cheryl miller, aei program on american citizenship
TRANSCRIPT
Cheryl Miller, AEI Program on American Citizenship
Making Citizen SoldiersMaking Citizen Soldiers
Overview: A National ProgramOverview: A National Program
The original mission of ROTC: a national program
The American political system strives for national majorities over simple majorities, and that goal should be reflected in our military as well.
By virtue of their different education, ROTC graduates would infuse the military with a broader set of civilian values and help ensure that the military's leadership is more reflective of the entire country.
ROTC’s Southern ShiftROTC’s Southern Shift
From 1968 to 1974, the Army closed 30 units at Eastern schools and opened 33 in the South, both at predominantly white universities like Old Dominion and predominantly black universities like Norfolk State.
At the start of this six-year period, there were 123 ROTC units in the East and 147 in the South. By the end, Southern units outnumbered Eastern ones 180 to 93.
Net gain or loss of ROTC units by Net gain or loss of ROTC units by region, 1968-1974region, 1968-1974
Region Total units in
1968
Units closed
Units opened
Total units in
1974
Net change
East 123 43 13 93 -30
Midwest 115 19 16 112 -3
South 147 12 45 180 +33
West 88 14 6 80 -8
Total 473 88 80 465 -8
Source: Michael S. Neiberg.Making Citizen Soldiers: ROTC and the Ideology of American Military Service.
Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2000. 172.
Region Area # ROTC Programs
Northeast Overall New England Division 28
Middle Atlantic 52
TOTAL 80
Midwest Overall East North Central 69
West North Central 44
TOTAL 113
South Overall South Atlantic 108
East South Central 50
West South Central 54
TOTAL 212
West Overall Mountain 39
Pacific 46
TOTAL 85
Combined ROTC Programs by Combined ROTC Programs by StateState
U.S. Army ROTC Programs by U.S. Army ROTC Programs by StateState
U.S. Navy ROTC Programs by U.S. Navy ROTC Programs by StateState
U.S. Air Force ROTC Programs by U.S. Air Force ROTC Programs by StateState
18-24 Year Old U.S. Population 18-24 Year Old U.S. Population
by Stateby State
ROTC in Urban AmericaROTC in Urban America
Urban areas particularly hard hit…
◦NYC, with over 8 million people, is served by 2 Army ROTC units vs. 11 for VA and 10 for AL.
◦The Chicago metro area, with almost 10 million residents, has 3 ROTC programs (1 Army; 2 Navy).
◦Detroit has 1 Army ROTC program at Wayne State.
◦Los Angles, population over 12 million, has 4 programs.
City Pop. # ROTC State Pop. # ROTC
New York City (total)
8,391,881 2 AROTC, 1 NROTC, 1 AFROTC
VA 7,882,590 11 AROTC, 6 NROTC, 3 AFROTC
Manhattan 1,629,054 Neb. 1,796,619 2 AROTC, 1 NROTC, 2 AFROTC
Brooklyn 2,567,098 NM 2,00,9671 3 AROTC, 1 NROTC, 2 AFROTC
Bronx 1,397,287 1 AROTC, 1 AFROTC, 1 NROTC
ME 1,318,301 1 AROTC, 1 NROTC, 1 AFROTC
Queens 2,306,712 1 AROTC WV 1,819,777 3 AROTC, 1 AFROTC
Staten Island
491,730 WY 544,270 1 AROTC, 1 AFROTC
Why did this happen?Why did this happen?
Political turmoil of the Sixties, but…
◦University administrators, most of whom, appreciating the program's infusion of scholarship money, have largely supported ROTC.
◦Nor were the vast majority of students the problem: Two days after the Kent State University shootings in 1970, a poll showed that 75% of KSU students favored keeping ROTC on campus, barely below the national average of 80%.
Why did this happen?Why did this happen?
Budgetary concerns…
◦Programs in the South and Midwest are simply more cost-effective, producing a greater number of graduates at a lower cost per cadet.
◦Army Cadet Command website categorizes Eastern and elite universities as “high cost”
◦1991 GAO Report: “Reserve Officers' Training Corps: Less Need for Officers Provides Opportunity for Significant Savings”
Why does it matter?Why does it matter?
Degrades the effectiveness of our armed forces…◦Stress of repeated deployments: We can’t keep
turning to the same small pool of people and asking more from them indefinitely.
◦Fighting a counterinsurgency that demands innovative leadership, language skills, and cultural knowledge. The diverse student body in the North and our big cities has a lot to offer in that regard.
◦The military has a lot to offer w/its young officers; healthy for college population & young officer corps
Why does it matter?Why does it matter?
Gates: “the relationship between those in uniform and the wider society they have sworn to protect.”
◦Less than 1% of Americans serve either in the active duty forces or the reserves.
◦Fewer and fewer Americans have ties to those who have served in the military.
◦This is a self-inflicted wound by the military. Left unaddressed, over time, it is bound to have a less than salutary impact on the relationship of the military with the larger American society.
Visit our website:http://www.citizenship-aei.org