A document detailing a visit to the program by Colonel William H. Spencer, Commander of ROTC Area I.https://scholars.fhsu.edu/military_science_rotc_docs/1001/thumbnail.jp

Harbin, Calvin E.

English

Fort Hays State University

Fort Hays State University FHSU Scholars Repository FHSU Military Science & ROTC Program Documents FHSU Military Science & ROTC Program 4-1-1980 ROTC Colonel William H. Spencer Visit Calvin E. Harbin Fort Hays State University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.fhsu.edu/military_science_rotc_docs Recommended Citation Harbin, Calvin E., "ROTC Colonel William H. Spencer Visit" (1980). FHSU Military Science & ROTC Program Documents. 2. https://scholars.fhsu.edu/military_science_rotc_docs/2 This Document is brought to you for free and open access by the FHSU Military Science & ROTC Program at FHSU Scholars Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in FHSU Military Science & ROTC Program Documents by an authorized administrator of FHSU Scholars Repository. RESERVE OFFICERS TRAINING CORPS Visit by Calvin E. Harbin on Wednesday, April 1, 1981 CONTACTS Colonel William H. Spencer, Connnander of ROTC Area I, Fort Riley, Kansas. Colonel Spencer will be 52 next year and, barring a war, he will face mandatory retirement much the same way that Colonel Jack Wilhm did a few years ago. The Colonel is a graduate of the Military Academy at West Point. His early ROTC work was at the University of Wisconsin, Platteville, where he was a great friend and supporter of the President and Vice President. ROTC flourished on that campus and is still doing well. I asked COL Spencer what we could do to support ROTC on our campus and he indicated that he was highly pleased with the support the administration was giving to it and that he supposed we would continue to support the program. He indicated that soon we would need another person and that he had already spoken for one for us and that on down the line within a year or two we would probably need two more. He indicated we were off to a good start and he could visualize us having 100 to 200 people in the program soon. He hopes we will monitor the new Connnander, Major Tom King, and that we will give him the same good support that Major John Allard and Sergeant/Major George Mounts have received. The Colonel spoke highly of President Tomanek, Vice President Murphy, Chairman Chalender, and others who had shown genuine interest in ROTC and had done what they could to help. He has visited our campus twice. Colonel Spencer thought the facilities for ROTC were just excellent and made a suggestion that we certainly ought to consider. He said that as the program grew we would probably want to provide the Commander with a reception room (outer office, meeting place, waiting room, department office) so that ROTC students could have a special place to meet and, more importantly, so students interested in ROTC could come to get information and make contacts with ROTC students and with the ROTC officers. Another suggestion for our consideration was that we might want to set aside an extra room or two for new personnel who would be joining the ROTC program in the near future. At some time in the future, Fort Hays State probably would want to provide a secretary to serve four or five ROTC staff members as the program reaches its stride. Colonel Spencer and I visited between 10:00 and 12:00 a.m. and enjoyed the time innnensely. He encouraged me to stay for lunch with him and to come back again soon. He also indicated that Colonel Kuschner, at the Wichita office, would very much like to sit down and visit with me about the program and receive my views about promoting it. If all goes well, I would guess that we would have a third staff member assigned to us this coming year and two more later on in the year or the beginning of the next year. If we could rearrange the room assignments in Rarick, it would make sense to me to allocate a block of rooms to ROTC in the approx~mate area on the second floor where they are now assigned so that future additions will not be isolated or cut off. It might be good to plug into our planning the apparent need for a secretary for ROTC at some future time, probably within a year. At about the time the enrollment hits a couple of hundred students and the government sends us five faculty members, it would seem to me that we should create by order of the President a new department and so list it in our catalog. Regular visits from our people to both Wichita and Fort Riley would be appropriate and I think profitable for us. Military supervisors do visit our campus and our return visits would seem to me to be indicated. The Colonel and I talked about a spectacular exhibit for the