THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, July 27, 1996 TAG: 9607270003
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A12 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Opinion
SOURCE: By J.W. PEYTON ROBERTSON
LENGTH: 83 lines
Early in 1990, the superintendent of Virginia Military Institute sent a latter to all alumni suggesting that we not get in a shouting match over the women's issue. It seemed important to heed his request and ``let this be decided in the courts.'' Indeed, some of us had faith that the right decision would be made in the courts.
The decision has been made, and it's no time for a shouting match now, either! It is time that VMI graduates show that they have the right stuff: leadership! We need to all step off on the right foot.
I am well-aware that an overwhelming number of alumni might enjoy getting in a shouting match damning the U.S. government and/or threatening to pull their support unless VMI goes private.
There are also those who downplay VMI's role in producing regular officers for the military services. Usually a comment is made such as ``Only about 15 percent choose to go on active duty as a career anyway.'' I can't recall any statistic following that remark which compares what percentage of officers from the military academies go for a full career, so I challenge those who believe that VMI isn't in the business of competing with the service academies.
Certainly it is! To me, that's what being a citizen soldier is all about. We graduate well-qualified officers who take up a career in the military service or pursue a civilian profession. That's what Gen. George Marshall, Army chief of staff, was ``all about.'' That's what hundreds of VMI graduates who have distinguished themselves on the battlefield have been ``all about.''
Of all the information sent out to alumni regarding VMI's ``never being the same again '' if it accepts women, little or nothing has been said about the importance of the ROTC program, and nothing about that fateful decision in January 1990 rescinding the mandatory requirement for all cadets to accept a commission from the ROTC (if qualified). That decision affected and changed the uniqueness of the school far more than any other change that has ever taken place or will ever take place.
Neither have I seen any references to the ROTC being a major element in creating the great band of citizen soldiers or generating the esprit de corps that bonds the Brother Rats into being an elite and well-disciplined corps.
In the past six years, I have found it almost appalling to discover the number of people who do not understand what the Reserve Officer Training Corps in each branch of the armed forces is all about and the important part it plays in the daily life of a VMI cadet. The main source of leadership training is the ROTC curriculum.
What has made VMI unique is that the principles and the traits of leadership are practiced 24 hours a day by the Corps. Beginning with the Rat year, cadets are taught how to seek responsibility, not how to avoid it.
The percentage of VMI cadets being commissioned has dropped notably from more than 90 percent in the '40s and '50s to around 75 percent in the '60-'80s to 40 percent since the decision was made to rescind mandatory commissioning. The real irony of this decision was that the board of visitors offered up one rationale that 30 percent of the cadets corps (male) being admitted did not meet the physical requirements to be commissioned. A year later a main reason being put out for not admitting women was that women could not meet the physical standards set for the cadet corps.
It is true that the armed forces need fewer officers, but certainly with a powerful alumni fighting for a greater number of commissions, we should be able to get them based on a fair share of the women being selected for ROTC scholarships. The Army, Air Force and Navy (including Marines) on order by the U.S. government could assign a predetermined number of women candidates to any college or university having ROTC units of those service branches.
I say could because I understand that the boards that select the qualified candidates make every effort to comply favorably to a selectee's choice. However, those of us who have worked in the personnel departments of the various services know very well that the needs of the service take priority over personal ``druthers.'' At least 100 women could be selected and assigned to VMI (and The Citadel) each year until there is a significant number in the corps of each. Most certainly, with such a flow, other women who may not want to be commissioned but seek the leadership training and responsibilities that all cadets experience in a truly military college will follow.
For those who worry about ``the old corps going to hell'' - if you really do believe that VMI men have always had all those important traits of character that make great leaders, either as civilians or military, then you must believe that will never change. They will meet every challenge to keep VMI the great school that it is.
My strong reaction to this long-awaited decision is: Let's get on with it!
VMI - Ten shut! Right face! Forwaaaaarddddd, march! MEMO: Peyton Robertson, a Norfolk resident, is a retired Marine Corps
colonel and a member of the VMI class of 1950. by CNB