As the hushed campus of Kutztown University lay still on Saturday Jan. 26, four KU students emerged from the long winter break to join 26 other cadets in the first collective Army ROTC training event of 2013.
A collection of nine schools gathered at Lehigh University in the early morning to meet for the first time this year. The purpose of this early gathering was to establish contact and take part in the Army orders process. Cadets collected themselves and prepared to practice receiving and issuing orders in the proper Army format.
In an organization as complex as the army, everything needs to be standardized. When one issues orders, it needs to be done in a particular format so that all of your subordinates can understand you and act on it. Efficiency is everything.
Cadets in the Lehigh Steel Battalion span the entire Lehigh valley so cadets meet early to get the most out of a typical day of training. Training doesn’t always happen so early though. Cadets also take part in classes here at KU. Anyone on campus may even see them out and about on a Thursday afternoon in full uniform. Students from various majors and years come together to learn about basic leadership skills and find out what it’s like to wear the uniform.
This semester, students will be participating in more than 20 separate training events that range from squad level war games to basic rifle marksmanship. Army ROTC classes have been taking place here on campus for more than 30 years and enrollment is at a recent high point. If interested in learning more about the KU ROTC community, just search in the KU course catalog under MIL and take a look at some of the courses offered.

By Garret Miller