The Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program at Pacific Lutheran University (PLU) offers students and soldiers the opportunity to serve in the Army.

"Everyone's path is unique," said Capt. Travis Delker, the scholarship and enrollment officer for the ROTC program at the university.

"There is a way to become an officer; you can make it happen."

A combat veteran who served in Iraq, Delker is well spoken, positive in attitude and formidably knowledgeable about the ROTC program at PLU.

He pointed out that interested students can take 100 and 200 level military science classes without any obligation to the Army.

This invitation not only applies to PLU students, but it also applies to other universities, community colleges and soldiers in the Green to Gold program.

"Don't assume that you are not qualified, emphasized Delker. "What a cadet needs most is personal motivation and the willingness to succeed."

Army ROTC is an intensive leadership program in conjunction with college coursework, supplementing a traditional college education with instruction in leadership development, military science, strategy and problem solving. Upon program completion, cadets earn their commission as officers in the Army, the National Guard or the Reserve.

The cadets in the "Lute" Battalion are used to meeting at the field house of Olson Gym every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 6 a.m. to undergo training designed to sharpen their skills and build confidence.

Once a month, they participate in field training exercises at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) North.

There are over 100 cadets in the program, ranging in age from 18 to 32 years of age.  Some are combat veterans; others are a year out of high school.

They also engage in on-campus "training laboratories" designed to hone their skills.

On a recent morning, they met outside the gym. It was dark and rainy.

The training challenged the cadets to take an eight-digit grid area on a 1:50,000 scale map and plot a course in eight minutes.

"I want to advance my career and the careers of those I serve with," commented cadet Eijin Jones, as he and cadet Norris Potter plotted their course.

The eight minutes evaporated, and the cadets found themselves practicing pace counts, search patterns and following their plotted courses.

"I am looking to serve," commented cadet Jacob Hinton, as he and five other cadets stood under a light to check their compass headings.

"I want to give back to this country."

Students involved in the ROTC program face a large time commitment in addition to their class load.  The cadets are required to take one military science class per semester, in which they learn about U.S. military history, to say nothing of basic navigational skills, physical fitness and team building.

A spirit of teamwork pervaded the learning exercise as it wound down.

"This is the greatest place for me," said cadet Shawn Roberson, as he led a group of younger cadets through a land navigation problem in a drizzle in the early morning light.

"It is a great way for a student or a soldier to work their way toward a commission."

For more information, visit www.plu.edu/~rotc or call (253) 535-8740.