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Greetings from the MG Patrick H. Brady Battalion. The Cadets have done an amazing job this year, finishing strong with labs, ranges, the Army Combat Fitness Test, and a combined Field Training Exercise with Pacific Lutheran University this Spring Quarter!
As my time as PMS ends, I could not be prouder of what the entire Brady Battalion team of Cadets, Cadre and staff have accomplished. As we commission our MSIVs, send our MSIII's off to crush Advanced Camp at Fort Knox, and send many other Cadets to Cadet Troop Leadership Program, Nurse Summer Training Program, and other individual schools, I know they will represent our program and university with pride and professionalism.
Thank you to everyone for your support this year! Strike Forward, Never Retreat!
Hello! My name is Sophie Guizzetti, and I had the honor of serving in the Brady Battalion as the Battalion Commander for the final quarter of my ROTC career. It has been a privilege working with the other leadership and Cadets within the battalion and seeing them grow and push themselves to be all that they can be. The Cadets of this battalion have shown tremendous willpower, strength, and determination in accomplishing many feats that other students on this campus would never even consider. Spring quarter has been full of fun and challenging tasks such as a Joint FTX with PLU, a Rappelling lab, M4 Qualification, two Army Combat Fitness Tests, a 12-mile ruck for our MS3s, and more. I have seen growth in every Cadet tackling these challenges, and I am extremely proud of everyone in the battalion. Although it is bittersweet to leave this program behind after 
commissioning, I know all the Cadets still here will go on to accomplish amazing things and represent the leaders of our future.
(Photo: left - CDT Kai Muraki (CSM), right - CDT Sophie Guizzetti (BC))
This spring we conducted a three-day joint field training exercise with Pacific Lutheran University. During our first day, we conducted day and night land navigation operations to find four points during the day and two at night. The second day we started missions and were split up into three separate platoons. We conducted attacks, raids, patrol bases, area defenses, ambushes, and area recons. On our second day, we conducted five iterations of missions and finished the day with patrol base operations. Our last day ended with two missions followed by weapons cleaning. This was our last field training for the school year and the last training the MS3’s will receive before heading off to camp this summer and for some, CTLT (Cadet Troop Leader Training) after. By conducting joint FTX’s it allowed our Cadets to work with people they did not know, to share and to gain knowledge and experience in the field. (Photo: facing L to R CDT Cowles & CDT Perez)
This quarter, the Cadets have shown exceptional dedication and commitment in organizing our yearly Dining-In celebration which was held on April 21st. The event was a grand success, thanks to the hard work and effort put in by our enthusiastic Cadets. The evening started with the formal section which included the presentation of colors, the Soldier’s Creed, the Cadet Creed, and the recognition of the Missing Man’s table. The event proceeded with a range of exciting activities, delicious food,
and informal activities that created a lively and engaging atmosphere. The highlight of the event was undoubtedly the opportunity for Cadets and Cadre to roast each other with callouts, which added an element of humor and camaraderie to the festivities and boosted morale across the board. Overall, Dining-In was a memorable and enjoyable experience that brought together both Cadets and Cadre to showcase the strong bonds and enduring spirit of our ROTC program.
(Photo - Cadets L to R: John Danieli, Sehyun Park, Michael Garces, Maciah Ruff)
On 15 April 2023, Cadets of the Brady Battalion attended a range day at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM), where Cadets practiced zeroing M4 rifles, as well as practicing their marksmanship on the M4 qualifyi
ng table to prepare Cadets for Advanced Camp at Fort Knox. During the time at the range, Cadets learned how to make adjustments on the M4 rifles, practiced transitions between standing, kneeling, and prone, and effectively worked on their precision and accuracy on both the zeroing tables and the qualifying table that will be at Advanced Camp. Cadets received guidance from Range Safeties throughout the day to improve their performance and their qualifying table scores. Cadets were able to successfully qualify as Marksman, and Sharpshooter, and all Cadets showed overall improvement in their accuracy and precision with the M4 rifle. The MS3 class went back down to the range at JBLM on 20 May 2023 to zero and qualify one last time before heading to CST (Cadet Summer Training) Advance Camp! (Photo: CDT Miller)
For recruitment, the Brady Battalion has volunteered at many events with various organizations that included: assisting at multiple JROTC Drill Meets at Graham-Kapowsin High School; tabling at the Highline Public Schools FutureU College and Career Fair hosted at Green River College and participated with several events at Seattle University. The Brady Battalion presented at a Q&A session during SU's New Student Orientation where Cadets of the battalion met with incoming and potential Cadets. For this upcoming coming academic school year, we will have nearly 20 new Cadets. In doing recruitment events, we hope to provide a better understanding of what ROTC is to potential Cadets while illustrating what we can offer to help them succeed in the future. 
