The Air Force and international business is a family affair for College of Business freshman Jorge Chamot Jr.

Chamot Jr. is a Fourth Class Cadet in the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC). He is following the family tradition, according to his father Jorge Chamot Sr.

The grandfather and uncle of Chamot Jr. both had a history in the Peruvian Air Force. The grandfather was a Lieutenant General and also earned his U.S. Navy wings.

His uncle was a pilot in the Peruvian Air Force.

Chamot is originally from Miami, Florida. He started at Loyola New Orleans in August and was forced to leave because of Hurricane Katrina. He hadn't began classes yet.

"Sunday afternoon, we got the news, 'Get out! The dorms are closing!' Monday, the thing hit and we were told to find a new place to call home for the semester," Chamot said. In "20 hours, everything changes around you and you're left… with no idea of what's going to happen."

This was normal for Chamot, who is "used to hurricanes." He experienced Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and said that evacuation of Miami happens three to four times per year.

The transition to Marquette was easy for Chamot, who said he was surprised by the reception he received when he first arrived on campus over Labor Day weekend.

"The faculty and staff that received us were extremely happy to have us. It was not at all a burden or problem for them. They seemed to have enjoyed the fact that we were visiting here."

Moving around is not new for Chamot. After living in Peru for five years, his family went back to Miami where Chamot completed high school, according to Chamot's father.

"I love to travel," Chamot said, "so that whole change of surroundings to me is actually something I enjoy."

The Air Force detachment received Chamot with "arms wide open" and also made the transition easy, Chamot said.

"I have definitely fallen in love with (the ROTC), more than I thought I would," Chamot said. "I wouldn't trade it for anything else. Hopefully, a flying career is in the future."

For Chamot, he feels as if he is participating in a study abroad program.

"New Orleans and Miami are completely different to what Milwaukee is like from the weather, to the city, to the way people are," Chamot said.

College of Engineering freshman Matthew Egan met Chamot while he was moving into O'Donnell Hall.

"I'm glad he found his way up here to this school because it wouldn't be the same without him," Egan said, who described Chamot as fun-spirited and outgoing.

At first Egan was in disbelief when he found out that Chamot was in ROTC. Egan said Chamot defied the stereotype of an ROTC man.

"He might not be the cookie-cutter ROTC guy, but that's what he loves."

If Egan had been in Chamot's situation, "I would have been pretty frightened," he said.

"It's a great story to tell," said Capt. Rob Leese of the U.S. Air Force, "because not only did he take Marquette up on the offer of coming up here to study, but he's also planning on serving his country in the near future."

Chamot was the only ROTC member to accept Marquette's offer, said Leese, who worked with Chamot as unit admission officer and is also assistant professor of Aerospace Studies.

"As a freshman, he is just a phenomenal asset," Leese said of Chamot, who spends time helping to recruit other students to join ROTC at Marquette. "He helps out so much it's amazing."

"It is truly a feel-good story," Leese said of Chamot's history.

Leese said there is at least one postitive outcome of the "horrid event" that Katrina was.

"I learned that tragedies truly bring people together. There would have been no way that we would have ever met him if Katrina didn't happen," Leese said. "Sometimes even the worst events can bring out some good light. I feel better knowing Chamot because he's a very likable, energetic, and positive person."

Chamot Sr. is also optimistic about his son's future.

"He is very dependent in getting whatever he proposes himself to get," he said. "He's always been pretty sure of what he's wanted all along, and he works very hard in getting what he wants."

Although Chamot is "truly thankful" to be at Marquette, he said he would "most likely" be going home in December, back to Loyola.,”James A. Molnar”

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