My experience with the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC), or even the military, for that matter, was limited at best. While attending high school in the Philippines, I was excused from the otherwise required Citizen’s Army Training because I was an American citizen. When my father left at 6 a.m. every day dressed in camouflage, part of me thought he was going to play paintball; I never noticed the insignia on his collar.

I was unaware that my dad was a Lieutenant Colonel in the Philippine Air Force until a man called our home asking for Lieutenant Colonel Villavicencio. Much to my dad’s amusement, I told them that they had the wrong number and hung up on them. Up until last week, the only thing I knew about ROTC or the military was that they got to play with weapons, followed strict rules, and were physically fit.

RIT is the host of two Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) programs: Army and Air Force. Our Air Force ROTC Detachment 538 Blue Tigers and Army ROTC Tiger Battalion also serves several schools in the greater Rochester area including the University of Rochester, St. John Fischer, SUNY Brockport, and Monroe Community College.

The ROTC Basics

In 1862, the US government passed the Morill Act, which started the creation of land-grant colleges that allowed members of the industrial classes to pursue an education in various subjects. As part of the act, all land-granted colleges were required to include military tactics in their curriculum. After some improvement, this idea became known as the ROTC.

“Large campuses such as Penn State actually became military training grounds or officer corps because we needed experienced leaders,” said Cadet Giovanni Sorrentino, a fifth year Mechanical Engineering major at RIT and this quarter’s Air Force Wing Commander. This came in handy when World War II rolled in and there occurred an officer shortage in the Armed Forces.

“We needed people who would be able to step up and were trained to lead combat operations,” continues Sorrentino. However, nowadays ROTC “is essentially a four-year leadership development program,” defined Second Lieutenant David Sanoguera, a graduate of the Army ROTC program who now works as a leader in the RIT Tiger Battalion.

Today, there are three options or services: Air Force, Army, and Navy; The Navy also recruits for the Marine Corps and the Army also recruits for the National Guard. Unfortunately, RIT only offers Army and Air Force ROTC (AFROTC) on campus. Those interested in joining Navy ROTC may crossregister at the University of Rochester.

Enlisting vs. Enrolling in ROTC

When you enlist in any service, whether it be straight out of high school or before you hit the maximum age of your target service group, you start from the very bottom of the ladder and work your way up to become a non-commissioned officer (NCO). “If you were to enlist in the Air Force, you’d go in as an Airman Basic, go to boot camp, [complete] your technical training, and then you go into your field,” explaind Cadet Stephen DiFulvio, a Criminal Justice major at SUNY Brockport and this quarter’s AFROTC Recruiting and Retention Officer. Similarly, if you were to enlist in the Army, you would start out as a Private and work your way up. On the other hand, when you enroll and graduate from an ROTC program, you start as a Second Lieutenant once you commission.

Eric Drummond

To explain this further, let’s say you know both a Second Lieutenant who just graduated from ROTC and a NCO who has been with the Army for 15 to 18 years. The NCO now ranks as a Master Sergeant. “The Second Lieutenant outranks that Master Sergeant, but there’s a huge amount of respect there... While he’ll salute us outside and call us, ‘Sir’, we have to respect him or her and what he or she has to say because they [have] more experience. There’s a good chance that they know more about the actual subject,” explaind Sanoguera.

Becoming and Remaining a Part of ROTC

Applying to Army ROTC or AFROTC is easy. “We take anybody...Basically just come down to our detachment which is located in Building 10 and speak with Captain Arsenault,” said Sorrentino. Similarly, one can just walk into the Army ROTC office and ask about joining. However, in order to be considered for the program and its benefits, you must meet a strict set of requirements.

For all ROTC programs, each of the applicants must be a US citizen no younger than 17 years old and no older than the service’s maximum age. The applicant must also meet the service’s physical standards and be of good moral standing.

