Leaders in Uniform
ROTC cadets step up to the challenge

By Lisa Sheaffer

What do Colin Powell, Sam Walton, and Earl Graves have in common?  Well, the Secretary of State, the late Wal-Mart founder, and Black Enterprise magazine publisher all share a past connection to the Reserve Officer Training Corp Program (ROTC). So, while these individuals led the way in their respective fields, the leaders of the next generation are marching off to boot camp. Well not exactly, but they are enrolling in the ROTC program.

The core values for the ROTC program at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University are integrity, service, and excellence, but their aptitude for leadership can’t be ignored. At a minimum, senior cadets enrolled in the program are required to hold a leadership position on campus for at least one semester. Further, they often become the guides and teachers for the younger cadets due to the disproportionate number of officers for the over 500 cadets.

“We organize the students to mirror a real Air Force wing, “ says Major John Heidmann, Air Force ROTC cadet commander. “They have a responsibility to make things happen and find a way to mobilize each other.”

Cadets can hone their leadership skills during leader labs. Senior cadets teach basic skills such as marching, physical training, and group problem solving. “Leadership building is important so that we can be the leaders we need to be for the country,” Heidmann says.

ROTC students at Bethune-Cookman College wear a leadership excellence patch on their sleeves, which acts as their unit’s motto. “The world is constantly crying out for leaders in every aspect of society,” says Capt. Craig L. Robinson, assistant professor of military science at ERAU and Bethune-Cookman College. “The impact of leadership or lack thereof is felt either positively or negatively in every way.”

Leading by Example
Christopher Zotter, Army ROTC cadet and ERAU senior, became part of the ROTC program after he won a four-year Green-to-Gold Scholarship, given to enlisted soldiers with the aspirations and the ability to become officers.

Zotter undertook the responsibility of coordinating and implementing the training for the younger cadets, and he doesn’t take this responsibility lightly because he says if these exercises aren’t run well, the cadets miss out on the best possible training.

Cadets also are the key components to the command staff which develops the training plans for the Ranger Challenge Team, a group that competes head to head with other schools in physical fitness, rifle marksmanship, land navigation, and basic infantry tactics.  ERAU continually ranks within the top three of 26 schools in Georgia, Florida, and Puerto Rico.

Zotter and the other leaders that marched this team to success operate under the Army’s concept of be, know, and do responsibilities. “The leadership skills one has are very important,” Zotter says. “You have to be the leader your subordinates are entitled to, you have to know everything that is required of your position, and you must do what you are asking everyone else to do.”

However, Zotter sees the importance of his leadership skills beyond the call of duty.  Leadership skills translate into better performance whether you’re in the military or civil sector. “In the civilian field, if you think your boss is the best at what he does, you’ll be inspired to work for him and do your best to be as good or better. The military is much the same—the best leaders are the ones constantly improving and expanding their abilities,” Zotter says.

Zotter continues to develop his leadership skills by delegating authority, distributing information, and forming plans for the less-experienced cadets in an effort to achieve his goal upon graduation next year of becoming a helicopter pilot.

Leadership Beyond ROTC
Kathleen Tagami, AROTC cadet and ERAU sophomore, saw the ROTC program as the next step after being involved in JROTC in high school.

Only a year into the program, she says she’s built on her existing leadership skills as a result of her participation.

She points to the fact that the ROTC program aims to train future military officers, and as a result, it remains important that the program employ leadership tactics. “It’s important to take charge when the time comes and lead your subordinates to get the job done,” Tagami says.

Tagami has learned such skills through the leader labs, which she attends every Thursday where discussions and training take place. And while she plans to put these skills to use in the program by trying out for the Ranger Challenge Team next year, she’s already used them at the local attraction where she works. “There have been times when I have been called upon to take charge of tasks because my managers knew I had the leadership qualities to handle it,” she says.

Confidence through the Color Guard
An uncle in the military that was stationed in Germany sparked Daren Byrd’s interest in the military.  As a result of his uncle, this ERAU junior and AROTC cadet enrolled in the ROTC program.