Army and ROTC at our fall Oktoberfest and for future parades here in Hays. For example, we could have a helicopter available with heavy equipment, bands, and other features to publicize ROTC at Fort Hays State. Colonel Spencer is a real builder, a developer, and has demonstrated over the years his ability to make programs grow and even flourish. See the attached sheet where some of his ideas are outlined. He would make an outstanding addition to our campus family in an appropriate assignment. He is very much like Colonel Jack Wilhm as a go~getter, doer, or ~can dd• person. He will probably be available about 18 months from now for another job with perhaps a salary foundation of $2,000 a month for the rest of his life coming from his Army retirement. SPENCER ' S GUIDELINES BASIC PHILOSOPHY ARMY OF MEN/ WOMEN IN TEAMS - no t numbers, machines or animals - PEOPLE! TEAMS ! PERSONAL ARMY - MINE, YOURS, OURS - 0llR ARMY, OUR ORGANIZATION, OUR TEAMS/PEOPLE. Let' s trea t them that way. THEY WILL BE AS GOOD AS WE ARE! ARMY OF ACCOMP LISHMENT - a working and thinking Army with everyone doi ng hi s share of bot h t he t hinking and the work! Work - not just t o be busy -but to ACCOMPL ISH WORTHWHILE OBJECTIVES! PEOP LE AND THI NGS SHOULQ BE GOOD --Wh ich people? ALL OF THEM! ESPECIALLY US! What things ? ALL OF THEM! How good? VERY GOOD! Not perfect , but VERY GOOD! BASIC OBJECTIVES Accomplishment of t hat which should be done, when it s~uld be done, as i t should be do ne, to accomplish our organization's missions and provi de fo r ~ good life for all team embers, neighbors, and comrades. BASIC PRINCIPLES Develop high morale and a spirit of cooperat ion throughout all ranks. Lead by example. Use positive, enthusias tic attitudes. Use vigorous , manly efforts . Work for wo rthwhil e accomplishments . Concen t rat e on objectives and fundamenta ls. Relate i ndiv i dual and t eam goals. Develop , work with, and use highly effective teams. Reward success. Eliminate harassment. Correct mistakes . Prevent fa ilu res . Punish grossness. Make conduc t - decent , honorable , legal, reasonable and cour teous. Be responsible - t ake charge. A good plan vigorously executed is bett er t han a brilliant pl an t imidly executed . We expect good plans - not perfect ones . We expect fo rceful leadership and vigorous act ion to make the most from good plans. PRIMARY ROLE: Commander, us Army ROTC Groups: KS, NM, OK, West TX SUBSIDIARY ROLES: Coach Leader Teacher Supporter/Reinforcer Adviser/Assister to PMS, Reqion Staff, and Region Commander PRIMARY MISSIONS: Commands 18 ROTC groups throughout KS, NM, OK, and West TX. Serves as advisor/consultant/coach for 18 PMS in KS, NM, OK, and West TX. Develops, promotes , reinforces, supports, leads, teaches, directs, and supervises in Military Science/ROTC programs -- for motivating, orienting, recruiting , retaining , educating, training, evaluating , and otherwise preparing students/cadets for commissioning in the US Army. Develops, promotes, r einforces, supports, leads, teaches , directs, and supervises in supporting programs in university, community, and public relations; information and advertising; personnel management; administration; and logistics . MAJOR PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES: High morale and spirit of cooperation throughout all ranks. Hi ghly motiva ted, well-oriented working environments -- for PMS, Assistant PMS, NCOs, and civilian members of our Army t eams on campuses. Highly favorable and supportive campus, community, and public relations environments. Recognition and reward of performance and achievement. Orientation, leadership, and support of 18 PMS to promote appropriate att itudes , efforts, and accomplishments. Orientation , leadership , and support of approximately 100 Assistant PMS, approximately 80 senior NCOs, and approximately 40 civilian team members to promote appropriate attitudes, efforts, and accOl'!\Plishments. Highly effective teams, teamwork, and accomplishments in motivating , or i enting, recruiting, retaining, educating, training, evaluating, and otherwise preparing students/cadets for commissioning in the United States Army. Strong, balanced, well-rounded ROTC programs, well integrated and accepted in their universities. Strong enrollment in all classes. High production of highly qualified and qualified officers. Strong growth in general education and p r ofessional competence of individual members of our teams. 

ROTC Colonel William H. Spencer Visit

https://scholars.fhsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1001&context=military_science_rotc_docs

ROTC Colonel William H. Spencer Visit

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Fort Hays State University