• Life as an MSIV Cadet and Graduate Student

  November 12, 2010

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  My name is David Beaumont and I am from a small town called, Cortland, Ohio. My career in the army began in the summer of 2009 where I attended and graduated from Army ROTC's Leaders Training Course (LTC) in Fort Knox, Kentucky. The training was 29 days long which covered all the training and knowledge a cadet would learn in their MSI and II years of ROTC. I learned basic army history, land navigational skills, physical fitness training, and overall skills on how to be an effective leader, team player, and mentor in the army as a future 2nd Lieutenant. Currently, I am an MSIV where I am the Cadet Battalion S-3 and Graduate student at The University of Akron pursuing a Master’s of Science degree.
   

  Shortly after I arrived back in Ohio from graduating LTC, I graduated from The University of Akron in August 2009 with a Bachelor's of Arts degree. Even though I had earned my degree and could have gone to Army Officer Candidacy School (OCS), I decided to continue my education by working towards a Master's of Science degree in Secondary Education and participate in Army ROTC. When I arrived back to The University of Akron, I made the decision to continue with the program and contracted with U of A 42nd Ohio Volunteer Battalion Army ROTC program in August 2009. The benefits to joining the program were extremely beneficial which helped me out in tremendous ways with book stipends of $600 every semester, monthly stipends of $300-$500 depending on Military Science Level, and more importantly full tuition paid. In graduate school, tuition is extremely expensive of about $7,000 each semester which would put me in tremendous debt in a period of 2-3 years. Army ROTC has taken massive financial stress off my mind which helped me focus on my studies and performance in ROTC.
   

  As I entered my MSIII year, I was a little nervous and apprehensive because I was a new cadet who jumped past the first two years of ROTC into the Advanced Course and feared of what people would think of me since I did not do my MSI and II years. As a result, cadre, cadets, and peers welcomed me and offered any assistance I needed to make a smooth transition into the battalion. Throughout my MSIII year, I was put in leadership positions to help instruct underclassman of MSI and IIs on skills and knowledge I gained throughout training at LTC. I was graded and evaluated in a variety of leadership positions such as: company commander, executive officer, first sergeant, platoon leader, platoon sergeant, and squad leader. All of the positions taught me how to first be a follower, and form into an effective and confident leader by respecting all of the duties and responsibilities I was given within each evaluated position.
   

  About halfway through the fall 2009 semester, I suffered a serious ankle injury during physical training. The injury put me on profile that put me in serious jeopardy of not being able to attend LDAC in the summer of 2010 with the rest of my peers due to how severe the injury was at that time. I pushed through the injury by attending physical therapy sessions throughout the rest of the semester. When winter break came along, I persevered through my injury and was able to be at 90% performance to try and increase my APFT score. Prior to my injury, I was at a 285 score and striving for a 290 or 300, but the injury significantly held me back where it took me the whole spring 2010 semester to get back to where I was prior to my injury.
   

  Through my injuries I was able to carry on and strive to attend LDAC in the summer of 2010. After I completed my MSIII year, I was ready for my final evaluation and assessment which was Leader Development and Assessment Course (LDAC) in Fort Lewis, Washington which lasted for 29 days. My experience at LTC the summer of 2009 helped me be successful at LDAC because it was structured similarly, except LDAC was more important in a cadet’s final assessions packet before commissioning. Before I left for LDAC, I went to Combat Troops Leaders Training (CTLT) in Fort Hood, Texas with 1/44th Air Defense Artillery as a Fire Control Platoon Leader. The training lasted 4 weeks where I shadowed a 1st Lieutenant who showed me what active duty was like along with possibly of picking Air Defense Artillery as a branch in my future as a 2nd Lieutenant.
   

  Both CTLT and LDAC took up 8 weeks of my summer, but I gained valuable guidance and learned many lessons and insights on how to become an effective officer and leader in the Army. The overall time at training was a great learning experience where it was fun and I made a significant amount of friends around the country who I still stay in contact with today. Now, I am very anxious and excited for my future in the Army and cannot wait to put my skills and knowledge to the test when I commission, attend and graduate BOLC, and enter my unit and duty station.
   

  Now, shifting gears to my hectic schedule with juggling ROTC and graduate school. Life as an Army ROTC Cadet and Graduate Student is a very chaotic and busy lifestyle with creating Operation Orders for Leadership Labs for over 100 people, coordinating with cadre members and fellow MSIVs, balancing a massive work load for a Masters degree taking at least 17 credits a semester, and finding time to workout at least five times a week. The key to being a successful cadet in Army ROTC and college student is to prioritize your work, manage your time, and do not procrastinate. If you follow these three imperative concepts, you will set yourself up for success towards earning a degree and a commission as an officer in the United States Army.
   

  This past Fall Semester of 2010 I was given the opportunity to be the Cadet Battalion S3 where I was in charge of all operations with creating and planning training for the program. At the same time, I was taking 18 total credit hours with 14 credits graduate courses with 4 credits of ROTC which are undergraduate. During a student’s undergraduate degree, 12 credit hours gives students full time status while in graduate school, 9 credits gives a student full time status due to the work load and difficulty. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday I would wake up at 0530 to make it to PT at 0600 which would start at 0630. This goes back to one of the keys to be successful as a cadet, "Early is on time, on time is late, and late is inexcusable." I would work out with the Battalion from 0630 until 0730 and directly after PT, I would go to the Recreation Center to do strength training and conditioning by lifting weights for another hour or hour and a half. After I completed my workout, I would go to our MSIV office where I would work on OPORDs and planning for the next training meeting, leadership lab, event, or Field Training Exercise for another 2 to 3 hours. Next, I would have a long day of classes until 1950 following homework, studying, and getting prepared and ready for the next day.
   

  My typical schedule for Tuesdays and Thursdays is waking up once again at 0530 and getting to the Recreation Center at 0600 to do my cardiovascular and leg workout. Proceeding my workout, I would attend my one 2 hour class and go to an inner city high school called, Buchtel High School in Akron, Ohio, where I would tutor students in 9th and 10th grade World History and United States History courses so they are prepared and successful in their social studies class and standardized tests. On occasion, if I was swamped with ROTC and creating contingency plans I would go to the MSIV office on my short days and finish my work so I was prepared and to prevent myself from falling behind and stressing out.
   

  In conclusion, my career in the Army has not officially started until I commission as a Second Lieutenant in December 2011. The people I have met and the experiences I have lived with my training at LTC, CTLT, LDAC and The University of Akron’s 42nd Ohio Volunteer Battalion have given me much useful guidance and knowledge where I can implement it into active duty and be a successful soldier, citizen, teacher, mentor, and individual. Moreover, life as both a Cadet and Graduate student is difficult at times, but all the work I have put in throughout the years will pay off in the end where I will earn my Masters degree and commission in the United States Army.
   

  submitted by Cadet David Beaumont on Nov 12 2010

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