By Ann Moschorak
Photo by Alec McCloskey
KU’s Army ROTC program is one of the university’s most acclaimed.
Labs and physical workshops take place every other Thursday. Here, participants practice skills and learn to articulate what they have to work on. The program works in effect alongside of the student’s major, and can begin during any year of college.
For freshman, no contract is required for the first two years of participation when trying to join the ROTC. The third year is considered the “evaluation” year, where the student undergoes a series of examinations in preparation for their senior year, where each senior pursues their “teaching” year to pass on knowledge to the upcoming groups of individuals.
In conjunction with leaders from Lehigh University, ROTC program members learn proper Army work and methods. Physical and mental training is reinforced as juniors in particular learn to enhance certain skills such as holding rifles and taking orders. Seniors serve as guides to lead the rest towards progress and achieve success.
To enrich their “developmental” year, juniors are encouraged to attend a summer camp. Cadet summer training lasts one month. Here, members endure obstacle courses, experience alternate programs and become acquainted with aviation techniques. The program is very competitive as members must be impressive in physical and mental performance while maintaining a commendable GPA.
Physical training for all participants takes place four days a week. The physical program consists of running, lifting and cross-fit drills. These early-morning workouts are mandatory upon contract.
“The purpose of the program is to deliver the best training, and get cadets ready to commission as an officer,” said Alec McClosky, a senior leader in the program. “We encourage everyone to get involved. We work to make it as fun as possible. It’s a hands-on, physical program that motivates everyone to work hard.”
During the bi-weekly lab, members spend three hours working in stations. Each leader assigns a mission, and each group is given specific directions. They discuss the hypothetical situations, and report back to the leader for a plan of action. Other sections of the lab include: tactical combat casualty care (which teaches first-aid techniques), medevac 9-line reports and specialty teams.
To participate in the ROTC program, send your request to ku-rotc@kutztown.edu or call (610) 758-3275.