Salve Senior Prepares for Military Life in ROTC

By: Kate Howard
Posted In: News

While the fall semester draws to a close, seniors are busy with finals and contemplating where their future as graduates may lead them. How many seniors can say, though, that they’ve already signed a contract sealing part of their fate for the next four years?

Seniors in the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) like Cadet Capt. Danielle Dippolino can be sure, since she has already signed a contract with the U.S. Army. “ROTC is definitely a commitment, and once you make it, you have to really commit yourself to it,” said Dippolino.

Just prior to graduation, Dippolino and fellow ROTC cadets will be commissioned as second lieutenants in the Army and will prepare to serve their country for the next four years in the military on active-duty or in reserves in exchange for the tuition and book money they have funded their education with.

She can make requests for her job and where she will be stationed, but the final decision for both is left up to the Army.

“I’m requesting Hawaii,” Dippolino laughed, acknowledging that the odds of getting such a coveted location are slim. Wherever Dippolino lands, her job assignment has been decided. She will be serving the Military Police (MP) on reserve duty, one of her top picks.

In addition to her Administration of Justice major, work-study job building theater sets and serving as stage manager for all Salve’s theater productions, Dippolino’s typical college life is enhanced with shades of what’s to come, including sporadic weekends spent in field training and 6:30 a.m. physical training (PT) three times a week. PT tests are administered monthly, testing a cadet’s ability in running, push-ups, and sit-ups. Coming up a bit short on occasion won’t get you kicked out, though. “If you fail, you just work harder the next month,” Dippolino explained.

Salve’s ROTC program falls under the umbrella of the University of Rhode Island’s Army ROTC program. Salve, URI and Roger Williams University’s ROTC groups have PT and weekend training together and the three groups encompass the Cramer’s Sabers Battalion. Salve has two seniors that contracted and remained in ROTC through their junior and senior years.

Dippolino is just one of three women of 12 seniors in URI’s ROTC program. Although she’s part of a clear minority, she feels there is definitely a place for women in the military. “Because it’s so grueling on the body, a lot of women feel that the military is male-oriented, but I don’t think that’s the case at all,” Dippolino said. “It would be great if more women joined, because some of the best officers I’ve worked with are women.”

The students take a one-credit course in military science their freshman and sophomore years learning skills such as land navigation, first aid and rifle marksmanship. If they choose to sign a contract and accept an ROTC scholarship, they take three-credit courses in more advanced military topics such as advanced leadership and management, military ethics and small unit tactics.

Sophomore, junior and senior year summers required summer camp where Dippolino flew in Chinook helicopters, fired M-16s and polished her leadership abilities. “Our leadership skills are evaluated throughout ROTC, and that plays a part in what my job will be when I graduate,” sad Dippolino. She also participated in the 2003 National Advanced Leadership Camp in Fort Lewis, Wash., where her performance was evaluated to decide her job position when she enters the Reserves.

The future for Dippolino may look a bit different than she anticipated when she contracted with ROTC pre-Sept. 11 and before the U.S. began the war on terrorism, but she says it doesn’t change a thing. “I didn’t second-guess my decision,” Dippolino said. “When you join the military, there is always the possibility of war; we have the best Army in the world, and to lead soldiers and be a part of that is an honor.”