Training offers chance to discover Army gold
March 1, 2002
KALAMAZOO -- Western Michigan University students can take the first step this summer toward earning their gold bars as second lieutenants in the Army -- and what better place to do that than Ft. Knox.
WMU's Military Science Program is looking for students completing their sophomore year who are interested in attending the Army's Leaders Training Course, a four-week paid summer internship at Fort Knox, Ky. The course is designed to introduce students to the Army and help them build marketable leadership, management and decision-making skills.
"More and more junior military officers are putting in their three or four years with the Army and transitioning to corporate America," says Maj. Tim Russell, scholarship and enrollment officer for WMU's ROTC program. "Companies like General Electric, Pfizer and General Motors actively recruit from among the military's ranks. The Leaders Training Course and other Army training help students build the skills that Fortune 500 companies, government organizations and educational institutions want in their own leaders."
Any full-time WMU student who will be a first-semester junior in fall 2002, is a U.S. citizen between 18 and 25 years old and has a grade point average of at least 2.5 is eligible to apply for the Leaders Training Course. GPAs of 3.0 and above are preferred, and participants must meet military medical qualification and fitness standards. While no prior military experience is required, participants must commit to joining the ROTC program and becoming a commissioned second lieutenant in the Army upon graduation.
Course participants choose from among four monthlong sessions that run between June 13 and July 24. Airfare and room and board are free, and participants receive a stipend. Students who attend the course may be able to earn academic credit, and those with GPAs of 2.5 or better who successfully complete the training are also eligible for full two-year scholarships from WMU's ROTC program.
Part of the Haworth College of Business, WMU's Military Science Program is an elective academic minor through which students can qualify for the Reserve Officers Training Corps. The program stresses leadership and military skills training that prepares students for commissions as second lieutenants in the active Army, Army Reserves or Army National Guard after they complete their baccalaureate degrees. ROTC programs train 70 percent of the officers in today's Army.
An information session about Leaders Training Course will take place at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 19, at the Activity Therapy Building on WMU's Oakland Drive Campus. For details or to reserve a seat, contact Maj. Tim Russell at (269) 387-8122 or <trussell@wmich.edu>.
Media contact: Jessica English, 269 387-8400, jessica.english@wmich.edu