Intro
From middle school to end of high school, I grew up in the United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps (a military youth program designed based off the U.S. Navy). For six years, I became familiar with Navy ROTC (Reserved Officers' Training Corps), so I wanted to experience what Army ROTC is like and the differences between Army and Navy ROTC.
Surprisingly, the Bronco Battalion consists of not only cadets from Santa Clara University, but also cadets from San Jose State University, UC Santa Cruz, and Stanford University. All Cadets are university students and are set to enlist in the U.S. Army after graduation. Every week, the cadets wake up before 0600 on Tuesdays and Thursdays to come to SCU’s Bellomy Field for physical training (PT). They also attend field, land navigation, range, and leadership trainings at U.S. Army bases multiple times each year during the school year and summer.
Schedule
Tuesdays & Thursdays: Physical Training from 0630-0800
Thursdays only: Instructional Labs from 0830-1010
Physical Training
Location: Bellomy Field
When I woke up at 0545 to prepare for taking photos, I remembered that waking up before the crack of dawn was the worst part of drills and trainings. As I walked outside my dorm building's door, the sky was still pitch-black with no one to be seen around. The crisp air and quietness outside made me feel relaxed as I walked to Bellomy Field, but once I saw cadets in PT gear and Army Combat Uniforms (ACUs), I fully woke up. The cadets' displayed their commitment to the ROTC program and the U.S. Army when they stood at attention.
The environment felt familiar and new at the same time. Seeing the cadets talk to each other comfortably made me miss the camaraderie aspect of military training. Although PT can be strenuous and tiresome, having fellow cadets alongside you makes the training enjoyable.
The cadets were divided into groups for the rest of PT and one to two cadets led each group. Their method of using cards to determine exercises was intriguing and made PT more interesting for the cadets. As I walked around and took photos of different groups, I noticed that most of the cadets were having fun despite working out for 1.5 hours. They were also encouraging of each other and endured the hardships together.
Instructional Lab
Before instructional labs begin, the cadets have 30 minutes to change into their ACUs, cool down and eat breakfast. Instructional labs are only on Thursdays and are held at Varsi lawn. Each week, a new topic is taught by Assistant Professor of Military Science Elizabeth Ryan and Senior Military Science Instructor Geoffery Landon.
Location: Varsi Lawn
On February 9, the cadets learned about platoon attacks and were divided into two platoons. Each cadet was assigned a position and they were able to practice a platoon attack by receiving commands from the platoon leader and walking through Varsi lawn.
Through the instructional lab, cadets laughed and learned together. The hands-on learning allowed them to work with one another, which is more suitable than a classroom lecture.
At the end of the instructional lab, Master Sergeant Landon congratulated the cadets on their outstanding performance at the most recent training. He recognized Cadet Nolan, who received the highest scores.
Overview
I used to view the U.S. Army and Army ROTC as intense and intimidating. However, after attending a drill, I realized that it's possible as long as you have a growth mindset and view the hardships as opportunities to learn. Each cadet is dedicated to their future of serving in the Army and their passion and commitment inspired me to think about my own future and how I will work towards achieving it.
I was also surprised to learn that the cadets all study different majors and have outside involvements and activities. Underneath their uniforms are regular university students that wants to enjoy the normal college experience before they graduate and serve in the Army. One might stereotype ROTC cadets under the same persona, but they all have different stories, interests, passions, and reasons for joining Army ROTC.
Thank you, Bronco Battalion, for allowing me to take photographs and showing me a different prospective of Army ROTC.