Waking up bleary-eyed to the raging alarm clock, you glance to see that it is 4:30 a.m.
Immediately, you put on your uniform and head out the door, walking to the unit where your friends and peers join you as the sun rises over Milwaukee. Once you arrive, you train for the ultimate goal, to be well-equipped for when you join the military.
Some are unaware of this other world that the cadets in the Reserves Officer Training Corps, or ROTC, face every morning.
ROTC is a program that requires students to take military science classes along with their regular college classes. Students will then be required to enlist as an officer in the U.S. Army, Navy or Air Force once they graduate.
Brianna Sanchez, a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences, chose to accept this reality early into her freshman year. Sanchez sat in a common room of the place called the “unit” by the cadets, which is located in the Old Gym building on Marquette’s campus.
This upstairs loft, though not too stylish in its décor, felt homey and comfortable to be in. The walls lined with books of historical moments and stories of war and the gaming set up with a TV offer the cadets comfort in this space.
For Sanchez, leadership challenges her and holds her accountable to be her best self. Sanchez leads a service committee through ROTC that meets to help out in different ways around the community with one to two events per month. Sitting back on the couch, she enthusiastically explained the many opportunities the club has seen since she took on the role.
“We were actually able to go to the Milwaukee Humane Society, which was really nice. Sometimes, I’ll have people come here, and we’ll knit blankets for the Children’s Hospital or do Christmas cards for veterans,” Sanchez said.
William Robertson, a first-year in the College of Engineering, is not as far along as Sanchez in his journey to the military. However, his determination is still present. Robertson was accepted to Marquette and from there joined the ROTC program. Since then, the military has been his goal, and it will be for the next four years.
Leaning back in his chair, Robertson recalled his experience with his first Ranger Challenge this year, a way for cadets to test their leadership and technical skills. He explained the series of trials that cadets who are placed on a team go through, ranging from grenade throwing to land navigation.
Lionel Carapia, a sophomore in the College of Engineering, wants to help the community through the skills he has learned in ROTC. Similarly to Sanchez, Carapia wanted to join the military to challenge himself mentally and physically.
Carapia shifted in his seat as he explained that we only have one life, so why not make the most of it? The sun came in from the nearby window, lighting up the room with a hopeful glow. With his brow furrowed, he explained that the military is known to challenge every individual, and he was looking for something like that in his life.
Looking off, Carapia said that he wanted his future kids to look up to him as an example.
“There are certain things that are not legal. Things where a person can’t be the way that they are, you know? Those are the kind of things I want to protect and serve for because those are things that I value considerably,” Carapia said.
This story was written by Bridget Lisle. She can be reached at [email protected].
