Although the mass media is currently dominated by coverage of the U.S. military in Iraq, many Stanford students say they do not know anyone in the military, making it harder for them to grasp the reality of war. However, approximately 30 Stanford students are involved in the U.S. military through the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, and these students watch the unfolding world situation with particular interest and concern.

ROTC is a nationwide program that trains college students to become officers in a specific branch of the military. Students who participate in ROTC during all four years of their undergraduate career receive a full college scholarship from the U.S. government and a stipend for books and cost of living expenses, in addition to a guaranteed job upon graduation. In exchange, students must devote considerable time to the program while also attending college full-time, and they are required to serve active duty in the military for at least four years following graduation.

ROTC is an intense program, and only two upperclassmen from Stanford, juniors Justin Biolo and Sandy Kjono, are involved in Navy ROTC. Participants say that students choose to join ROTC because they need financial assistance to attend college, but also because they come from military families or because they want to learn leadership skills and ultimately serve their country.

“I personally wanted to join Army ROTC because of the fun challenges you encounter and the unique leadership training you receive,” said freshman Bobby Crotty. “We do obstacle courses, team challenge courses and many other challenging yet rewarding activities, from which you learn to work together as a team, and, when need be, to lead a team.”

The benefits of participating in ROTC as opposed to attending a military academy include the ability to have a civilian college experience while still training to become a military officer, participants say.

Despite this advantage, matters are also more complicated for Stanford students, because ROTC has not been housed on campus since 1969, when it was eliminated amidst anti-war sentiment by faculty who did not support the program. Stanford students who participate in ROTC must travel to other Bay Area schools several times a week, an inconvenience that these students willingly endure.

“During the busiest weeks, Kjono and I joked we were hardly students of our own school since we were at Berkeley three to four days a week,” said Biolo, a naval platoon commander and next year’s battalion commanding officer. “It has rarely seemed like work, though.”

ROTC has remained off campus since 1969, and though there have been movements to bring it back, opponents have argued that it would be inappropriate for Stanford to house an organization that discriminates against gay students, citing the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, or to give University credit for military training.

Three branches of military service are represented among Stanford students — the Army, which meets at Santa Clara University, the Air Force, which meets at San Jose State University, and the Navy, which meets at UC-Berkeley.

The overall time commitment among ROTC participants varies greatly, with the minimum being about six hours a week of drills, briefs, inspections, science classes and labs, as well as leadership instruction. Some Stanford students spend much more time with ROTC, however.

“Cadets take on more leadership roles in the cadet corps as they get older and demonstrate a high level of motivation and ability,” said senior Melissa Corley, a cadet wing commander with the Air Force. “These roles add more time. I have spent at least 20 to 25 hours a week, if not more, on ROTC with some of my leadership positions.”

This heavy involvement in ROTC can be frustrating for Stanford students, who often must sacrifice other extracurricular activities in order to devote their energies to school and ROTC. Participants say they also feel underappreciated by their peers, who are often unaware that Stanford students are involved with ROTC, and the University, which does not offer University credit for ROTC classes.

“Sometimes the weekly time commitment is extremely difficult, as ROTC units are not recognized at Stanford and so represent an ‘invisible’ addition to a normal Stanford workload,” Corley said.

ROTC students say they desire to be recognized and appreciated and fear how the military is perceived as a result of the war in Iraq.

“I feel there is a prevailing view that those of us in the military are something different, if not less, than human,” Biolo remarked. “As if the part of us that made us human was already lost, and maybe as the public we forget every sailor, soldier, airman and officer is also someone’s friend, brother, mother or daughter.”

Yet even with these difficulties, ROTC students like Corley who remain with the program to the end express satisfaction with their choice.

“Despite the frustration of my main extracurricular activity not being recognized by Stanford, Air Force ROTC has been an extremely rewarding experience for me, and the quality of leadership training I have received and made the most of is an integral part of who I am at Stanford and who I will be when I leave,” she said.

These students, especially those close to graduating, must pay special attention to current world events, as they realize that they will soon be actively serving in the armed forces. As officers, they will have large responsibilities. Some have the potential to be involved in direct combat, while others will work behind the scenes as engineers and project managers.