Attention: Harvard ROTC!

Since its founding, Harvard has been renowned for its rich military history—starting with the University’s “Indian College’s” involvement in King Phillip’s War in 1675 and progressing into the modern day with the University’s distinguished Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program. 

The University currently holds the title for the most Medal of Honor recipient alumni out of any non-military university in the world, with 18 recipients. This history is also cemented within the architecture of the institution’s campus. The Continental Army was quartered in Massachusetts Hall. Additionally, Memorial Hall and Memorial Church both contain commemorative architecture dedicated to our University’s veterans, who have served in every American war since King Phillip’s War. 

Progressing into the twentieth century, Harvard ROTC was the first in the nation upon being established in 1916 when President Wilson signed the National Defense Act of 1916 for military expansion efforts. 

Since its inception, ROTC has expanded to over 1,700 programs at universities and 3,500 junior ROTC programs nationwide providing gateway programs specific to branches of the military. 2011 marked the official reinstatement of ROTC at Harvard after it had been banned for nearly 40 years following the Vietnam War—a time of ideological division over the role of the United States Armed Forces. Harvard ROTC, in partnership with the program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has continued its legacy of excellence with the induction of over 100 officers into the forces in the 14 years since its reinstatement.

To join ROTC, interested Harvard affiliates from all stages of education follow a formal application process. In addition to written statements, letters of recommendation, interviews—all somewhat typical to college and scholarship application processes—cadets must also complete a physical fitness test and a Department of Defense approved medical exam.

In spite of ROTC’s historic legacy and tradition of excellence, some might wonder what motivates cadets to sacrifice time—and notably sleep—as a college student in addition to requirements to serve a determined number of years of service upon completing their baccalaureate degrees. 

“I initially joined ROTC because I was inspired by my father’s commitment to military service,” Grace St. Laurent ’28 wrote in a statement to the Independent. St. Laurent, who studies molecular and cellular biology at the College on the pre-medicine track, explained that her current ambition is to complete medical school and residency concurrently with the required service in the Army reserves after the ROTC program.

“I participated in a Navy Junior ROTC program in high school that both taught me a lot outside of the military, and also showed me the incredible opportunities available through the military to both serve our country while simultaneously gaining invaluable skills and personal experiences,” Grayson Caffrey ’28 wrote in a statement to the Independent. “The main motivators for joining ROTC [were] my exposure to the Navy in high school and the scholarship opportunity.”

The financial assistance provided by the ROTC scholarship is a largely attractive feature for many participants. Once awarded the scholarship and accepted to an academic institution, ranging from partial to full-ride depending on branch criteria, the scholarship is distributed to the college of your choice.

Regardless of preliminary interests or passions, all cadets and midshipmen find themselves working to maintain a balance between academics and ROTC obligations. As part of the typical ROTC schedule, cadets are required to wake up at 5 a.m. numerous mornings a week for physical training at MIT. In addition to early mornings, they must attend extra leadership courses for their respective branches, weekly labs on practical skills, and occasional field training exercises, which can occupy entire weekends tallying a roughly 15-hour commitment per week. 

However, many of Harvard’s cadres and unit staff—military professionals instructing and mentoring student cadets and midshipmen—factor in undergraduate participants’ lofty ambitions when designing ROTC’s training program.

“ROTC mostly affects my life Tuesday through Thursday. The biggest difference between my schedule and non-ROTC [sic] student[s] is early mornings,” Caffrey wrote.

“Our cadre[s] are super accommodating and encourage us to prioritize academics, giving us more time off during the week or support during [field training exercise],” St. Laurent wrote.

Caffrey, who studies Economics at the college, explained that the schedule flexibility alongside the financial assistance offered by the program played a pivotal role in affording his education. “The scholarship opportunity is amazing, and made going to school here far more reasonable for me and my family to manage,” he wrote.

“There isn’t much of a connection between undergrad major and our job when we commission,” Caffrey wrote when asked how his academic and ROTC worlds intersect. “For a lot of people, in our careers outside the military, our military experience will be our main resume item.”

Beyond the facets of the program itself, both Caffrey and St. Laurent emphasized how their fellow cadets maintain their individual interests. Upon entering the program, St. Laurent was concerned that the program’s culture would be too intense and her fellow classmates’ identities might be consumed by their involvement with ROTC. To her relief, this has not been the case. 

“Everyone whom I’ve met through ROTC is exceptionally multifaceted,” St. Laurent added. “So many cadets are involved with so much outside of ROTC, whether that be varsity or club athletics, pre-professional organizations, challenging course loads, research, study abroad, and more.” 

“My decision to study abroad was what one could say was very last-minute but my [Lieutenant] understood how important it was for me to have a study abroad experience,” said Sydney Slazak ’26, who is currently studying abroad in Sydney, Australia, in a statement to the Independent. 

Slazak took an unconventional path from ROTC to studying abroad. Having decided to pursue this opportunity at the last minute, she worked closely with her Lieutenant to maintain enrollment in required ROTC classes virtually while off campus.

Caffrey similarly commented on one of his favorite unique experiences in Navy ROTC thus far, the summer cruise. 

“This summer I had the chance to fly in a trainer fighter jet, go underway on a surface ship and nuclear submarine, attempt a Marine Corps endurance course and do some rappelling, talk to enlisted and officers in a huge variety of careers and roles, and the whole time I was hanging out with students from other colleges and getting paid!” Caffrey joked about his unconventional summer experience: “It’s essentially our ‘internship’ for the Navy, but in my opinion, a lot more fun than working for a company for free for three weeks.”

Despite the divergences on their paths to and journeys in Harvard ROTC, St. Laurent, Caffrey, and Slazak find commonality in their appreciation for the community the program has provided. 

Slazak and Caffrey both emphasized the close knit nature of NROTC being a smaller program—something Slazak has longed for while studying abroad. 

“While I don’t miss waking up at 5 a.m. or how demanding our schedule can get, being away has helped me realize how significant the program has been to my college experience,” Slazak wrote.“I especially miss the goofy small moments that will enviably become a running joke, the post [physical training] Dunkin runs, and our weekly Quincy breakfasts.” 

“There is a level of camaraderie that extends outside of regular [physical training] and classes,” St. Laurent echoed. “I stay in ROTC because it has created a community that has been quintessential to my development as a person and my college experience.”
Megan Legault ’28 (mlegault@college.harvard.edu) is a proud Navy sister.