Tim Lukianowicz spends an hour every week preparing for his ROTC class on Wednesdays. Everything has to be perfect: from neatly pressed uniforms, impeccably polished shoes, right down to where the nametag goes on his shirt.

Too much effort? Not quite. Being in the Air Force ROTC isn’t that time-consuming, nor is it a totally different world, as some may believe. Cadets take regular courses just as other students do. The program only requires cadets to attend class once a week, with a Leadership Laboratory on Wednesdays.

Topics become more specialized every semester, with classes about the history of the Air Force to seminars on leadership and management. Lukianowicz, a freshman majoring in aerospace engineering, took his first ROTC class last semester, which included the basics on dress codes, ranking systems, customs and courtesies, and what life is like as an officer after graduation. This semester, a few topics of discussion include leadership qualities, Air Force core values, team building and how to do a briefing.

Aside from class and lab, cadets are required to take a physical fitness test every semester–that means push-ups, sit-ups and one mile runs. This year, the ROTC program has also reintroduced weekly physical training “fun sessions” that require cadets to work out for an hour every Monday at 6:30 a.m.

At the end of their sophomore year, cadets go through 28 vigorous days on Field Training (“boot camp”). Emily Weir, a junior majoring in marketing, recalls having to get up early in the morning and work-out three times a day. “You’re in shock during the first week,” she said. But they come back tough and buff. After that, freshmen and sophomores must salute and greet every officer who has gone through boot camp.

“I don’t really think [being in the ROTC] is a whole lot different,” said Flight Commander and Cadet First Lieutenant Michelle Reinstatler. “It’s like having an extra curricular activity. Whether they’re meetings or e-mails, it’s the same as any organization–it’s just a little more structured.”

And just like any organization, these cadets like to have fun as well. They have a “spirit rock” that sits outside their detachment, which different flight teams get to spray paint with their team colors and symbols. Sometimes cadets watch over the rock to prevent others from painting over their symbols. The flight or organization with the best-painted rock contributes to “warrior points.” These points symbolize how motivated teams are.

First-time freshman fright

The experience of being in ROTC can be nerve-racking for first-time freshmen. Reinstatler, a junior studying English, laughs at her experiences during her freshman year, when she often had to scramble in order to salute officers, afraid of saying the wrong thing.

“I was scared to death at one point,” she confessed. “Because there are stipulations on which side of the officer to salute and when to greet them. But once you get past first year, it becomes second nature.”

Weir echoes the same thought. “As a freshman, it’s normal to try to avoid people in uniform,” she said. “It’s intimidating when you’re still getting used to it. You’re not always going to do it right, but they’ll be nice to you about it.”

Tim Cooper, a freshman in aerospace engineering, said that saluting officers is entirely an in-uniform affair. “Out of uniform, everyone stops being in the chain of command and are for the most part really good friends.”

Challenges and lessons in the ROTC

Although these cadets lead regular college lives, their responsibilities get magnified once in uniform.

According to Reinstatler, cadets sometimes feel guarded when wearing their uniforms in public. “How we act is very important because everything we do in uniform leaves impressions about the Air Force in general,” she said.

Cadets also have to deal with any negative perceptions from regular students. “Most students do not understand what it means to be in ROTC,” said Christina Trace, a sophomore psychology major. “They have no idea what the letters stand for or the meaning behind them. They just know that we wear uniforms once a week.”

Trace said that she has never received criticism here at SLU, but knows that cadets in the past have.

“A couple of years ago, a cadet was spit on and called a baby killer because a story had aired on the news having to do with military personnel overseas,” she said. “But ever since Sept. 11 we have gotten a lot of positive feedback. I had a teacher tell me that it made them feel safer to have us around.”

With the threat of war with Iraq a nearing possibility, these cadets may have to face a new wave of criticism, according to Cooper. “I think that when the Iraqi war starts, the more adamant anti-war followers will probably start giving us ‘negative feedback.'”

However, these cadets firmly believe in their program’s cause. Being in the ROTC program has instilled in them confidence, responsibility and leadership.

“It’s taught me to be a better leader,” Weir said. “Now I have a better appreciation of the military and a better understanding of the wars and battles that have been fought.”