USD Magazine, Winter 2001

Ma,~ NROTC Jtule11fJ receive a fall JcMlarJkiy in exclta,zge for afour-year commitmmt to tke military.

unit's commanding officer, "but running through each one will be the ethic of service to one's country. They get support, struc– ture, training, guaranteed employment, financial assistance, a lot of benefits. But the sense of patriotism is there as well. " Leader1-In-Waiting Simpson's job- and the jobs of the six other NROTC instructors on campus, all of whom are active duty Naval officers- is to channel that service ethic into the leader– ship qualities the Navy and Marine Corps need in their officers. Pam Marshall is a good example. When she started looking at colleges, Marshall, a talented softball and volleyball player, hoped to land a sports scholarship and maybe some academic-based financial aid. She hadn't really considered the military; her only knowledge of the service was an uncle who served. Perhaps sensing leadership ability and a penchant for organization, a high school counselor suggested she look into a Navy or Air Force ROTC scholarship. Accepted for

social life, and that was difficult at times." A unique aspect of the Navy program is the first-year "free look," after which stu– dents can opt out with no further obliga– tion. Marshall had her doubts, but decided to stay put. "I rook a hard look at what I wanted, and decided it was worth coming back." It's hard to believe now that Marshall once considered dropping out. She's become an Alpha 1 Platoon officer and joined Semper Fi, a club that meets for physical training and conducts its own classes on tac– tics, weapons and navigation techniques. She's considering a switch to the program's Marine Corps option, a rougher regimen for students who want to become Marine offi– cers, because she admires the way Marines take on the hardest military assignments. Oh, and she also volunteers as a tutor at San Diego's juvenile hall. In short, she's become a leader. "I think the biggest change is in my be– havior," she says. ''I've got a lot more tact and patience now. Even my parents noticed that I don't egg my sister into arguments anymore. "

both, the Navy program was a better deal for Marshall: a full four-year scholarship (the Air Force only pays for three years) at one of 57 NROTC universities and advanced technical training. In exchange, she promised four years to the Navy. Marshall, like most high school students accepted into the program, got her first– choice school, USD. T hat first year, Marshal l had doubts about her decision. She had joined the bat– talion's Alpha 1 Platoon, a highly disciplined unit that represents the battalion at drill competitions and practices twice a week, perfecting marching, movements and com– mands. T he extra work was wearing on her. She felt overwhelmed by the academic requirements-a Naval Science minor as well as courses in physics and calculus– and the discipline with which students are expected to conduct themselves. She thought seriously about quitting. "Un til my first semester, I didn't know what military life was really like," she says. "The time I put into NROTC affected everything from my class schedule to my

9

WINTER 200 l