New ROTC students and drinking

kinnem

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I was visiting an (unnamed) college campus this past weekend (great tailgate and football game). During my visit I had the opportunity to chat with some NROTC MIDN. They related a somewhat humorous, and yet sad and serious story to me. Evidently one new freshman decided to show up for PT on Friday totally drunk. One of the Staff Sergeants determined he was drunk and brought the kid before the gaggle of officers who were present and chatting prior to the start of PT. The kid confessed to being drunk and burst out in tears. He was made to stand at attention throughout PT (I'm sure, among other things, to avoid his getting hurt) and the MSgt (former DI) spent his PT time in this kids face. (I would not like to be on the receiving end of that monologue).

The way the rest of the unit heard of this was seeing this scene of the student at attention and the former DI in his face and asking one another what that was all about. I can just see the eyes rolling. On the serious side, the other MIDN were amazed that this kid would show up drunk. On the more humorous side, they were amazed that this kid was "stupid enough" to show up drunk. They explained he should have taken an unexcused absence and gotten reamed for that instead of showing up drunk. Obviously there will be a Performance Review Board (PRB). Of course the outcome is unknown at this time, but it is obvious there will at least be a serious consequence for this MIDN 4/C and perhaps, if not probably, dismissal. So much for HIS scholarship.

During the conversation a tale from last semester came up about two freshman MIDN who showed up for color duty, in uniform of course, drunk. They, of course, are no longer in ROTC.

Bottom Line: If you're in ROTC and not of legal drinking age, do NOT drink. If you are (or are not) of legal drinking age, do NOT show up for any event drunk.

How can people be so stupid!
 
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Since he`s a freshman he`s like 18, I`m guessing? Wow, that`s even worse since not only he decided to show up drunk, but he was drinking under-age....a great lesson to be learned from that. Thanks for sharing.
 
On Junior Ring Weekend last spring at Norwich, an AFROTC 100 (on scholarship) drank enough to get alcohol poisoning. He didn't come back this year but to the best of my knowledge he kept his scholarship and transferred to another university.
 
kinnem,
This is particularly frustrating when you have a college programmer working his tail off trying to get a scholarship! I hope you get to change your tag soon too! :)

Kat
 
kinnem,
This is particularly frustrating when you have a college programmer working his tail off trying to get a scholarship! I hope you get to change your tag soon too! :)

Kat

Well, not really Kat. I can't get upset because some scholarship kid makes an idiotic youthful indiscretion (as serious as it is). My kid will make it or not on his own and any scholarship he does receive would come from anther pool of money anyway. This kid who drank is just part of the normal expected attrition at his unit. There are always going to be kids who do these things or something like them.
 
I had a job applicant show up for the interview drunk, once. It made the decision very easy for me. Hopefully now that ROTC unit leader has an easy decision to make, too, and that scholarship will go to a person with some sense.
 
Dumb mistake that could cost him, sadly. No clue why he didn't just take an unexcused absence
 
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Dumb mistake that could cost him, sadly. No clue why he didn't just take an unexcused absence

Two guesses.
1. As a new freshman he didn't know any better (hard to believe but possible).
2. He was just drunk enough to figure he could get away with it (much more plausible to me).
 
Drinking and DUI more than ROTC

Got a call from DS #2 at 2:30 AM Saturday night. Really dont like those. He is a Freshman at a New England college and not ROTC. He went out walking with friends to a place to buy food at 1:30 AM across the street from his dorm. A young man who he did not know was in the crosswalk 15 yards ahead of him and was struck by a car. The car was filled with drunk 18 year olds including the driver. The young man was hurt pretty bad. My son was pretty rattled.

A few things I told him.

Not a good idea to be out at 1:30 AM. Trouble has an easier time finding you.

Think about the girl driving the car and how she has altered her life and will probably go to jail.

Think about that the girl has to deal with how she altered that young man's life.

I am not against drinking but at 18 you are responsible for your actions. There is no room for excuses when you hurt yourself or other people.

Just thought I would share that.
 
Thanks! That's pretty scary

Got a call from DS #2 at 2:30 AM Saturday night. Really dont like those. He is a Freshman at a New England college and not ROTC. He went out walking with friends to a place to buy food at 1:30 AM across the street from his dorm. A young man who he did not know was in the crosswalk 15 yards ahead of him and was struck by a car. The car was filled with drunk 18 year olds including the driver. The young man was hurt pretty bad. My son was pretty rattled.

A few things I told him.

Not a good idea to be out at 1:30 AM. Trouble has an easier time finding you.

Think about the girl driving the car and how she has altered her life and will probably go to jail.

Think about that the girl has to deal with how she altered that young man's life.

I am not against drinking but at 18 you are responsible for your actions. There is no room for excuses when you hurt yourself or other people.

Just thought I would share that.

Thanks NorwhichDad. That's pretty scary. I'm glad your son was OK. There but for the grace of God.....

DS's Old Salt was tossed from the unit last year for a DUI. Well, I guess technically he resigned.... but just prior to being tossed. Even if no one is physically hurt, as they were in your story, people's lives are still shattered.
 
Thanks NorwhichDad. That's pretty scary. I'm glad your son was OK. There but for the grace of God.....

DS's Old Salt was tossed from the unit last year for a DUI. Well, I guess technically he resigned.... but just prior to being tossed. Even if no one is physically hurt, as they were in your story, people's lives are still shattered.
Thanks kinnem, sorry about the Old Salt. It must have been tough for him(Old Salt) to resign.
 
Update

I was visiting an (unnamed) college campus this past weekend (great tailgate and football game). During my visit I had the opportunity to chat with some NROTC MIDN. They related a somewhat humorous, and yet sad and serious story to me. Evidently one new freshman decided to show up for PT on Friday totally drunk. One of the Staff Sergeants determined he was drunk and brought the kid before the gaggle of officers who were present and chatting prior to the start of PT. The kid confessed to being drunk and burst out in tears. He was made to stand at attention throughout PT (I'm sure, among other things, to avoid his getting hurt) and the MSgt (former DI) spent his PT time in this kids face. (I would not like to be on the receiving end of that monologue).

The way the rest of the unit heard of this was seeing this scene of the student at attention and the former DI in his face and asking one another what that was all about. I can just see the eyes rolling. On the serious side, the other MIDN were amazed that this kid would show up drunk. On the more humorous side, they were amazed that this kid was "stupid enough" to show up drunk. They explained he should have taken an unexcused absence and gotten reamed for that instead of showing up drunk. Obviously there will be a Performance Review Board (PRB). Of course the outcome is unknown at this time, but it is obvious there will at least be a serious consequence for this MIDN 4/C and perhaps, if not probably, dismissal. So much for HIS scholarship.

During the conversation a tale from last semester came up about two freshman MIDN who showed up for color duty, in uniform of course, drunk. They, of course, are no longer in ROTC.

Bottom Line: If you're in ROTC and not of legal drinking age, do NOT drink. If you are (or are not) of legal drinking age, do NOT show up for any event drunk.

How can people be so stupid!

Just wanted to update and give "the rest of the story". Said MIDN was, in fact, dropped. Do NOT drink if you are underage and in ROTC!
 
The sad part is we tell posters stories like this every yr. and I am sure the dets do too, yet there is always a kid who thinks that these stories are exaggerations and it won't happen to them.

I am curious if the Midn was shocked that they were actually dis-enrolling him after only 1 offense.

I don't know about NROTC, but I know if AFROTC dis-enrolls a cadet, they also lose any chance to even go to OTS/OCS ever in their life. It is totally over for life regarding becoming an officer.
 
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