The University’s Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program hosted over 70 Junior ROTC members at the Carrier Dome on Feb. 13 during the Junior ROTC Fitness Challenge, to support physical fitness and to widen JROTC members’ exposure to future educational opportunities.
The Junior ROTC cadets, along with cadre and local recruiters, represented programs from across upstate New York, including: Mexico Academy & Central District Marine Corps JROTC, Proctor Naval JROTC in Utica, Western Maritime Buffalo Naval JROTC and Carthage Army JROTC near the Fort Drum area.
The event began with Syracuse University admissions speaking to the Junior ROTC cadets about different education opportunities beyond high school through the ROTC program, including scholarship opportunities and support the university provides to ROTC members. The admissions representatives were able to answer personal questions and highlighted the university’s commitment to support the ROTC program, the longest, consecutive-running program in the country.
Junior cadets were then challenged to show their physical fitness in a race around the Dome. The high schoolers completed push-ups and crunches before running up stairs to the top of the Dome to scale the bleachers, ending with a dead-man carry with a 105-pound dummy that they ran across the Syracuse-embossed turf.
Throughout the fitness challenge, SU Army ROTC cadets highlighted their leadership abilities learned throughout the ROTC program as they guided and encouraged teams of junior cadets to finish the competition strong.
Lt. Col. Jason Warner ended the ceremony by awarding the first-, second- and third-place teams and their respective Army ROTC leaders, but this was not the last award of the night. Junior cadets who showed admirable qualities that matched the values of the SU ROTC program, such as leadership, strength, teamwork and a commitment to serve, were given a Syracuse University coin.
The SU Army ROTC college leadership program educates and trains Cadets on Army officership, Army values, standards and operations, while providing mentorship and scholarship to enhance college education. This event encompassed Syracuse University’s commitment to those who serve by providing experience and resources to future Army ROTC members.
Memorial Day is the day set aside to honor and mourn military members who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. We do this in a number of ways, including graveside services and displaying the United States flag….
This semester, a total of 208 students with military ties representing all branches of the U.S. military earned their Syracuse University diplomas. The graduates include 99 veterans, 35 currently serving military members, and 59 family members and dependents. Forty-six students…
With her graduation this month, Rachel Pray becomes the first in her family to forge a career in both military service and medical care. Originally from central Massachusetts, Cadet Pray was inspired to join the U.S. Air Force Reserve Officer…
U.S. Army spouse Dominique Visser was born and grew up in Sydney, Australia. She was working as an international trade advisor/market development specialist for the Australian federal government when she was told of her now-husband, Andy, by mutual friends. “Good…
Ariel Blanco’s interest in the military was piqued while he was in high school in Miami, impressed by both the demeanor of the recruiters that visited the school and the opportunity military life could provide. “I grew up in a…
If you need help with your subscription, contact sunews@syr.edu.
