When University ROTC students wear their military uniforms around Grounds, they stand out from the crowd of other students in jeans and T-shirts. In their pressed pants and freshly shined shoes, one might be inclined to think their lives are vastly different from the average University student. In reality, though, these ROTC students experience a fairly normal college life.
"I come into contact with a lot of people who are very surprised to learn I'm in the ROTC, because I'm not in uniform five days a week," said fourth-year College student Corrine Tye, who is in the Air Force program.
ROTC, or Reserve Officers' Training Corps, is a college-based program that prepares students to become officers in the U.S. Armed Forces. At the University, ROTC students are regular students who take part in many other activities and groups.
"Our program really encourages getting involved in other programs outside ROTC," said third-year College student Valerie Zagursky, who is in the Army branch. "We have a lot of people who are in sororities and fraternities, who are involved in outside volunteering and who have jobs outside of the ROTC program."
Some students choose to participate in the University's ROTC program specifically because it offers a military future while still allowing students to experience everyday college life. Andrew Hardy, a fourth-year Engineering student in the Navy program, noted that many University midshipman students did not go to a military academy because these academies are very structured and make it hard to get a normal college experience.
The typical day for a ROTC student can vary because certain activities occur on different days. For Tye, Mondays and Wednesdays start early, when she wakes up for her 6 a.m. physical training with other Air Force students. Monday nights, she makes sure her uniform is pressed and her shoes are shined, and Tuesdays, she wears her uniform from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Also Tuesdays, Tye has a two-hour lab session with the rest of the Air Force cadets. This lab session is completely cadet-run and involves anything from expeditionary skills to briefings to drills.
ROTC teaches students valuable skills in leadership development and military training. Zagursky said as a first-year student, ROTC cadets are learning how to be good squad members, and as a second-year student, they learn to be team leaders. Hardy agreed with this sense of progression, explaining that students must first learn to follow, to better understand what it means to lead. For example, he explained, the first-year Navy class cleans Maury Hall together at 6 a.m. each Friday. They have a specific procedure to ensure that everything is clean. In later years, however, students are given increased responsibilities and opportunities to guide other midshipman, to guide a company of multiple platoons and to guide an entire battalion. Consequently, Tye said she feels the amount of leadership skills that people gain through the ROTC would be difficult to attain in any other college organization.
ROTC students also learn basic land navigation, first aid skills and basic rifle skills, Zagursky said. Tye noted that students learn to communicate effectively because both leading and following involve dealing with many different types of people.
There are also extracurricular activities associated with each respective ROTC program. The Naval ROTC's Color Guard, for instance, is composed of five midshipmen who perform certain ceremonies on Grounds, including the presentation of the American and Virginian flags at the beginning of every football or basketball game.
"It's special to me because a lot of the time, we forget we live in a great country like we do," said Hardy, a Color Guard member. "It's a chance to present the American flag and national anthem and give it the honor and respect that it deserves."
Tye also is part of the Arnold Air Society, a professional honorary organization, which focuses on professionalism and community service. During the spring and fall seasons, the society travels to various regional and national conferences to meet with other Air Force cadets across the country.
Zagursky is involved in the drill team, which occurs in the spring and culminates in a competition in April. Because there is a knowledge portion to the competition, the drill team studies the different military knowledge members might need to know. For at least two hours a week, they work on basic rifle movements and marching.
There is also an assortment of social events that are available to ROTC students. One such function is the "Dining Out" event, which offers cadets the chance to invite someone to go with them to a formal dinner, where they meet with alumni and parents who contributed to the program.
Then, in the spring, the cadets come together for "Dining In," an event when they have a great time eating a big meal outside. "Dining In is an activity where all the cadets can enjoy camaraderie," Tye said. "Cadets of all ranks can come together and create bonds of friendship and better working relations through this atmosphere."
Other fun activities that are offered to ROTC students include tailgates and squadron parties.
The financial benefits that can come from being part of ROTC can be substantial, as well. Hardy, who successfully applied for ROTC prior to entering the University, managed to obtain a four-year scholarship, adding that students can still apply once they have enrolled and receive a partial scholarship.
Additionally, the post-graduation benefits of ROTC are hard to ignore. "If you successfully complete all four years of the ROTC program, you get a commission as an officer," Tye said. "While your friends are filling out resumes and doing interviews, it's kind of nice to sit back for once after you put in all your hard work and know you have a job as soon as you graduate."
But even for those who are unsure of what they want to do following graduation, the ROTC program can be of assistance, Zagursky noted. "It's great if you know what you want to do, but it's also great if you're not exactly sure what you want to do because they'll help you find a good career path for you to take," she said. "There's always going to be someone there to help you find something that's right for you."
There are, however, some aspects of ROTC that have a negative side
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