Even as the possibility of a war between the United States and Iraq creeps closer, a number of service-minded University students relish their chance to serve in the U.S. Armed Forces.
Senior history major Ann Aliese Stokoe is in her second year of Reserve Officer Training Corps and said she loves the path she’s chosen for her life. Stokoe added the Army has held a special fascination for her because it’s in her blood — she has three brothers on active duty and a father who’s retired from the Army.
Stokoe’s family discouraged her from becoming an officer and told her it could be a life-threatening task, but she would not be swayed.
“They realized the danger I am accepting by trying to be in the Army,” she said. “And if there’s a choice about what Stokoe to send, I want to go in my brothers’ places.”
For students who are interested in joining the Army but want to be issuing commands rather than receiving them, ROTC may be the solution. Lt. Col. John F. Sneed, a University military science professor, said Army ROTC is designed to prepare college students to be leaders of soldiers. He added there are 80 cadets enrolled in the program this year at the University, about 20 of whom are female.
Stokoe said she did not want to enlist in the Army as a regular soldier, which is why she joined ROTC. She added officers get a few more perks than enlisted troops, such as a higher pay scale and the right to complete their education before they become a commissioned officer. While the main focus of students enrolled in ROTC is to earn a degree and learn basic officer and leadership skills, Stokoe said they weren’t the driving forces behind her decision to become an officer.
“I got involved in the Army because I want to serve my country,” Stokoe said. “Just that. Plain and simple.”
Joseph Helms, an Italian major at the University, said he enlisted in the Army in December 2002 because he feared the floundering job market more than going into combat. He added the Army gave him a $16,000 signing bonus and the promise of stable employment on top of full benefits including medical, dental and retirement — all of which was too good to pass up.
Sgt. 1st Class Billy Stripling, station commander of the U.S. Army Recruiting Station at Santa Clara Square in Eugene, said the offer of an Army job is often alluring to students who are about to graduate. Enlisted students can get training in everything from food service operations to journalism to multimedia illustration, as well as the more traditional Army jobs like ammunition specialist and multiple-launch rocket system repairer.
Ryan Long, a University senior and soldier in the Oregon Army National Guard, was put on active duty 8 a.m. Saturday and now has to put his college life on hold. Long could be gone for as little as six months or as long as two years, and depending on where he’s stationed, he could face life-threatening combat. Despite the danger, Long says he doesn’t regret his decision to enlist three years ago.
“As much as I’m a little bit scared about the possibility of going overseas, I’m also excited to get away from school and do something different,” Long said.
He doesn’t know where his final destination lies after he trains at Fort Lewis, Wash., but Long said he’s proud to be serving in the Army. And despite the negative reaction that some students might have to military service, he said he’s never been looked down on for his devotion to the Army.
“When I tell people, most would say, ‘That’s something I would never do’ and commend me for it,” Long said.