In the shadow of attack, ROTC charges forward

While America's armed forces adapt to the new challenges of the war on terrorism, Princeton ROTC officials say they have tried to keep the program running as routinely as possible, reminding cadets and potential cadets that the program is designed for long-term leadership development.

"President Bush told the armed forces to get ready. I think our cadets — those who are enrolled and those who might consider enrolling in ROTC — are more committed than ever to their own leadership development as they get ready for their future responsibilities," said Lt. Col. Matthew McCarville, the director of Princeton Army ROTC.

McCarville said he did not see an unusual increase or decrease in enrollment numbers since Sept. 11. Currently, eight freshman, eight sophomores, four juniors and six seniors are enrolled in the Army ROTC program, he said. He emphasized that most of the new cadets had joined before Sept. 11.

Capt. Alana Austin, the unit admissions officer for Princeton Air Force ROTC at Rutgers, also said she did not notice any unusual increase or decrease.

"We have received calls and requests for information about AFROTC, but those calls aren't necessarily indicative of an interest influx. Many people are simply curious about ROTC," Austin said in an e-mail.

"We simply encouraged our cadets to remain vigilant," she explained. "We also temporarily lifted the requirement for them to wear their uniforms to classes."

"This was a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of our students. They are now back in uniform and formal policies remain the same," she added.

The instructors stressed that the cadets would not be called into military service any time soon.

"Students who enroll in the program are not enlisting and will not be sent to basic training right away," Austin explained. "Our cadets will be part of campus life and will continue with their educations," she said. "None of that has changed, nor will it."

McCarville and Austin warned students who might have been provoked by the events of Sept. 11 against what McCarville said could be "knee-jerk" reactions. "If Sept. 11 were to prompt folks to join ROTC, I would caution about that."

"Our army ROTC cadets have stood up and said they were ready to lead the nation" before the attacks, McCarville said.

McCarville further explained that cadets and the public should know the current events in Afghanistan are an "initial military response."

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"It's easy to rally patriotism but the greater war on terrorism will be about police work, intelligence gathering and law enforcement," he said.

While campus reactions may not be 'knee-jerk,' the general college environment following Sept. 11 might influence more students to join ROTC programs in the future, said psychology professor Eldar Shafir, who specializes in decision-making.

"In general, people's decisions of this kind are not made in isolation but, rather, are heavily influenced by their surrounding social context. And it seems likely that this context — universities, teachers, families and friends — will be more supportive of all sorts of national service options than it was before Sept. 11," Shafir explained in an e-mail.

Douglas Lovejoy GS '68, who headed Army ROTC at Princeton from 1985 to 1989 during his 24-year army career, agreed that more students might be inclined to join ROTC.

"I think that as the country as a whole gives more serious thought to matters of international security, that students here will be more inclined to think about the importance of military service," Lovejoy said. "I certainly hope that students appreciate how important it is for civil-military relations in this country to have ROTC on campuses."

However, Lovejoy also echoed the instructors' concerns that ROTC should not be an immediate outlet for students' anger.

Jordan Flowers '05, who joined Army ROTC, said in an e-mail that the events of Sept. 11 did not significantly influence his decision to become a cadet.

"The recent events did not negatively affect my decision to join the ROTC program nor more quickly push me towards it," Flowers said, adding that he did not believe the terrorist attacks put him at added personal risk.

"I am not an enlisted man in the army," he said. "I am a Princeton student enrolled in Princeton's ROTC program."