Green to Gold: Alaska Guardsman Embarks on Path to Leadership

Sept. 26, 2025 | By Army Pfc. Azavyon McFarland, Alaska National Guard |

The leaves aren't the only thing changing in Alaska this fall. For Cadet Gabriel Gravel, an Alaska National Guardsman attending the University of Alaska Anchorage, transformation is also happening on his journey from enlisted soldier to officer candidate through the Army's Green to Gold program.

Gravel joined fellow ROTC cadets from his school, as well as the University of Alaska Fairbanks, for the annual joint fall field training exercise at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Sept. 17-20. During the multiday event, cadets were challenged with land navigation, patrolling and obstacle courses, all while developing the leadership traits needed to earn a commission. 

The Green to Gold program provides enlisted soldiers with the opportunity to pursue a college degree while preparing to become Army officers. For Gravel, the transition builds on years of exposure to the Army, first in Junior ROTC, then as an enlisted soldier before stepping into the cadet role. 

"When I was in JROTC, I talked to senior and retired officers — lieutenant colonels and majors," he said. "I picked their brains, and it led me toward something I wanted to do." 

Additionally, Gravel said his enlisted experience provides an advantage in ROTC training and defines the type of officer he wants to become.

"I want to be a humble officer [who] can work together with [noncommissioned officers]," he said. "Overall, officers' knowledge complements NCOs' skills." 

That perspective guided him through the field training exercise as he leaned on lessons learned from the enlisted side of the Army. The exercise reminded Gravel that leadership is about teamwork, not individual achievement.

"No matter how you think — it should end up with one common goal and you're all going to get it done together," he said. 

Gravel credits his peers for building his confidence, even when facing obstacles like the rope climb. 

"By the end of the [exercise], I was way more confident," he said. "Everybody trusted me more than I trusted myself." 

Looking back, Gravel said the experience reinforced both humility and resilience. He encourages other cadets to embrace the challenge. 

"Don't be afraid to embrace the suck," he said. "It might be raining, it might be 120 degrees, but the best thing is that you're doing it with other cadets next to you." 

Ultimately, for Gravel, the Green to Gold program is more than a path to a commission. It is a journey where lessons from enlisted service meet the challenges of officer training, shaping a leader who values trust, teamwork and courage. 

"They are going to rely on me, so I have to believe in myself to achieve the mission," he said. "No matter what, I'll always do what's necessary for both me and my battle buddies to accomplish our mission." 

Wisconsin Guard cadets part of international exchange

Wisconsin National Guard Public Affairs Office

Two Wisconsin Army National Guard Soldiers participating in the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater were among six cadets to spend a month abroad recently in a cultural exchange program, teaching English as a second language to military cadets in other nations.

Cadet Derek Kumrow, 24, of Random Lake, Wis., is a member of the 829th Engineer Company. The business graduate student taught English through the Cultural Understanding and Language Proficiency (CULP) program. He described the trip as a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

"I was completely on the opposite side of the world learning what it takes to become an officer in other countries' military," Kumrow said. "I met people and experienced things that I would have never got the chance to do any other time in my life."

Cadet Daniel Kaiser, 22, of Appleton, Wis., is a member of the 1st Battalion, 105th Cavalry and also is the ROTC cadet battalion commander at UW-Whitewater. The sociology and criminal justice senior taught English to cadets in Lithuania, and said the trip raised his awareness of the differences between cultures.

"As future leaders, it is important for cadets to realize that policies that are made often have a father reaching influence than what first comes to mind," Kaiser said. "It is important to look at all variables. This trip has given me a tendency to think about things in a broader perspective."

Other cadets visited Hanoi, Vietnam; the Ukraine, and South Korea. Besides teaching English, the cadets were charged with creating better bonds with residents in the countries they visited.

To prepare for the CULP trip, cadets had to complete courses through the State Department and Department of Defense, learn how to teach English as a second language, learn some of the language and customs of the nation they would visit - and, of course, receive vaccinations.

UW-Whitewater launched its CULP program in 2009, and first sent students to Ghana in 2011 as part of an internship program.

Information for this article was provided by the UW-Whitewater Royal Purple.

Yale Midshipmen to Open NROTC Unit

By Michael F. Miller, Naval Service Training Command Public Affairs

GREAT LAKES, Ill. (NNS) -- The Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) unit at Yale University will participate in its first freshmen orientation since 1972 at Officer Training Command (OTC) Newport, R.I. Aug. 11.

