Surround Yourself by Different People and Experiences
An Introduction to the Military Way of Life
In today's global environment, the chances of a new college graduate working with a foreign culture has increased exponentially. The current economy has been constantly referred to as a global economy since everyone is linked by some thread. In order for college graduates to navigate this new arena, they must be able to understand the basics of cultural differences, norms and interactions. This begins with interactions among peers from different places, backgrounds and education. An excellent starting point for an individual is to enroll in a Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program. ROTC is an opportunity for individuals with common goals to be put together in a working team and be successful in the tasks they are given.
How can an ROTC program offer the opportunity to experience different people and different cultures? The goal is to have individuals who strive for greatness and the development of future leaders. This goal is broad since there is no template on what a leader should possess. The military builds upon every individual's unique perspective and experience and also encourages out of the box thinkers. It is important to have individuals who see things in a completely different manner from everyone else. Various points of view provide the opportunity to capitalize on all the possible scenarios for a problem. Where does this grooming begin? It begins at a micro level: college. In an ROTC program, you are put into groups regardless of your individual experience and you are watched to see how you interact and grow as an individual. While some might see this as an experiment, there is a different perspective. It can be seen as a leadership laboratory allowing individuals and groups to make mistakes in an academic environment with instructors to identify deficiencies and ways to improve.
As an instructor, between both of my classes, I have students from the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Guyana, France, Somalia, Ghana and from all over the United States in my classes. This type of diversity is one of your many opportunities to surround yourself by different people and have unique experiences. Your next chance will come once you complete ROTC and commission as an active duty officer. Depending on your career field in the military, you will have the ability to travel to over 34 overseas bases all over the world. In this capacity, you will work with civilian and military personnel from various countries; essentially you are an indirect ambassador for the United States. In my seven years in the military, I have been to Germany, Spain, Italy, France, Iraq, Qatar and Kuwait. I have encountered military members from Australia, the United Kingdom, Japan, Korea, Iraq, Uganda, Spain and South Africa. Diversity is an asset. If everyone is the same then there is no possibility for innovation.
In the end, it is up to you. Every adventure is what you make of it. If you are looking to travel and hike the road less traveled, consider an ROTC program. Good luck wherever your individual path takes you.
Editorial provided by Captain Jeffrey D. Nuñez, Air Force ROTC.
