Midshipman Jonathan Weishaar climbed onto the shoulders of midshipman Ed Rostetter, Circleville sophomore, in an attempt to climb over a 20-foot wall at a KU Navy ROTC training exercise Sunday.

Weishaar, Wichita senior, reached for the hands of two squad members who would help pull him up and over the wall as Jose Nicolas, Marine officer instructor, approached the squad. Nicolas glanced around, looking for the midshipmen’s fake rifles.

“Where’s your security?” Nicolas shouted.

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Kansas Navy ROTC

From atop Rostetter’s shoulders, Weishaar said, “On the other side of the wall, sir.”

“That doesn’t seem like a good idea to put all the security on the other side,” Nicolas said. “You can’t use your arms now. You just got shot in both arms.”

Weishaar dropped his arms to his side.

“We’re leavin’ him down here then.”

“Negative,” Nicolas said. “He’s goin’ up.”

The squad began to devise a new plan to get the now-armless Weishaar over the wall. The squad propped a stretcher against the wall and hoisted Weishaar onto the top edge of the stretcher. The two squad members on top of the wall pulled him safely over the edge.

The KU Navy ROTC midshipmen focused on developing leadership and communication skills by tackling obstacles at the Adams Campus Challenge Course on Sunday. About 70 midshipmen split into squads of about 12 and completed a circuit of tasks that integrated realistic scenarios into training exercises. Nicolas said the obstacles were designed to make the most of learning opportunities.

“Not only are they learning teamwork, they’re learning communication skills and leadership abilities,” Nicolas said. “We always throw in a twist.”

Nicolas said midshipmen had to complete the wall challenge as if it were a tactical maneuver, and provide security at all times. He said the squad failed to secure the area, putting the lives of the squad members in danger.

“Simple tasks like going from one location to another become complex tasks when you’re in the military,” Nicolas said. “Especially in today’s world with Iraq, if you’re not vigilant or observant, you can actually get struck.”

The squad had forgotten to provide security while completing the obstacle, but the midshipmen quickly realized it and created a perimeter.

“You can’t get too focused on what you’re doing and lose focus on what’s going on around you,” Nicolas said. “In real life, you could have put the entire squad in danger.”

In another obstacle, a leader who was allowed to use only one arm, led midshipmen, two of whom were blindfolded, across a line of hanging tires. The squad switched leaders at each obstacle. Annie Goeckel, Sammamish, Wash., sophomore, said the frequent flux of squad leaders forced people out of their comfort zones.

“It also allows people to learn to listen and take charge of the situation on their own,” she said. “Everybody’s leadership style is different and this lets you experience the differences.”

In the tire obstacle, Geoff Macfadden, Ridgefield, Conn., freshman, was the squad leader.

Macfadden fell before reaching the end of the obstacle. The rest of the midshipmen who had already made it across had to run until two more reached the other side. Though only one squad member fell, the squad was disciplined as a single unit.

“It’s a lot tougher than I thought it would be,” Macfadden said. “It’s definitely harder to be handicapped — especially when you’re a squad leader.”

Adam View and Justin Goodwin, both officer candidates, are enlisted in the Navy and have already served on active duty. They watched the squads during the obstacles and offered advice to help the midshipmen improve their communication and technical skills.

View said the officer candidates were there to give professional experience and help the freshmen and sophomores learn how to lead.

“We come here to develop them and the best way to do that is to be a good subordinate,” View said. “By working for them we can help them learn how to develop these skills.”

— — Edited by Becka Cremer