Be thankful for those who serve, even when they don’t have to

Military service has, in a sense, been the bane of my existence. In Eritrea, where I was born, national service is mandatory for able-bodied men and women my age. Ultimately, if I wasn’t in the United States, I would most likely be in Sawa, a military training camp. 

My mother had been in Sawa, the Defence Training Center, while pregnant with me. She often describes her time there as akin to wandering a desert while being subjected to intensive torture. While many reasons drove her to leave Eritrea, making sure that her children would avoid involuntary service was indeed one of them. So, I shouldn’t have been surprised by the serious tone in her voice after I joked about joining the military. 

“You can do whatever you want,” she implored, “but please don’t join the military.”

I’ve long been skeptical of military service. The manner in which so many Americans readily and voluntarily sacrifice their lives in the name of nationalism has always bewildered me. After all, why serve when you don’t have to?

This long-held intrigue recently hit close to home. Since coming to Pitt, I have met a number of students, several of whom I consider close friends, currently involved in ROTC with the obvious intent of performing military service in the future. Despite apparent differences, they are all fiercely smart, independent and capable individuals. My question: What benefits could they possibly find in both ROTC training and military service as a whole?

As it turns out, the benefits of service are numerous, and they reach far beyond that of nationalism. For one, military service is a valuable experience with many personal applications.

Undoubtedly, the first benefit that comes to mind is monetary compensation. And it’s true that joining the military can be a way of derailing from the path of a debt-clad education. Joining ROTC at Pitt opens you up to potential two-, three- and four-year scholarships that sometimes include full tuition and fees and room and board. For books alone, $1,200 is allotted each year. Cadets are also allotted monthly living stipends that range from $300 to $500, depending on their year in ROTC. 

But, monetary reasons alone do not a cadet make. 

Christiana Bentz, a Pitt senior in her fourth year of ROTC’s Army division, originally joined the program because of a scholarship that would allow both her and her twin sister to attend college. With a family background in the military, the decision to join ROTC was, while not a preferred choice at the time, also not a foreign concept. And yet, when asked if she would have joined regardless of the scholarship, she determined that “after being in it for a year, absolutely.” 

What changed her mind?

Bentz lists several key reasons why she finds the ROTC program valuable. These include acquiring skills to obtain and maintain a job, leadership abilities, learning to balance civilian and military life and the challenge of rising to levels beyond one’s current physical or mental capabilities. 

“It’s given my life a lot of structure,” she said. 

Sophomore Erickson Gonzalez, a cadet in his second year of ROTC, also in the Army division, adds that “at the end of the day, you have a profession, not just a job.” In terms of employment potential, “Employers know that you’re going to be an enhanced leader.”

Freshman Nik Hokaj, who participates in the ROTC’s Navy division, finds that the skills acquired in ROTC training have important applications in all aspects of our personal lives. 

“You learn leadership skills, which you’ll need in the future, no matter what you do. Problem solving is also a skill that everyone needs. Also, physical fitness and learning to stay in shape is important for everyone to do,” Hokaj said. 

To prepare cadets for life in the military, ROTC is set up to be a grueling ordeal, which can “take its toll physically,” according to Gonzalez. However, the rigor “teaches you how to manage your time effectively,” and it “makes you aware of what you’re putting into your body, and whether you’re getting enough rest.” 

And the camaraderie amongst peers serves as “a great support system.”

Christopher Boissonnault, the ROTC’s scholarship and enrollment officer, has determined that the ultimate goal of the program is to build “better citizens and better leaders.” With an extremely selective recruitment approach, he focuses on three criteria: scholarship, athleticism and leadership. 

“We’re looking for pretty good upstanding citizens, not just anyone who walks in off the street.”

Gonzalez agrees that ROTC does make him a better person. “It keeps me out of trouble.” After all, there are “Army values to live by.”

So, is ROTC right for you? That depends. Despite the many benefits of joining ROTC, all cadets ultimately join for a single overarching reason: They simply want to serve their country.

It’s a choice we can be thankful to have. 

Write to Bethel at beh56@pitt.edu.