Final Stage: Commissioning

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Commissioning is the United States Army component of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps. It is the largest branch of the ROTC program, with 20,000 ROTC cadets in 272 ROTC programs at major universities throughout the United States.

The modern Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps was created by the National Defense Act of 1916. This program commissioned its first class of lieutenants in 1920. The concept behind ROTC, however, had its roots in military training which began taking place in civilian colleges and universities as early as 1819 with the founding of the American Literary, Scientific and Military Academy at Norwich, Vermont, followed by various state chartered military schools, and finally civilian land grant colleges after the Civil War, which required military training.

For a cadet who takes only the first two years of ROTC (Basic Course), there is no military obligation, unless the student is a 3-4 year scholarship cadet or has other specific scholarships. If a cadet has accepted a scholarship, service commitments may vary. With some exceptions, in order to progress to the last two years of the program (Advanced Course), the cadet must contract with the United States Army. To do so, the student enlists in the United States Army Reserve Control Group (ROTC) as a cadet and elects to serve on either Active Duty or in a reserve component

There are two ROTC courses of instruction administered: branch material and general military science. The far majority of ROTC programs today are general military science. If a program is branch material, the course of instruction is designed to prepare the cadet for appointment as a commissioned officer in a specific branch of the Army. A branch material unit may offer training in one or more specific branches. The cadet will train during ROTC specifically for that branch. When the cadet graduates, he or she will be commissioned in that branch. If the program is general military science, then the ROTC program will prepare the cadet for appointment as a commissioned officer in any branch of the Army for which he or she is qualified, as determined by the Army through a selection process. The following is an outline of a general military science program.

This is the final year of the ROTC program and the main focus is towards preparing cadets to become successful lieutenants in the Army upon graduation and commissioning. Senior cadets apply for their branches. Senior cadets apply before end of their third year but have until mid September to make any changes before they are locked in. In early September, cadets are notified of which service and status they were granted. The next thing they will be notified is the branch of choice in mid October. Last but not least, cadets will be given their requested first duty location from late March through early April. In the mean time, senior cadets are assigned cadet battalion staff positions and are responsible for evaluating MS III cadets, planning and coordinating training operations and missions. MSIV's main goal is to teach and train MSIII cadets as well as be a mentor and establish sustainable systems to meet all requirements and provide quality training designed to develop and prepare the best leaders for United States Army.

External Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Army_Reserve_Officers%27_Training_Corps

Commissioning Ceremony


Caption: The cadet will train during ROTC specifically for that branch. When the cadet graduates, he or she will be commissioned in that branch. If the program is general military science, then the ROTC program will prepare the cadet for appointment as a commissioned officer in any branch of the Army for which he or she is qualified, as determined by the Army through a selection process. The following is an outline of a general military science program.

ROTC commissioning ceremony at a university


Caption: Cadets practice briefing operations orders, executing small-unit tactics, leading and participating in physical training, and preparing for successful performance at the four week Leader Development and Assessment Course during the summer following the third year. Under current regulations, unless the cadet is in the Nursing program, attendance at the course is mandatory.

ROTC Rank Structure

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Military rank is a system of hierarchical relationships in armed forces or civil institutions organized along military lines. Usually, uniforms denote the bearer's rank by particular insignia affixed to the uniforms. Ranking systems have been known for most of military history to be advantageous for military operations, in particular with regards to logistics, command, and coordination; as time continued and military operations became larger and more complex, military ranks increased and ranking systems themselves became more complex.

Within modern armed forces, the use of ranks is almost universal. Communist states have sometimes abolished rank (e.g., the Soviet Russian Red Army 1918–1935, the Chinese People's Liberation Army 1965–1988, and the Albanian Army, only to re-establish them after encountering operational difficulties of command and control.

There are a number of different forms of rank:

Substantive or permanent rank is the fully paid and confirmed rank.
Acting rank is where the holder assumes the pay and allowances appropriate to the acting rank, but a higher commanding officer may revert the holder to previous rank held. This is normally for a short period of time while the permanent occupant of the office is absent.

