Ok, finally a story worth writing about. My friend Aaron and I went to lunch at Seasons here at Iowa State, and happened to sit not far from a dude who had snuck in cans of beer and was pouring them into his glasses and drinking them. It would have been fine if he kept it at that, but he kept on yelling to his friends about how many he had drank and sardonically mentioned that he was drinking 'apple juice'.
All would be fine and dandy except this boisterous young ROTC student was halfway yelling profanities about trivial matters and calling women (the ones he had been talking to just a few minutes beforehand) names that should never be used to describe women. The topics he was discussing were lewd and trivial yet spoken in such an ostentatious way as to attract the attention of others including myself.
This was not the first instance of this individual evoking my disdain, as just a few days ago he and his buddies were yelling at people getting drinks out of the soda fountain. "Sierra Mist .. Yeaaah!!! Go Sieraa Mist!!" They would shout when anyone happened to be foolish enough of get a drink out of their 'territory'. They would yell, jeer, and clap when anyone walked near their table.
My greatest fear through these experiences is that these individuals who participate in such barbaric activity will pass their ROTC training and be commissioned as officers in either the Army or Navy. Who knows what mischief they will indulge in when stationed overseas, or God forbid to a combat zone. I hate to make sweeping generalizations, for I know there are a lot of good people in ROTC but there are just a few that stain the program's reputation.
The Art of the Campaign
10 years ago
After hanging out with quite a few people that serve in many of America's fine branches, I can say that officer or enlisted that those people know how to drink and party. As long as they are not in uniform, they are themselves. If they act like that while in uniform, document it and let the respective commanding officer for that person's branch on campus know. People's live will soon be in the hands of these officers and if you are concerned with their ability to make proper decisions and show leadership it is a right to let their supperiors know.
ReplyDeleteLet 'em alone. These things tend to fix themselves once they say or do the wrong thing to the wrong person at the wrong time. It is only a matter of time. I only hope no one is hurt (too much) or killed or incarcerated in the process. Hopefully, you won't be there to see it happen.
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