The Dartmouth army ROTC program needs help -- the help of the students, administrators and alumni of Dartmouth. Dartmouth's program, slowly growing since its second near-death in 1994, commissions numerous active-duty second lieutenants in the United States Army each year. For those who are aware of the benefits of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps, scholarships are almost always the first thing that comes to mind.
The truth is, Dartmouth cadets do not receive the same scholarship package that cadets at peer institutions such as Stanford, MIT, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Cornell, Princeton and Penn receive. These schools, deemed "high-value scholarship schools," receive full tuition scholarships, about $32,000 a year. Dartmouth receives a relatively paltry $17,000 a year, not quite enough for many people who otherwise would have exchanged a comfortable job that pays six figures for four years of service and a nearly definite tour of duty in Iraq.
The difference between these scholarship packages over four years is nearly $60,000, no small sum of money for those who choose to enter into the military profession. There is, essentially, no financial reason for people to join Dartmouth's ROTC program. The full-tuition scholarship is a major reason why Princeton's program has grown to nearly 30 cadets, while Dartmouth's numbers fluctuate between eight and 12.
The issue of scholarships has been around since 1998, and not until now have we gained significant traction on the issue. Why is the scholarship issue such a big deal? First, offering $128,000 scholarships to incoming students to help pay for Dartmouth would build a sorely needed core of cadets on campus. Second, it is symbolic. If the ROTC program is to remain the red-headed step-child of the College, then the administration should just come out and say so, not mince words and pretend to help. If they truly want to help, then someone from the school should call the federal government and ask! And if they don't want to help, then they should not prevent me from doing my job, as commander of the detachment, to make the program better.
We are students after all, struggling to meet class deadlines, enjoying the offerings of Dartmouth and being fully active citizens. And isn't the administration supposed to be helping the students?
We have asked the administration for help on this. After I made an effort to raise public awareness of the issue last winter, I received a scathing condemnation of my article from Dean James Larimore, demanding an apology to President Wright for my comments. However, after sending a rebuttal back to Dean Larimore, I got a reply that on nearly all of the charges that I had alleged, I was in fact right. This reversal led to several meetings between the Dean's office and several of the cadets, in which we outlined a plan to get Dartmouth's program back on its feet.
It is now nearly one year later, and the administration has done next to nothing to help the program in the mean time. No phone calls have been made to the Army or to Congress to try to rectify the scholarship situation. My own attempts have brought me to the point where I am now working with Senator Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) and Representative Don Sherwood's (R-Penn.) office. As of right now, they are doing all they can to try to help the program get full scholarships. But help from Washington won't be enough if people don't raise their voices right here in Hanover.
Getting up at 6 in the morning, when the sun is still hiding behind the horizon, I have plenty of time to think about what exactly is the right thing. Being the idealistic romantic that I am, during our morning runs in the brisk winter air I am oft-reminded of a quote from Shakespeare's "Henry V:" "We few, we happy few, we band of brothers. For he today that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother."
My brothers and sisters in arms deserve better. I beseech concerned alumni and students to write the administration or call someone in the federal government who can help. Regardless of what your political affiliation is, the issue of student scholarships should be one that crosses boundaries and aisles. Do the right thing.
