Posted on 09/26/2009 10:44:35 PM PDT by Saije
Chris Higgins, 21, an upbeat Harvard University junior, is a social studies major who has worked at an orphanage in Uganda and backpacked around China while learning Mandarin.
He is also a master sergeant in the Army ROTC, an officer-in-the-making who has spent weekends firing an M-16, rappelling, and honing land-navigation skills while many classmates are launching a blitz on the college social scene.
“I have a mission,’’ said Higgins, a native of East Setauket, N.Y.
That mission - to serve the country and gain leadership experience - is shared by a sharply growing number of American undergraduates, who have swollen the Army’s ROTC ranks by 26 percent, to 30,721, in the last three years.
“I’ve wanted to join the Army ever since 9/11,’’ said Higgins, who was 13 at the time of the terrorist attacks.
The rise comes as the Army expands and tries to fill a deep officer shortage, bumping up its number of ROTC scholarships by 75 percent since the 2005-2006 school year. A free education has clearly been a draw in uncertain economic times, and a strong sense of patriotism appears to motivate many new cadets. But even career Army officers who lead them cannot pinpoint exactly why ROTC, divisive and controversial during the Vietnam War, has become increasingly attractive when one long, costly war is winding down and another is ramping up.
“I really don’t have an answer to that,’’ said Lieutenant Colonel Timothy Hall, who commands the Paul Revere Battalion of Army ROTC, which draws cadets from Harvard, MIT, Tufts, Wellesley, and five other area colleges. “It’s such a complicated, personal decision, I don’t think you can point to any one factor.’’
(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
This is really great news especially since they added a year to the commitment that you need to do when finished. Good thing we have a generation of heros coming up.
Funny how we never hear the constant stories about one branch or another not meeting recruiting goals. Nor have I seen any articles complaining about the poor having no choice but to join the military because of the economy. Two or three years ago that was all you heard.
“Funny how we never hear the constant stories about one branch or another not meeting recruiting goals...”
Well, I am still seeing a lot of stories about PTSD, returning vets struggling, and so on —which is legitimate so I’m not complaining— but I take your point. I’m sure some will attribute this to Obama inspiring our nation’s youth...except I don’t remember him encouraging anyone to join the military.
Wow. There’s hope. These kids got it.
I’m not sure I understand what’s going on. My grand-daughter, who is the only liberal among my 8 grandkids, a vegetarian and all that stuff, joined ROTC at UC Davis, a very liberal school.
She is even considering enlisting (but probably only because they’ll pay for college).
At the end of this long and cruel war, these youngsters who are defeating the jihadists shall not only wear the mantle of the next great American generation; they are also going to clean up the massive mess left in the wake of the baby boomers and the Odious One. Having worked with them in Afghanistan and Iraq since 9/11, they are phenomenal; returning on deployment time after time without complaint. With the advent of the new post-9/11 GI Bill, once they hit the universities in mass, they will also defeat the leftist lunatics dominating the classrooms. There is hope that change will come to America.
You're wrong. The only class year which could possibly be susceptable to that are those who are freshmen and/or joined ROTC this year. Everyone else was in prior to 0 being elected.
Do you feel the same was about ringknockers? Enlisted? Do you have such little faith in our training programs that such a foolish motivation wouldn't be quickly destroyed long before commissioning/qualification?
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