(Photo L to R: CDT Oleson, CDT Kuo, LT2 Zaragoza, CDT Perez, CDT Yang)
On 8 April 2023, three of our Cadets participated in the ARMY 10-Miler Qualifier at JBLM. The race included 40 runners from various branches, encompassing different duty statuses ranging from active, guard, and reserve service members to retirees, civilians, and students. The main incentive for most runners was the opportunity to qualify for the Top bracket, which would enable them to join the JBLM Army 10-Miler team and travel on TDY to Washington DC on October 8. CDT Alexander Perez shared his race experience and provided tips and tricks to his fellow peers, having participated in the race four times before. CDT Logan Miller's motivation was to assess his performance against local competitors and gain a better understanding of the race for future endeavors. CDT Logan Serrano aimed to represent Seattle University and inspire other cadets to follow suit, considering it beneficial for the upcoming ACFT. Overall, they enjoyed their experience and would do it again.
(Photo: L to R, CDT Perez, A., CDT Miller, L., and CDT Serrano, L.)
In the Brady Battalion Commissioning Class of 2023, all eleven of the commissioning Cadets received their first branch of choice. Here is a list of each commissioning cadet and their respective branch:
CDT Nikolai Childs—Transportation, Reserves
CDT John Danieli— Nurse Corps, Active Duty
CDT Annika DeMint—Adjutant General, Active Duty
CDT Sophia Guizzetti—Military Intelligence, Active Duty
CDT Hannah Han— Nurse Corps, Active Duty
CDT Stephane Kadima—Medical Service Corps, Active Duty
CDT Jaemie Mangloña—Ordnance, Reserves
CDT Grace Oleson— Nurse Corps, Active Duty
CDT Sehyun Park— Medical Service Corps, National Guard
CDT Matthew Stevenson—Quartermaster, Active Duty
CDT Daman Suguitan—Medical Service Corps, Active Duty
Colonel Stefan S. Olpinski is the commander of Dental Health Command-Central of the United States Army. He was awarded a four-year ROTC scholarship and attended Seattle University where he received a B.S. in General Science and was commissioned as a Medical Service Corps Officer in 1989. 
He then attended Creighton University School of Dentistry culminating in a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree in 1993. COL Olpinski served in Germany, Hungary, Colorado, Oklahoma, Afghanistan, San Antonio, and more. COL Olpinski is a decorated United States Army Officer and proud alumnus of Seattle University!
COL Olpinski kindly shared his wisdom and experience to the future Army Officers at Seattle University ROTC. When interviewed, COL Olpinski wrote the following:
To improve our program as ROTC Cadets, and to be successful in the United States Army…
I encourage all new Officers to demonstrate their values in every aspect of their life to foster teamwork and trust. A new Officer needs to be present and go to where their Soldiers are to fully understand their situation and to demonstrate dedication to them. Along with this same theme, a new Lieutenant needs to assume responsibility for mistakes by standing up for what they believe in the face of opposition and avoid becoming self-centered. Add value to everyone you meet. Put your teams first, invest in your Soldier’s personal and professional lives, and put your own needs and aspirations second. Lastly, remember to see others around you as people and not obstacles in your way forward. The end state will be a highly effective team capable of continued growth.
Once an Officer sets the goal to be a servant leader. They only need to focus on communication and building a functional team that can embrace change. This will lead to future success. The team will be able to collaborate, confront reality, kindle energy, and create change. This team will clearly see the vision of their leader and identify any gaps. A leader should not focus on doing the team’s work but rather give the team the latitude and boundaries to allow them to complete their duties (mission command). In today’s workplace, it is easy to get mired down in the quicksand of life. It is critical to know when you are in the quicksand, be able to plan and execute an escape and focus on the future. What made you successful in the past will not guarantee success in the future. All successful organizations must continue to grow and change or cease to exist.
If you could give a lecture to Seattle University ROTC Cadets, what would you teach us?
The importance of emotional intelligence and the value of working together to achieve a common goal. These are critical skills for a leader to understand contrasting points of view. Currently, we live in a polarized nation with little common ground or compromise. I have listened to multiple government leaders that have said our nation is divided more than ever, and compromise is a word that no longer exists. Consequently, our leaders are often in a stalemate that affects everyone including our military. A broad understanding of emotional intelligence and how others feel are critical to getting back to shared understanding. I am not advocating for one political party over another. We only need to be respectful and try to understand one another better to reach a common understanding with the end state of producing a greater nation.
What do you miss the most from being a Cadet at Seattle University ROTC?
