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Grace Chao
March 29, 2016

The MIT intramural soccer team didn't seem at all phased when a bunch of college kids in camo set up a patrol base in the middle of Steinbrenner Field. Dummy (yet fairly realistic-looking) rifles in the low ready position, Army ROTC cadets secured the turf from everything except an errant goal kick and wayward header. After falling out of formation at the field, cadets marched the two hundred yards or so back to the unit in almost perfect unison, save for one particular Harvard rugby player who may have missed a few steps. For anyone unfamiliar with the program or who doesn't recognize the ROTC insignia on our left shoulders, the marching students in combat uniform may as well be real, professional soldiers in the US Army.

The previous statement really isn't far from the truth. Cadets in the Reserve Officers' Training Corps are not just studying as full-time college students, but also training to commission as officers in the U.S Armed Forces upon completion of intensive leadership and military science courses. Army ROTC is structured in close parallel to the real Army's chain of command, with the same expectations, values, traditions, customs, and courtesies. It goes without saying that juggling Harvard coursework, a varsity sport, ROTC and extracurriculars present a host of unique challenges, but I've also found no shortage of unique advantages.

A soldier trains to be the quintessential scholar-athlete, ready to lead and execute. Physical training for ROTC and rugby often complement each other well, and the mental skills required to contribute to a team effort carry over beyond the pitch and drilling field to the classroom. Where crossing the bridge to the Harvard athletic facilities usually signifies leaving the academic for the athletic, entering the unit on Vassar Street means entering a world that thoroughly integrates the two. From the skills and strategies cadets learn in Military Science class and Leadership Lab to grueling Physical Training (PT) sessions, every challenge is presented under the auspices of producing mentally sharp and physically fit officers.

As an MSI (academic freshman) who enrolled this semester, I've really only scratched the surface of the Army ROTC program. Some people have asked me if I will be required to serve after graduation, and one of the great parts about the program is that I don't have to give an answer quite yet. MSIs and MSIIs (academic sophomores) are allowed to participate in the program without incurring a service requirement, and choose by the end of sophomore year whether or not to continue with the battalion and sign a contract to eventually serve in the Army.

Irrespective of my current non-contracted status, something changes when I put on my uniform and lace up my boots to go to class and lab. I walk a little faster and stand a little taller, knowing that the uniform and flag patched on its right sleeve ask me to be a reflection of Army values and professionalism. I have found eight amazing battle buddies and friends in my MSI classmates, and am extremely fortunate to study and train under fantastic MS Professors and cadet leaders. This semester with the Paul Revere Battalion has been a very positive experience, and I look forward to being an MSII next fall.