The Army Reserve Officer Training Corps is considered to be one of the best leadership training courses in the nation. The program is built to prepare the men and women who participate in the program for life after college or a military career.
Brian Hagood, Recruiting Operations Officer for the Army ROTC, explained why students would be interested in joining the Corps
“Our courses will provide you with superior leadership training which will enhance your civilian or military career,” Hagood said.
There are also scholastic benefits to joining the ROTC, as Hagood explained.
“We have numerous scholarship opportunities for deserving students,” Hagood said.
The ROTC offers many opportunities for cadets to expand their knowledge and get more experience in the field of their choosing. CULP (Cultural Understanding Language Proficiency) and Ranger Challenge are two examples of the opportunities that the Army ROTC offers to its cadets.
CULP is a program that allows cadets to immerse themselves in another culture through military or humanitarian projects. CULP is an opportunity for the cadets of the ROTC program to help out those in other countries and study abroad.
Aaron Montanez, a sophomore International Business major, described his experiences with CULP.
“I spent time in Lithuania this summer as a part of CULP,” Montanez said. “I taught some English, military bearings and military lingo. It was a great opportunity.”
The Ranger Challenge is another opportunity that is provided through the Army ROTC. This Challenge is more of a physical and mental event that puts all of the work a cadet has done as a cadet to the test in a competition at Fort Knox.
John Greene, a sophomore engineering technology major explained the rigorous training program.
“It’s basically the varsity sport of the ROTC,” Greene said. “We do a little more than the normal cadets. We do PT everyday instead of only three days. We do it for 2 hours instead of 1. We do physical and mental training. You get to learn a lot as an incoming freshman that you may not get to learn as a regular freshman.”
Being in the ROTC isn’t easy. The cadets have to earn these opportunities by having a 3.0 GPA and passing physical fitness requirements.
