Let’s talk about Sophomore year of ROTC. The most significant thing about Sophomore year is the fact that this is when you are most likely to compete for one of the summer adventure training slots, like Airborne school (more on this later).
It is also the year when many cadets make up their mind about their future and either makes a commitment or walk away. By this time you have usually got the hang of your studies and you know what to expect from ROTC after watching the upperclassmen prepare for camp or commission. You have had a year to see if getting up early to do physical training (PT) and training in the great outdoors is your “cup of tea”. Some sophomores will compete for campus based scholarships when they are available, and others will explore the option of joining the National Guard or Reserves to help pay for college and get a leg up on their peers in ROTC. This year the sophomores in the Golden Knight Battalion have been given the opportunity to assume some leadership roles. Last Friday I saw some of our MS IIs issuing the order for the week to their squads after PT. It was nice to see them step up and they looked like they knew what they were doing, which means they had been paying attention during the last year and a half.
Golden Knight Battalion Blog 