Several cadets of the AFROTC program with Merchant Marine Academy
midshipmen on board a C-17 transport plane during a merged trip with
Rutgers University to Stewart Air National Guard Base.
MANHATTAN.EDU / COURTESY
By Otito Maduegbuna, Contributor
Manhattan University’s Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) program has welcomed Lieutenant Colonel Richard J. Nova as a new leader.
The Lieutenant now oversees the training and operations for all cadets from 16 different colleges and universities.
Nova spoke on the skills and values that recruits learn through their experiences with the ROTC program.
“Detachment 560 provides training for cadets to develop leadership skills such as decision-making, team building, and communication that will help them be successful in their professional careers,” Lieutenant Colonel Nova wrote in an email to The Quadrangle. “Manhattan University provides an elite atmosphere to accomplish our mission.”
Focused on turning college-age cadets into full-fledged commissioned officers in the Air Force and Space Force, several cadets within the program communicated to The Quadrangle the importance of the work cadets do in preparation for their future careers in the United States military.
Olsmael Merisier, a senior and the Cadet Wing Commander of Detachment 560, spoke to The Quadrangle about the importance of their training.
“What you’re being trained on varies depending on what headquarters really want,” Merisier said. “They want you to learn how to be a good follower, because that is one of the parts of being a military member, how to follow orders.”
Lauren Underwood, a senior psychology major and Detachment 560’s Training Operations Squadron Commander, also spoke about the program’s commitment to crafting the next generation of Air Force officers and leaders.
“This is not a club. This is not an extracurricular,” Underwood said. “ROTC stands for Reserve Officer Training Corps. You are here to become an officer. You are here to learn. If you keep that in mind and you show that you are dedicated, you show up prepared with your uniform shined and ironed and paying attention to little details, it is noticed.”
Detachment 560 spans over 16 different colleges and universities throughout New York City and Long Island, all focused on turning cadets into officers. Unlike most of the other schools attached to the program, the AFROTC at Manhattan University conducts their training sessions entirely on Fridays.
These training days are conducted from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and consist of classes on aerospace science (AS) and Leadership Laboratories (ILABs), which focus on leadership objectives and techniques. During these classes, the cadets take part in activities known as group leadership projects or GLPs. During the GLPs, cadets are evaluated on specific tasks related to leadership, critical thinking and followership in the case of junior cadets.
“We evaluate them on their ability to listen to their people, because to be a leader, you also need to listen to your people and not get tunnel vision,” Underwood said. “Did you listen to your leader? Did you step on any toes? Did you try to take command away from your leader? We have different scenarios\e for them with each different objective, and that’s our evaluation skill.”
Several of the cadets spoke on the importance of being physically fit, and the confidence needed during their drill exercises and in their careers.
“Some of the things we harp on are confidence, physical fitness and critical thinking,” Merisier said. “Even if you’re unsure, being confident can make that much of a difference. If you’re leading your soldiers and you can’t give a direct order confidently then are they gonna be trusting you? Are they going to be like, ‘this person has my back’.”
Several of the cadets spoke on the values and mindsets that the program’s leadership tries to cultivate on their paths to becoming leaders in the Air Force.
Cadet Jennovia Mais explained this mentality in detail.
“One thing we always say is to ‘embrace the sucky moments’,” Mais said. “A lot of us as cadets have failed during training, but the point is to learn from the mistake that you made when you failed so you won’t repeat the same mistake.”
Cadet Melvyn Greene, a prior enlisted member in the U.S. Navy, also touched on the mindsets instilled with the cadets.
“Leadership in this program is very important,” Greene said. “We’re going to be in that role. We’re going to have 500-1000 people we need to lead. We have adapted to those scenarios, to where we can be in those situations and lead effectively.”
When asked by The Quadrangle what their personal favorite things from the ROTC program were, many of the cadets spoke of the relationships they had developed with their fellow future officers over the years.
“I would say the team. There’s always someone there for you if you’re going through something,” Cadet Rubi Garcia, who joined the ROTC program as a sophomore, said. “We work out together, we study together, we do a lot of things together and I love having that team.”
Cadet Underwood also spoke on watching the cadets under their training become confident and effective leaders.
“My favorite thing about this program is watching cadets transform into outstanding leaders,” Underwood said. “I think of who I would want to serve with active duty, and I love all of the relationships and all of the people and opportunities that I’ve been given here at the detachment.”
Members of Detachment 560 expressed their thoughts to any potential recruits looking to get involved with the AFROTC program.
“You can come here with a fresh start to give yourself the opportunity to grow,” Greene said. “You’ll gain a lot from it if you’ll allow yourself to gain something from it. So you have to put in the work, you have to give the effort. It’s like with anything else, you put in time for it, you gain something back.”