Correction Appended
TEMPE -- At a college graduation, students wear a cap and gown. After that, they wear what they want. Some choose to put on a uniform.
For the Arizona State University students who are cadets in the U.S. Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps, or ROTC, the program is an excellent way to earn a degree and an officer's commission, said Maj. Brian Witcher, assistant professor of Military Science and the program scholarship officer.
Army ROTC attracted 140 cadets last year; 160 are enrolled this year. That number is growing, said Witcher, who hopes to top 200. The cadets range from freshmen to seniors. Some joined when they first enrolled and others later in their education. ASU has hosted a ROTC program for 70 years. The program is affiliated with the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Witcher said the program is all about leadership training: "We're here to build the future leaders of the Army and of America," he said.
The ideal cadet meets the Army's concept of SAL -- Scholar, Athlete, Leader. "We're looking for someone smart, athletic, and who likes to be in charge," said Witcher.
Chandler native Quinn Meyers, a cadet major and justice studies senior, joined Army ROTC his freshman year in 2004 and will graduate this year.
"(ROTC) builds character... I've seen shy kids grow up into someone comfortable with speaking in front of 50 or 100 people... they build confidence in the program," he said.
Freshmen and sophomores can join ROTC for the learning experience, but juniors and seniors who stay in the program are required to serve in the Army on active duty.
Some ASU cadets are already in the Air National Guard or the Army Reserve, Witcher said, and will become officers after graduation.
"When you graduate you pin on second lieutenant rank," he said. "Cadets move on to specialized training, and can request a branch. Cadets in their junior year make a list of their order of preference," anything from armor, infantry or aviation.
"Students with Army ROTC scholarships serve four years on active duty, with another four years "in a different capacity," Witcher said.
"They can choose how to serve for the next four," Witcher said, adding that cadets could select staying on active duty, or join the National Guard, the Reserves or the Inactive Ready Reserve, composed of former active duty and reserve personnel.
Cadets not holding a scholarship follow a different route: three years of active duty and five elsewhere.
Earning an Army ROTC scholarship covers a cadet's full tuition and fees, in state or out, and it covers up to $200 for textbooks per year. Cadets can use the ROTC scholarship for room and board if they already have another scholarship.
A contracted cadet gets a monthly stipend in college that varies for each year, Witcher said.
A minimum grade point average of 2.5 is required to get in the program. A physical exam is also required -- cadets without a scholarship must provide a doctor's note proving good health -- because the ROTC training continues in the field.
Cadets meet three times a week for physical training, or PT. They also go on road marches, carrying 35-pound rucksacks, and join in PT competitions. Cadets in the Ranger Challenge Team compete with other southwest ROTC teams in completing military tasks.
Once a semester, the cadets go on a field training exercise, or FTX. In April, cadets will go to Fort Huachuca in southeast Arizona for several days.
"When we go into the field, we train for our mission," Witcher said.
Witcher called the upcoming FTX an all-encompassing event most cadets will attend. Cadets will keep busy with weapons training, map reading and land navigation.
This year, ASU will join University of Arizona, Northern Arizona University, and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University for the FTX.
The program benefited Ryne Klauer of Phoenix, who became a cadet in 2004 and graduated last December. He is now a second lieutenant in the Army, and works as assistant scholarship officer at the ASU office.
"It's a really good program," said Klauer, who will soon begin training to become a medical service officer and will serve for seven years. "It definitely helped me stay on track in my classes. It's one of the best in the southwest region."
Meyers said joining the program has definitely paid off.
"I haven't regretted it," he said. "I've been all over the country. I got to go to Airborne School, Air Assault School and did an internship with a unit in Texas... I've seen a lot of new places."
Meyers, who will attend the Basic Officer Leadership Course at Fort Sill, Okla., said ROTC helps build personal strengths.
"I'm just excited for it, from the taste here in cadet land," Meyers said. "I've loved the experiences, it fits my personality. I'm loving it full time."
Correction: March 18,2008
The article incorrectly reports the ROTC covering up to $200 for textbooks. The correct amount is up to $1200.