As many students sat around at home this summer, waking up in the afternoon and trying to battle summertime boredom, many cadets from SU’s Raider Battalion Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program had the chance to go out and see locales nationally and internationally.

Cadets, as a part of different programs through ROTC, were sent to the states of Alaska, Washington, Texas, Arizona, North Carolina and others to conduct training.

Many training options focused on different aspects of being an army leader and taught the Cadets valuable skills and competencies in order to be successful as a future army officer.

One such program was the Leadership Development and Assessment Course (LDAC) held at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state. The summer after a cadet’s junior year is when he or she attends LDAC and it is one of the key tools to determining the national rankings of all cadets.

For a month in Washington, the cadets learned and were tested in many army skills such as land navigation, small unit tactics and other tests that would show physical fitness and mental agility.

While “roughing it” in the woods of Ft. Lewis may not be the beaches of Florida or the Outer Banks, all of the cadets who attended LDAC applied their leadership skills and were able to interact with top cadets from around the country.

While LDAC is a mandatory experience, there were many other options on the table for ROTC cadets that were unique and exciting. Cadet Evan Fishel, a junior at SU, can now carry airborne wings on his uniform because he spent three weeks learning how to fall from airplanes. Airborne School is a historic and respected school in all of the Army and is something Fishel recognizes the honor of attending.

Through a program called Project G.O., cadets were able to study the languages of Arabic and Farsi at top language institutions around the country. G.O. stands for Global Officer and through another program called Cultural Understanding and Language Proficiency Program (CULP), cadets were also able to get out and see the world.

Cadets from SU went to countries including Moldova, Bulgaria and Thailand to experience languages and foreign places that broadened their viewpoints culturally.

Like in many programs around campus, the ROTC department also places students into internships that give them a glimpse of what it will be like after graduation. Cadet Troop Leadership Training (CTLT) pairs cadets with officers with the intent of giving experience in the daily operations of an army officer.

Through this program cadets travelled to places like Texas and Germany to shadow officers.

Cadets through the Shippensburg Raider Batallion ROTC program will continue to have opportunities like these that give them new perspective, skills and training.

The programs last summer spanned the globe and made cadets more qualified to be leaders of character for America through the triumphs and tribulations of our future.

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