USA_All_The_Way
5-Year Member
- Joined
- May 11, 2010
- Messages
- 26
My situation involving ROTC related matters is somewhat complex. Recently I received numerous calls from various members of cadre wanting to discuss my "options" with the Army that have been unsolicited and almost nearly spontaneous as the 2010 Fall semester has gone on its start off.
Now that I'm basically a former member of the Golden Buffalo Battalion, I don't see any reason anymore to hold back on my own opinionated perspective: the downtown Denver detachment is more like a fraternity than a self-respecting program. I am not coming down on cadre, as I have respect for my superiors and I know that they have done their service and for this reason are milestones ahead of where I am currently.
But the cadet chain of command is horrendous. I had been told by many reservist friends of mine that the military can be very inconsistent in its policies and plans. Fair enough. But many of the senior cadets don't seem to give a **** about those on the bottom of the totem pole. I have several examples. One that I will share with all of you here is where I was repeatedly asked by an MS2 (and former active duty) cadet to bring a spare rucksack (that I was accidentally issued in the wrong size for) to the Auraria campus as soon as possible. I remember as crystal clear as day that we had discussed that I would bring the rucksack to the campus and that the fellow cadet in turn would arrange for a way to have the rucksack taking back to the supply office. Well, I did my part, and soon after PT that Wednesday morning, I had texted this cadet about my situation. I received no response.
This spring semester a girl from my school had a likeness for me and in her social ineptitude she decided she would go and make up lies about me to senior cadets she had known from her previous college who belonged to my company. I have no idea what this girl had been saying to some of these people, but one particular individual, who had commissioned this last May, had said he was going to come after me physically. Additionally, he had been going around saying that there were talks I was going to get kicked out of the program, for reasons I don't even know about. During the MILBALL this last April, while on my way to the restroom at the hotel facility, I realized I was being followed halfway by this cadet until I had turned my back to face him. I guess he was too much of a coward to even go at it with me. And as cliche' as all of this might sound, this is what happened in reality. According to the girl that dragged my affairs into this confrontational bull****, this cadet had also been guilty of cyber harassment and hacking into her Facebook account on a continual basis. Why in god's name did this individual manage to become commissioned as a 2nd liteutenant, I'll never know.
Alright, now to get back to the point of my personal frustration here: Today I was called twice by a new cadre member, and I happened to receive an e-mail message this morning which was sent less than an hour since the first call was made. I figured that this meant something importantly urgent, and it probably was, but it was the exact opposite of what it was I was expecting. Apparently, I have been essentially KICKED OUT, based on "instructor feedback, PT scores" and the most bull**** of them all, GRADES.
Grades? My college GPA contributed to this? My cumulative for the freshman year in college is a 3.25, and this last semester's GPA was a 3.36. The bare minimum standard for awarding scholarships fares at 2.50. WTF do my grades have to do with being forced to repeat my MS1 year if I continue AROTC???
Given all of the recent stressful events thusfar, I have no doubts that someone involved in the higher-up of cadets got involved in this, and I'm pretty sure I know who the culprit is. There are a few legitimate reasons I admit, such as I am regretful to say that my last PT test did not fare as well as the one from the Fall. Of course, this is not to mention the fact that cadet leadership had stated in their own words, that two PT tests would be given, and if the first results were not up to Army standard, a second one could be taken for a final. Due to a drastic change in the weather on the first test, I did about a minute slower on this test than the one from the Fall. I asked about redoing it when the second one came around, and, like with about 95% of the things that cadet leadership says, I was told at the very last minute that the plans had changed and I didn't need to take a second PT test because I "passed", which I guess is now just a complete crock of ****.
And another thing I don't quite understand is the sentiment about "instructor feedback" as I frequently kept in touch with my MS1 instructor, volunteered my assistance by helping put out flyers for the Vet's Day Race all over the Littleton and Highlands Ranch area, (etc., etc., etc.) and I was even told my MS1 instructor that I was good enough material to go on SMP during a conversation that had nothing to do with the military.
