Spielberg movie; Ambrose’s account refers to the 101st Airborne Division Regimental Chaplain; a priest named Father Francis Sampson who was looking for Fritz in order to escort him back to Utah Beach where a plane would fly him to London on the first leg of his return to the States.   Who was this Father Sampson, the one-man patrol sent to find Fritz Niland..?? 

     Father Francis Sampson ’37; was a Notre Dame graduate.  After graduating from ND,  he attended the seminary and was ordained a Catholic priest in 1941.  In 1942, he was commissioned as an Army Chaplain and was later assigned as an Army Chaplain with the 101st Airborne Division.  Monsignor Sampson would later jump into Normandy on the morning of June 6, 1944 as a member of the 101st Airborne Division.  He would later be captured by the Germans, but soon escaped and rejoined the 101st Airborne in time to jump again into the Battle of the Bulge on December 19, 1944.  By the end of World War II, Monsignor Sampson was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (second only to the Medal of Honor), the Distinguished Service Medal, and the Purple Heart.  In addition, he was recognized for making two combat jumps with the 101st Airborne Division.  He later would go on to serve in the Korean War as an Army Chaplain with the 187th Regimental Combat Team (Airborne) and make his third combat jump.  He would later be ordained a Monsignor in the Catholic Church in 1967.   He continued to rise through the ranks to eventually serve as the Army Chief of Chaplains from 1967-71.  After retiring from the military in 1971, he would later serve as a Special Assistant to the President of Notre Dame from 1983-86.  In 1985, Monsignor Sampson was the first recipient of the Notre Dame Alumni Association’s Corby Award.  The Corby award is conferred each year to a Notre Dame graduate who exemplifies the “values and true spirit of Notre Dame while serving in active or reserve service.”  Monsignor Sampson passed away in January 1996.

     So the next time you’re walking up to the main office; stop and take a quick in the display case next to the ROTC Chaplain’s office at the photo of Monsignor Francis Sampson.  He truly was a remarkable person; and lived by the words, “God, Country, Notre Dame”.    

Monday, April 27, 2009

Captain Ambrose's Farwell Advice


Summer Army Leadership Preparation Program

Check out the following links.

Workout & Train: 

Read & Study:

Network & Connect

More resources at http://beknowdonow.blogspot.com/

Last word:

Train Hard 
Fight Honorable
Win Decisively
Future Warrior Leaders

-CPT Ambrose

You can network and stay in touch with me at

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Notre Dame Army ROTC Social Media

Read, subscribe, comment on our blog news here 



View, upload, download, share, comment on our picture albums here 



Watch, upload, subscribe, comment on our video channel here 



Connect, network, friend, and join our Facebook group here 



Connect, network, friend, and join our LinkedIn group here 


Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Notre Dame Army ROTC NYC St. Patrick's Parade Day Pictures

Notre Dame Army ROTC marches with the 69th in the New York City St. Patrick's Day Parade.



Click here to view a larger slideshow and access the whole album.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

We have a YouTube Video Channel

Go to http://www.youtube.com/NDArmyROTC to see all our uploaded and favorited video to see what our battaltion is about. Don't forget to rate, favorite, and comment.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Read about the University of Notre Dame Army ROTC Unit History

Cadet Mauro ND ROTC Unit History Paper

Click "more" then you can download, save, and read this report written by Cadet Mauro on the University of Notre Dame Army ROTC unit history

We "R" ND Alumni Survey is up!

As part of our Alumni Outreach Operations, we are trying to reconnect with our Alumni network. We would like to gather stories of our past graduates to share with our current cadets. We ask that you take a few minutes to fill in this voluntary survey to help us preserve our unit history. Click here to fill out the survey

Ask a Cadet Form is Up

Are you a prospective cadet that has a question for a current cadet. We now have the "Ask a Cadet" form that matches your question with a cadet in your intended major at your school of choice. Click here to fill out the form and ask your question then a cadet will get back to you with an answer.

Sunday, March 1, 2009

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Notre Dame Camouflage Basketball Night

A SPECIAL EVENT WITH NOTRE DAME BASKETBALL & OUR WOUNDED HEROES - (NOTRE DAME vs. LOUISVILLE - FEBRUARY 12, 2009)

From http://www.camokids.org/


On February 12, 2009, University of Notre Dame basketball coach Mike Brey, along with our good friend Rick Kell from his Operation Hardwood and Troops First Foundation programs, hosted four of our wounded heroes for the Notre Dame vs. Louisville basketball game.

The power of the "human spirit" was in the Joyce Center and more than 11,000 fans had the opportunity to thank our military heroes for their service and sacrifice to keep our country secure. A great evening was had by all including our friends from ESPN as Digger Phelps and Bob Knight visited with the soldiers and Marines prior to and after the game along withNotre Dame football coach Charlie Weis.

Below you will find brief bios on our heroes:

Dillon Behr
Staff Sergeant Dillon L. Behr is stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina with 3rd Special Forces Group. Originally from Reynolds, Illinois, Dillon was injured by a gunshot wound to his right pelvis and right bicep in Afghanistan on April 6, 2008. He is in the process of making a full recovery right now to continue on active duty.

Freddie De Los Santos
Staff Sergeant Freddie De Los Santos is stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina with Alpha Company, 98th Civil Affairs Battalion. He was injured in Afghanistan on October 20, 2008.

Leroy Petry
Staff Sergeant Leroy Petry is with the second of the seventy fifth Ranger Regiment and was wounded May 26, 2008 in Afghanistan.

Anthony Villarreal
Lance Corporal Anthony Villarreal is a 23-year-old Infantry Marine with Golf Company, second Battalion, seventh Marines out of 29 Palms. He served two tours in Iraq and was injured on June 20, 2008 while serving his third tour in Afghanistan. Anthony hails from Lubbock, Texas. He graduated high school in June of 2004 and joined the military three months later in September.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Max Your APFT Training Programs

During the Fall Semester the MS I cadets put together a collection of excellent training programs that are specifically designed to help cadets and soldiers max their Army Physical Fitness Test, the push ups, sit ups, and 2 mile run.  Click here to see their training workouts.

MSL 102 Course Website

See what the second semester freshman are doing in their Intro to Military Science & Leadership 102 course this spring here.

Friday, January 16, 2009

20 Yrs of ND Army ROTC Class Photos are Up

As part of our alumni outreach operations we have upload the last 20 years of ND Army ROTC Class photo album. Click on the photo below to go to our google picasa web album where you can view, zoom in, download, coment and discuss the class pictures.

ND Army ROTC Class Pics

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

We are on LinkedIN!

In effort to outreach our Alumni we are now on LinkedIN. Spread the word and friend us.

Click on the button below to view our Notre Dame Army ROTC profile on LinkedIN

View Notre Dame Army ROTC's profile on LinkedIn

We set up the Univ of Notre Dame Army ROTC Network, Fightin' Irish Battalion.
This LinkedIN group is for alumni, staff, families, current cadets and cadre of the University of Notre Dame Army ROTC program.

To join our group on LinkedIN click here

We are on Facebook!

University of Notre Dame Army ROTC now has a facebook profile.  

Click the badge below to friend us and get connected to our network of friends.

Fighting Irish Battalion's Facebook profile

We also have a Facebook Group you can join here