Who are Army ROTC Cadets? What should you expect? Why should you take ROTC? What can ROTC do for you? What do ROTC Cadets do? Those are all great questions and while I will attempt to answer them I would encourage you to email (@email); call 716-888-3239; or better yet stop by our department in the Health Science Building (corner of Jefferson & Delavan Avenues) on the first floor and pick up information in person. There is no time like the present to embark on the journey of a life time by enrolling in Army ROTC. It can Change your Life! It can Change your Future!
Army ROTC Cadets are college students, like you, who have decided they want to learn more about Military Service and explore the numerous opportunities that military service can provide. As an Army ROTC Cadet you can study any field of study you wish from Animal Behavior to Zoology and everything in between. You can be Science minded, pursuing a degree in Biology, Chemistry or Physics; Technical Minded, pursing a degree in Accounting, Management or Information Systems; Engineer minded, pursuing a degree in any type of engineering or you could be a Generalists, pursing a degree in a language, Philosophy, or Psychology; just to name a few. You must be a student pursuing either a Bachelors degree or a 2 year Master’s degree. But you decide what you want to study because you are on the journey.
ROTC Cadets complete an Academic Work Plan (104R) that indicates to the Cadre (Faculty in the ROTC department) the degree you plan to pursue. This document helps a student develop their plan of action to complete their degree in conjunction with the ROTC curriculum. We are available to answer questions to assist you, but you are in charge of your future, so you must be a Proactive participant in your plan.
You should expect to be challenged mentally, physically and emotionally. You should expect to be treated with dignity and respect and you should expect to work hard and give 100%. After all, the goal of the ROTC program is to produce leaders.
Taking ROTC is like investing in your future. ROTC is designed to provide you with the “tools in your toolkit” to become a leader, whether in the civilian sector or military.
ROTC can provide focus and direction. ROTC can create a desire within you to achieve your goals by showing you how to manage your time, develop team building and effective communication skills. ROTC un-locks the potential within you to become the person you want to be.
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? THERE IS NO TIME LIKE NOW TO LEARN MORE!
Cadet Training
ROTC Cadets attend:
Physical Readiness Training (PRT); sure we wake up at the “crack of dawn” to begin our day, but that’s tradition. While we don’t sound reveille in the mornings here on campus, did you know that Reveille is the morning wake-up call that starts a Soldier’s day? Listen to Reveille.
PRT is designed to “get your blood flowing” and provide you with an opportunity to see how physically fit you are; hey, if you’re not, there is no time like the present to get physically fit. PRT is conducted three times a week, Tuesday-Thursday at 0600 (6:00 am). It lasts for 1 hour and 15 minutes. It develops “Esprit de Corps” - a sense of camaraderie. PRT is also a way for our MS III’s to learn how to develop their leadership potential.
ROTC Classes are just that- a typical college type class where you learn fascinating information about the Army and you are encouraged to develop your critical thinking skills. Why not enroll today? Remember, you must be a full-time college student and you must register by the college add/drop deadline.
Leadership Labs-labs are where you put to use what you learn in the classroom. A great example is land navigation-you learn about maps and how to read them. I know what you are thinking…”What the heck is a Map”; but seriously, you learn how to actually use a map, how to identify terrain features, colors on the map and read a map and then we go “outside” and navigate. It is really a lot of fun and you have an opportunity to learn about yourself.
There are also opportunities to participate in:
Ranger Challenge (RC)
RC is the Varsity Sport of ROTC. It is a mentally and physically rigorous training event hosted by our Brigade in Fort Dix.
Pershing Rifles (PR)
Pershing Rifles is a national fraternal organization geared towards further leadership development. PR fields an exhibition rifle drill team for competition.
Color Guard
Cadets participate by presenting “The Colors” at ceremonial events as well as sporting events.