OTC will host 12 new midshipmen and staff from Yale and Holy Cross Universities.

The Yale NROTC unit will be part of a consortium with the NROTC unit at The College of the Holy Cross. An NROTC consortium is formed when two or more host units are located geographically close to one another. NROTC courses and professional instruction will be held on both campuses, however the units may share resources, as the Navy and Marine Corps deem appropriate, in order to maximize available funds and promote program consistency.

"The staff has worked diligently since the signing (May 26, 2011) and established a solid foundation and partnership with Yale," said Cmdr. James Godwin, commanding officer of the Yale/Holy Cross consortium. "We are looking forward to putting the first Yale NROTC officers into the fleet in 2016."

 Yale's NROTC unit was one of the six original units established when the NROTC program started in 1926.

"The new Navy ROTC unit at Yale continues the University's proud tradition of educating students who serve our country's Armed Forces," said Yale University President Richard C. Levin. "From Lexington to Afghanistan, our students and graduates have contributed to the nation's defense, and the return of NROTC will make it easier for the most talented young men and women who aspire to leadership in our military to gain a Yale education."

The curriculum for the week at OTC and Naval Station Newport will include physical training, uniform and room inspections, close order drill, basic seamanship, and damage control training.

Yale will also join other NROTC units across the country with a new high-tech computer-based Mariner Skills Simulator (MSS) installed Aug. 9.

MSS provides future Navy officers navigational skills, even before stepping onto their first ship.

"Yale has been strongly supportive of facilitating the establishment of the NROTC unit along with numerous programs for the military and veterans," said Godwin.

The NROTC program was established to educate and train qualified young men and women for service as commissioned officers in the Navy and Marine Corps. The NROTC scholarship program fills a vital need in preparing mature young men and women for leadership and management positions in an increasingly technical Navy and Marine Corps.

For more information about NROTC, visit www.nrotc.navy.mil/.

Big E Begins Coalition of Sailors Against Destructive Decisions Program

By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Gregory White, Enterprise Carrier Strike Group Public Affairs

USS ENTERPRISE, At Sea (NNS) -- Service members aboard aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN 65) formed a Coalition of Sailors Against Destructive Decisions (CSADD) committee aboard the ship July 10.

CSADD is a peer-to-peer mentoring program geared toward assisting Sailors in making positive decisions in all areas of their lives.

The program was originally created for those in ROTC, JROTC and similar programs. However, it quickly spread throughout the Navy and is now a resource for all Sailors.

Enterprise Command Master Chief Dwayne E. Huff, initiated the organization of the program aboard the carrier after attending a number of captain's masts which he felt could have been prevented if the Sailors involved were better informed before making the decisions that landed them in trouble.

"I believe that if Sailors have a program like CSADD and the mentorship that it offers, we will all benefit from it," said Huff. "I've been involved in the program at previous commands and I've seen how successful it can be when it is utilized correctly."

The purpose of the program is peer mentorship. The goals of its members are to get a group of Sailors who, through networking and discussion, can create ways to inform and inspire others to make better decisions, and to equip all hands with the tools they need to make those decisions.

"Once fully organized and established, we will meet weekly to put together ideas to help with the message we're driving to our Sailors," wrote Gunner's Mate 2nd Class Kyle T. Gregory, a member of CSADD, in an e-mail to the other members of the coalition.

The coalition has different topics they want to focus on every month in an effort to raise awareness about these issues. Topics range from addressing problems such as sexual assault to everyday issues such as car buying.

"Once or twice a month we will give training to the command via posters, skits, departmental training, etc.," wrote Gregory.

"With a program like CSADD in place Sailors have an option to ask questions and gain perspective before making decisions that could affect them in an unexpected manner," said Huff. "If we get the volunteers needed to get involved and get this program off of the ground, and if we gain interest from Sailors in utilizing the tools we offer, then the program can be a real success here."

Huff said that he believes CSADD will help Sailors make informed decisions, build trust and develop healthier relationships. It may not totally alleviate certain problems but it will definitely help.

CSADD recently held its first meeting and plan to meet at least once per month throughout the rest of deployment.

Dempsey Urges Alma Mater Grads to ‘Push the Envelope’

By Donna Miles

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON – Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, returned to his high school alma mater today to encourage the John S. Burke Catholic High School graduating class to embrace new opportunities in a demanding, fast-changing world.

