• Army ROTC...What an experience

  October 7, 2010

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  Tags:  

  life   rotc   airborne   training  

  An Army story...EVERYONE has one, few have a problem telling theirs, yet there still such a cloud of mystery around the United States Army in the eyes of civilians. So let me clarify a bit of it through the eyes of an Army Reservist as well as an ROTC Cadet. The easiest way to describe the Army is to call it a business. In the Army everyone has a job, a manager, and the manager has a manager. The CEO of the company is the Commander in Chief President Obama. Now in order to become a manager in this business, the Army referring to them as Officers, one has to go through a training program to give them the tools they need to perform the job effectively. ROTC is one of said training programs. It is a program that fulfills a majority of the requirements to fill the entry level management position i.e. Second Lieutenant. One area lacking in the length of the training program is Army experience with soldiers not in the ROTC program. So the ROTC Cadet Command allows us managers in training (Cadets) to attend some Army school to gain some experience. I literally jumped at the opportunity to attend one school that I never thought I would.

  The Army Paratrooper is renowned throughout history. The Army Airborne School based in Fort Benning, GA is the current home for training such troopers. It was absolutely amazing to conquer a fear that I have had for years. Not one of heights or of flying, but the fear of being in control of myself, my body and my fate. Jumping from a high performance airplane at 130 knots, your life is now in the hands of the instructors known as Jumpmasters. Along with the instructor you have to trust the Parachute Rigger who stuffed your pack, as well as the man jumping in front of and behind you not to do something that could potential cause you harm. Not to mention the weather that day, or the wind blowing, and a list of other factors. After landing safely on the ground five times, some at day, others at night, some with combat gear, I have learn to trust others more than I would have previously wished.

  The Army teaches you to trust the soldier next to you with life and limb, and he or she will do the same. It teaches us to be stronger than we thought we were capable of. It teaches you to care for others more than yourself. And it, as well as your country, shows you a respect you can’t receive anywhere else. Now tell me, who wouldn’t want a job like that?
   

  submitted by Cadet Marcus Fisher on Oct 7 2010

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