ROTC members not deterred by fears of Iraq

Enrollment in the Blue Jay Battalion, Hopkins' Army ROTC, has hardly been affected by the prospect of serving in Afghanistan or Iraq.

National ROTC recruitment has suffered a 16 percent drop over the past three years, according to the Washington Post. But Hopkins student recruitments have stayed relatively consistent, according to Captain Rolando Rodriguez, Enrollment and Scholarship Officer.

"For the last few years now we have experienced a plateau," he said. "But this year there has been an increase in the number of freshman individual enrollments."

When asked about the effect of the war on the ROTC program, Department Head LTC Ken Romaine said, "I don't think that the war has much impact at all," noting that noting that he has not witnessed a significant change in the number of enrollments since the war in Iraq began back in March 2003.

For the 2004-2005 academic year, the Blue Jay Batallion had 74 cadets, 25 of whom were new recruits.

The following year saw 28 new recruits, though the total fell to 60 cadets.

Last year recruitment increased to 32 cadets, but the total only increased to 61.

Nineteen students enrolled with ROTC this fall. Spring enrollment will be complete by the second week of Februay 2008. There are currently 46 cadets.

"We lose total cadets for various reasons: Some don't choose to pursue because they don't want to contract, some cannot maintain academic standards, some for medical reasons," Rodriguez said.

"The war in Iraq and Afganistan has been one of the factors we've been struggling with as well."

Rodriguez attributed Hopkins's increasing enrollments partially to financial incentives.

"At Hopkins, I think [enrollment] is more a financial motivation because the University covers full tuition," he said.

"Individuals see ROTC as a means for paying for their education and utilizing career experience."

Chris Von Dollen, a freshman cadet, explained he joined the ROTC not just for the funding but for the experience as well.

"The big reason was to help pay for college, since I get almost a full ride," he said. "I also joined for the leadership experience."

Kate Prose, also a freshman cadet, shared a similar sentiment.

"Initially I wanted to be financially independent, and the Army allows that," she said. "But I also think that the U.S. is worth defending."

For Prose, finances were a secondary reason for joining with the ROTC.

"My primary reason was to fight for the U.S.," he said.

Prose saw the war in Iraq as another to join. Although she cannot be in the infantry, she hopes by becoming an officer, she can free up a soldier's station so that he may go fight.

Von Dollen, however, said the war had little influence on him either way.

"To be honest, I don't have a real opinion about the war," he said.

He also feels the benefits of being in ROTC outweigh the dangers of the war.

"I will fight for my country," he said.

"It's a way to help your country," Cadet PFC Michael Garcia said about his reason for joining ROTC.

He added that joining ROTC "has its risks," but that the pros, such as financial aid, leadership training and career preparation, outweigh the cons.

He added that, if need be, "dying for your country is the most honorable way to die."

"For some people, scholarships don't mean anything; they don't need it," Romaine said, adding that, "For some students, though, the program offers an education at a prestigious school. If they decide it's worth it, they sign a contract where they owe back four years of service."

According to the U.S. Army's Web site, http://GoArmy.com, ROTC scholarships at Hopkins provide each cadet with two to four years of tuition, $900 per year for books and a $500 to $3,000 monthly stipend.

Comparing Hopkins enrollment numbers with schools with similar tuition costs, however, is tricky, as the financial aid and other incentives within each school's ROTC program vary greatly.

Rodriguez also attributes the strength of enrollments to increased awareness of the ROTC program.

"We've been working a lot harder on getting the word out, putting the information out there, working with our partner schools [UMBC and Villa Julie] and with the departments of Financial Aid and Admissions, and this is helping out enrollments."

Army officials told the Washington Post that though national enrollments may have decreased, commissions have increased 33.3 percent over the same span of time, a retention rate that indicates that more recruits than before are willing to complete the program and contract with the Army.

"Our largest commissioning class ever was last year," said Captain Rodriguez of the 15 graduates.

"And those were the students who began in 2003-2004 [the year the Iraq war began]."

Romaine acknowledged this increase.

"What I've found is that the cadets who enroll now are more committed. They have to think very hard about [contracting], and they make a very deliberate decision. By the time they are contracted and committed, they understand that they may face active combat. Though three years ago some people may not have been expecting [assignment to active combat], now no one in the program is surprised at that," he said.

He also pointed out that because of the war, recruiting in general is more difficult, but Hopkins ROTC is not necessarily getting fewer cadets.

Romaine acknowledged that the attitudes he observes amongst the cadets are "a good mix between patriotism and wanting to contribute to the national effort."

"The war makes it less of a decision whether you go active or reserve - almost all the reserves go active [mobilize]," said Cadet Major Joe Henderson, a senior who applied and was accepted for active duty.

When asked about the effect of the Iraq war on his decision to apply for active duty, Henderson smiled and asked, "Wait, what war?"

Henderson is serious, however, when he adds that "I want to be in the military. I'd rather be a soldier than anything else."

He recognizes the danger he would face were he deployed to Iraq, but he is serious about his commitment and his desire to serve in the Army, war or no war.

Cadets who contracted are commissioned as second lieutenants in the United States Army and follow one of three primary tracks: active duty, reserve or (if approved) an educational delay in their service commitment to attend medical or law school. In times of peace, these newly-commissioned second lieutenants were able to join the National Guard, and upon receiving their degree, work at a civilian job while also fulfilling their duties as guardsmembers.

Their options in times of war, however, are more limited.

Despite the challenges ahead, the members of the Blue Jay Battalion seem to share Henderson's appreciation for the military and leadership training targeted toward leading soldiers in the U.S. Army.

According to Henderson, "Every [cadet] I've spoken to has become more confident and a better leader."