The Reserve Office Training Corps, more popularly known as ROTC, is a college based program that is directed toward training commissioned officers of the United States Armed Forces. Military branches including Army, Navy, and Air Force are the main branches that the ROTC is aimed toward.

The ROTC program began in 1862 with the Morrill Act. This act allowed for the creation of land grant colleges. Officially described as “An Act Donating Public Lands to the Several States and Territories which may provide Colleges for the Benefit of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts," the Morrill Act provided each state with 30,000 acres of federal land for each member in their Congressional delegation, according to the Library of Congress.

Being in the ROTC is a huge commitment in itself, but it must be remembered that while these young men and women are training to become commissioned officers, they are also earning a college degree. It takes a hard working, determined, and self disciplined person to be a member of the ROTC. Nineteen-year-old Political science major, Austin Porter is this kind of person.

“I have always been interested in joining the military, and when I found out I could get scholarship money for doing ROTC at the end of my junior year, I felt it was a no-brainer," Porter said.

There are many benefits of joining ROTC. Ports says he initially wanted to join ROTC “primarily for scholarship money and the desire to serve, but I also like how it holds me accountable for my actions and keeps me in line."

Porter is part of the Air Force branch of ROTC. “I originally always wanted to join the army," he says, "but my parents dissuaded me because they didn't want me to get shot at and my dad told me that the Air Force had the highest quality of enlisted men, who I would be in charge of. I also have an interest in flying, something the Air Force obviously offers."

Not being shot at was not the only reason Porter's father encouraged the Air Force. “My dad was a pilot in the Air Force for 12 years and went through the ROTC program at Boulder," he says.

Becoming a member of Air Force ROTC is pretty simple. “Pretty much anyone can join the program as long as it's before the start of your sophomore year," Porter said. "There's a lot of paperwork involved and you have to pass a physical saying you can medically qualify to be in the Air Force, but that's pretty much it."

Although it may be a simple process to join, not many stay.

“There are a lot of things that can disqualify you from being able to join, but I've seen a lot more people join and then end up dropping out. The main reasons are medically unqualified (i.e. asthma, ADD, surgeries), low grades, prior drug use, etc. A lot of people drop out of it either because it's just not for them or they are forced to drop because of grades or something else," Porter explains.

As a freshman at Miami University (OH), Porter spends 5-7 hours a week devoted to the ROTC program. “The main focus is on grades," says Porter. “It is a competitive program, and grades are the biggest factor in how competitive you can be."

While the program puts an emphasis on grades, it does take away from the social aspects of college. “I am unable to go out as much as my friends because of things like early morning workouts," he said.

Finishing up his freshman year, Porter feels the "honeymoon" phase of the program has passed, where everything was so fresh and new that I couldn't help but be excited all the time. "I still enjoy the program. It's hard work and takes a lot out of my free time, but the benefits still outweigh the drawbacks."

A typical week for an Air Force ROTC member is as follows. “We have PT every Tuesday and Thursday from 0630-0730, but it is expected to be there 15 minutes early," explains Porter. "As freshman, we have a one credit hour class from 1300-1420 on Thursdays detailing the basics of the Air Force. The entire detachment has a one credit hour class called Leadership Laboratory, or LLAB (read Lead Lab), on Thursdays from 1600-1800. Underclassmen also wear their uniform every Thursday, and upperclassmen wear theirs every Tuesday and Thursday."

With all this training does the ROTC prepare its members for after graduation and entering the force?

“Yes and no," Porter said. "ROTC is meant to develop you as a leader and officer as well as teach you the 'customs and courtesies' of the Air Force. In that regard, it does a great job. However, there are thousands of jobs in the Air Force, each with its own specific training. ROTC does not train you to be a pilot or a contractor or an intelligence officer. Those all require other specialty schools."

Teamwork is a central focus in the program. “The training is all built on leadership and follower-ship," Porter said. "While there are set leadership roles each semester, everyone will have opportunities to lead a team, and everyone else should know how to follow that leader."

The large group of Air Force ROTC members are put into groups. “Each semester we are put into a flight which has one flight commander and consists of roughly a dozen people (this varies by detachment). That flight then falls under a squadron, which has a couple of flights. The squadron then falls under the wing, which consists of everyone in our detachment," Porter explained.

The goal of ROTC is to become a commissioner, as a student and ROTC member. “You are given set ranks each semester, but you aren't given positions of authority until your junior year. The idea is to simulate the relationship between officers and enlisted, with the upperclassmen being the officers and the underclassmen being the enlisted," Porter says.

Once you graduate college and complete the program, ROTC members graduate and commission as a 2nd Lieutenant. "As a 2nd Lieutenant it can take up to a year before you are given an assignment. Other than that it depends on the individual," Porter tells us.

Porter is interested in becoming either a pilot or an intelligence officer once graduated. “I've always loved flying, but I also like that Intel officers get to travel all over the world.

“If you are on scholarship then you are contractually obligated to go into the military after graduation," he says. "You are not an active member of the military until then."

"There is definitely more pressure to succeed because of the competitive nature of ROTC, but that's how it is supposed to be," says Porter. "It is designed to put you under pressure and see how you perform in order to judge your ability to perform under even more stressful situations when actually in the military."

Porter does feel as though there is a difference in the way his peers treat him as being a member of the ROTC. “People who know me well will only joke with me about it, but those who don't know me see me as part of the Air Force and as a member of the military, even though I am neither yet."

When it comes down to being in the ROTC, Austin Porter would highly recommend it. "But I would just warn that the military is downsizing heavily nowadays. The program is looking for any reason not to take people right now, so if you want to do ROTC, don't give them any reason to not take you."