Temporary rank usually granted for a specific task or mission. The holder holds the rank while occupying that position. Despite the name, temporary rank may be held for a considerable period of time, perhaps even years. In wartime, temporary ranks are often common.
Local rank is a form of temporary rank restricted to a specific location instead of a specific duty.
Brevet rank is a temporary rank, often honorary, without the pay and allowances appropriate to the rank. It was sometimes used by penurious governments to reduce costs.

External Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_rank

ROTC CADET RANKS


Caption: To get a sense of the practical meaning of these ranks—and thus to be able to compare them across the different armed services, different nations, and the variations of titles and insignia—an understanding of the relative levels and sizes of each command will be helpful.

Rank strcuture: Field training Officers


Caption: Field officers are officers who typically command units that can be expected to operate independently for short periods of time. Field officers also commonly fill staff positions of superior commands. The two terms are not necessarily synonymous. They are the backbone of the army and they are the ones who lead and support their troop in the front lines.

Military Science Courses

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Military science is the process of translating national defence policy to produce military capability by employing military scientists, including: theorists, researchers, experimental scientists, applied scientists, designers, engineers, test technicians, and military personnel responsible for prototyping. In so doing, military science seeks to interpret policy into what military skills are required, which, by employing military concepts and military methods, can use military technologies, military weapon systems, and other military equipment to produce required military capability.

Military science involves creation of theories, concepts, methods and systems applicable to the functions and activities of the armed forces, usually undertaken to increase overall military capability by increasing efficiency, effectiveness and simplicity of complex concepts, methods and systems used in military operations in peace during a war. Military science is the means by which military personnel obtain military technology, weapons, equipment and training to satisfactorily provide military capability as required by the national defence policy to achieve specific strategic goals. Military science is also used to establish enemy capability as part of technical intelligence.

In military history, military science had been used during the period of Industrial Revolution as a general term to refer to all matters of military theory and technology application as a single academic discipline, including that of the deployment and employment of troops in peacetime or in battle.

In military education, military science is often the name of the department in the education institution that administers officer candidate education. However, this education usually focuses on the officer leadership training and basic information about employment of military theories, concepts, methods and systems, and graduates are not military scientists on completion of studies, but rather junior military officers.

External Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_science

Military Science conducts map reading


Caption: Force structuring is the method by which personnel and the weapons and equipment they use are organized and trained for military operations, including combat. Development of force structure in any country is based on strategic, operational and tactical needs of the national defence policy, the identified threats to the country, and the technological capabilities of the threats and the armed forces.

Military Science Information Day Video


Caption: Military strategy is in many ways the centerpiece of military science. It studies the specifics of planning for, and engaging in combat, and attempts to reduce the many factors to a set of principles that govern all interactions of the field of battle. In Europe these principles were first defined by Clausewitz in his Principles of War. As such, it directs the planning and execution of battles, operations, and wars as a whole. Two major systems prevail on the planet today.

Air Assault

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Air assault is the movement of ground-based military forces, most commonly infantry, by VTOL aircraft such as the helicopter to seize and hold key terrain which has not been fully secured and to directly engage and destroy enemy forces. In addition to regular infantry training, these units usually receive training in rappelling and air transportation, and their equipment is sometimes designed or field modified to allow better transportation in helicopters.

Due to the transport load restrictions of helicopters, air assault forces are usually light infantry though light tracked armored fighting vehicles like the Russian BMD-1, German Wiesel 1 and Swedish Bv206 designed to fit the heavy lift helicopters which enable assaulting forces to combine air mobility with a degree of ground mechanisation. Invariably the assaulting troops are highly dependent on aerial fire support provided by escorting armed helicopters or fixed wing aircraft.

Air assault should not be confused with an airborne assault when infantry called paratroopers, and their weapons and supplies, are dropped by parachute from transport aircraft, often as part of a strategic offensive operation. Another form of delivering troops to an area of combat operations by air which is not a type of air assault is called air landing, and can involve either glider infantry, before and during the Second World War, or almost any type of Combat Arms or Combat Support Arms troops using an already-secured airhead to form an airbridge for a larger airlift operation. An air landing airlift is also conducted as part of a strategic offensive operation.

External Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_assault

Conducting Air Assualt Rappling


Caption: Royal Marines Commandos preparing to abseil down from a Royal Marines Lynx helicopter from 847 Naval Air Squadron (NAS), used in utility support of 3 Commando Brigade. They can also act as attack helicopters with the addition of 2 pods of 4 TOW wire-guided anti-tank missiles. They are conducted as a set of rope being propelled down and sliding down the rope.

Airassualt School Video


Caption: In the United States military, the air assault mission is now the primary role of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). This unit is the Army's only division-sized helicopter-borne fighting force. Many of its soldiers are graduates of the Air Assault course qualifying them to insert and extract using fast rope and rappel means from a hover in addition to the ordinary walk on and off from an airlanded helicopter.

Physical Training (PT)

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The Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) is designed to test the muscular strength/endurance and cardiovascular respiratory fitness of soldiers in the United States Army. Soldiers are given a score based on their performance in three events consisting of the push-up (PU), sit-up (SU), and a two-mile run. Possible scores range from 0 to 100 points in each event. A passing score is a total of 180 or higher with a minimum score of 60 in each event. Army Field Manual (FM) 21-20 covers the administration of the APFT, as well as ways to conduct personal, squad and unit level physical training (PT) sessions and will be performed by close out formation.

A soldier is required to take a "record" (meaning for official records) APFT at least twice each calendar year. If, due to a diagnosed medical condition, a soldier is temporarily unable to conduct one or more of the events in the record APFT, the soldier can be granted an extension to allow him or her to overcome his or her injury and return to an acceptable level of physical fitness. If a soldier has a permanent medical condition that keeps him or her from conducting the two mile run, an alternate aerobic event (2.5 mile walk, 800 yard swim, or 6.2 mile bike) is taken. There are no alternate events for the push-up or sit-up.

All events are conducted in accordance with standards detailed in chapter 14 of FM 21-20. Prior to the start of each event, the standard is read aloud from the FM. Then the reader will call 'Demonstrator Post'. A soldier, usually a grader or someone not performing the test, will demonstrate the correct exercise. He or she will then demonstrate the incorrect exercise and any disqualifying behaviors noted in the FM.

Scoring soldiers who are required to take an alternate aerobic event is slightly different. Scoring for alternate aerobic events is either GO or NO-GO (pass or fail) and is based on the gender and age of the individual. For the purposes of promotion, a soldier's score on an alternate event equals the average of their push-up and sit-up scores.

External Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Army_Physical_Fitness_Test

Army Physical Training: Push ups


Caption: The push-up event measures the endurance of the chest, shoulder, and triceps muscles. On the command ‘get set,’ assume the front-leaning rest position by placing your hands where they are comfortable for you. Your feet may be together or up to 12 inches apart. When viewed from the side, your body should form a generally straight line from your shoulders to your ankles. On the command ‘go,’ begin the push-up by bending your elbows and lowering your entire body as a single unit until your upper arms are at least parallel to the ground.

Army Physical Test once every 6 months


Caption: Failure to pass consecutive record APFTs can ultimately lead to separation from the US Army, although this is not always the case. Soldiers who have failed an APFT are often put into a remedial program, which essentially is just a second daily session of PT. An APFT failure also results in the soldier being flagged which make them ineligible for promotion and attendance to military training and/or schools. Although a popular misconception, per Army Regulation governing suspension of favorable actions, a soldier cannot be denied an award or decoration due to an APFT failure.

Ranger Challenge

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ROTC Ranger Challenge Information

This topic is devoted to information about Ranger Challenge and questions people may have about it. I have done the competition for three years now, and have seen three very different ways of setting up and executing the competition. I believe that 4th Region ROTC is now doing the same events the same way, so I am here to post just a few lines about each event. If you have any questions, I can try to fill you in with some answers.

The events are as follows:

Map Reading
PT test
Hand Grenade Assault Course
One Rope Bridge
M16 Dissassembly/AssemblyOrienteering
10k Force March

Map Reading: All 9 cadets will take the test. All test scores count. There are 20 questions and you have an hour to complete the test.

