Cadets from Syracuse University’s U.S. Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) welcomed more than 120 Junior ROTC cadets to the JMA Wireless Dome on the evening of February 8. The JROTC students came from seven high schools around Central and Western New York, and collectively had representation from the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps JROTC programs.
The Stalwart Battalion ROTC cadets were responsible for the planning, coordination and execution of the event, similar to what they will experience on a regular basis as officers in the military. Instead of conducting physical fitness events like this one, however, they will use the same skills to carry out their orders in a wide range of occupational specialties from basic administration and logistics support.
“Interacting with them helped me reflect on how much I have developed since being in their position. I really wanted them to understand you don’t need to have it all figured out by your senior year,” says Gabrielle Scheeren ’24, an Army ROTC cadet at Syracuse University and a junior with the College of Arts and Sciences. “Many of them were surprised to learn that medical services, along with branches like cyber and finance, are career options.” Scheeren served as a team leader for the event, where she led 13 high school students through an intense circuit of exercises at stations scattered throughout the JMA Wireless Dome. The JROTC cadets tackled each station for five grueling minutes at a time, many finding their energy depleted before they had reached the halfway point.