ROTC is an organization that makes its presence known at OHS. Every day, they continue to carry out their planned events to not stray from their overall purpose to become better citizens. Community values are a part of their daily curriculum, and everything they do is to ensure that those values are represented successfully by the members.

To make sure their goals are achieved, ROTC is very incisive when it comes to following instructions. Activities, such as drills and flag raising ceremonies, determine how well a member does and what rank they earn.

Mikayla Bridges, sophomore, is a Senior Airman in ROTC and describes how to earn a specific rank.

“There’s not necessarily significance, but it does show respect and that you worked hard for it because in order to go up another level or to be promoted, you have to show dedication and hard work. So, it demonstrates that, and it’s a symbol of that,” Bridges said.

An example of that dedication is uniform checks. Advisors inspect all of the members to see if they are wearing the correct attire on the day the check was assigned. According to E-4 (Specialist) Ashley Erwin, sophomore, this activity is essential to their goals.

“Mainly, the uniform is for self-discipline, cleanliness. If we respect the uniform, it shows that we respect ourselves,” Erwin said.

Each week, ROTC goes through a detailed schedule to train students mentally and physically. On Mondays and Fridays, aerospace is the main objective, where they gain more knowledge on space and survival. Along with aerospace, physical training practice takes place on Wednesdays. Students go through difficult exercise to prepare themselves for PT testing and future careers.

“So, a lot of kids during their senior year will apply to the Academy or the Air Force, and most of those places look at your overall physical fitness, so it’s very important to have a weekly regimen,” said Bridges.

Another major part is leadership. Thursdays are set up for students to learn more about what it takes to be a leader. There is also a leadership camp that ROTC hosts in the summer to provide added support for sophomores and juniors. Mass Sergeant Madison Brewer, senior, explains more on why this camp is recommended for members.

“It also gives you career paths and gives you just an insight on a little bit of how the real world works,” Brewer said.

Brewer adds that the camp is beneficial for all students who are interested and not just for those planning to serve.

“It’s a lot of just teaching us how to be better in the community because the ROTC here is not about pushing any kind [of] military things on anybody,” said Brewer.

With leadership skills improving, communication comes into play, too. Being able to connect with your peers in society is a significant key point that is established within this organization.

“Not only has it taught me social[ly], but I’m more aware of my time management and how I’m communicating with people and how I come off to people,” said Bridges.

After looking more into the aspects of ROTC, it’s clear that they try to pass on their values and insight into what a good citizen is through the various programs and lessons they teach. Members are essentially “building up a world of character” as Bridges puts it.

“I’ve learned that I’m a girl in a, basically, male dominated class, so it’s taught me how to interact with people differently, and it’s helped me build closer relationships with some of the girls,” Bridges said.