Broadening Experience
Senior Cadets tour Washing D.C.
CMU Cadets travel to Washington DC as a broadening experience
This year the Central Michigan ROTC program took the students to somewhere besides the field; to the nation's capital. Nineteen senior cadets, or MS4's, were brought there by the Professor of Military Science Lt. Col Aaron Kalloch as apart of their class. The trip featured touring Arlington Cemetery, the Pentagon, a ROTC luncheon, the monuments, the Holocaust museum and the AUSA convention. While down there, Senior Cadets Johnson T, Walatkiewicz, Gano, and Bew participated in the Army Ten Miler.
The Association of the United States Army holds a convention in D.C yearly to promote the new developments and technologies entering the military. Clare Senior Drew Howdyshell said, “It is like the North American Car show, only involving the newest military vehicles, weapons, and technologies.” The Convention included the new JLTV competition. The Joint Light Tactical Vehicle is designated to replace the HMMWV, or Humvee as it is fondly known. This new competition was an excellent chance to “see the future of the Army as it develops” as Troy Senior Jon Walatkiewicz put it.
When touring the National Monuments and Arlington Cemetery, the group focused on the WWII, Korea, and Vietnam memorials. “Seeing the memorials and understanding how many people sacrificed their lives while wearing the uniform of an American Soldier moves you,” says Troy Senior Matt Gano, “It lets you think about what you must learn from history in order to succeed.” At each memorial and monument, the Professor of Military Science explained the important points to students viewed the Army as a profession and an American institution. The class trip allowed the students to view the Army as more than weapons and tactics, but as institution and a business.
Brighton Senior Doug Windel said, “It was an excellent experience, to be where so many of our Nation's leaders are.”
