UNO ROTC program provides opportunity
Mike Bell
Issue date: 2/26/08 Section: Features
"We're training leadership skills," said Major Dennis Murphy, the enrollment and scholarship officer of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps.
The ROTC program is a college elective that students can take to help train them for all branches of military service other than the Coast Guard. While enrolled, students are taught a variety of skills, from problem solving methods, to combat tactics and even how to handle explosives.
The Creighton/UNO ROTC program was created in 1919 and has trained more than 2,300 officers since its inception. Of the 85 cadets currently enrolled in the program, 35 of them are students at UNO.
One such Maverick is Robin Bruce, a senior majoring in international studies.
"I joined because a lot of my family is in the army. I grew up with it," Bruce said. "I plan on working in an embassy after this."
Indeed, the ROTC has been part of the U.S. military since 1916, but the idea of including training in public colleges was first introduced with the Morrill Act of 1862.
By the 1980s, there were Army ROTC units at 300 colleges and 800 high schools and Air Force ROTC at 150 colleges.
The ROTC programs of the army, navy and air force had a total enrollment of about 100,000 students in the 1990s. Not all of those ROTC cadets intended to be there, though.
"Actually, I joined by mistake," said Ian Linderman, an air transport management major.
Linderman said he was going to enlist in the Army, but took a shot at a scholarship without any real hope of attaining one. To his surprise, he was accepted.
"But it's great," Linderman said. "The group I'm in does the more advanced physical training. We do more push ups, longer runs. For instance, we do actual pull-ups instead of just climbing the ropes."
Linderman's reason for enrolling in ROTC is different than other students.
"The reasons are different. Students seeking financial aid are the reason why most people enlist, along with just wanting to take on military service," Murphy said. "Most of the cadets from UNO are here for the financial benefits because of how expensive college can be, and because they didn't qualify for scholarships out of high school."
The ROTC program is a college elective that students can take to help train them for all branches of military service other than the Coast Guard. While enrolled, students are taught a variety of skills, from problem solving methods, to combat tactics and even how to handle explosives.
The Creighton/UNO ROTC program was created in 1919 and has trained more than 2,300 officers since its inception. Of the 85 cadets currently enrolled in the program, 35 of them are students at UNO.
One such Maverick is Robin Bruce, a senior majoring in international studies.
"I joined because a lot of my family is in the army. I grew up with it," Bruce said. "I plan on working in an embassy after this."
Indeed, the ROTC has been part of the U.S. military since 1916, but the idea of including training in public colleges was first introduced with the Morrill Act of 1862.
By the 1980s, there were Army ROTC units at 300 colleges and 800 high schools and Air Force ROTC at 150 colleges.
The ROTC programs of the army, navy and air force had a total enrollment of about 100,000 students in the 1990s. Not all of those ROTC cadets intended to be there, though.
"Actually, I joined by mistake," said Ian Linderman, an air transport management major.
Linderman said he was going to enlist in the Army, but took a shot at a scholarship without any real hope of attaining one. To his surprise, he was accepted.
"But it's great," Linderman said. "The group I'm in does the more advanced physical training. We do more push ups, longer runs. For instance, we do actual pull-ups instead of just climbing the ropes."
Linderman's reason for enrolling in ROTC is different than other students.
"The reasons are different. Students seeking financial aid are the reason why most people enlist, along with just wanting to take on military service," Murphy said. "Most of the cadets from UNO are here for the financial benefits because of how expensive college can be, and because they didn't qualify for scholarships out of high school."
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tomfeinberg
Custom Essay
posted 11/16/09 @ 4:31 AM CST
"I joined because a lot of my family is in the army. I grew up with it," totally agree with you, my dad was in army, so I decided to go too.
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