thedrifter
06-25-09, 07:52 AM
Future leaders train for just that
6/24/2009 By Lance Cpl. Meloney R. Moses , Marine Corps Base Quantico
MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. —
There are challenges ahead and decisions to make. There are easy paths and difficult paths. The easy one is not always the best choice. Often young adults receive conflicting messages about right and wrong, and good and bad.
The Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps was originally designed to train and prepare high school and college students for Army services in 1916. Now, the Marine Corps focuses its JROTC program on teaching leadership, learning and practicing core values, and developing character and personal responsibility.
“It’s not meant as a recruiting tool,” said Maj. William Brannen, the senior Marine instructor for the Gar-Field Senior High School MCJROTC program. “Recruiters in the local area do that. We are helping these kids get through high school and [prepare] for life after high school.”
The biggest challenge is that many cadets have very little knowledge about the military before joining the program – having weekly haircuts, saying ‘yes sir’ and ‘no sir’ and wearing uniforms.
While going through the program, they are exposed to military discipline and structure, and have the opportunity to do something they may have never thought of, explained Brannen.
“We are a class, not a club,” said Brannen. “It’s an elective called Leadership Education. They volunteer for this course.”
Cadets participate in various physical training exercises including formation runs and sporting competitions. This class requires students to wear a uniform once a week and carry out uniform inspections. Unlike most other classes, when the students enter the classroom they fall into a formation rather than sitting at a desk for roll call. Learning general Marine Corps knowledge and studying traits and principles, the cadets are put to the test during practical applications. Field trips to places like the National Museum of the Marine Corps, the White House and the Pentagon help build morale amongst the cadets as they face the daily task of leading their peers.
“There are struggles, but it’s a form of growth and we just have to handle it,” said Cadet 1st Lt. Brian Lasecki.
One of the hardest aspects is trying to lead a group of your peers, said Lasecki.
“They don’t always take us seriously,” said Cadet Capt. Eduardo Vasquez. “At lunch time they’re my friends, but in class I become their leader.”
The leadership skills learned in this course help prepare the cadets for future career choices, even those unrelated to the military.
Lasecki said he was interested in the military since before he joined the program.
“I had a general idea of what I wanted to do,” said Lasecki. “I was interested in the military before the program. [MCJROTC] just helped narrow it down [for me].”
Upon graduation this year, Lasecki plans to enlist into the Marine Corps Reserves prior to commissioning into the officer program.
At this level of ROTC, high school students have the opportunity to take something with them that many don’t get.
“The ones who get the most out of the program are the ones who participate in extra-curricular activities – drill, color guard and honor guard. The extra-curricular activities are cadet-run so they have the opportunity to develop leadership, teamwork, responsibility and confidence,” said Brannen. “They are the ones who take the most with them.”
“They may not take the drill with them, but they do take the confidence,” said Brannen.
For many students this program is also a way to get involved.
“For a lot of kids this is their niche. They don’t play sports or join clubs,” said Brannen. “For some of these students, if they didn’t join ROTC, they wouldn’t do anything. As hard as it is, it’s very rewarding seeing them develop and mature as they go through the program. I think it’s an outstanding program.”
-Correspondent: meloney.moses@usmc.mil
Ellie
6/24/2009 By Lance Cpl. Meloney R. Moses , Marine Corps Base Quantico
MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. —
There are challenges ahead and decisions to make. There are easy paths and difficult paths. The easy one is not always the best choice. Often young adults receive conflicting messages about right and wrong, and good and bad.
The Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps was originally designed to train and prepare high school and college students for Army services in 1916. Now, the Marine Corps focuses its JROTC program on teaching leadership, learning and practicing core values, and developing character and personal responsibility.
“It’s not meant as a recruiting tool,” said Maj. William Brannen, the senior Marine instructor for the Gar-Field Senior High School MCJROTC program. “Recruiters in the local area do that. We are helping these kids get through high school and [prepare] for life after high school.”
The biggest challenge is that many cadets have very little knowledge about the military before joining the program – having weekly haircuts, saying ‘yes sir’ and ‘no sir’ and wearing uniforms.
While going through the program, they are exposed to military discipline and structure, and have the opportunity to do something they may have never thought of, explained Brannen.
“We are a class, not a club,” said Brannen. “It’s an elective called Leadership Education. They volunteer for this course.”
Cadets participate in various physical training exercises including formation runs and sporting competitions. This class requires students to wear a uniform once a week and carry out uniform inspections. Unlike most other classes, when the students enter the classroom they fall into a formation rather than sitting at a desk for roll call. Learning general Marine Corps knowledge and studying traits and principles, the cadets are put to the test during practical applications. Field trips to places like the National Museum of the Marine Corps, the White House and the Pentagon help build morale amongst the cadets as they face the daily task of leading their peers.
“There are struggles, but it’s a form of growth and we just have to handle it,” said Cadet 1st Lt. Brian Lasecki.
One of the hardest aspects is trying to lead a group of your peers, said Lasecki.
“They don’t always take us seriously,” said Cadet Capt. Eduardo Vasquez. “At lunch time they’re my friends, but in class I become their leader.”
The leadership skills learned in this course help prepare the cadets for future career choices, even those unrelated to the military.
Lasecki said he was interested in the military since before he joined the program.
“I had a general idea of what I wanted to do,” said Lasecki. “I was interested in the military before the program. [MCJROTC] just helped narrow it down [for me].”
Upon graduation this year, Lasecki plans to enlist into the Marine Corps Reserves prior to commissioning into the officer program.
At this level of ROTC, high school students have the opportunity to take something with them that many don’t get.
“The ones who get the most out of the program are the ones who participate in extra-curricular activities – drill, color guard and honor guard. The extra-curricular activities are cadet-run so they have the opportunity to develop leadership, teamwork, responsibility and confidence,” said Brannen. “They are the ones who take the most with them.”
“They may not take the drill with them, but they do take the confidence,” said Brannen.
For many students this program is also a way to get involved.
“For a lot of kids this is their niche. They don’t play sports or join clubs,” said Brannen. “For some of these students, if they didn’t join ROTC, they wouldn’t do anything. As hard as it is, it’s very rewarding seeing them develop and mature as they go through the program. I think it’s an outstanding program.”
-Correspondent: meloney.moses@usmc.mil
Ellie