University of Washington Naval ROTC - Binnacle Yearbook (Seattle, WA)

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REFLECTIONS OF THE TOUR The end of anything is a time for mentally adding up the score card and evaluating pro- gress and failures. l suppose the first word that comes to mind as l wind down my three years here at Washington is FAST! The weeks, quarters, and school years have clicked by with unbelievable speed! Some of you may not share that perception and probably think your tour here will never end - but l guarantee on graduation day you'll feel that FROSH O was just a short time ago. ln my case the perception of FAST comes from the personal pleasure and satisfaction l've had in this assignment. The opportunity to be associated with the finest young peo- ple anyone could ever hope to meet - the opportunity to influence the academic, pro- fessional, athletic and social environments - the opportunity to influence the future ex- cellence of the Navy fMarine leadership - the opportunity to be associated with such a capable and dedicated staff - and especially an XO like LTCOL Bianchino. All of these aspects have made my final tour in the Navy the most rewarding and enjoyable of my career. How successful we've been in the last few years will be determined by your per- formance and values throughout your careers - and l feel optimistic about that outlook. Concerning accomplishments and failures - l've always believed that if you don't strike out a few times, you're not going to bat enough. And we've had a few strikeouts. The lower level course accreditation - one of my goals - has not, and probably never will be realized, although we gave it our best shot. We lost several good people from the program I dearly tried to save, and one always wonders if he could have done something else. On the other hand, we've had our share of hits too! Another of my major goals - instituting an Alumni Association - is about to become a reality. This will pay significant long term dividends to the Unit, both in professionalism and monetary support. We've increased both numbers and quality of our battalion. ln calendar year 1987 we will commission 59 midshipmen and OC's, the largest number this decade. We have sent more people to Nuclear Power Training than ever before. ' Our overall GPA is higher, and the professionalism and military motivation have never been better. UW grads stand out, on summer cruise, in joint ROTC activities, in Flight School, at SWOS, TBS, and OCS, and in the fleet. We have expanded our extra-curricular activities in a number of areas - quartet, chorus, sailing, basketball, drum and bugle. Each of these activities, along with our other teams reflect great pride and professionalism on our unit, and are excellent ambassadors of the Navy in the civilian community. We can all be proud of the fact that we are a part of the finest ROTC program in the country. But excellence is not static. lt must be worked at daily. This unit has a legacy of top peformance dating back sixty years. You, the midshipmen, and you the alumni, must continue the efforts to make sure that Husky Navy turns out the very best for another sixtyyears! GodBless.GOHUSKlES!! In V f .if'f'.S4g,.'? 'L'- i:.- Fkpar x 1,7 V

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THE XO I arrived here in January 1984, when this year's seniors were freshmen. A51 scraped the ice from my windshield, l thought of the beautiful Hawaiian beaches that I had just left, and wondered if I had made the right choice by coming here, Looking back, I'm certain that I did. Having had the opportunity to watch such fine people, as you all are, grow into officers of the Navy and Marine Corps was indeed worth it. It has been an interesting, exciting, and rewarding tour. l leave the job and i retire from the Marine Corps, envious of you, as you start your carrers. Good Luck. I will remember each of You. ' l l ,, K K , in ' 1 1-Q., nl I - i - x s.gx I '14 'II' ' ,Q '53 fr. 1 . -' ' ' ,- . ,L if 'bf , r i 1- 1 . Is, va-.W 1 ,i ' f s A ah