CADET JOHN PAUL GOMEZ

If you go into this environment where people care about what you’re going to become, people have a vested interest in what type of leader you’ll be.

The role the ROTC program plays it brings together the parents and cadets at various times throughout the year and lets them interact with us, lets them understand our program. From the time they walk through the door, we’re asking them to bring in their parents. From the time they commission, we get the parents involved in all of our program aspects.

It’s so easy to access them. They are able to explain to you what kind of programs they have, how the Army ROTC provides them with the tools to be able to succeed.

Once the parents realize what our program is about, the training that their sons and daughters will go through, they’re very supportive of it. They know that they’re going to go off and hopefully do a military career and then come back and serve their community as a leader.

In the ROTC program you feel like you belong. We know what wonderful things can happen. It’s not for everybody, but I think it has been wonderful for my son.