ROTC challenges student cadets at AASU

Service in the U.S. Military can mean many things to different people, but for AASU student candidates and cadre of the ROTC program, it is the culmination of teamwork, training and duty to their country. "To me, ROTC stands for training the leadership of our armed forces," said Cadet 1st Lt. Nicholas Marson, Company Executive Officer for AASU's ROTC program. Marson, who attended Benedictine Military School prior to joining the ROTC program, is a senior in the program and said he hopes to become a military police officer after graduating. While there are roughly 30 cadets in attendance, Marson said there are around 30 more civilian students that sit in on the classes and physical training they conduct. Most students, he said, take military science courses as electives. In addition to the physical training they undergo, each cadet currently enrolled is responsible for a minimum of 10 hours of community service. There are frequent competitions between the cadets, and those who exceed the standards of their training are presented with a "Cadet of the Month" plaque. Master Sgt. Samuel Delgado is the ROTC program's senior instructor. He is responsible for training that involves everything from land navigation (marching across various terrains to find points on a map), infantry tactics to drill and ceremony. "My job is to prepare these future leaders to think on their feet. They could leave here and enter into the battlefield, and they need to learn to be able to make decisions without hesitating," Delgado said. New cadets can expect to receive simulated combat missions, and outdoors training is conducted either at Fort Stewart, Fort Benning or Hunter Army Airfield. "You get a lot more out of training and that's where the pressure is really on," Delgado said. When asked about the current combat theater and how he sees the U.S. Army changing in the near future, Marson said that he understands the seriousness of the situation. "We're lucky in the sense that these wars have been going on for nine years," he said. "It has prepared us in ways that we never thought possible – every cadet here has taken an oath, and there's a lot of things in the media about how the Army is changing. "My answer to that is I'm going to take my oath and serve as the commander in chief wants me to." Delgado, who has deployed to Iraq, said, "We train these young leaders to a very high standard, because when they leave here they will be responsible for lives." Marson said that beyond the honor of serving their country, potential recruits should consider the benefits involved. He added that he has no student loans, is provided with housing and receives a stipend every month from the military, as well as the opportunity for continuing education. He also said he hopes to attend law school while on active duty. Sgt. 1st Class Kenneth Swan said students interested in signing up for the AASU ROTC program should be between the ages of 18-30 and have a good-standing GPA of 2.5 or higher. In order to enroll in the program, potential candidates must pass a military physical exam and the Army Physical Fitness Test. Scholarship-based contracts range from two to four years and include a four-year obligation to the U.S. Army (Active Duty), U.S. Army Reserve or Army National Guard. For more information on AASU's ROTC Program, contact the Department of Military Science at 912-344-2668.