President Hosts Joint ROTC Commissioning Ceremony
By Paul N. Kotakis

In its long and proud history, the Army ROTC program and its graduates have been accorded many honors. Secretaries of State, astronauts, innumerable corporate executives and a host of our Army's most senior leaders are among the ranks of the program's graduates.

But perhaps the most significant honor ever rendered to the program that provides the majority of Army officers took place at the White House this past spring.

On May 17, the East Room of the White House was the scene of the first Joint ROTC commissioning ceremony to be hosted by the President of the United States . In that historic setting, 25 Army ROTC cadets, representing more than 25,000 young Americans who decided to make Army ROTC a part of their total college experience this year, gathered to be administered the commissioning oath by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. (Read Full Article)

An educator's visit to Warrior Forge
By Maureen Eldredge, William F. Connell School of Nursing

Nestled on 84,000 acres of prairie land cut by a glacier, Fort Lewis , Washington is aptly named for Meriwether Lewis of The Corps of Discovery's Lewis & Clark. It is home to 60,000 military men and women and is the premier military installation in the Northwest. This summer the U.S. Army invited nursing educators representing rural, private, state, technical, and religious affiliated academic institutions to witness the rigor and role of ROTC leadership development and to discuss nursing issues facing both the private and military sectors.

My invitation from the U.S. Army Cadet Command arrived in April. Travel has not been a specialty of mine as there were children to raise and an education to be pursued as well as those constant life-situations that leave one no time for wandering. I felt like Dorothy in Oz trying to navigate airports, e-tickets, and baggage claims. Hence, once underway at 35,000 feet I exclaimed, “I must be on the wrong plane, we're headed over the ocean!” to which an incredulous flight attendant shot back, “Honey, those are the Great Lakes!” Thankfully, I was greeted in Seattle by a smiling 2 nd Lieutenant, who declared me “on point,” and whisked me away to the LDAC (Leader Development & Assessment Course) Warrior Forge Educator's Visit. It may have been an adventure for educator's, BUT, it turns out I was the one who got the education!

An ROTC cadet enters two worlds simultaneously, academic and military, striving for excellence as a scholar, athlete and leader; but it's at the LDAC where they actualize the cadet's potential by developing the leadership skills of a commissioned officer through weeks of rigorous physical and mental training. LDAC provides an ongoing rotation of coursework for teamwork and problem-solving i.e. (How do two short wood planks and a rope carry supply boxes over a large ravine?); survival missions, (How exactly does one survive 10 days of Seattle rain in the woods with insects, instant meals and without showers and toilets?); cultural awareness (How does a female soldier operate in a culture that is pre-dominantly male?); and finally, military policy and procedures, (How does one come to understand the responsibility and safety issues of weaponry?). The Army, through knowledge and know-how as well as the kinship of its ranks, can fine-tune the Cadets.

Next thing you know, I was standing on a rifle range armed with an M16 when a seasoned Southern NCO asked, “Ma'am, are you going to shoot the targets or not?” As I launched into a query from St. Augustine's Theory of Just War in my finest Boston accent I was thinking about the awesome power of this weapon and the consequence of pulling the trigger. The NCO, stared at the ground for a moment and said, “Ma'am, I totally understand your position but this is about protecting your life and the lives of those you love, and the freedom to do just that!” Targets popped up everywhere and in the end, he laughed, “Ma'am, the enemy is safe with you. I think you might've just shot a moose in Colorado!”

Nursing is a profession of head, heart, and hands. Head, for the intelligence it takes to decipher intricate medical calculations, the knowledge of ever-changing technology and the skills of critical thinking. Heart is for the empathy, compassion, and sympathy for dealing with the aged, the infirm, and the downtrodden; and finally Hands, for that human touch of one to another in a tender caring way. Realizing that the future of nursing education hangs in the balance, nursing educators and ROTC nursing personnel spoke freely about such issues as the need for more clinical preceptors and PhD trained educators. The stresses facing present nursing academics in the realms of research, publishing, teaching and advising magnify the daily demands of today's higher education. Since highly educated, well trained nurses are the backbone of the U.S. Army Nurse Corps, it is essential that the Army and civilian education officials work together in solving the problems facing the nursing profession.

Madigan Army Medical Center is a major military medical institution whose motto is “Care with Compassion”. Their mission is to provide top-notch health services, medical, dental and veterinary, to all area military personnel and their beneficiaries. It was there, through the stories of nurses returning from the ravages of war in Iraq and Afghanistan that the heart and soul of the American spirit came shining through. One nurse reached me on a visceral level. She was a Captain in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps, from a wealthy family, whose father would not speak to her when she announced she wanted to become a nurse and remained silent even longer when she entered the Army Nurse Corps and longer still when she was deployed to Iraq. In the end she said: “Dad, if these men and women, can give their lives for me, can't I give them decent healthcare?”

“I Am a Guardian of Freedom and the American Way of Life. I Am an American Soldier.” These are the final words of the “Soldiers Creed,” and as I flew home across these United States, viewing the mountains, deserts, rivers, plains, farms and cities of my country, I was struck by how proud I was to be an American and especially of those that keep us secure... Army Safe – Army Strong – America Secure!!!

Editors Note – Maureen Eldredge is with Boston College 's Connell School of Nursing's Undergraduate Admission Department.