Center for Democracy and Citizenship - Warrior to Citizen Campaign
Unique program a win-win for student journalists and Minnesota National Guard
Through the Warrior to Citizen Campaign and a relationship established between the Center for Democracy and Citizenship and the Minnesota National Guard, several student journalists have had a unique opportunity for experiential learning. Since 2008, the Center for Democracy and Citizenship has provided coordination for journalism students to spend a week embedded with Minnesota National Guard soldiers during annual training exercises. Like real embedded journalists, the students go into the field each day to identify stories, shoot photographs, and conduct interviews for print or digital feature stories. (Photo at right courtesy of Allie Delury)
The "embed" was the brainchild of Captain John Hobot, an Iraq War veteran and full-time member of the Minnesota National Guard. Captain Hobot saw firsthand how difficult it was to be exposed to media for the first time during battle and felt soldiers could benefit from media training.
Photos and stories produced by students
A New Universe, by Jenny Avery, Augsburg College (2010)
This Big Bird Can Fly
By Ian Larson, University of Minnesota (2009)
The 100-foot long cargo helicopter sat propped up under a tidy framework of scaffolding. Most of its removable components lay next to it on the floor of the hangar. Open hatches and panels revealed an intricate physiology of tubes and wires beneath its matte skin. Continue reading
Servicemen Hone Battlefield Skills by Building Community
By Ian Larson, University of Minnesota (2009)
Slowly fitting sheetrock slabs into place on the ceiling and walls of a skeletal house, members of the 851st Engineering Company of the 682 Engineering Battalion used their battlefield skills to build sturdy, reliable houses—not in the Middle East but in Minnesota. Continue reading
Safety Measures, produced by Clark Rahman, University of Minnesota (2010)
Chemical engineering company at Camp Ripley, produced by Allie Delury, University of Minnesota (2010)
Back at Training, produced by: Kevin Keen, Amelia Cerling and Allison Arling, University of Minnesota (2008) Returning from War, produced by: Kevin Keen, Amelia Cerling and Allison Arling, University of Minnesota (2008) Servicewomen, produced by: Kevin Keen, Amelia Cerling and Allison Arling, University of Minnesota (2008) Heather Rudloff posted photos on her blog while she was at Camp Ripley with fellow student Teagan Higley in June 2009. Think your life is busy with school and a job? Try taking a full class load and being a soldier in the U.S. Military, by Steve Kuzj, University of Minnesota (This multimedia feature was published by the Minnesota Daily on June 23, 2008; it is no longer available on-line.) Megan Kadrmas, another University of Minnesota participant, shared her articles written from Camp Ripley in June 2008. The engineers Approximately 10 months after returning from Iraq, the engineers of Minnesota’s 1/34 Brigade Combat Team are back at it, blowing things up. Company E toughed out a second day of cold, rainy weather during their annual training to practice using explosives. The veterans and newcomers alike appeared excited to use C4 explosive material to clear trees and construct a makeshift torpedo for removing barbed wire fences. Read more "Safety is our number one priority" Operating a 60 ton vehicle that guzzles eight gallons of gasoline just to start up requires a lot of attention to operate. Minnesota National Guard tankers demonstrated their skills with M1A1 Abrahams tanks during their annual training at Camp Ripley, proving they have enough knowledge and skill to operate this heavily armed equipment. Read more Failing is not an option Failing is not an option, especially if the test involves 240B machine guns and your job is as a machine gunner. Even when it’s raining and windy, with flash flood warnings in affect like they were Thursday afternoon at Camp Ripley, the machine gunners of B Company, 1/34 Combined Arms Battalion, must pass their tests. Read more
