From: pschleck@cwis.unomaha.edu (Paul W Schleck KD3FU)
Subject: Re: Motivation!! (Was: Motivation?)
Organization: University of Nebraska at Omaha
Date: Fri, 11 Dec 1992 18:03:08 GMT

jhpace1@eos.ncsu.edu (Technoknight) writes:


>First, Army ROTC should stress which events are mandatory and which are not.
>I'm not a scholarship cadet (my brother got the 3-year), and it is amazing how
>non-scholarship cadets are invited to go to FTXs, STRAC lane excersises, etc. 
>almost as an afterthought.  Now that I am a MS III, however, I am glad that I
>didn't have to go to stuff as a freshman or sophomore.  That stuff takes up a
>lot of study time and totally destroys 3-5 weekends a semester.

Hi everyone.  I've been strongly hesitant to jump into this forum as I'm
likely to say something that's going to piss someone off and start an
argument.  However, since someone else has brought up the thread that's
been on my mind, I thought I'd jump in and add some perspectives.

I spent about 3 years at AFROTC detachment 330 at the University of
Maryland.  I took a voluntary withdrawal by "mutual agreement" between
myself and the Det staff.  (Note:  I graduated a year later with a
Physics degree, am working on a Computer Science Masters, and am in a
job that requires me to work alongside many USAF and DoD personel, so
please don't accuse me of "lacking focus" or being a "military hater").

>Here at NCSU, cadets have to go help at the ROTC concession stand at Carter-
>Finley stadium at least two weekends.  Most of the money earned goes to our
>Military Ball and Dining In.  Then there's a weekend at Fort Bragg with the
>semesterly FTX.  The MS III's also had an orienteering course on a Sunday right
>after the Military Dining In Friday night.  That's four weekends out of 12 that
>MS III cadets had to spend doing ROTC stuff.  A cadet can't study for a Monday
>test while at the concession stand or at Fort Bragg, or do homework.

(I really have to laugh when I see those advertisements in "hip"
youth-oriented publications like Rolling Stone describing ROTC as "just
a few hours a week."  Yeah, right...).

This is a VERY critical point to make.  During the screening process for
scholarships, strong technical skills and a willingness to pursue a
technical major (especially engineering) was emphasized.

Once you got into the program, it was very clear that this was only
lip-service.  The "smart" thing to do was to fool ROTC up front by
majoring in engineering, getting a flying slot, then changing your
major.  If you were a "sharp troop" (some subjective judgement of
whether they "liked" you or not), this was taken in stride.  Cadets
would blow off classes, then wonder why they failed freshman calculus
FOUR times in a row!

I can hardly blame the cadets, though.  The staff could talk about
"academics coming first" until they were blue in the face, but it was
clear that the attitude was that studying was something you did in your
"spare time" and had to be "balanced" with corps participation.  The
ridiculous extreme of this was individuals with decent grades admonished
for "studying too hard."  Yes, I realize that this is a military
training environment, but if you don't graduate, you don't get
commissioned.  The term "educational share-cropper" succinctly describes
this phenomenon of being at the mercy of others who may not have your
long-term best interests in mind. 

This is also not a service academy with regular commissions (and hence
reasonable job tenure).  If I'm RIF'd in a few years (or decide not to
go career), I'd want to make damn sure I was employable afterwards.
Even a "career" nowadays can be as short as only 20 years.  Given a
choice between a professional job and selling life-insurance, I'd rather
do the latter.

>Next semester plans to be even worse with the STRAC FTX going on.  When are
>cadets supposed to study for tests?  Also, for some reason the semester FTX is
>always the weekend TRACS (a phone registration service for semester classes)
>opens.  This semster we had our FTX on Halloween!

>The point I'm trying to make is remember that cadets are students first, and
>need time to do their academic work.  Early-morning PT or Ranger involvement 
>should always come second.  I went to 100% of my PT sessions this semester only
>because I learned a lesson from last year - NO 8 O'CLOCK CLASSES.  A senior (or
>any student) who had to stay up the night before finishing a computer program
>or engineering design project should not get chewed out by others because he
>missed PT.  Here at State PT attendence is part of our grades, and if we miss
>more than 5 our MS grade is docked one letter grade.  Five PT sessions is an
>OK margin.  Even the MS IVs, Vs, and yes, VIs have to come to PT if they hold
>rank in the cadet chain-of-command.  But some after reaching senior level and
>finishing the MS IV classes take a leave of absence until they graduate.

ROTC staffs seem to be composed mostly of non-volunteers (yes, I realize
many of them are kind, understanding and dedicated, but it takes just one
asshole to really make your life miserable), who generally would rather
be doing something more "career-enhancing" and have long ago forgot what
being a student and having 4 or 5 classes to keep up with is like.

>The "free pizza for perfect attendence" and wake-up calls by C/2nd Lt. O'Connor
>are good ideas, I'll have to tell the cadre about those.  Right now at State 
>attendence is OK for PT, except for the once-a-month PT date that the Navy
>guys manage to beat us to our assembly area next to the gym.  :)

>If anybody else thinks studies should come ahead of too much ROTC work, post
>it here!  Get a lively discussion going.

Well, I'm sure I've stoked the fires just a little bit! :-)  As for
motivation, it's not something you can instantly "graft" onto a group of
individuals.  It has to come from within.  You have to provide a clear
purpose for action, and clear goals in mind.  It's hard to provide
motivation among cadets who have little chance of getting into a cockpit
(or having to wait years to get into pilot training), and are constantly
barraged with "The military is overmanned, we don't need you, don't
think we wouldn't hesitate to kick you out if you weren't the best"
coupled with, "Don't you dare even think of walking away, we'll hold you
to your service obligation!"

These cadets will also most likely face a "hollow-force" where they are
doing 2 or 3 people's jobs, and managing an organization with a rapidly
diminishing number of quality people (as the military is gutted from
budget cuts, those who can sell themselves elsewhere will leave, and
only those who can't, or are trapped by the "golden handcuffs" of
imminent retirement will be left).

To motivate them, to have to address these concerns.  Otherwise, you are
just whistling in the dark.

As for those among us who will resign their commissions rather then work
alongside homosexuals, all I can say it was better way to perform the
necessary personnel cuts in the armed forces in the near future by
having all the idiots, bigots, and hate-mongers leave voluntarily :-).

(Note:  I'm not gay, so redirect the hate-mail elsewhere, OK?)

Paul W. Schleck

pschleck@unomaha.edu

>------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Generic disclaimer:  These thoughts and writings are my own unless otherwise
>                     noted - although Jerrold my twin may think them too.

I'm one of a set of identical quadruplets, but the same sentiment
applies.

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