At 7 a.m. on a Wednesday morning, most University students are still asleep. The members of the Air Force Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC), however, are already assembled in Dillon Gymnasium, ready for their morning workout.
Behind the grueling hours and physical training lies a group of people with motivations and aspirations similar to the average University student.
Cadet motivations
Col. Thomas W. McCarthy, who has headed the program from Rutgers University since 2002, said he understands the rationale behind students' decisions to enter the program.
"The reasons to join the program are pretty universal," he said, and range from a patriotic desire to serve the country to gaining work experience.
And, for others, joining the program fulfills a lifelong dream.
"I've wanted to go into the military since I was five," Jonathan Sweemer '08 said.
Though he considered attending the Naval and Air Force academies, he decided on Princeton because of the University's academic rigor.
"If the job is protecting our nation, it's going to take some smart people to do it," he said.
Earlier this year, Sweemer made the switch from the A.B. course of study to an engineering concentration.
And he is not the only engineer in the program.
"Engineering is a big [major]," McCarthy said.
He added that a solid Princeton education and military service are not mutually exclusive.
"Donald Rumsfeld shows that the military is definitely an option for Princeton people," he said.
The patriotic component of the program is also a major motivating factor.
Sweemer, for one, said his commitment to the Air Force will not end after four years of required active duty.
He wants to return for at least another tour of duty. Afterward, he plans on going into government.
ROTC participants are also given financial incentives to join, including scholarships, textbook credits and monthly tax-free allowances.
Challenging lifestyle
For cadets, the challenges of college are magnified by added ROTC class time, trips to Rutgers and early morning training sessions.
Sweemer often wakes up before 6 a.m. — a lifestyle not conducive to all-nighters and early morning study sessions.
"[The program] takes much more time than I thought it would," he said.
In addition to school-year training and requirements, cadets participate in summer programs.
Kinder Noble '06 went on a week-long skydiving program the summer after her freshman year.
"I got to do five independent skydives," Noble said.
In the summer before junior year, cadets are required to attend a month-long boot camp, which, for many, is the crowning moment of their ROTC experience.
"It was pretty bad, of course," Noble said, but added that upperclassmen provided some suggestions about how to survive the camp.
"[The upperclassmen] gave me all their 'secret pointers' about boot camp and beyond," said Noble. With their advice, she said she felt as though "if they made it, I could make it."
Upperclassmen also run leadership labs.
Close bonds
Though in official settings the relationships between cadets are professional, participants often grow very close outside classrooms and training.
For many participants, the friendships and bonds forged in the program are unexpected.
Cadets frequently gather informally in settings ranging from tailgate and shoe-shining parties to paintball games.
"The program and going into the military are not necessarily going to be easy to do," Noble said. "You're all in it together, pulling for the same cause. It's been a lot more challenging than I thought it would be."
Though Noble joined the program primarily for the scholarship, her experiences with other cadets and her successes have shaped her life's goals.
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