PT test: Just a standard PT test (PU, SU, 2 mile run).

HGAC: There are three targets: One at 35m in the open, a bunker, and a man in a fighting position at 20m. You have five grenades total and may throw no more than two grenades at any target. You will engage all targets IAW the CTT manual standards. There is also a 10m tangle foot obstacle that you must crawl under. The event is timed for speed (for points) and you score points based on following the standards to throw grenades and wether or not it is a kill.

One Rope Bridge: Teams will construct TWO rope bridges and the times are averaged to see how many points are scored based on time. You also score points based on construction of the rope and following proper procedure. Teams are disqualified for leaving a weapon behind or not using the correct knot on the transport tightening system. Time penalties are assessed for touching the obstacle or dropping items into the obstacle.

M16: Teams will run 50m to the weapon, where they will disassemble the weapon (including handguards), stop the time, assemble the weapon, perform a functions check, then run back to the starting point.

Orienteering: Teams are given 90 min to locate as many two letter codes as they can find. Team captains will go to a master map and plot the points on their map. They can then split up their teams into groups of no less than 2 people. Points are worth between 5 and 35 points. A 5 point penalty per minute is assessed to any team that does not complete the course up to 100 min (10 min overtime). After that, the team is disqualified. There is a possible 400 points.10k march: Teams will complete a 10k march with rucks containing the ROTC Ranger Challenge packing list while wearing kevlars and weapons. Points are scored based time.

Like I said before, I believe 4th Region is now standardized on how to do this. I would imagine that the other regions are doing similar things, and if you want, you may post about it.

External Link: http://www.militaryltd.com/forum/ranger-challenge-summer-bmt-bootcamp-events/m1752-rotc-ranger-challenge-information.htm

Cadet performing rope bridge event


Caption: The rope climbing event consists of all the challengers to climb the rope on to the other side of the platform. The Ranger Challenge is a tremendously competitive event for ROTC athletes, and it’s packed with pressure to perform. Ambitious cadets know that every aspect of their four-year college performance factors into the job they get in the U.S. Army, so they’re eager to give their best at the Ranger Challenge.

ROTC ranger challenge Video


Caption: Cadets from UNC's Amry ROTC traveled to Ft. Pickett in Virginia this weekend to compete against 21 other schools in the Ranger Challenge. They were judged in physical ability, marksmanship and land navigation, among other things. They conduct various exercises and being scored to come up on the top.

Airborne

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Airborne forces are military units, usually light infantry, set up to be moved by aircraft and 'dropped' into battle. Thus they can be placed behind enemy lines, and have an ability to deploy almost anywhere with little warning. The formations are limited only by the number and size of their aircraft, so given enough capacity a huge force can appear "out of nowhere" in minutes, an action referred to as vertical envelopment.

Conversely, airborne forces typically lack the supplies and equipment for prolonged combat operations, and are therefore more suited for airhead operations than long-term occupation; furthermore, parachute operations are particularly sensitive to adverse weather conditions. Advances in helicopter technology since World War II have brought increased flexibility to the scope of airborne operations, and air assaults have largely replaced large-scale parachute operations, and (almost) completely replaced combat glider operations. However, due to the limited range of helicopters and the limited number of troops that can be transported by them many countries retain Paratroopers as a valuable strategic asset.

The basic premise of the Airborne is that they can arrive with such speed that a coherent defence cannot be mounted against them for some time. It is assumed that this tactical advantage cannot be sustained for very long, so effective Airborne missions require the rapid advance of ground based troops in support. Another problem regularly faced by Airborne troops, is that they are usually defencless in transit and while they descend. However, it is rather difficult to hit a moving target, especially a paratrooper because their movements while descending will be erratic and not in a straight line.

Airborne forces are generally composed of infantry and light, non-armored vehicles and guns. In World War II light motorcycles were used by paratroopers; the American Cushman Model 53 and the British Welbike. After the Korean war, vehicles light enough to be dropped by parachute were developed, such as the M551 Sheridan. The Soviets developed the BMD-1 and BMD-3 fighting vehicles. Helicopters can also transport vehicles such as the German Wiesel AWC, LAV-25 and British CVR(T) series. Large transports can carry only small numbers of main battle tanks or heavier infantry fighting vehicles.

External Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airborne_forces

Airborne School: Parachutes deployed


Caption: Paratroopers from the U.S. Army's ROTC cadets' jump from a C-17 Globemaster at Ft. Bragg, N.C., during Exercise to obtain an airborne parachutist badge. The school consists of two week long class and on hand training exercise. During the second week, they perform the airborne jump from the plane down below using the techniques they've learned.

Conducting jumps using parachute Video



Caption: The United States Army Airborne School — widely known as Jump School — conducts the basic paratrooper (military parachutist) training for the United States armed forces. It is operated by the 1st Battalion (Airborne), 507th Infantry, United States Army Infantry School, Fort Benning, Georgia. The Airborne School conducts the Basic Airborne Course, which is open to soldiers of both genders from all branches of the US Army, its sister services, and allied military personnel.

Leadership Training Course (LTC)

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Four Weeks, Four Phases, For those who want to lead

There are scholars among you who aspire to achieve something even greater than a college degree. They aspire to be leaders. They are Army ROTC Cadets - and you can join them by attending the Leader's Training Course (LTC).

LTC is four weeks of intense classroom and field training held in the summer at Fort Knox, KY. This course is an accelerated version of the two years of leadership development training Cadets receive in the Basic Course. By transforming yourself through this rigorous training, you will qualify for enrollment in the Army ROTC Advanced Course on campus-provided you have two years of college remaining (undergraduate or graduate). Once you successfully complete LTC and agree to contract and enter the Advanced Course, you may also qualify to receive a $5,000 bonus.

At LTC you experience the Army firsthand. You will receive the kind of leadership development training that is unmatched by any other program. How? By developing your potential in the most important of ways-mentally, physically and emotionally. You will be grouped into squads where you will gain experience in all leadership roles-culminating in verbal and written feedback on your improvement. You will also receive a stipend, transportation to and from Fort Knox, housing and meals. The four weeks and four phases of LTC can lead you to the ultimate goal: becoming an Army Officer.

The benefits of this leadership training will extend well beyond your college years into any career you choose. You may even qualify for a two-year scholarship that may take care of your college tuition and many other expenses.

External Link: http://branchorientation.com/rotc/leaders_training.jsp

Cadet Rappling a 40 foot tower


Caption: A cadet attempts to rappel down a 40-foot campus wall as a LTC exercise. They not only rapel during LTC course, but goes through many rigorous trainings. Such as if enlisted would go through basic, future officers must go through this phase to become commissioned and are evaluated based on their performance.

Army ROTC LTC course overview Video


Caption: A look at Army ROTC's Leadership Training Course (LTC). They conduct various exercise. PT, rapel, obstacles, teamwork, and many missions to gain confidence and leadership qualities. In this video, it shows the highlights of LTC and how it is conducted yearly by many ROTC sponsored universities.

Field Training Exercise (FTX)

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Fall FTX

The Fall Field Training Exercise (FTX) is a weekend long event that is used to provide MS III Cadets with an insight into what the rest of the year’s expectations will entail, as well as what the Leader Development and Assessment Course (LDAC) is going to be like. MSI’s and MS II’s were introduced to many different concepts that provided them experiences that will prove useful in their future training this year, and in the years to come.

On Friday, the MS III’s began the weekend by conducting the Night Land Navigation (NLN) course in the woods surrounding Saint John’s University. Upon completion of the NLN course, the MS III’s were moved to a different location to conduct rock drills, which are mock battle drills performed step by step so that the Cadets can learn and understand how to perform the important steps in each drill. On Saturday, we were given an OPORD (Operations Order) class that taught us the finite details of briefing the Squad you are in charge of during the Situational Training Exercise (STX) lanes that would follow that afternoon.