Well, I'm somewhat irritated as hell. Look's like there's nothing I can do about it now. I guess I did what I could, but still, it seems a little fishy. But I'm all a better person for this, and for that I'm grateful I was able to participate in the Army ROTC program.
Now that I'm basically a former member of the Golden Buffalo Battalion, I don't see any reason anymore to hold back on my own opinionated perspective: the downtown Denver detachment is more like a fraternity than a self-respecting program. I am not coming down on cadre, as I have respect for my superiors and I know that they have done their service and for this reason are milestones ahead of where I am currently.
But the cadet chain of command is horrendous. I had been told by many reservist friends of mine that the military can be very inconsistent in its policies and plans. Fair enough. But many of the senior cadets don't seem to give a **** about those on the bottom of the totem pole. I have several examples. One that I will share with all of you here is where I was repeatedly asked by an MS2 (and former active duty) cadet to bring a spare rucksack (that I was accidentally issued in the wrong size for) to the Auraria campus as soon as possible. I remember as crystal clear as day that we had discussed that I would bring the rucksack to the campus and that the fellow cadet in turn would arrange for a way to have the rucksack taking back to the supply office. Well, I did my part, and soon after PT that Wednesday morning, I had texted this cadet about my situation. I received no response.
This spring semester a girl from my school had a likeness for me and in her social ineptitude she decided she would go and make up lies about me to senior cadets she had known from her previous college who belonged to my company. I have no idea what this girl had been saying to some of these people, but one particular individual, who had commissioned this last May, had said he was going to come after me physically. Additionally, he had been going around saying that there were talks I was going to get kicked out of the program, for reasons I don't even know about. During the MILBALL this last April, while on my way to the restroom at the hotel facility, I realized I was being followed halfway by this cadet until I had turned my back to face him. I guess he was too much of a coward to even go at it with me. And as cliche' as all of this might sound, this is what happened in reality. According to the girl that dragged my affairs into this confrontational bull****, this cadet had also been guilty of cyber harassment and hacking into her Facebook account on a continual basis. Why in god's name did this individual manage to become commissioned as a 2nd liteutenant, I'll never know.
Alright, now to get back to the point of my personal frustration here: Today I was called twice by a new cadre member, and I happened to receive an e-mail message this morning which was sent less than an hour since the first call was made. I figured that this meant something importantly urgent, and it probably was, but it was the exact opposite of what it was I was expecting. Apparently, I have been essentially KICKED OUT, based on "instructor feedback, PT scores" and the most bull**** of them all, GRADES.
Grades? My college GPA contributed to this? My cumulative for the freshman year in college is a 3.25, and this last semester's GPA was a 3.36. The bare minimum standard for awarding scholarships fares at 2.50. WTF do my grades have to do with being forced to repeat my MS1 year if I continue AROTC???
Given all of the recent stressful events thusfar, I have no doubts that someone involved in the higher-up of cadets got involved in this, and I'm pretty sure I know who the culprit is. There are a few legitimate reasons I admit, such as I am regretful to say that my last PT test did not fare as well as the one from the Fall. Of course, this is not to mention the fact that cadet leadership had stated in their own words, that two PT tests would be given, and if the first results were not up to Army standard, a second one could be taken for a final. Due to a drastic change in the weather on the first test, I did about a minute slower on this test than the one from the Fall. I asked about redoing it when the second one came around, and, like with about 95% of the things that cadet leadership says, I was told at the very last minute that the plans had changed and I didn't need to take a second PT test because I "passed", which I guess is now just a complete crock of ****.
And another thing I don't quite understand is the sentiment about "instructor feedback" as I frequently kept in touch with my MS1 instructor, volunteered my assistance by helping put out flyers for the Vet's Day Race all over the Littleton and Highlands Ranch area, (etc., etc., etc.) and I was even told my MS1 instructor that I was good enough material to go on SMP during a conversation that had nothing to do with the military.
Well, I'm somewhat irritated as hell. Look's like there's nothing I can do about it now. I guess I did what I could, but still, it seems a little fishy. But I'm all a better person for this, and for that I'm grateful I was able to participate in the Army ROTC program.