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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 23, 1979)
Military history makes ROTC program proud There ii a tense of pride that echoes through the halls of the Military and Naval Science buildiog like nowhere else on cam pus. It is, a pride of generations that goes back more than a hundred years to the days of military greats like Gen. John J. Pershing and Lt, Edgar Dudley, the first commander of the UNL Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC). Today the halls of the ROTC building serve as albums of pictures of military of ficers, outstanding ROTC students and memories of social functions and compe titive sports. There is a pride that the Army, Navy and Air Force units are willing to show off to anyone Wandering through their halls. The army portion of the UNL ROTC program is commandeered by Col. Robert Bachmann. There are 74 student members in Army ROTC, 10 of whom are women. BACHMANN SAID THE ARMY ROTC program develops young people for the re serve officers corps of the United States Army. There are different points in time when a student can be commissioned but Bachmann said that ordinarily ROTC stu dents are commissioned after earning a bachelor's degree and have completed the ROTC program. A student in the ROTC program automatically is commissioned as a second lieutenant whereas enlisted per sonnel are ranked as a private A-l . Bachmann said students are taught lea dership tactics in the ROTC program and can expect to be responsible for 40 to 45 people after graduation. "Our principle thrust is to make leaders and managers," Bachmann said. "They will be responsible for training on a college campifc. "Today Bachmann does not see much of an increase in interest or enroll ment in the ROTC program. "WE'RE IN A part of the United States where agriculture is important, people live by the land," Bachmann said. "Until the threat of war .to our nation is seen, people don't see any need to go into the service." Bachmann said that the Army ROTC enrollment at UNL fares well in the region it is in but this particular region has his torically had a lower enrollment than the three other regions. From the men in green to the men in blue-the men of the open seas-are the men of the Navy. The Navy ROTC pro gram was established at UNL in 1946 and now has an enrollment of 61 students. Capt. Wayne Stephens, administrator of the naval department said the primary goal of NROTC is to add to the regular aca demic background with military courses and training that would prepare a student for commission. Stephens said a student is commissioned in NROTC when he or she has taken the drill and military courses. A mutual contract is drawn up between the naval department and the student on the number of years he or she is obligated to serve upon graduation. Stephens said students are now commissioned on a Tegular basis, not a reserve basis as the ROTC anagram implies OF THE S3 NAVAL units throughout the nation, Nebraska's unit ranks low in enrollment-about fourth or fifth from the bottom, according to Stephens. The reason for this as cited by Stephens is that UNL is competing with the three acad emies and the other ROTC units (Army and Air force). Another reason for the low enrollment has to do with the scholarships given to students who have the chance to choose any of the 53 schools. WA primary candidate tends to choose more well-known glamour schools," Ste phens said. "They go to the garden spots of the world. Nebraskans will come-to the cold and the snow only as an alternative. However, Stephens said enrollment is up 30 to 50 percent over the low point in the 1960s. "ROTC was absolutely unpopular during the 60s," Stephens said. The ROTC building was occupied and there were dem onstrations and smoke grenade damage to the building that took several years to re pair. Burn spots and scars on the building are still evident. "THE DEMONSTRATIONS WERE not as violent as on the other campuses. There was an enrollment drop during this time because of peer pressure. There is a moderate comeback now but it's not what I would call people lining up to get into it." From the midshipmen to the wide blue yonder, the largest unit of the three ROTC departments is the Air Force ROTC with 78 student members. Col. John Wolter said the AFROTC program primarily educates and commissions future officers for the Air Force. Established at UNL in 1949, the AFROTC requires a bachelor's degree and two years of .training in ROTC before a student is ready to be commissioned in the Air Force. Wolter describes UNL's Air Force unit as very strong on a national level. With about 140 detachments nationally, Wolter said Nebraska's unit rates in the top third in quality. Wolter said the ROTC program is be coming popular because civilian jobs are not as plentiful and lucrative. The Air Force can guarantee an income and a stable job, Wolter said. "IT IS NOT unpopular now like it was in the 60s because students see it as another course on campus," Wolter said. "I don't hink students have feelings either pro or con about ROTC now. It is on a level with things on campus that are con cerned with other things than war activities." Charlie Clayton is an Army man, Mike Reznicek is an Air Force man and Kurt Helweg is a Navy man. These three students are going through the ROTC department for different reasons but they all agree that they are satisfied with their training in their separate units. Clayton is pleased with his feeling of accomplishment through the Army ROTC program. The 21 -year-old senior from Trenton, N.J., is getting ready for his com mission in infantry after he graduates. He said he ma? make a career of the Army if he decides he likes it. As it is, Clayton has had no more than two months of active duty, but he said he will have four years after college to make up his mind. 'THE ARMY HAS a good retirement plan-after 20 years of service you get half pay," Clayton said. In addition he said the Army has excellent medical and dental insurance. Starting pay is about $12,000 annually, Clayton said, and there is a chance for advancement after 18 months of service. Sophomore Mike Reznicek is 21 -years-old and had already served 13 months ac tive duty before deciding to return to col lege through the Air Force ROTC program. He wants to go to medical school and he said going through the ROTC program would be beneficial to that goal. In his personal life, the Omaha native said ROTC training has developed his self discipline and self-confidence which he said - will aid him in hh professional career. Reznicek said a comeback in the ROTC program may be a possibility because of the rising tensions around the world. "Anytime a war is eminent in the Mid dle East. I think the radicals of the 60s have settled down and there seems to be more pride in the country Reznicek said. "I think if there was a war that had mean ing for the United States, not like Vietnam, there would be a lot of support. TWENTY-ONE-YEAR-OLD Kurt Helweg, also from Omaha, joined Navy ROTC because he didn't want his parents to pay for his education. He tried for a scholarship with the Navy and now he will look forward to six years of active duty with the Navy after graduation. Helweg wants to learn to fly jets and he wants to travel. After Helweg, a senior, graduates, he will attend flight school in Florida for a year and then fty for the Navy for six years. "Maybe six years is a lot to pay," Hel weg said, "but I think it will pay off in the long run." Helweg said the NROTC program has taught him to deal with the authoritarian ways of the military. He admitted that though the military is highly regimented, one can still deal with authority in a nu manistic way. "I've met some good people in ROTC and I've gone on some field trips to Florida, Texas and the West Coast," Hel weg said. In addition he has flown in jets and driven a destroyer. "I've gotten to See what the Navy is all about. ROTC has opened up my eyes to what the Navy has to offer," he said. "-: vv - . -Ifi r '7 r fit r - - - -- ----- Story by Photographs by
