ROTC: Redefining Service

It’s not unusual to see BYU students exercising at 6 a.m. What is unusual is seeing more than a hundred of them working out in matching uniforms.

Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Ephraim Sng and his fellow cadets go to the Smith Fieldhouse to take part in physical training exercises — PT, for short. They don their gray Army T-shirts, black shorts, white socks and tennis shoes.

Students have probably noticed members of the Army ROTC on the field during football games. They are in charge of firing the cannon and doing push-ups every time BYU scores. What students likely don’t know is cadets stay after games to help clean up the stadium.

For Sng, a sophomore from Southlake, Texas, the experience isn’t the highlight of his day.

“We clean up everyone’s junk that they leave behind and it’s just gross,” he said.

They are given brooms to sweep all the trash from the benches to the aisles. They put it all in garbage bags and use high-powered hoses to get the stadium back in order.

In addition to nachos and drink refuse, the messiest item is Mexican food, Sng said.

“People buy Bajio and rice and beans get everywhere, which gets so dirty,” he said. “Everyone, pick up after yourselves.  The Army is not your mother.”

Despite the occasional game clean-up, Sng said he enjoys being a member of the Army ROTC. He joined in January, making him a “first-year.”

“It’s a lot more dignified than I thought,” he said. “I thought it would be a bunch of rough jarheads, but at least here at BYU, it’s very respectable.”

Making the decision to be a cadet isn’t an easy one. First- and second-years must spend nearly 10 hours each week in training. Upperclassmen spend upwards of 20 hours a week learning how to be officers. In addition to class time, all cadets are responsible for numerous tasks around campus.

Capt. David Jungheim, who has served 18 years in the Army and five years as a BYU faculty member, also commented on the quality of the cadets.

“They are exceptional young men and women,” he said. “The thing that makes them exceptional is they chose to be in the ROTC in a time when they could be sent off in combat right after they graduate. When I joined, there was no war going on.”

He added they are “patriotic” and “truly willing to learn and go forth to serve.”

“When you, as a student, finish here at college, BYU is going to give you a diploma,” he said. “You’ll wear your cap and gown and your mother will cry and take pictures. For our ROTC graduates, the same day they have the ceremony, they become officers. Then, after further training, they are required to be ready to be deployed at any time.”

Ultimately, Jungheim said he hopes other students will recognize what being an Army ROTC member entails.

“If you have an ROTC cadet in your class, thank them,” he said. “They’re willing to do something most people won’t ever be asked to do.”

Any BYU student can take Army ROTC classes for first- and second-year students. After that, a cadet must contract with the Army to continue the program. With that commitment, a cadet agrees to remain with the Army through their third and fourth years and graduate as an officer. Then, they must give three years of service with the Reserves, National Guard or on active duty.

Once a cadet contracts with the Army, they become eligible for scholarships and stipends.

Sng hasn’t decided if he’ll contract yet, but he is strongly considering it. Though money isn’t his primary motivation to join, he said a scholarship would be helpful.

Rachael Sackett, a pre-nursing major from Spokane, Wash., decided the Army ROTC was a good route to take for her career.

“I did the Army ROTC because it helps me pay for school,” she said. “It’s expensive to pay for it on your own.  In addition, I joined because I like doing hard things.”

The G.I. Bill also helps Jason Boren pay for school. Boren, a junior from Layton, said it’s nice to have school expenses covered so he can focus on school and not worry about work. It also helps him stay physically fit.

Although 6 a.m. physical training isn’t the easiest, Sng said it’s worth it.

“Not too many people like PT; running and exhausting yourself early in the morning,” he said. “But you don’t do PT for yourself. You do it for the man next to you.”

Sng noted that keeping everything in perspective is the best way to fully experience the Army ROTC.

“It goes hand-in-hand with the gospel,” he said. “Everything you learn isn’t just for you. You become an instrument to help other people.”

This article was originally published in the Daily Universe on September 26, 2010.