For some people, a three-week visit to Hawaii may be the perfect chance to relax and enjoy the beach. However, for BYU Marriott Army ROTC cadet Garrett Falk, his time in Hawaii was an opportunity to develop survival skills.
During summer 2019, Falk, a junior studying civil engineering from Lawrenceville, New Jersey, participated in an international training course called the Jungle Operations Training Course (JOTC), a three-week course in Hawaii that trains participants to survive in a tropical jungle environment. As part of JOTC, Falk and other participants learned how to survive without food, how to build a shelter, and how to cross water safely by making their packs a flotation device or building a one-rope bridge. The first year that the BYU Army ROTC received a slot in JOTC was 2019, and Falk was invited to go.
After learning his new survival skills, Falk was able to take what he’d acquired at JOTC and share it with other cadets in BYU’s Army ROTC program. “JOTC was definitely challenging, but I have learned a lot of cool skills that I have been able to bring back to the program and teach to other cadets,” says Falk.
In addition to helping Falk learn jungle survival skills that he could utilize and personally teach to his fellow cadets, participating in JOTC allowed Falk to prepare for his future career in the Army. “The Army ROTC program is good military training, but the program differs from the day-to-day life in the military because combining a college experience with the ROTC program is different,” says Falk. “I wanted to try to experience more of what real Army experiences would be like, and I’m grateful I did. Now I have a greater perspective of what my fellow soldiers will be like and what that Army environment and training will be like.”
Though Army ROTC cadets aren’t required to participate in JOTC, Falk learned about the importance of going the extra mile in 2014 from his first instructor in the Army ROTC program, former assistant professor of military science Major Jeffrey Timmons. “Major Timmons set the expectation for me that we do our best to exceed the physical fitness assessment in our ROTC program by doing the maximum number of push-ups and sit-ups and the fastest run that we were capable of,” says Falk. “He taught me that at BYU we go for the maximum, and that was good advice for me.”
Along with completing JOTC training, Falk has become a leader within BYU Marriott’s Army ROTC program. As team captain, Falk recently led the 2019–2020 joint BYU and Utah Valley University Service First Battalion Ranger Challenge team to victory at the 5th ROTC Brigade (BDE) Ranger Challenge. The team qualified to go to the Sandhurst International Military Skills Competition at the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York, before the event was cancelled because of the COVID-19 outbreak. Beyond his role as the Ranger Challenge team’s captain, Falk has also been a cadet platoon sergeant in the Army ROTC.
“I was in charge of three squads,” says Falk. “I primarily coordinated with the squad leaders in my platoon to plan and execute physical training workouts. I also maintained accountability of all members of my platoon and ensured everyone was ready for our labs and other training events.”
While his accomplishments with the Ranger Challenge and experience with the JOTC are noteworthy, the growth Falk has seen in himself is what stands out most when reflecting on his time in the Army ROTC. “One of my greatest accomplishments is my personal development as a leader,” says Falk. “The Army ROTC program at BYU has pushed me and challenged me to become better not only physically with our workouts but also to become a better leader and improve on how I treat others.”
Falk’s leadership within BYU’s Army ROTC program has benefited the program and will continue to benefit Falk in his future. “The Army ROTC program has prepared me to be a second lieutenant by helping me to become a good leader,” says Falk. “Even though I might not know the answer to all the problems that arise when I am a second lieutenant, I can look back at the leadership qualities that I have learned and rely on those skills to be the best leader possible.” After completing the Army ROTC program, Army ROTC cadets commission as second lieutenants in the Army.
While preparing for his future Army career through BYU’s Army ROTC program, Falk along with his wife, Devri, is also preparing for the birth of his first child in August. As he has throughout his time in the Army ROTC, Falk plans to go the extra mile for his family. “I plan on growing my military career while supporting and being there for my family as well.”
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Writer: Natalia Green
