By Scarlett M. Barger
scarlett@newsroom.byu.edu
ROTC cadets say they are serving their country as well as upholding LDS values.
Students can commit to join the ROTC in high school or after they already begin college, said Air Force Captain Cody Barker.
The ROTC is divided into an Army branch and an Air Force branch. Both branches are run primarily by students and provide many leadership opportunities, he said.
Once contracted, student cadets can benefit from scholarships or financial aid or gain training in their specialty field while paid a monthly salary, he said.
In return cadets must commit to at least four years of military service after they graduate, depending on what fields they are studying, he said.
Cadets must also take various military training classes at BYU and complete different stages of mental and physical training two or three times a year, he said.
Some training is local, but other times, cadets must train at locations across the country or overseas, he said.
Unlike what many people think, the ROTC protects cadets from the draft, instead of sending them to war, said Army Sergeant, Kenneth Johnson.
Raised in a military family, Army Cadet Jared Allred said students often misunderstand the way the military works and the choices officials make.
The military is something people can't understand until they've been through it, he said.
Allred, 23, a junior majoring in exercise science from Lindon, Utah, said his scholarship is an excellent way to pay for school. Since he wants to become a doctor and he enjoys traveling, he said he plans to serve in the military for 30 years.
Some cadets join the ROTC for scholarship and pay benefits, but many returned missionaries join as a way to keep serving others, he said.
The Boy Scout lessons Allred learned growing up are reinforced many times over, he said.
BYU has one of the best ROTC programs because the gospel reinforces the values that are emphasized in the Army, he said.
Charity Coe, 20, a senior majoring in community health from Cheyenne, Wyoming, said she enjoys the camaraderie and training from the ROTC program at BYU.
The Army division has seven core values that officers try to tie in with LDS doctrine, she said.
The values include loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, and personal courage, she said.
Coe's officers give awards based on heroes in the scriptures, she said.
Kendall Gillespie, public affairs director of the Air Force branch, said Air Force officers give out similar awards.
The values of the Air Force are integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all we do, he said.
Although the physical training is difficult, and the cadets have great responsibilities, he said the military is a 'noble profession' because of its values of courage and sacrifice.