Photo essay: A day in the life of UC’s ROTC
Cadets from UC hop aboard military helicopters to begin weekend drill
While many college students might spend the weekend catching up on work, class assignments or sleep, more than 40 members of the U.S. Army ROTC on Thursday climbed aboard military helicopters to begin a four-day drill at Fort Knox.
Two CH-47 Chinooks and one UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter landed at Cincinnati’s Lunken Airport to pick up University of Cincinnati students for the training exercise in Kentucky, where they joined ROTC students from five other area universities.
The Blackhawk touched down on the runway with a roar and taxied to the tarmac where its rotors blasted a hurricane of icy wind. Behind it, two leviathan dual-rotor Chinooks from the Ohio National Guard landed and pulled up alongside it.
A Blackhawk helicopter lands at Lunken Airport to pick up UC students who belong to the ROTC. Photo/Abby Hardesty/UC Marketing + Brand
After a safety briefing, the students climbed into the aircraft for the hourlong flight to Fort Knox.
About 4% of UC’s student body are veterans or dependents of veterans, but it’s a population that often goes unnoticed.
UC student John Malas. Photo/Abby Hardesty/UC Marketing + Brand
UC College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services student John Malas plans to enlist in the U.S. Army where he hopes to join the military police. He is studying criminal justice.
“Every cadet gets the choice of joining the national guard, the reserves or active duty,” Malas said. “I plan to join active duty.”
Lt. Col. Daniel Laakso, a professor of military science at UC, said the exercise helps identify leadership potential among the cadets. The drill involves exercises on navigation, marksmanship, rappelling and military operations, Laakso said.
“That’s really what we look for — does the cadet make good decisions and collaborate well?”
He enlisted in the U.S. Army National Guard in 1999 and enrolled at Texas A&M University as a student veteran in 2000. Student veterans learn important skills that transfer to the classroom, he said.
“It forced me to develop good time-management skills and be disciplined,” he said.
Virginia and Vern Rebsch stood outside the gates at Lunken Airport taking photos of their son Cameron as he lined up to board a Chinook. Cameron Rebsch is a student in UC’s Lindner College of Business.
“He was so excited about this,” she said. “We wanted to see it. I have never seen these helicopters up close before. It’s awesome.”
Featured image at top: UC ROTC students climb aboard a CH-47 Chinook helicopter to begin a four-day drill at Fort Knox. Photo/Abby Hardesty/UC Media + Brand
Students departed from Lunken Airport, Cincinnati's municipal airport. Photo/Abby Hardesty/UC Marketing + Brand
U.S. Army National Guard flight crews transported UC students to a four-day ROTC drill. Photo/Abby Hardesty/UC Marketing + Brand
A Blackhawk helicopter landed at Lunken Airport in Cincinnati to transport UC students to Fort Knox for a four-day ROTC drill. Photo/Abby Hardesty/UC Marketing + Brand
UC students queue up to board a CH-47 Chinook helicopter at Lunken Airport. Photo/Abby Hardesty/UC Marketing + Brand
Two CH-47 Chinook helicopters prepare to take UC students to Fort Knox for an ROTC drill. Photo/Abby Hardesty/UC Marketing + Brand
UC students prepare to board a CH-47 Chinook helicopter at Lunken Airport. Photo/Abby Hardesty/UC Marketing + Brand
UC students take their seats aboard a CH-47 Chinook helicopter that will take them to Fort Knox for their ROTC drill. Photo/Abby Hardesty/UC Marketing + Brand
A Blackhawk helicopter taxies to the tarmac after landing at Lunken Airport. Photo/Abby Hardesty/UC Marketing + Brand
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