ROTC celebrates first full year

By: Summer Burke Contributing Writer

Posted: 6/19/09

The ROTC program at UNT will finish its first full year on campus when the only senior, Cadet Tod Dillingham, graduates in May and is commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army.

The program, founded in spring of 2008, has experienced success in its first year, said Maj. Herman Troy, who helped found the program at UNT after being transferred from his position with Texas Christian University in Fort Worth. Troy said the UNT assignment has been the best in his 15-year career with the U.S. Army.

The 41 cadets in the Reserve Officer Training Corps program all have a few things in common, he said. All have proven themselves in the three criteria of becoming a cadet: athletics, scholarship and leadership.

The program

ROTC looks for students in good physical condition or who have been a part of an athletic team while in high school or college. To be considered, students must pass a rigorous fitness test, the same test that is used for the U.S. Army. Troy said this is the hardest of the three standards for students to meet.

Shelby Henderson, a political science freshman and cadet at UNT, agreed. A self-described "band kid who took AP classes in high school," Henderson struggled with the physical requirements at first.

"Athletics are hard for me," she said. "My first PT (physical training) test wasn't good. Now I can actually run two miles. I'm getting used to it."

Women candidates must do 19 pushups in 10 minutes, followed by 54 crunches in 10 minutes. Finally, they must run two miles in under 19 minutes. Men must be able to do 40 pushups in 10 minutes and complete their run in less than 15 minutes.

To qualify scholastically, students must have a 2.5 grade-point average from high school,school; score at least a 19 on the ACT or at least a 950 on the SAT. For transfer students, only the college GPA is considered, Troy said.

Leadership is the last attribute needed for the program, Troy said. When recruiting, he looks for students who have held leadership positions in the past, such as being involved in Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts or the Student Government Association.

The program accepts incoming freshmen, sophomores and juniors into the program if they qualify. Freshmen go through the program in its entirety. Sophomores and juniors can make up for what they missed by participating in leadership training, which is an intensive two week camp that catches them up with their peers in ROTC, Herman Troy said.

Being involved in ROTC requires taking a twice-weekly military science class each semester with the other cadets in your grade, Henderson said. Every Thursday, all cadets meet together for a lab, where classroom instruction is taken to the field for hands-on training.

"It's really cool the things that we get to do," she said. "We learn how to evacuate buildings and how to handle our weapons. It's awesome seeing what we learn in class actually put to use."

The payoff

Cadets have the choice of either signing a contract promising to enter the U.S. Army after graduation or simply taking military science as an elective, with no continuing obligation after graduation. If contracted, the U.S. Army picks up the bill for college and includes a monthly stipend in exchange for either four or eight years of service, depending on whether the student decides to go on active duty or to join the National Guard.

Dillingham, who served a year in Afghanistan with the Army before returning to school and joining ROTC, will go on active duty for three years after he graduates.

With a wife and a baby on the way, Dillingham will not continue to serve in the Army after his contract is up, a decision that was hard for him to make.

"I would continue [my service] for as long as I could. But my wife would kill me if I put her through that for much longer," he said with a laugh. "I do think this experience has been good for my family in the long run. I will have great job security after this."

Being a part of the program has taught him management and leadership skills that will be invaluable when he tries to find a job once he is out of the Army, Dillingham said.

"You learn responsibility here when you start taking command of your group," he said. "It instills a lot of confidence. The job market is quite lucrative after the military."

Henderson, who has been in the program for two semesters, has not decided whether she will sign a contract or not. She joined ROTC because she hopes to pursue a career in politics, and politicians, she said, deal with the military a lot. She also has formed close bonds with the other cadets in the program.

"Coming in as a freshman, I wasn't sure," she said. "ROTC people are different from anyone you'll meet, though. It's a family. It's good, especially for freshman. It's nice to know you have people to turn to."

When she first told her family about deciding to join ROTC, they were surprised.

"My dad was hoping it was just a phase, for a while. I think he's still a little unsure about it, but my mom has become very supportive," she said. "She saw the kind of support I was getting from the other cadets and I think that's what won her over."

Henderson, whose "long-long term goal" is to become president of the United States, said the program has given her a lot because she has returned the favor.

"You need motivation and heart. Walking in, I had no clue what I was getting into. But they'll respect you if you give it your all," she said.

Fact Box:

Incoming freshmen and interested NT students can learn more about ROTC and how to join by calling: (940)369-8011 or emailing ArmyRotc@unt.edu. They can also visit www.armyrotc.unt.edu for more information.

There will be recruiters at orientation that will be ready to answer any questions you might have.