Starlet Baker - Army Strong Stories

Feedback about CTLT anyone??

Starlet Baker — Wed, 04 May 2011 22:14:00 GMT

By: Starlet Baker
So, the end of the semester is drawing near. Our finals are next week. We recently had our PCI for LDAC this summer, and that is it for ROTC for a while. Finally finished with the MS III year! I have been waiting for SO long to get done with this and move on toward commissioning. Last hurdle: LDAC. This shouldn't be much of an issue. My only concern is the fact that I am not attending until 14th reg. However, I am attending that late because...read more

5 Weeks Left!!!!

Starlet Baker — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 22:41:00 GMT

By: Starlet Baker
Thank goodness.. There are only 5 weeks left of this semester. For the most part, I feel as though this has been a fairly successful year. I feel very prepared for LDAC but could certainly use some more tweaking in a few areas. I only hope that others feel the same way. It'll be nice to be a IV next semester, less stress trying to preform around every corner you turn. Plus, it'll just be that much closer to the end goal: commissioning. This past...read more

CFTX

Starlet Baker — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 18:43:00 GMT

By: Starlet Baker
Well, it's official... I do not like Wisconsin much at all. Although my honeymoon was there, the CFTX that we just got back from was pretty rough. The weather was not the greatest but the training was pretty good and we all got through it just fine. We got there and started off with an opening ceremony. Fortunately, we had enough time to get to know the others in our squads which really helped for the next day of FLRC. Doing the FLRC before the STX was...read more

MS III Spring Semester

Starlet Baker — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 19:28:00 GMT

By: Starlet Baker
At Wester Illinois, we had a month off to relax and recharge before the most challenging semester began. During that month, I got to spend quite a bit of time with my new husband and our families over the holidays. I have to admit, I couldn't have imagined a better break. It was just what I needed. Now that the semester is beginning, the nerves are starting to kick in and it's getting time to perform at a higher standard than last semester. We hit the...read more

Finals Week..

Starlet Baker — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 06:08:00 GMT

By: Starlet Baker
Finally.. the semester is over. The tests are this week and then a nice long break. The challenge is going to be staying physically active in the winter. I wouldn't want to go from nearly maxing it to barely passing when we ge back. This semester has been challenging to say the least. The GPA thing really bugs me, especially with a new +/- system. I would say that being among the top of the cadets in the class makes up for it. There is some pretty tuff...read more

Finishing up

Starlet Baker — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 06:34:00 GMT

By: Starlet Baker
It is finally the last week before finals. Normally this is "dead week" but it seems like it is just as busy with papers and final projects as any other week. There are also a ton of distractions since people want to get together one more time before people leave for the winter break. Fortunately, I am married and live off campus and our house is a permanent stay for us. We don't have to worry about getting kicked out of the dorms by a certain time or...read more

Thanksgiving break

Starlet Baker — Sun, 21 Nov 2010 19:49:00 GMT

By: Starlet Baker
Thank goodness Thanksgiving break is here! This semester has gone by so fast that I barely remember what day of the week it is anymore. We only have about two weeks left and then finals once we get back. I have to say that outside of my grades, it has been a successful semester. I've really learned a lot from the program the last three years, especially about myself....read more

Pushing yourself...

Starlet Baker — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 04:07:00 GMT

By: Starlet Baker
Encouraging others when you don’t even want to do it yourself is probably about the hardest thing to do as a leader. Sometimes it can be comforting though because you know that other people are in the same shoes as you are. The thing is if you say that you are done, it is a lot easier to quit when you have someone else leaving with you. Coming from active duty into the Green to Gold program (4 year scholarship), I have wanted to quit so many times. I had even...read more

FTX

Starlet Baker — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 06:16:00 GMT

By: Starlet Baker
As an MS III, we are required to attend certain training and learn the different skills that will be tested at LDAC. This will be my first STX as an MS III and I am a bit nervous. I have done well in garrison so far. Now, especially as a prior serviced cadet, I have to prove that I can also be strong in the field environment. I have looked up different websites to maybe get advice about how to best be prepared for this type of training and I have asked my fellow peers...read more

Western Illinois ROTC

Starlet Baker — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 21:18:00 GMT

By: Starlet Baker
I have been very fortunate in my life. I have found a way to achieve my goal of being a commissioned officer through the Green to Gold program. I am doing this by using the Illinois Veterans Grant to pay my tuition, my GI Bill to live on, and my ROTC scholarship to pay for my room and board. Since I am living off campus, that money goes to my pocket and helps to pay for much more than just rent. I go to summer school in order to keep the paycheck coming. This...read more