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ROTC displays military technology at UD
5:15 p.m., Feb. 13, 2007--Instead of playing pickup basketball, students were playing with night vision goggles, a laser marksmanship weapon training system and an obstacle course in the front gym of the Carpenter Sports Building, a part of a military technology display on Feb. 9. Hosted by UD's Army ROTC program, the event also featured a Black Hawk helicopter and a UH-1 Iroquois (Huey) helicopter on Frazer Field. Members of the Delaware Army National Guard were on hand to help out with the technology and to fly the helicopters. Lt. Col. Heidi Jensen, chairperson of military science, said they drew students in from the gym lobby, explaining the equipment inside and offering souvenirs, including T-shirts and soft-rubber hand grenade facsimiles. “We hold this event so people understand the programs we have to offer, to give them a perspective of what we do in the military,” Jensen said. Jensen said members of the Delaware Guard Marksmanship team also were on hand to explain to students how to use the laser weapon system and how to improve their accuracy. “Students are firing the same type of weapons that we would normally fire but by using a laser you can see how well you are doing, whether or not you are hitting the right spot,” she said. Jensen said the laser system, called Beamhit, uses M16 rifles, the same weapon currently being used in Iraq. Master Sgt. Thomas Lucas helped students with their shot on the laser system, which featured a zeroing section and a Rets range, lights that blinked to simulate real targets. Lucas said he explained to students how to zero their weapon and what to do with the weapon. Laptops and a screen were set up to monitor progress as students focused on aiming their rifles and squeezing the trigger. Lucas said the indoor system is more cost-effective, as well as environmentally safe. Freshman Benjamin Choi said he came to the gym to play basketball with his friends but instead got on his stomach with Lucas to practice with the Beamhit. Choi said he had a lot of fun with the system and learned how to adjust his rifle. “My arms started shaking after awhile,” Choi said. “We got 37 shots which Lucas said was pretty good.” Capt. William White of the Delaware National Guard and pilot of the Black Hawk helicopter said he flew out two groups of 10 cadets each from Frazer Field, flying them over campus and around Newark. White, who graduated from UD's ROTC program in 1995, said he also flew on a Black Hawk helicopter when he was a student at UD. “I volunteered because I wanted to come back and see everyone again,” White said. “I wanted to come back as a pilot instead of a passenger.” For many of the cadets, it was the first time in a Black Hawk helicopter, which can carry up to 15 people. Freshman Chelsea Schellinger said the flight in the helicopter was one of the most incredible things she has done. “It was really cool,” Schellinger said. “We went down near the Bay Bridge, and we landed in a field and took off right after that. You look at everyone else's faces, they are all smiling and looking out the window.” Schellinger said she joined UD's ROTC program after completing Junior ROTC at her high school. “The other cadets are great and the instructors are really helpful and really nice,” she said. “The experiences are great. We've become a team.”
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