Howdy! I am a 5th year senior at Texas A&M University, studying Environmental Design in the TAMU College of Architecture. I spent four years in the Fightin' Texas Aggie Corps of Cadets in the unit Squadron 8 Outlaws. I originally did not plan on commissioning into the military, so I joined an Air Force outfit because I had been in Civil Air Patrol for seven years and was more familiar with that service branch. Being from Colorado, I didn't want to pay out-of-state tuition so I joined the Corps of Cadets in order to get in-state tuition which is offered to all Corps of Cadets students. I thought I would find similar camaraderie as I had in my CAP unit, as well as some fun training. The Corps kept me busy with activities when I was not in class or doing homework during freshman year.

The Air Force ROTC program did not offer me the sort of training I wanted even though I had not been planning on commissioning, so I transferred to Army ROTC at the beginning of sophomore year to see what it had to offer. After a year of AROTC training and participating in both the TAMU Rudder's Rangers program and the Sandhurst Competition team, I decided to take a contract and continue taking advantage of the training opportunies offered by ROTC that would not be available to me elsewhere. One of the major selling points for me was the Simultaneous Membership Program (SMP). I wanted to serve in the Army as well as pursue my goals as an architect. I also really liked being able to choose my branch of service, as well as having the freedom to move if I was accepted to a graduate program somewhere or found a great job offer in another state.

The most important thing to do in ROTC is to keep in touch with the cadre. Many cadets I know had never been offered the chance to contract SMP or had not known about the program, and some cadets had problems with paperwork because they did not follow up on their documentation when the HR department was understaffed. The cadre is always more than happy to help cadets learn more and prepare themselves better for anything, whether it is in academics, the Corps, ROTC, or their personal life, but it is equally important to do your own research--not only in terms of information and training resources, but also regulations and procedures. For example, when I studied abroad for my major during a semester, the proper procedures were not followed and Cadet Command was not informed of my status, nor was I paid tuition and fees. With new staff at A&M, however, this hiccough has been found and may be possible to correct.

I'm not allowed enough words in this blog to enumerate all of the unique, amazing opportunities available in ROTC, from school organizations and ROTC competition teams to summer training programs and leadership opportunities. I'm grateful for having had the chance to be a part of AROTC and aspire towards commissioning into the Army Reserves.