CU students are joining the Army ROTC Buffalo Battalion to offer their services to the community while learning about leadership within the military.
The Buffalo Battalion is comprised of three main bodies of Colorado students, referred to as Companies: Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie. Students at CU are part of A Company. B Company comprises of students from the Colorado School of Mines, and C Company is made up of students from Metro State, Colorado Christian University and the University of Denver. The Companies have volunteered in numerous projects while learning how to become future leaders as Army officers.
The goal of the program is to expose students to the concept that the military serves its nation in all aspects of life, not just combat.
ROTC began as a voluntary class at CU that was not sponsored by the Army. Cadets came together to form a corps and were issued materials by the state of Colorado to facilitate their mission. The program was officially established in 1948.
Captain Emil Kesselring is currently an instructor for first year cadets, also known as MSI cadets. Kesselring, a former ROTC cadet, received a commission in 2003, choosing to be an instructor for ROTC to guide future cadets in the course.
“I’m able to give back and help mold [cadets],” Kesslering said. “And it’s just a way of giving back to the Army, making sure they’re producing great lieutenants.”
Kesselring came to CU’s ROTC program in May of 2011. He has also had experience as a platoon leader, company commander and staff officer and has been on deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. Kesselring spent time training local police forces in Afghanistan and said that the experience has carried over to training cadets.
Kesselring encourages cadets to maintain good grades and a professional attitude, in and out of uniform.
“The main thing is focus on grades,” Kesselring said. “Even if you don’t continue on with ROTC, your GPA is what will carry you on into grad school and future endeavors.”
In the past, cadets from the program have volunteered in raising funds for the Wounded Warrior Foundation and helped build houses for the needy. This past Saturday, they helped run the Paralympic Experience, a program that hosts sporting events for athletes with disabilities.
Kesselring said that the purpose of engaging in these events is to instill a community-oriented mindset.
“It’s giving back to the community,” Kesselring said. “For a lot of people, this might be the only experience, especially not being around a military town, that they have to interact with someone in the military.”
For one cadet, there are financial and personal benefits that add to the experience.
Christopher Poppleton, a 23-year-old senior history major, is a third year cadet, or MSIII. Poppleton said that he found out about the ROTC program through the scholarship offices and originally joined for the financial benefits, but is now proud to be a part of it and has enlisted in the National Guard.
Poppleton said that though the experience is different for everyone, he feels that ROTC has kept him focused and able to maintain good grades.
“I do better in school now than I did before because I’ve learned routines,” Poppleton said. “I’ve learned how to prioritize my life a lot better. Had I not been in the ROTC program, it’s possible that I might not have even been in school, really.”
Any student can join the ROTC program by signing up for the course when registering for classes. Once a cadet enters their third year, they are required to contract with the military.
As far as making the Army a career, Poppleton said that he’s going to leave that to the circumstances of the future.
“Whether you do the minimum or a career, it’s still a great opportunity,” Poppleton said. “It’s the best way to give back to your country.”
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Anthony Villafan at Anthony.villafan@colorado.edu
