An Interview with Lt. Col Andre Dean: The R.O.T.C. and Education

The Army can strengthen you for tomorrow in Cheap Rosetta Stone Software many ways. As a soldier in the U.S. Army, you will be given every opportunity to grow and mature, especially when it comes to your career.Michael F. ShaughnessyEastern New Mexico University1) Lt Col Dean, I understand there are some outstanding activities pending. Tell us about some of them.Just last week, the US Army launched Education Week through Army Strong Stories, to showcase the many education opportunities available through the US Army with first-hand stories from ROTC cadets about their education experiences. It also represented the first time such a large group of cadets joined forces to share their experiences about ROTC life simultaneously on a social media channel and we were thrilled with the outcome. At the end of last week, there were nearly 240 ROTC cadets from colleges and universities across the nation blogging on Army Strong Stories and we're confident more ROTC cadets will participate on the site given the engaging conversations and interest we observed.2) Now, please, a brief history of this thing we call R.O.T.C.- when did it start, who started it and what is the current status?ROTC stands for Reserve Officers Training Corps and the program is viewed as one of the best leadership courses in the country. Students participate in ROTC courses, leadership labs, physical training sessions, and field training exercises as part of their overall college curriculum. Upon graduation from Army ROTC, participants earn the bar of a Second Lieutenant and are commissioned into the Active Army, Army Reserve or Army National Guard. The concept of ROTC in the United States began with theMorrill Actof 1862, which established land-grant colleges, where military courses were a component of regular college programs. Currently there are 273 major universities nationwide that have an accredited Army ROTC department on their campus, and some 1100+ Rosetta Stone German V3 universities which partner with these 273 departments to provide Army ROTC to their students for academic credits in leadership studies. Army ROTC currently commissions some 5,300 officers into the Army each year, producing about 70% of the Army's congressionally mandated officer strength in a given year.3) My local high school has a number of very fine young men and women, who represent their community, their state and their nation- what can the Army offer them in their later years?The Army can strengthen you for tomorrow in many ways. As a soldier in the U.S. Army, you will be given every opportunity to grow and mature, especially when it comes to your career. Youre constantly meeting new challenges, problem solving and gaining new skills and responsibilities while serving in one of more than 150 jobs in the Army. So, wherever you see yourself in the future, your Army experience will help get you there. Soldiers gain the physical and mental strength, job skills and leadership capabilities that will benefit their career whether they continue to serve their nation in the Army or choose a job in the civilian world.4) I was fortunate enough to play basketball against West Point in my younger days. How many ROTC individuals go on to the Air Force Academy, West Point, Annapolis and the other branches of the military service?ROTC-commissioned officers do not go on to the nation's military academies, as they already have a commission and have no need of a West Pointawarded second degree. ROTC commissionees go directly into the military track they have chosen and begin their military service.5) I believe that a lot more is learned in ROTC than just how to hold the American Flag- can you tell us some of the attitudes, skills, beliefs, values and philosophies that are learned?In Army ROTC, our cadets/college students learn leadership, values, traditions, physical conditioning, military history, and numerous hands-on applications of field-leadership with immediate feedback and constructive criticism for enhanced improvement of 16 dimensional leadership characteristics Rosetta Stone Software mental, physical, conceptual, interpersonal, emotional, technical, tactical, communicating, decision making, motivating, planning/preparing, executing, assessing, developing, building, and learning. They learn to win the confidence of their subordinates and lead them to mission success, wherever the Army sends them and whatever the mission.6) Now, apparently you are involved in this social networking stuff- tell us about this aspect of your recruiting endeavors?That's correct. I work in the strategic communications group for US Army Accessions Command, where we manage the Army's messaging and communications on social media channels like Facebook, Twitter and Army Strong Stories, the first Army blog to provide Soldiers and supporters a place online to share honest perspective on military life through blog entries, photos and videos. We have more than 450 Soldiers blogging with backgrounds ranging from medical and human resources to legal and public affairs.