In addition, while the Army and Navy check SAT or ACT scores, the Air Force requires you to pass the Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT), which is a test of similar nature. According to Arsenault, “Unless you’re a pilot or a navigator, we’re really only concentrating on the verbal, quantitative, and academic aptitude.”

Another important factor is your GPA. “[Maintaining your] GPA is essential to being a cadet...They want educated and intelligent individuals [and your] GPA says a lot about you. You need at least a 2.5 just to apply to ROTC” said Sanoguera. Dropping below the 2.0 mark will merit academic probation or suspension.

Fortunately, most services offer mentorship programs where younger students are paired up with older, more experienced students. “We do our best to link up mentors of the same or similar major... who’s maybe had that same professor, had that class, or has been there and done that — who can help walk him or her through and help get their grades up,” explained Second Lieutenant Michael Culler, a graduate of the ROTC program, 2008 RIT alumnus in Criminal Justice, and current leader in RIT’s Tiger Battalion.

Additionally, all cadets are expected to maintain physical fitness standards, which can vary from service to service. This is the reason why all ROTC programs require Physical Training (PT). At the beginning of Fall quarter and the end of Spring quarter, cadets must pass the required physical fitness exam which involves sit-ups, push-ups, and a 1.5 mile run. “You can enroll in the program and participate, but to be contracted with the Army, you have to pass the Department of Defense physical because the Army will ask us to do things sometimes that you need to be very healthy to do,” said Culler. The same applies to AFROTC.

Scholarships and Benefits

ROTC cadets receive a nontaxable monthly stipend of $300 in their first year. An additional $50 will be added for each consecutive year, but the amount will be capped at $500. In addition, they will be eligible for a scholarship to apply towards their tuition and $900 (for Air Force) or $1200 (for Army) in book money every year.

If you enroll into Army ROTC straight out of high school and are accepted into the program, you will receive a full four-year scholarship. “The Army pays for the tuition side and RIT [covers] the incentive room and board,” explained Sanoguera. For those who decide to join later, two-year and three-year scholarships are also available.

Fifth year Criminal Justice major Andrew Harris demonstrates to new cadets how to march during an ROTC airforce training session.
Eric Drummond

If you are a freshman or sophomore who either did not receive a scholarship coming out of high school or enrolled in the program late, you can apply for the In-College Scholarship Program where there are two phases of selection — one ends in January while the other ends in June. “For Phase One, [winners] will receive $15,000 per year for tuition [while for] Phase Two, the scholarship is a little less at $9,000 per year,” explained Captain Timothy Arsenault, Assistant Professor of Aerospace Studies for RIT’s Detachment 538.

AFROTC also has an Express Scholarship Program where aid is capped at $15,000 and is offered to students enrolled in specific majors and fields who are graduating in specific years. “All scholarships are competition-based except for the Express Scholarships for special programs like Nursing, some of the engineering career fields...There is no competing against others so as long as you’re qualified, we’ll take you,” explained Arsenault.

Special Training and Opportunities

The benefits of being a part of ROTC exceed financial aid. Top cadets are given special opportunities to train like the real US Army or Air Force. As an added bonus, sometimes these programs (at least the longer and more in-depth ones) even count towards co-op credit.

The Army ROTC receives slots for different specialty schools including the US Army Airborne School in Fort Benning, Georgia; the different Air Assault schools, the Mountain Warfare school in Jericho, Vermont; and the Northern Warfare school in Fort Greely, Alaska. “These are all optional and [cadets] don’t have to go, but it’s considered a great honor,” said Culler.

The slots are only offered to those who make it to the top of the detachment’s order merit list. “Airborne school is traditionally an airborne operations course where you jump from a fixedwing airplane with a parachute and a full load. Air Assault is basically learning how to rappel from a helicopter,” explained Culler.

The AFROTC also offers optional but interesting summer programs including base visits, aircraft orientation rides, foreign language immersions, and even a trip to England under the Royal Air Force’s British Exchange Program.

“We had one cadet go to the Czech Republic for three weeks where he lived there with other cadets and just toured around and experienced the culture,” cited Lieutenant Colonel David Easley, Commander of RIT’s Detachment 538. Whichever you choose, the Air Force will provide for your transportation, meals, lodging, and a daily allowance.

An RIT favorite is the five-week long Cyber Warrior Boot Camp in Rome Labs. “[The Air Force picks] cadets who are electrical engineers and computer engineers and they are taught by Symantec — and other experts in that field — about hacking computers,” explained Easley, all the while undergoing other types of military training and learning about historical battlefield decisions.

The Curriculum

The Army ROTC requires a completion of an additional 34 credits, PT, and field training. In your first two years with the program, you will also complete the Army ROTC Basic Course, which gives an introduction to Army leadership, customs, and traditions and then later delves into the role and responsibilities of an officer.

The summer before your third year, you must complete a four-week Leader’s Training Course where cadets are expected to overcome the simulated tactical situations and obstacles with which they are faced.

Eric Drummond

In your final two years, you will complete the Army ROTC Advanced Course. Upon entering and continuing with this course, you make the commitment to serve as an Officer in the US Army after graduation. In the summer between your third and fourth year, you may complete a four-week Leader Development and Assessment Course.

The Air Force ROTC requires a completion of four sets of classes: AS100s, AS200s, AS300s, and AS400s. In addition, cadets must participate in Leadership Laboratories and PT, both of which are mandatory but count for no credit. The AS100s and 200s, which you take in your first two years, count as a General Military course.

“A lot of it is just teaching you the customs and courtesies of the air force, how to wear the uniform properly. It gives you an overview on the jobs, like what you want your career to be,” said DiFulvio describing the AS100 course. The AS200 course is History of Airpower and goes into the history of Air Force.

The summer before your third year, you must attend Field Training where cadets undergo physical conditioning, weapons training, and survival training. The program may run between four and six weeks.

Once you return to school in your third year, you enter the Professional Officer Course (POC). Upon beginning this course, you must sign a contract and make the commitment to becoming an officer for the US Air Force. The POC is comprised of the AS300 and AS400 classes.

The AS300 course is Leadership Studies and goes into detail on how to be a leader. The AS400 class, which also counts as an international relations class, is otherwise known as National Security Studies and Preparation for Active Duty. “We study different regions of the world and what’s going on with their culture, their social practices and beliefs, and how they compare and contrast to our society. Also, we talk about national security... and logistics,” added Sorrentino.

For some of these Army ROTC and AFROTC classes, they may count as free electives or general education electives depending on your department. PT counts as Wellness courses and the AS200 history class may count towards a history or social studies credit. However, it is really up to your department. The summer Field Training may also be counted towards a co-op.

Future Careers in the Military

It is important to keep note that once you either accept a scholarship or begin the Army ROTC Advanced Course or AFROTC’s POC, you make a commitment to commission in the Army or Air Force. You have the choice of becoming an officer as a career or coming into your service as an officer, staying for four years (six to ten if you become an Air Force pilot or navigator), and then staying in the country’s on-call list for a few years before retiring.

As an Army ROTC cadet, you must make a list of the jobs you would like to do once active. Then, the Army takes them into account and assigns to you what they can. There are a wide variety of choices available: You can join the Field Artillery, Air Defense Artillery or Infantry; as part of the Armor division, you can work with and drive tanks; you can learn to fly choppers and planes with the Aviation division; the Chemical Corps enables you to learn about chemical, nuclear, biological, and other dangerous weapons and how to protect oneself from them. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

The Air Force works in the same way and there are also a wide variety of jobs available. You have the choice of being one of a dozen types of pilots or a navigators You may also have the option of becoming an astronaut, part of Intelligence, or a member of the Munitions and Missile Maintenance division. There are also a number of options for people trained in medical fields.

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