VMI Cadet. January 26, 2009

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T h e C o r p s M a r c h e s i t s 1 3 t h I n a u g u r a t i o n
By Allen M cC ow n
Cadef News Writer
Tuesday, January 20th, 2009 VMI
participated in President Obama’s
in a u g u r a t io n
parade. This
marks the 13th
time the Corps
has marched in
the Presidential
Inaugural Parade.
In 1961 the Corps
won best march­ing
unit in John
F. Kennedy’s pa­rade.
This was
despite a 3-inch
coat of ice and
snow cover, wliich
filled the entire pa­rade
route. VMI
has participated
in this parade
since President
Howard Taft’s
inauguration in
1909. The Corps
still marched the
whole parade
route despite the
blizzard condi­tions
that had
pushed Taft’s oath
of office indoors.
Tuesday was
an early morning
for the Corps.
BRC was at 0400
with a march
down that followed. At 0500 the Corps
was loading the buses and 30 minutes
later the buses departed for Washington
DC. Twenty-six buses filled a good
stretch of Interstate 81 and were escorted
by Virginia State Police to route 6 6 and
then into Arlington, Virginia. The buses
arrived and were pulled into a Pentagon
parking lot around 0900. The Corps
wailed on the buses until about 1300
when they proceeded through security,
which screened all rifles for bolts. The
bands instruments were sent dirough an
a seizure at the inaugural luncheon that
happened right after Barack Obama’s
first speech as president.
Because of this delay, the Corps
X-ray machine and snilTed by dogs.
After proceeding through security.
The Corps received food and got dyked
out for parade. Following a brief wait, the
buses moved into the heart of DC and
parked next to the Washington Monu­ment,
where cadets were dropped off
and the Corps formed up. The parade
was del.-iyed a significant amount of
time because Senator Ted Kennedy had
formed up next to the World War I,
2nd Division Memorial, and waited for
a litde over an hour before stepping ofi".
The band lined up behind the Univ’er-sity
of Utah “Utes” Band and in front
of NASA. The Corps paralleled the
parade route on a barren street then
went through downtown Washington.
The frigid weather drove most specta­tors
inside, but the sides of the street
were shoulder to shoulder with police
officers whose cheering was continu­ous
through out tiie entire length of the
parade route.
The Corps
turned onto Penn­sylvania
Avenue and
was flooded with tiie
camera lights. The
number of people
on the sides of the
route grew larger
and larger as the
Corps neared the
reviewing stand.
Even as the finale to
die parade, die newly
inducted president
and wife were very
enthusiastic and
appreciative of the
whole Corps march­ing
in die parade.
VMI made up
the largest marching
unit of over 1 , 2 0 0
Cadets, and truly
made everyone in
the VMI community
proud. General Peay
sent a letter to The
Corps of Cadets and
praised diem by say­ing,
“your lines were
straight, our vision
direct and correct,
and you marched
\vith pride.”
The comman­dant’s
stair has been flooded with emails
of praise from alumni, faculty and other
individuals that saw the parade. One
resident of New Market, who watches
Rats march down main street of New
Market every year wrote, “Just like 1864,
they were on the move with something
to prove...and to think, I saw it [begin]
on congress street.”
Marines Display Equipment on Post
By C a d e t H u s sm a n
Cadet News Writer
Marines Visit Post
Timothy M. Graziano
On Saturday, January the 17di the
Corps of Cadets and the surrounding
Lexington com­munity
was visited
by the 22nd Ma­rine
Expeditionary
Unit (MEU). The
MEU, stationed
in Camp Lejune
North Carolina,
was currendy com­pleting
its Pre-de-ployment
Training
Plan (PTP) in Fort
Pickett Virginia
in preparation for
deployment to
the front lines
within the next six
months.
As part of
the u nit’s PTP,
the Marines must
complete Realistic
Urban Training,
or RUT, which in­cludes
at least one
day of community
outreach. The pur­pose
of this com­munity
outreach is
“remind die nation
we are still at war,
and Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Ma­rines
are still serxing on die front lines”-
COLD.K. Hough, U.S.M.C.
The Marines that visited VMI \vere
representatives of both the 22nd’s Air
Combat Element (ACE) and Ground
Combat Element (GCE).
Representing the Air Combat Ele­ment
(ACE) of the 22nd, which normally
contains thirty or more aircraft of six
different airframes, were the CH-53E
Super Stallion Helicopter and the MV-
22 Osprey tilt wing aircraft. Initially the
Marines planned to di.splay the AH-IW
Super Cobra Attack Helicopter and the
The MV-22 is the newest airframe
in the Marine Corps’ arsenal, introduced
in December 200,“), and is a multipurpose
aircraft. The VMM-263, part of the 22nd
' MEU Air Combat Element, will be the
first fully operational MV-22 squadron
. ■ ■' ' '• ■
UH-1N Heuy Helicopter as well, but bodi
were experiencing mechanical problems
and were not able to be shown.
The Super Stallion is the Marine
Corps’ premier Heavy Lift Transport He­licopter
capable of lifting light Armored
Vehicles (L/WO, 155mm Howitzers, and
most Marine aircraft. Piloting the Super
Stallion was Capt. Jaden L. Lowiy, call
sign Trooper, a VMI graduate.
deployed to die fleet. The Cadets and vis­iting
ci\Tlians were not only able to witness
the power of these aircraft in flight, but
were also able to walk onboard and get
a “hands on” \dew of these sophisticated
machines.
Representing the Ground Combat
Element (GCE) of the 22nd were a Ma­rine
Corps Sniper squad, Infantiy scjuad,
and a Martial Arts Demonstration Team.
The Marine Corps Sniper team was able
to display die M40A3 sniper rifle. Cham­bered
in 7.62.x51mm, the M40A3 can hit
targets up to 915 meters in the hands of
a skilled Marine sniper.
The Sniper team was also able to
demonstrate the USMC
M82A3 Barrett sniper
rifle which, chambered
in .50 BMG, can disable
material and personnel
targets at up to 1830
meters. The Marine In­fantry
squad exhibited
numerous weapons and
equipment including
die M16A4 Assault rifle
with the M203 grenade
launcher attachment,
and the M4 Carbine.
The Martial Arts
Demonstration Team,
part of the Marine Corps
Martial Arts Program
(MCMAP), displayed
numerous take downs
and odier techniques to
disable your opponent.
The MCMAP stresses
mental, physical, and
character discipline as
essential elements of
hand to hand combat.
Many Cadets were
able to hold the rifles
and equipment of the
marines as well as wiuiess
the effectiveness of the Marine Corps’ in­fantiy
squad tactics and MCMAP. All of
the ec[uipment and skills shown to cadets
will eventually be used by the 2 2 nd in their
ui)i'oining deployment to the fleet.
For more information on the 22nd
Marine Expeditionary Unit’s history,
awards, or missions plea.se visit http://
192.156.19.109/22ndmeu/index.htm .