1. SGM Griffin, my first Senior NCO whom I had the pleasure of learning to be a Soldier.
2. The camaraderie among all Cadets 24/7.
3. Remedial drill and ceremony training from my Platoon Leader. This has always kept me in step.
4. FTXs on North Fort, with an extreme amount of rain, were always a bonding experience.
Farewell to 2LT Zaragoza, LTC Maier & Welcome LTC Middlebrook
In Spring Quarter 2023, we said good-bye and good luck to 2LT Darius Zaragoza. 2LT Zaragoza was a vital piece of our program and we were sad to see him go, yet happy that we were part of his journey as
he begins his career in the United States Army. 2LT Zaragoza first came to us as a newly commissioned 2nd Lieutenant and was a Gold Bar Recruiter at our program for six months. We wish him nothing but the best as he attends BOLC (Basic Officer Leader Course) to become an Infantry Officer.
As the school year ends, we are also sad to see our Professor of Military Science, LTC Bianna Maier, leave us after a year in her role. LTC Maier did an extraordinary job in growing our program and fostering our Cadets to be all they can be. We know she will continue to do amazing things and we wish her nothing but the best as she goes to her next assignment and takes command at JBLM. (Photo left to right: 2LT Zaragoza and LTC Maier)
At the same time, we will be transitioning to our new PMS (Professor of Military Science), LTC Haley Middlebrook. LTC Middlebrook is coming to us as the former Information Operations Chief at U.S. Army North. Welcome Ma'am!
Strike Forward!
(Photo on right: LTC Haley Middlebrook)
Contracting: CDT Cardenas
At the beginning of the Spring Quarter, CDT Maileen Cardenas was contracted into the U.S. Army. During the ceremony, CDT Cardenas thanked fellow Cadets for their continued support and recited the Oath of Enlistment given to them by LTC Maier. Having now contracted, CDT Cardenas joins the Army family where after commissioned, she will get the chance to lead the men and women of the US army. Contracting allows Cadets to activate their scholarship benefits and attend advanced training, internships, and other opportunities to help pursue their goal of becoming a U.S. Army officer. CDT Cadenas looks forward to mentoring the leaders of tomorrow by guiding the rising First Year Cadets on their path to contracting.
(Photo left to right: LTC Maier and CDT Cardenas)
We had some awesome training events ending SQ23 for the Brady Battali
on. On 20 May, the MSIII class went to their third and final M4 Range Day of the year at Joint Base Lewis McCord as a final practice before they qualify with other M4s at CST23 Advanced Camp! The entire battalion then had an exciting lab on 25 May where Cadets rappelled off the Casey Building on Seattle University’s campus.
(Photo: Rappeling down top of Casey Bldg)
MSIII Camp Prep
Preparations for Advanced Camp by the MSIIIs here at Seattle University are in full swing! The two major preparation events this quarter as a Battalion have been our M4 Range Days and our Joint Field Training Exercise with Pacific Lutheran University. The second MSIII-only Range Day gave our MSIIIs one more chance to have several iterations to practice the M4 qualification table that they will see at CST Advanced Camp this summer located at Fort Knox in Kentucky. The JFTX with PLU gave the MSIIIs an opportunity to work together with people from another ROTC program, which is key in prepping for Advanced Camp where working with others is a common occurrence. In addition to these major training events, the MSIIIs conducted smaller-scale preparations, to include tactics meetings with Cadre, Military Science classes, Leadership Labs, One-on-One Operations Order briefs with MAJ Johnson, study groups with MSIVs, and individual studying. The first group of Brady Battalion MSIIIs headed to CST on 10 June 2023!
(Photo: Brady Battalion at FX with PLU and their flags)
Memorial Day Event - the Murph Challenge
On 26 May 2023, Brady Battalion and the Seattle University’s Outreach Center were proud to host our first Memorial Day Celebration event on campus. This event consisted of a ceremony, the Murph Challenge, and field activities. In the ceremony, we heard from guest speakers including Dean Powers and Associate Dean Krycka who talked about the importance of Memorial Day. Then individuals and teams completed the Murph Challenge together. The Murph Challenge (named after LT Michael P. Murphy) consists of a one-mile run, 100 pull ups, 200 pushups, 300 body weight squats, then ending with another one-mile run. This challenge pushed the participants physically, emotionally, and mentally challenging to push themselves past their limits as LT Murphy did in his final moments. Memorial Day is about honoring those who have served and paid the ultimate sacrifice. We came together to pay our respects and honor all those who came before us as a community. Thank you to all those who have friends and family members who have sacrificed their lives for our freedom.
Fall Quarter '23 Upcoming Events
206-296-2439