Following the OPORD class, we conducted Day Land Navigation and STX lanes. These lanes were the first opportunity for the MS III’s to lead a tactical exercise in their ROTC training. These lanes were also an opportunity for the MS I’s and MS II’s to become familiar with these tactical exercises. After the completion of the STX lanes, the MS I’s and II’s were released for the weekend while the MS III’s received a class on Patrol Base Operations. After our class, we moved into the woods to apply what we had learned. In the early morning hours of Sunday we set up an Ambush for one of the other squads that was moving down a road. All MS III’s that completed this weekend’s training gained insight and knowledge that will prove incredibly useful for their Warrior Forge training at Ft. Lewis, WA.

External Link: http://www1.csbsju.edu/rotc/current_events/2008%20Fall%20FTX.htm

ROTC Cadet conducting FTX with his m-16 rifle


Caption: Spc. Kynan Sherman, Co. A, DSTB inspects his weapon after reacting to enemy contact June 4 during a exercise near Dongduchon. The exercise tested the signal Soldiers' war-fighting abilities. One purpose of the training was to get the Soldiers certified on the Satellite Tactical Terminals, Joint Node Networks and Satellite Mobile Anti-Jam Reliable Tactical Terminal, also known as the Smart-T. The Soldiers understood the importance of achieving proficiency on those machines.

Virginia Tech Army ROTC - FTX


Caption: Virginia Tech ROTC cadets conduct field training exercise. The Fall Field Training Exercise is a weekend long event that is used to provide Cadets with an insight into what the rest of the year’s expectations will entail, as well as what the Leader Development and Assessment Course is going to be like. Were introduced to many different concepts that provided them experiences that will prove useful in their future training this year, and in the years to come.

ROTC

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The Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) is a college-based, officer commissioning program, predominantly in the United States. It is designed as a college elective that focuses on leadership development, problem solving, strategic planning, and professional ethics.The U.S. Armed Forces and a number of other national militaries, particularly those countries with strong historical ties to the United States, have ROTC programs.

The Republic of the Philippines established its program in 1912, with the creation of the first unit at the University of the Philippines during American colonial rule. ROTC in the Republic of Korea started in 1963.ROTC produces officers in all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces except the U.S. Coast Guard. ROTC graduates constitute 56 percent of U.S. Army, 11 percent of U.S. Marine Corps, 20 percent of U.S. Navy, and 41 percent of U.S. Air Force officers, for a combined 39 percent of all active duty officers in the Department of Defense. The Philippine-based National ROTC Alumni Association (NRAA) estimates that 75 percent of the officer corps of the Armed Forces of the Philippines come from ROTC.With the exception of the U.S. Coast Guard, each of the U.S. Armed Forces offer competitive, merit-based scholarships to ROTC students, often covering full tuition for college in exchange for extended periods of active military service.

For example, in the U.S. Army ROTC, students who receive an Army ROTC scholarship or enter the Army ROTC Advanced Course must agree to complete an eight-year period of service with the Army after college. U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force ROTC students are referred to as cadets, while U.S. Naval ROTC students are known as midshipmen; these terms coincide with their service academy counterparts.

The Naval ROTC program commissions both U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps officers. The U.S. Coast Guard sponsors only a JROTC program.Army ROTC units are organized as brigades, battalions, and companies. Air Force ROTC units are detachments with the students organized into wings, groups, squadrons, and flights, like the active Air Force. Naval ROTC units are organized into Naval battalions. If the Marine students are integrated with the Navy students, there are companies; but having the Navy students in departments and divisions like a ship, and the Marines in a separate company is only done when an ROTC unit has sufficient members to warrant an extra division.

External Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reserve_Officers

Cadet conducting Field Training Exercise


Caption: Cadets not only do labs and Physical Exercises on campus. Each year during the summer, they attenend different trainings. In this case, this ROTC Cadet is doing a Field Training Exercise (FTX) in which you have to go through many obstacles just as if you would have to do in basic training for enlisted personnel. They vary from jumpschool to Leadership training courses and gets tougher each year.

Promo Video on ROTC events


Caption: A short promo video re-capping the events of 2009 at the UCLA Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC). This is a collection of material shot over a year including a promotions ceremony, FTX, and graduate officer commissioning. They have many events not only FTX and commissioning but also fun barbeques and playing in the beach as physical training.