________________________________________________________________________Richard S. Kem
regimental S3, S1, S4, and all the rest. Company commanders were also cadet captains.
We tried to let the cadets run the command, although the colonel was actually "in command"
of the regiment.
The tactical officer then had the combined role of running things through the cadets and
being a counselor, adviser, teacher in the military ways of things, but not academics. The
academic departments taught the various subjects. We were located in the vicinity of the
barracks. Since then, the academy has actually moved company Tac offices into the barracks.
That was not true at that time. We were in Washington Hall with offices contiguous to the
barracks.
I was in the 2d Regiment. As mentioned, I was the 2d Regiment executive officer. We didn't
use the term "exec/S3," we just used "executive officer," but I did the S3 part too.
So, that meant that I reported to my boss, Colonel Robert Haldane, the regimental
commander. That's the same Captain Haldane who was my company Tac when I was a cadet
14 years earlier. Later on, when I was in the DCSENGR [Deputy Chief of Staff, Engineer] in
Europe as a colonel, Lieutenant General Haldane was Chief of Staff, USAREUR, a job that I
held later in 1988'89.
I would interact with both the cadet captain regimental executive officer and the cadet
captain regimental S3 in doing those things that had to do with cadet operations.
Additionally, we took responsibility for planning summer training. As the academic year
approached, we first would get organized for the year and would pick the cadet chain of
command, based on their previous performance, experience, and their cadet performance
reports. When the academic year started, we would get the cadets started off in the leadership
positions doing the various kinds of things that were their responsibility.
We would monitor their performance through the year, and then start working with the first
class (seniors) towards their branch choice as they prepared to move off and start their
commissioned service.
In the spring we would begin to plan for one of the summer training activities. For the 2d
Regiment that year, our mission was to be second summer training at Camp Buckner. The
cadets, just now becoming yearlings (second year), would go out to Camp Buckner and
undergo combined arms and support services training in the field for 60 days.
So, the responsibility during spring 1970 befell to Colonel Haldane and his staff to plan the
Buckner operation for that summer. Then he would be in command at Buckner during the
period.
Q:
How long were you there? I have a couple of conflicting dates.
A:
I spent one year in the 2d Regiment and two total years in the tactical department. In the
second year I moved to become the S4, Corps of Cadets, that is, the commandant's S4.
Q:
What did that involve?
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