THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, MAY 1, 2008
NEWS
5A
Clab on West Campus.
Lisa Lipovac/KANSAN
that is unimaginable until you see it up close."
He said his day-to-day routine was the same each day in Iraq and he missed the variety of life experiences in the United States.
"There was a feeling of being detached from the things happening back home, by missing birthdays, holidays, New Year's and other events." Potter said.
Potter said the ROTC program was the foundation for all his Army training, and being in Iraq allowed him to grow.
"Professionally it was a way to put all my training into practice, and I continued to learn from the others over there whod been in the country longer than me," he said.
He said he valued the unique experiences he had in college because of his involvement in the ROTC.
"How many students can say that over the weekend they went to Fort Leavenworth and qualified with an M-16 and caught a ride back to Lawrence on a Blackhawk helicopter?" Potter said. "My Freshman ROTC class started with 20 to 30 cadets and by senior year, there were only six of us who stuck it out all four years."
Virgil Barnard, who returned to KU Army ROTC after a deployment to Iraq, said his military science professor, Basso, called on him in class to share his Iraq experiences, and he said cadets sometimes approached him with questions.
Cadets getting ready to be commissioned said they valued learning from those who had been in a war zone.
'I NEVER GO INTO DETAILS'
"I just tell them what my basic job was," Barnard said. "I never go into details. I guess you just don't want to think about it."
Basso said he recounted his personal Iraq experiences in class when it could help illustrate a point, and parts of the curriculum included discussion of the Army's current situation. He said the cultures of countries where soldiers may serve was especially emphasized.
The cadets can also ask questions of the instructors, all of whom have been to Iraq and some of them, such as Basso, more than once.
"What we're trying to avoid is that we become so focused on Iraq and Afghanistan that we lose other cultures," Basso said.
Basso also said classes were meant to prepare cadets for leadership in all potential situations.
Basso, who acknowledged the general unpopularity of the Iraq war in the United States, said he and the cadets hadn't heard negative comments on campus from being associated with the Army.
Marla Keown/KANSAN
Basso said ROTC teaching jobs were coveted in the military because officers enjoyed interacting with future soldiers, and because working on campus provides a break from the rigor of the typical military lifestyle.
Virgil Barnard, Topeka senior, leads half of his 10-man squad at Fort Riley during a ROTC training exercise April 12
"What we're fighting for, I've never seen anyone be disrespectful against," Basso said. "It's more interesting to be in a place with diverse opinions."
'EVERYONE IS A LITTLE BIT SCARED'
The cadets' feelings about deploying to a war zone are mixed — some express excitement, some nervousness, and some a combination of emotions. They all say that it will be a learning experience and they accept it as a result of their roles as soldiers.
"A deployment is in everyone's future," said Jessica Adkison, a St. Louis senior who will be commissioned May 19. "It's certainly something you think about."
Dan Flynn, a St. Louis senior who will be commissioned with Adkison, said, "If it's not Iraq, it's Afghanistan. I don't worry about what I can't control. I'll go over there and do my very best and let what's going to happen, happen."
John Adam Keuhn, Leavenwortn senior, said the opportunity to serve
in Iraq was one of the main reasons he joined the Army ROTC.
"I really want to get deployed," Keuhn said.
John Meier, who will be commissioned in July, said that going to Iraq would be an opportunity to learn in a hands-on environment.
"Everyone is a little bit scared to be in a combat situation," Meier said. "The thing that makes me the most nervous is being in a situation where my decisions affect people's lives."
Basso, who said 49 soldiers in his brigade were killed during his second tour in Iraq, said part of the leadership training of ROTC involved learning how to handle death when serving.
"You really have to think hard about what you do to keep your platoon going." Basso said.
Basso said that KU Army ROTC tracked its graduates carefully, and he said he knew of no ROTC graduates who had died in either of the current conflicts.
The cadets have more training in front of them. After graduation and being commissioned, they go to Basic Officer Leader Courses, including tactical training and training specific to the branch where they will be assigned.
After that, the future for these 81 cadets, and the Army, is uncertain. As presidents and policies in Iraq and Afghanistan change and are debated, the lives of these soon-to-be soldiers will change, too.
The cadets said their ROTC leadership experience would be invaluable wherever their military careers take them.
"It's gotten me as far as it can get me — to go to the first unit," Kuehn said.
— Edited by Tara Smith and Jyl Unruh
Michelle Dick, Leavenworth junior, acts as a squad leader during an ROTC exercise on March 13. Juniors often play squad leader during combat simulations to help them prepare for a training camp they attend during the summer before their senior years.
Weston White/KANSAN
Major Wade Abel, executive bat-tallion officer, and his son, Tyler Abel, share a father-son relationship that is unique to the KU Army ROTC program. Tyler, who also serves in the National Guard, said that he tried to learn from his father's military experiences.
"He's definitely someone I look up to," Tyler said.
Wade Abel said he treated his son as he did other cadets when he and Tyler are at school.
"I don't want him thinking I'm looking over his shoulder," Wade Abel said. Tyler, who is a senior at Washburn University, joined the Army ROTC in spring 2005, after his father joined the KJ ROTC faculty.
Cadet Baxter takes care of a wounded civilian, John Adam Kuehn, during training exercises
Marla Keown/KANSAS
Weston White/KANSAN
Mark Anderson, Mission Hills senior, gives tips to the cadets about how to disassemble the M-16 quickly. Anderson is the cadet battalion commander for the KU AROTC program.
Weston White/KANSAM
Western White/KANSAS
Major Abel (left) chooses different knots listed on laminated cards for 1st Lt. Josh Urban to administer to the cadets. As executive battalion officer, Abel organizes training events for cadets