Byrd has used his leadership skills as a member of the color guard. He is the first sergeant in the color guard—the direct training position. He takes pride in his responsibility of transforming inexperienced cadets into the role models of their class. In fact, Byrd denied the position of color guard commander for the position of first sergeant so that he would be in direct contact with the trainees instead of just acting as a supervisor.

“The ROTC program places demands on people to get assignments done in an effective amount of time. Whether it’s making calls to inform students of schedule changes, conducting physical training, or organizing a group of your peers to accomplish a task, leadership skills are put to work,” Byrd says.

He also points to the benefits of the experience he’s gained by putting his leadership skills to work day after day. “The confidence that I’ve gained in working with small and large groups to accomplish missions has improved my communication skills in every sense,” Byrd says.

Leadership Takes Action
After being inspired by the community service aspect of the ROTC program, Jerome Reitano, AROTC cadet and ERAU junior, has grown as a leader due to the exposure to different types of people the ROTC program has afforded him. “This program has definitely enhanced my leadership skills due to the geographic diversity of the school and even the personality differences of all the different cadets,” Reitano says.

And when it comes to leadership, Reitano takes action. As one of the only six freshmen chosen for the Ranger Challenge Team, Reitano and his fellow freshmen stepped up as the leaders of their battalion due to the extra training and attention they received. “We were just expected to work harder all the time and set an example,” Reitano says. “We also had to lead each other as my friend Ryan and I did, playing on each other’s strengths and weaknesses to get better.”

It’s no wonder that motivation from each other is needed, especially on Friday mornings, which start for Reitano at 4:30 a.m. so that he can run 6.3 miles on the beach carrying a 40-pound rucksack.

While Reitano aspires to have a career in the military and possibly work for the Pentagon, CIA, or NSA, for now he’ll continue to lead by taking action. “Non-verbal skills are the best type of leadership,” Reitano says. “It looks a lot better to be quiet and just set the example through your actions than to constantly try to tell people what to do. It’s just like being an older brother or sister--you set an example for your younger sibling through your actions.”

Taking Charge
Candice M. Bouffard, AFROTC student at ERAU, dreams of someday becoming an astronaut.  She decided during high school that the best way for her dream to take flight was by enrolling in the ROTC program in college.  However, the program has developed her skills, especially her leadership skills, even more than she imagined.  “I never imagined that someday I would be the cadet wing commander in charge of the training of over 600 cadets,” says Bouffard.  “It was hard to believe, even after I had finished the job, that I had done it.  ROTC prepared me to take on that challenge and make the right decisions.”

Bouffard realizes that becoming a leader is something that cadets need to work toward.  “One thing I’ve noticed is that you can be a good person, a good cadet, and a good student but not a good leader,” says Bouffard.  “In order to have the Air Force be productive, its leaders should be the kind that people want to follow.  I think it’s extremely important that we focus on teaching leadership skills to the cadets because we want to help make them the best officers they can be.”

The ROTC program is set up so that students really focus on leadership building.  Freshmen are indoctrinated into the program and they are expected to learn the basics of the ROTC program.  Meanwhile, sophomores are exposed to leadership building and are taught how to lead the freshman.  As juniors and seniors cadets are assigned to various leadership positions.  They are given the opportunity to hold different positions, which allows them to learn their leadership style.

As a result of this leadership-building environment, Bouffard has found success within the program.  In addition to holding the position of cadet wing commander, she has been a cadet training assistant and a member of the Arnold Air Society.  Not to mention she has gained the confidence she needs to take on challenging leadership positions. “The reason ROTC enhances leadership skills is because it provides various opportunities and experiences to test your leadership abilities,” says Bouffard.  “I know that now I feel like I can tackle things that I would not have tackled before.”

Contact Heidmann at heidmanw@erau.edu, Tagami at tagamafb@erau.edu, Zotter at zotter@erau.edu, Reitano at Jerome_reitano@hotmail.com, Byrd at sir_kamelot101@hotmail.com, and Candice Bouffard at  eaglewingpres@hotmail.com.

Copyright © 2006 Oxendine Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved