ROTC will be having its recruitment drive Nov. 6-22 in the UC. There will be a booth set up to answer questions during this time.

In addition, they will be offering six scholarship opportunities: one four-year scholarship of $16,000 per year for incoming freshmen and five three-year $16,000 per year scholarships for students that are currently enrolled in school.

There are a number of different ways to get involved with the ROTC. If you are a freshman and just looking to see if the Army or National Guard is something which you could be interested in, you can join with no obligation for two years. The military science courses you take will count for your electives.

If you are a sophomore just getting ready to start your junior year and have made the decision to make a commitment of either six years in the National Guard (which requires one weekend a month and two weeks of active service during the summer), or serve four years active duty in the Army, then you can be “contracted”. Once you are contracted you will attend a 5-week leadership-training course.

After the training course, there is no need to attend basic training or AIT (Advanced Individual Training). Once you have made a commitment to one of these or other available options, the benefits start to kick in.

As a freshman, you receive a $250 a month stipend. As a sophomore, you receive $300 a month. As a junior, you will receive $350 a month. And finally as a senior, you will receive $400 a month. On top of the stipend, you will receive 75 percent tuition assistance.

When you graduate from college, you will be a Second Lieutenant in the National Guard or the Army with a starting base salary of $34,000 per year.

At this point you may be asking yourself, “What is ROTC?” According to the ROTC National web site, the Army ROTC produces 75 percent of all Army officers. The ROTC was founded in 1916 and has produced more than one-half million lieutenants for America's Army. It remains the broadest avenue for men and women seeking to serve as officers in the Army.

In the ROTC, you will combine classroom time with hands-on experience and learning skills that will give you an edge over your peers when it comes time to look for a job.

Your studies will include Leadership Development, Military Skills and Adventure Training. ROTC courses teach you how to succeed in college and beyond.

UTM has an excellent ROTC program. According to Capt. Stephen Jaco, three years ago UTM was ranked 266 out of 270 but now it’s ranked 39 out of 270 ROTC programs.

“This is the best leadership course you could ever take,” said Capt. Jaco.

For more information, contact Capt. Jaco at 587-ROTC.