Comments on: A Manly Option for Higher Education: Senior Military Colleges

By: Nate

Nate — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 13:16:52 +0000

Im a freshman in the Corps of Cadets at Virginia Tech and I can tell you first hand the growth Ive seen since joining the Corps. I hate the Corps with a passion because of all the stupid things it makes us do but in the end it is better for us. It is funny to talk to civilians and see what they do in a day compared to what corps members can accomplish.

By: Austin

Austin — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 23:18:02 +0000

Chris, I am a senior in the Corps of Cadets and Texas A&M. We had cadets from West Point come and spend the night with us for a week when I was a sophomore, and they said themselves that our training was more difficult than what ya’ll go through. Don’t knock it before you try it.

Also, the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band is not a special unit.

By: Mac Golden

Mac Golden — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 04:24:23 +0000

Please note that “CALVARY” is the name of the site ascribed to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. What the author should have written is “CAVALRY”, which were soldiers who fought on mounted horseback.

There is a distinct difference between the two.

By: Parent of A&M Corps member

Parent of A&M Corps member — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 21:34:52 +0000

I can not believe the bantering going on in the comments on in this article. Having a son who was unsure whether a military career was for him, decided to join the Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M. At the same time, one of his closest friends who did want the military, was fortunate to be accepted into the Naval Academy. As mentioned, not everyone who applies is accepted to the military colleges, so what are they to do? The SMC is an excellent option. I can say, after witnessing first hand, the rigors of the Unit my son joined, there is NOTHING wimpish about his training. Several of my son’s ‘buddies ‘ are contracted with the military from day one, some on scholarships, some not. Those who are attend a mandatory summer session with the branch they have contracted with in order to keep up with those attending the military colleges. The option A & M offers is that for those who do not contract, they graduate with Leadership skills. Even if it is not recognized by corporation America, many who have met Cadets who graduated from A&M, it has value. Whether it is recognized or not, the personal achievements are known only to them. Some, after the first 2 years, may change their mind and decide to contract. No one mentioned the fact the non contracted young men and women are not being paid, says something in itself. They have decided to participate in an environment of physical and mental challenges while attending college. I have never heard one cadet refer to ‘playing soldier’, it is not even in their vocabulary. I have no idea where anyone gets that idea. My God, in this day and age of sloppy teens who spend more time vegitating in front of video games and find every excuse to NOT challenge themselves, no one should dismiss the fact there are some young people out there who make a conscious decision to NOT let that define them. A&M offers ALL branches of the military units. There are some I have met who after spending time under the direction of one branch, made the decision to contract with another. A nice option to have. Having the classes with regular students may extend outside the classroom allowing them a chance to be apart of the colege world if they choose, most do not.. I could not be more proud that my son chose the challenge of the Corps. After the first year, even he stated he now knows that ‘he can take on anything and succeed’. For a parent, knowing your child is confident and proud of themselves, to know that they can make it in this world, that they have learned to follow and lead…..what more could anyone ask.
Why ANYONE would discredit the SMC’s is beyond me. It is an option. And thank goodness there is one……

Any yes, this article is still being read. It was posted on one A&M Corps Units website.

By: Transformer '12

Transformer '12 — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 16:08:46 +0000

The Fightin’ Texas Aggie Cadet Corps
The Twelfth Man
The Spirit of Aggieland
The Best Damn Outfit Anywhere!

By: J

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 17:51:23 +0000

I am very proud of my decision to go The Citadel and wear my ring with pride. The upperclass cadets and the administration can make your life hell without breaking the rules or by hazing. The Citadel experience is unlike anything else I have ever done and I feel that I am better person for going and learned more than I would have if I had gone to any other college.

