Junior construction engineering and management major Anthony Nguyen wakes up at 4:30 a.m. to go to physical training, where he runs and does other body workouts.
After it ends at 7 a.m., Nguyen goes to engineering classes. He is exhausted by the end of the day. On Tuesdays, he is proud to be in uniform, representing the Army.
“ROTC allows me to lead a group of people … I hope when I graduate I will be in the corp of engineers as a second lieutenant,” Nguyen said.
The ROTC is a leadership program designed for students to learn how to become officers in the U.S. Army, the Army Reserve or the Army National Guard.
Currently, there are 69 cadets — 41 from Cal State Long Beach and 28 from UC Irvine. Although some colleges don’t have the program, their students can cross-enroll and take ROTC courses at CSULB.
According to enrollment and scholarship officer Maj. Tobey Humphries, the program increased by 163 percent when he started in 2007. This year, he taught a large military science freshman class.
Students have to meet physical, academic and medical requirements to get accepted into the program. They also have to pass a stringent background check and possess the aptitude to serve.
“[Cadets must] know what it is [they] are getting into and have a desire to perform a civil service … [they must] have the willingness to do the job,” Humphries said.
ROTC cadets attend physical training from 6 a.m. to 7 a.m., Monday through Thursday. Afterward, they attend an ROTC class where they learn life skills, such as reading maps. Every Tuesday, the cadets attend a hands-on lab where they learn practical applications. They also wear their uniforms to school once a week.
A commissioning ceremony occurs at the end of each school year in the University Student Union auditorium. Guests are invited to watch the ROTC cadets take the oath of office, transforming themselves from cadet to officer. While wearing their uniforms, they also give the “First Salute” to superior officers, shake their hands and receive their pins.
Senior political science major George Fields said, “The experiences I have had during my time in the ROTC program have definitely provided me with skills and training that I know will be helpful to being successful in my military and civilian careers.”
Freshman international studies major Kyle Esparza has high hopes for his future.
“I like the fact that by participating in ROTC and contracting with the United States Army, I am heading down a path of discipline that forces me to hold myself to a higher standard and to choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong for the rest of my life,” Esparza said. “I hope to one day commission as an officer in the infantry.”
Upon graduation, the cadets are commissioned as second lieutenants and then have to train for their specific job. Afterward, they can be deployed, should the need arise.
Senior human resources management major Ariana Brice will be graduating next year and begin training and gaining experience in South Carolina as a human resources officer.
“I have developed the necessary skills to lead people in the military and civilian world,” she said.
After the cadets are commissioned as Army officers, they are obligated to serve for eight years — four years as active and four years as inactive. Before signing their contract, each cadet is aware that they could be required to serve at any moment as a member of the Army Inactive Ready Reserve.
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