Small schools need their ROTC program; do you agree? How do we balance cost effectiveness?

2015-06-21T00:21:27-04:00

ASU puts out great officers

Response by SFC Mark Merino made Jun 21 at 2015 12:23 AM

2015-06-21T00:23:14-04:00

This needs to be reworded into a question, not just a generic statement.......and ASU does make great officers.

Response by SSG Lisa Rendina made Jun 21 at 2015 9:52 AM

2015-06-21T09:52:59-04:00

I know Officers ASU has Comissioned! I graduated from ASU; I wouldn't call it a small school though.

Response by Lt Col Jim Coe made Jun 21 at 2015 10:20 AM

2015-06-21T10:20:48-04:00

I graduated from a small university. Our ROTC commissioning class was 10. Worked out well for me.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 21 at 2015 11:22 AM

2015-06-21T11:22:34-04:00

My school had 1100 students and we were a branch of larger program. I commissioned by myself and a year later my school's program was closed. We produced mainly Guard LTs due to lack of attention and what not for scholarships so we relied heavily on the NG recruiters to teach class and funnel the freshman into the Guard to get their school paid for. We were all by ourselves and treated like complete and utter dog shit by the main campus but we survived anything thrown at us and produced a number of fine officers. Unfortunately the school's administration was not the most supportive due to their liberal agenda and I had a run in with them the day of graduation and AUSA eventually stepped in but I digress. Regardless sad to see my school's program closed.

Response by LTC Gail Daras made Jun 23 at 2015 2:59 PM

2015-06-23T14:59:17-04:00

My university started out as a small teachers college in PA, growing from Bloomsburg College to Bloomsburg University in the 80s. There were eight of us who were commissioned in 1988. I know that at least one other person in my commissioning class was promoted to COL and I retired as a LTC. So while I do not know how well ROTC tracks the accomplishments of their alumni they should before they make a decision to remove a program. It takes years to grow an officer and years to grow a ROTC program. To me the most challenging thing is marketing ROTC to young people. My husband and I could not convince our college sophomore to give the Army ROTC program that is in coordination with Georgetown University a chance. I don't know if he thinks he is too good for the Army but now he is academically struggling and they would not even want him. He threw away an opportunity of a lifetime.

Response by LTC Jason Mackay made Dec 25 at 2017 2:39 PM

2017-12-25T14:39:49-05:00

I was in a small state school in Massachusetts that was an extension center of a cross enrolled school...likely because we had a nursing program which to my knowledge produced zero nurses in the 5 years I was there. We were predominantly an engineering school. Producing Nurses was a huge focus in the late eighties/early nineties. My parent Battalion was at a huge private school, surrounded by other private schools that were also cross enrolled/extension centers. We produced 5-10 officers a year. My MSIV class was 3-5 deep at my school if I remember. So of the people who were commissioned during my time there: most went to SMP and were guard officers and many still serve, one got commissioned and resigned to become a Nurse and start his commissioned service over again in the ARNG, one ultimately became the DTO of the 82nd ABN DIV (hand picked by Chief of Trans), one became the BN CDR of the 82nd ABN DIvision STB (a big deal) and is still serving, I topped out as a Garrison Commander, one commissioned as a Nurse (from ththe cross enrolled school, not my school), one got branch detailed IN to AG, one became an Army Doctor after an ed delay following prior service as an 18D, one Branched EN active duty and later migrated to the NEARNG I believe he is an O6 now, one never commissioned, another was murdered our MS III year. As for pay off. We had an NCO or an Officer part time ( 1-2 days a week), the officers got swept up in the post ODS draw down. Most of the Cadets either just retired or are still serving. We also picked up individual cadets from other schools without a program because they could cross enroll at my school that was cross enrolled and extended off another program.

The big program needed bodies to fill out their ranks. we had a two Platoon company between my school, UMass Lowell, and Fitchburg State College- another nurse producer with tons of green to,gold due to Ft Devens - 10th SFG (A) firmly represented in our ranks. We always punched above our weight. When it came time for hands on or tactical training, it was always our guys leading it. No accident.

The cost was minimal looking in the rear view mirror. We produced a small, consistent, solid number of very successful officers. We were simply tacked on walk ons for field exercises and training that was already built for the battalion. They chopped an NCO or Officer to campus if they were available. The cadre taught academic classes. The MSIVs taught leadership lab for the most part. For that cost they got 5-10 officers a year. I don't know what the stats were for the big host battalion, but I think it was like 20-25 officers a year. They essentially increased their production by a third for what table scraps we got thrown.

I think it is important to have ROTC programs across the nation at as many universities and colleges as possible, and to be liberal with cross enrollment/extension centers. The Army needs to be a cross section of America and so does its Officer Corps.

Response by SGM Bill Frazer made Dec 25 at 2017 4:55 PM

2017-12-25T16:55:22-05:00

I don't understand, University of Tennessee is a land grant college, which means that they have to train military officers to keep the land they were given to be built on. It is one of the oldest ROTC programs in the country and was training officers since the Mexican War. We have had numerous alumni who earned 1-4 stars in the career, both active and Reserve and NG. One of our Alumni is Col. Alan West among many more. Have you looked at the figures for cost of training ROTC cadets, with their minuscule stipends ( MS3-MS4) and the staff, (normally retired) vs. the 100% paid education of a service academy with active staff?