The events of Sept. 11 have renewed the patriotic zeal of the nation. Throughout the land, citizens from every ethnic and religious background have united to express their sorrow over lives needlessly lost to violence at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. They have also united in their support of President Bush’s recent formal declaration of war on terrorism and those that harbor terrorists.
However, as troops begin to deploy throughout the nation, it leaves some students concerned over the welfare of loved ones in the U. S. armed forces.
“I hate that this is happening, but it is something that must be done. I just hope that there are as few lives lost as possible,” Mary Beth Johnson, a senior whose fiance is stationed in Houston, Texas, said.
According to Capt. John Shapleigh, an instructor for Mississippi State University’s ROTC, it is highly unlikely that any of the students involved within this program will be directly affected.
Shapleigh said the ROTC is going about business the same as always, and instructors are maintaining the same high standards of academic, physical and psychological excellence that they always have in the past. According to Shapleigh, one of the primary functions of the ROTC is to teach the cadets within the program the leadership and management skills necessary to future officers within the U. S. military.
Some of these skills include problem solving, team building, military ethics and technical writing.
Jessica Hanser, a cadet, said the ROTC is much more than that.
“The ROTC is teaching us to be proactive rather than just reactive,” Hanser said. “It is training us to be both leaders for the nation and in life.”
Although the ROTC is not developing any programs specifically tailored around the president’s recent declaration against terrorism on Sept. 20, Shapleigh said he feels that any concerns or questions that the cadets may have toward this matter have already been met and are being met by the instruction that they are already receiving.
“The only differences that I have seen within the cadets is that they are perhaps a little more vigilant and aware of their surroundings, but not in a way that is interfering in the classroom or anything like that,” Col. Marlon Yankee, instructor for the ROTC, said.
“Predominantly, the cadets are very upbeat and positive about the recent developments,” Shapleigh said.
“The cadets are having the same reactions as the rest of the American public. They share the same concerns and the same sense of patriotic fervor during this time that all their fellow citizens feel,” Yankee said. “However, being part of the Air Force ROTC allows them to declare their patriotism openly in a way entirely different from other Americans, through the uniform they wear.”
Hanser affirmed this sentiment. According to Hanser, many of her fellow cadets are very supportive of the current turn of events, and several wish that they could take a more active part in it.
“There is a definite concern there; we’re Americans,” Cadet 1st Lt. Kirk Donahoe said. “However, we’re not officially in the military yet. I think that right now every American is trying to find something important that they can be involved in concerning the events of Sept. 11 and its ramifications. Right now, especially within the younger cadets, what we’re seeing is a lot more pride in wearing the uniform and of being a member of the ROTC. They’re happy to be a part of something important.”
“We all feel a big loss about what happened, but business has to go on as usual,” Shapleigh said. “Every day we display our patriotism with the uniform we wear. I’m proud to be a part of the United States Air Force.