Battle Studies: ROTC program trains military's future leaders
Mark Freeman
Issue date: 1/26/10 Section: News
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Saint Mary's College, like many other universities around the country, works with the United States Army to prepare some students for life as a military officer. The Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) program is designed to give these students the physical and leadership training necessary for command. Students who enroll in the ROTC program sign a commitment to serve in the Army, and in some cases the National Guard, for four years.
Senior Alex Amante has been a member of the College's ROTC program since his freshman year. Amante takes classes at Saint Mary's, but also special ROTC electives at UC Berkeley. According to the official ROTC website, the first two years of study cover a variety of topics including proper physical training, Army customs and traditions and military tactics. The next two years of college involve developing leadership skills and ethical decision making.
"The first three years is all preparation for LDAC (Leaders Development and Assessment Course) at Ft. Lewis, WA which I graduated from last summer," Amante explained. "As a senior, I now prepare the juniors for LDAC," a rigorous five-week summer course that ties together what the cadet has learned.
Balancing cadet training with life as a student can be a challenge. Matt Sandoval, a sophomore, said that "balancing both is sometimes hard and stressful but can also be relaxed and enjoyable." He explained there are several benefits for being in the ROTC program. First, it keeps him in great shape "by mandating a 3x a week physical training session" at 6:30 a.m. at UC Berkeley. Second, because he likes the program and the cadets serving with him, getting out of bed every morning to deal with school and the ROTC is "a lot easier for me."
There are also financial benefits for joining the ROTC program. Students can receive a four-year scholarship from the Army and will have a guaranteed job after graduation. "The ROTC program would not only pay full tuition if I qualified for scholarship, but would also give me a monthly stipend and money for books each semester," Sandoval said.
Of course there is still the matter of homework, but Sandoval doesn't mind too much. "As a full time student, trying to get homework and projects done . . . becomes a little hectic; however, I have always been very organized and timely, so this helps me balance out both," he said.
Once cadets graduate from college, they are commissioned as a Second Lieutenant and from there go on to their various assignments. Brian Sapper, a senior, explained that after his promotion, "I report to my unit, which is a National Guard engineering battalion in Santa Rosa." Then at some point, he will take a Basic Officer Leadership Course in Missouri. Once he has learned to be an engineer, Sapper will be deployed with the rest of his unit, which likely will include an overseas location for a year.
Amante, who intends to become a signal officer, will eventually report to Fort Gordon, Georgia, "where I will be trained in the use, management, and maintenance of communications equipment produced by companies like Cisco Systems."
Ask these students why they joined the program, and you'll get a definite sense for their love of country. "I've always been interested in joining the military since I was a kid," Sapper explained. For Amante, whose family has a strong military service record that dates back to the American Revolution, "I grew up with a strong sense of duty, honor, and a desire to serve my country." After witnessing the events of September 11, 2001, he considers it an honor to prevent another such attack from happening.
But what about the prospect of death in battle? Sandoval has a quick answer. "I am constantly asked whether I fear dying or fear going out to war and I always reply that I fear neither." This is because death "can happen to anyone at anytime and . . . I would rather put my skills and talents to better use by serving to protect my country."