The chairman addressed the graduates of the school, based in Goshen, N.Y., in an auditorium at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., from which he graduated in 1974.

“Push yourself to explore space you haven’t considered before, to lead where leadership is required and to keep options open -- because life will deal you changes and challenges you’ll have to figure out,” Dempsey told the 2012 class.

“The future will find you,” he said. “Be ready.”

Dempsey and his wife Deanie both are Burke High graduates, and he was inducted into the school’s hall of fame in 2003. He told the new graduates today he’s never forgotten his roots, and how his own high school experiences prepared him for what was ahead.

Recognizing the many high achievers in this year’s class, the chairman cautioned them not to rest on past accomplishments. “No matter how successful you’ve been up to this point, you need to keep working to be better than you think you can be,” he said.

It’s a lesson he said he learned quickly after arriving at West Point with his solid Burke record. “I realized that I had to keep getting better,” he said. “I realized that never settling for mediocre is one of our enduring national traits. As a nation, we dare to be great.”

Dempsey urged the students to be willing to take the risks as they “push the envelope” and embrace new opportunities.

“Many of you will exceed your wildest imaginations,” he said. But in doing so, he encouraged them to stay true to their moral compasses and never lose sight of their values. “Prioritize what’s most important to you,” and keep those priorities in order, he said.

As they apply the lessons they’ve learned to overcome obstacles they confront, Dempsey urged the class to serve, whether in the military or other endeavors. He congratulated those headed to military academies or ROTC units, and said other graduates may find their calling to serve in other vocations.

Dempsey said he looks forward to seeing the new graduates make a difference and impact society as they help influence the future.

“Your life takes on meaning only as the causes to which you attach yourself have meaning,” the chairman said. “The greatest value of a life is to spend it for something that lives after it. “

“In the end, you become what you are through some cause you have made your own,” he concluded.

Chairman Urges Norwich Grads to Live ‘Uncommon Lives’

By Jim Garamone

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 13, 2012 – Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, today urged Norwich University graduates to live “uncommon lives” of leadership based on time-honored virtues.

Norwich, located in the town of Northfield, Vt., is the oldest of six senior military colleges and is considered the birthplace of the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps.

“Norwich has started you on an uncommon road of selflessness and courage, to go out and contribute and serve our nation,” Dempsey said in prepared remarks. “Realize it or not, you have internalized the Norwich virtues of courage, honesty, temperance and wisdom -- guideposts that will serve you as you lead our nation’s future.”

Norwich is a private university whose student body features a Corps of Cadets as well as traditional civilian students. Some of this year’s graduates are joining the U.S. military as commissioned officers. Others will go on to eventually take leadership roles in business, industry, politics, government, and other fields of endeavor.

The experiences the university provides will serve all of the graduates in good stead, because leadership is important in all aspects of life, Dempsey said.

Norwich University dates from 1819 and it boasts a long list of famous leaders as graduates, from Admiral of the Navy George Dewey of Spanish-American War fame to retired Gen. Gordon R. Sullivan, who had served as the Army chief of staff in the early 1990s and now serves as president and chief operating officer of the Association of the United States Army headquartered in Arlington, Va.

Dempsey said the university “would be little more than a beautiful monument to the past glory of American leaders if not for you, its next generation of leaders.”

Now it is up to the graduates to make the most of their experiences at Norwich -- and the ones they will have in the future -- to make a difference and have an impact, he said.

Living an uncommon life means achieving “the outcome that is necessary in whatever particular line of work you choose.” Dempsey said.

Dempsey also spoke about trust. “It doesn’t get any more fundamental than trust,” he said. “It’s one of the pillars of the strength of our nation. At every level, trust wins, and it starts with trust in yourself.”

There’s also “a broader trust between the citizen and the nation, and nation-to-nation with our allies and partners, as well,” Dempsey said, noting that the pursuit of U.S. security interests today involves more than just military power.

“Our security commitments cut across the lines of diplomacy, intelligence, economics, and social progress,” he said. “It demands the support of an array of professions and skills as well as alliances, international systems and volunteer organizations. And it requires the best from each of us and all of us.”

In today’s changing world, the challenge for Americans involves “doing what’s right for ourselves, our family, our nation, and the global community,” Dempsey said.

“We can only make it work,” he added, “if we consistently and persistently leverage every opportunity to build confidence in each other, building trust.”