CDI SP 13

The day every cadet was looking forward to! Combat Dining In. This year's CDI was at Naval Station Great Lakes at the Port O' Call dining center. Cadets expressed their warrior spirit through war paint and they prepared for the day ahead. CDI began with the posting of the colors, followed by the National Anthem and then the Invocation and toasts. Following that was the recognition of the commissionees and then lunch, which featured an outstanding meal of crispy fried chicken, beans, cookies and other assorted foods. However, the cadets weren't looking forward to the meal as much as what was coming afterwards. The president of the CDI, C/Col Keane, with the help of the vice, C/Maj Syring, did well to stir up the cadets emotions as they searched for any breaking of the rules of the mess. The cadets knew that any wrong doing could have them sent to the grog, and the grog soon followed. Finally, the tradition of the grog began with the commissionees lining up to put their food items that most represented themselves into the grog and create a brew to test those who are called upon it. This year's grog included items such as water, gatorade, starbuck's coffee, relish, spray cheese, barbecue sauce  Korean barbecue sauce and the infamous ghost chili pepper sauce. Many cadets that day had the unfortunate task of tasting the grog, myself included. It is unclear if there was a record broken, but I believe it would be right to recognize C/Col Ruter for his fearless efforts as he took upon the grog eight times. After the grog was officially closed, skits were next on the schedule. From standardizing a flight with crutches, rapping about life as an AFROTC cadet, conducting a faulty ORI, and calling cover for your vehicle when you halt at an intersection, all could agree that the skits were certainly entertaining. Congratulations to Delta Flight on their winning skit and my deepest regards to Alpha Flight for their grog treatment thereafter. CDI came to a close shortly after the inspiring words from Lt Col Colin Wooten, Commander of the AROTC Rolling Thunder Battalion. Lt Col Wooten taught us about the worth of the military working as a whole and of staying on track with our moral compass. May his words help us cadets in our goal of becoming officers in the Air Force. The CDI of 2013 will definitely be one to remember for years to come.