Before most AU students have even begun pressing snooze on their alarms, participants in AU’s Reserve Officer Training Corps are up and training for their future jobs in the United States Military.
“On a typical day, I will wake up at 5:30 a.m. so that I can be ready to participate in physical training that, after our stretching usually begins around 6:30 a.m.,” Rowland Coleman, a sophomore in the School of International Service, said in an e-mail.
The training varies from day to day, but usually consists of some running, upper body and abdomen workouts, and possibly marching with their rucksacks.
“After an hour of this, we all get breakfast together in TDR,” said Coleman.
Their participation in ROTC is not only limited to morning training sessions.
The ROTC members all must enroll in a three-hour Military Science class, which they take at Georgetown University once a week. Sometimes they have to attend trainings at night as well.
“ROTC is more a part of my life then regular classes are, it definitely takes more time then class or homework,” said Peter Prunty, a junior in the School of Public Affairs.
Many ROTC members said the extra work is worth it since they have wanted to be part of the military since they were young.
“My mom used to always tell me stories of knights and dragons and cops and robbers,” said Mitch Rosenstein, a sophomore in SPA. “Images of good and evil have always captivated me. I always wanted to be the good guy.”
“I couldn’t think of a more honorable position than leading what I consider to be the greatest men and women this world has ever known,” he said.
Coleman said he realized his desire to join the military long before he came to AU. He joined ROTC because he wants to give back and protect others.
“I’ve always been very fortunate, and I believe in the saying: ‘to whom much is given, much is asked,’” he said.
Coleman said he has always felt a sense of duty to his country since his dad is a police officer.
Although many of the ROTC members said their decision to join ROTC was not made at the same time as their decision to come to AU, they were influenced by our country’s current state of war.
“The fact that the United States is currently at war was a huge determinant in my decision to join ROTC because I believe our country faces a very challenging and complex security threat,” Coleman said. “The men and women fighting overseas have been doing so for quite some time, and as a fellow citizen I feel it is my duty to do what I can to help them.”
Prunty also said the war further motivated him to join ROTC.
Despite tension between the ROTC and AU in the past, current ROTC participants expressed no qualms about their relationship with the University.
Prior to the spring 2011 semester, ROTC cadets were not allowed to use AU fitness facilities for training or use AUTO vans for transportation purposes, The Eagle previously reported.
When the policy was repealed in December 2010, AU ROTC students were granted greater access to AU facilities.
“I’m happy ROTC is finally gaining some footing as an equally respected organization along side all the other organizations AU allows to belong,” Prunty said.