By: J

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 17:15:44 +0000

Ok as a Citadel graduate, class 2008, I feel that i need to clarify a few things. I held rank every year after knob year, reported back early junior and senior year on cadre as Training NCO and Training Officer, so i know what the hell i am talking about. When the article stats “While “hazing” is technically against the rules at the Citadel (and the other military colleges), the upperclassmen cadets are still famous for the harsh rites of initiation they put the knobs (freshmen, named for their shaved heads) through.” Anything bad (hazing, racism, etc…) that happens at The Citadel is always in the spotlight and made to seem to be much worse than it really is. This is because of the history of the school. Hazing may have been a problem at The Citadel many many years ago. During my 4 years I was never physically harmed in any way. Hazingis defined by the citadel as
” AA. HAZING. Hazing is prohibited.Hazing is a violation of South Carolina Law and Citadel Regulations and is punishable by expulsion from The Citadel.
1. Hazing is defined as a wrongful striking, an unauthorized laying
hand upon, threatening with violence, or offering to do bodily harm by any student to another student, or any other unauthorized treatment by one student toward another student of a tyrannical, abusive, shameful, insulting, or humiliating nature; or otherwise requiring any student to perform any personal service for another student except as specifically provided for cadets in the Fourth Class System or Cadet Regulations. 2. It is the duty of every Cadet to take positive and immediate action to end hazing. This could take the form of direct intervention or reporting it to the Company Commander, XO, or Human Affairs Officer. Other avenues that exist are the Battalion Staff, the Guard Team, a TAC officer, or the OC.”
If you read the definition(straight out of the Blue Book) it starts out really bad, but then toward the end it gets to small harmless stuff. Example (giving a knob money to go to pick you up something at the gift shop, or doing push up for longer than 2 mins, or more than 20 push up at a time, or fixing a knobs uniform without asking permision, or saying curse words directed toward knobs or just mentioning, or shine your shoes.” What I am trying to say is that the definition of hazing includes a wide variety of things from the really bad(beating someone) to miniscule(making a knob help you move rooms). According to this definition yes everyone was “hazed” but most of time it was not what you think of when you think of hazing. In my opinion 99.9% of the “hazing” at El Cid would not even be considered “hazing” at other schools or frats. The “harsh rites of initiation” that are mentioned here are more mental than physical. If you want to test yourself physically(not saying knob year will not) you will get your chance at The Citadel, but it will come your junior year but will be optional.

By: Charlie46

Charlie46 — Wed, 26 May 2010 17:58:15 +0000

Military College vs. Military Academy vs Joining the Army. Last I knew, the Acadamies only accept a few new attendees each year, so not EVERY one can attend an academy and not everyone can get a Congressional recommendation. As for Joining the Army. IF one decides to go the academic route (Either College OR Academy) they have the option of deciding to drop out if it doesn’t suit their fancy. Joining the Army doesn’t give you that option until your time is up and under current conditions, it seems they can still keep you for an extended service.

As for going the ROTC route and getting the same results as either of the focused Academics, I will just say I went to a large, respected State University AND was in the ROTC program. It did not stop me from flunking out. I wish I had had someone to keep me in line.

I know this blog has been going for some time and there may not be anyone reading it anymore, but as been said several times: It is an OPTION!! I was in service with a Medical Doctor who graduated from West Point. He had gotten a free education; he had gotten the Government to pay for his medical training and was commissioned as a Major rather than as a Captain, as most Medical Doctors were at that time. Guess what? All he could do was complain about the military establishment. So it makes no difference where you went to school, it only matters what type of person you became – either before or AFTER graduation.

For me? If my life depends on someone else, I’ll take the person who has a military background and has a confident attitude towards life.

By: Ed

Ed — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 17:44:16 +0000

I’ll be attending Virginia Military Institute in the fall of 2010. Some people rip on it and think we’re “playing soldier” but hey, the world may be on the brink of collapse, military training never hurt.

Also, have any of you wondered why there was the prospetity of the 50′s? It was because all the men came back from the war, and they were disciplined, honourable, and hard working.

Military is the only way.

By: Michael

Michael — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 18:01:03 +0000

To the West Point guy…

Have you ever attended The Citadel or VMI? No. You are at the academy and you are boasting about how prim and proper your superior training is… The reason you think your training is so special and laugh when you look at other SMC’s is simple. It is because your administration TELLS you that you are the gift from god. I would love to see how different your opinion would be after a “hell week” at VMI or El Cid.

When I was a squad leader in Iraq, we deployed with a fresh ring-tapping west pointer who thought the sun shined out of his ass and he got a lot of my men wounded (thank god not killed) because of his incompitence and arrogance. When our new PL from the Citadel showed up two years later while we were gearing up for Afghanistan, he may not have been the top of his class, but he had one thing that I am yet to see a west pointer have… CARE FOR HIS MEN. He was always the last to eat, last to sleep, first to lead, and looked out for every one of us. He even knew the birthdays of his men’s children and gave them the day off to be with their family while in the states. That my friend is a man that doesnt come from a silver spoon academy. He did not treat us like “non academy enlisted men”, he treated us like men.

Maybe one day West Pointers will lose the arrogance and holier-than-thou attitude but until that day comes, I’ll follow the guy who knows what it means to suffer and to struggle together with his comrades.