Vanderbilt University Naval ROTC - Galleon Yearbook (Nashville, TN)

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CDR PETERSON CDR Richard S. Peterson was executive officer of Vanderbilt NROTC from fall of 1979 until summer of 1983. A native of Michigan, CDR Peterson was graduated from the Illin.ois Institute of Technology with a bachelors degree in psychology and a minor in physics. Among several of his former billets are Combat Information Officer aboard USS O'Bannon QDD 450i in Pearl Harbor, Operations Officer aboard USS William C. Favre QDD 763l, and Executive Officer of a PBR fpatrol river boatl in Vietnam. After these at-sea billets, he attended the Naval Postgraduate School where he received a masters degree in oceanography. Before coming to Vanderbilt, he served as XO aboard USS Fairfax County. While at the unit, CDR Peterson taught Navigation and Ships Operation and acted as advisor to the juniors He earned the respect of x N the midshipmen for his professional knowledget I t I about the Navy He is now stationed in Brazil where he is an advisor to the Brazilian Navy. 1 l M- '- - --- CAPT Clauer graduated from Cedarville College in 1972, after previously serving as an en- listed in the Marine Corps. He received his com- mission through OCS, and is an infantry officer by MOS. CAPT Clauer has served as platoon corn- mander, company xo, company commander, and most recently, as logistics officer for lst Battalion, 2nd Marines, formerly commanded by Colonel Phillips. CAPT Clauer has also served as Plans and Protocol Officer at Quanticoy Virginia, and as staff secretary for the corn- manding general. CAPT Clauer is the Battali0D Advisor and Operations Officer for the unit. He also sponsors the Semper Fidelis society. H9 describes his duties here as achallengillg and Cer' tainly different from any previous aSSigDment n He believes that NROTC provides some of the best officers in the fleet because the Program al' lows a four year period of training and evalua- tion, Permitting the unit to develop each mid' Shipman to his full potential.

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C Ol. DNEI. He enjoys working at Vanderbilt and teach- ing the senior Management and Leadership classes. He wants to instill in the seniors especially the practice of leadership by example. The best way to improve the Battalion as a whole, COL Phillips argues, is to motivate those in leadership billets to use their knowledge, experience, and skill in the teaching of the underclassmen. His ultimate goal is to create the best possible officer material for service in the Fleet. PHILLIPS COL Phillips has been Commanding Ofiicer of Vanderbilt NROTC ever since he relieved CAPT Banks in October 1981. During his tenure here. he has worked hard to build up the size of the Battalion through an intensive recruiting pro- gram. Another of COL Phillips' goals has been to increase the Battalion's average GPA. COL Phillips was born in Paterson, NJ and attended Springfield College in Springfield, KLA where he earned both bachelors and masters degrees. He was commissioned in June 1957 through the Platoon Leaders Class Program and has served in a variety of stafl' and field billets since that time. Stall' experience includes: ad- jutant of an infantry battalion and regiment, staff ollicer for Commander in Chief, Pacific, Aide to Deputy Chief of Staff, Plans and Programs, lleadquarters, Marine Corps, and Assistant Chief Of Staff, G-l of an infantry division. His field experience entails: command of Marine detach- ment aboard an aircraft carrier, command of a rifle company, infantry battalion, headquarters battalion, and most recently, CO of Camp Fuji, Japan. COL Phillips also served a tour as advisor to a Vietnamese Army battalion and division. - '0nnL,.,. an...

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1- , 1 T HILDERS LT Dave Childers came to Vanderbilt NROTC this year as on of three new officers after having been at sea for three eventful years. At the unit he is both the third class ad- visor and American Military History instructor. Apart from this, he advises the band and the publication staff who produce the Galleon and Tradewinds. Prior to beginning his career in the Navy as a surface warfare officer LT Dave Childers atf tended University of Notre Dame and graduated from NROTC in 1979 with a bachelor's degree in history. After SWOS, he served aboard the USS Fanning QFF 10761. During his tour from 1979 to 1982, he was electronics material officer, electronic warfare officer, and communications officer. LT Childers says,'fStudents are the only consumers who want less for their money. Ile stresses that the midshipmen should get the most out of the naval science classes now because this knowledge is indispensable for the future. LT Childers says that while he is impressed with the academics here, he feels that the upper-clam midshipmen should get more involved with the freshmen. 'WTSQ - A 2. -s ' welt! G x ...,s,,..a, , - , ' W Am ., . 1 7 X R. dis P fa . y -1 sk, . k4,F,,r . Xi if Qt f .:fq:Qff '4f,,.5..,.,.,,' .. .., an . . .. ,, -s ' LT STITES LT Ron Stites along with LT Childers and CAPT Claucr is one of the new officers to ar- rive at Vanderbilt NROTC Unit in 1982. He is in charge of recruiting at the unit, fourth class advisor and instructor of Freshman Naval Orientation. Aside from these duties, he coaches the bwketball team and is involved with the softball team. LT Stites graduated in 1977 from Olivet College in Michigan with a bachelor's degree in biology Upon graduation, he went to Aviation CCS and became a naval flight oflicer He then served with the attack squadron VA-35 aboard the USS Nimitz QCVN 68l, from 1979 to 1982. There he was a bombardierfnavigator in an A-6. As freshman advisor, LT Stites stresses per- formance in academics. He feels that a good per- formance in school is the key to a midshipman's future. A midshipman's academic success fre- quently exhibits his own desire to become a naval officer.