Dirk Husemann, junior in LAS, deals with strenuous morning workouts and varying time commitments, but it’s worth it to be a member of ROTC at the University.  

Reserve Officers Training Corps. is a program through the military that allows students to not only receive valuable scholarships toward their education, but also provides them with the opportunity to enter the military with the status of an officer.

“I knew I had always wanted to join the military,” said Husemann, who is also a member of the Navy Battalion in ROTC. “Initially I wanted to go to the academy, but when that didn’t work out, ROTC gave me another opportunity to enter the Navy as an officer.”

Both Husemann’s father and brother served in the military.

Husemann said the bond he shares with his father and brother is immeasurable because of their connections in the military. He said people in the armed forces have a strong relationship due to their sacrificed service.

“They were all very excited that I am training to become an officer. As a kid I traveled around the world, thus the military is a part of who I am,” Husemann said.

Lauryn Such, junior in LAS and a member of the Air Force ROTC, does not have any family members in the military and was not aware of the program when she initially came to the University. She found ROTC while researching jobs for her major on the internet.

“I didn’t want to end up in a job that I didn’t enjoy, as I have seen many graduates’ experience. When I learned about the Air Force, I saw that they gave opportunities in weather, which was something I wanted to pursue,” Such said.

In order to become a part of ROTC at the University, a candidate submits a list of schools they wish to attend. The military then selects the school the applicant will attend based on whether the applicant is accepted into that particular university.

“I struggled to find a school that had an ROTC and weather program. I was originally wait-listed and deferred from the University of Illinois. I almost attended another Midwestern university but was later accepted to U of I,” Such said.  

Once accepted, students begin four years of ROTC training. This includes ceremonies, early morning workouts and specialized tests. Upon graduation, officers are required to serve five years. Some may serve for longer periods of time because they attend extra schooling such as flight school for pilots.

“My goal is to work for the Air Force my entire life,” Such said. “The job is very flexible and diverse. I haven’t met someone that doesn’t love their job. Nevertheless, you never know what is going to happen.”

Husemann said he hopes to work for the military longer than the required length of service.

“I chose the Navy because not only will I have plenty of opportunities to fly planes, but I like their mission. I also like the lifestyle of living on a ship whenever a person is deployed,” Husemann said. 

Husemann has questioned his decision on a few occasions but has no plans of dropping out of the program.

“Sometimes it is hard when all of my friends are in ROTC, but I have never doubted that the military wasn’t for me. I have learned so many values and work ethics from other people. I always have a support group,” Husemann said.

Nevertheless, Husemann noted that he was willing to give up his career for the sake of his family. He said he would be ready to leave the military if the deployment was too hard on him.

The significant time commitment is an added challenge of the ROTC path.

“I had to give up things, such as clubs, to be a good student in ROTC. I learned that the best way to balance your time is to find a senior or junior in your detachment that has the same major to help you find good classes,” Such said. “ROTC can be hard if a person is bad at time management. Many students leave because it is too hard.”

The freshman have their own orientation program, as they are new to the ROTC path. The freshman and sophomore years of ROTC are non-binding, so unless a student is receiving a scholarship, they are able to drop out of ROTC without a penalty. Seniors and juniors, on the other hand, lose their scholarships and may have to serve if they choose to leave the program.

Sydney Shephard, freshman in Engineering and ROTC member, said, “ROTC has forced me to quickly learn discipline, confidence, leadership and a lot about time management. It does get tough at times to balance school.”

Shephard also said there is a large sense of camaraderie among her peers in ROTC.

“We are there for each other and have each other’s backs. This really benefits my college experience and career,” Shepard said. 

[email protected]