![\"\"](\"http:\/\/lamp1.missouriwestern.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/ROTC-013-1.jpg\" "\\"ROTC")
<\/a>many 6 a.m. physical training sessions with the cadets before Melissa decided to enroll in the program. She received an ROTC scholarship starting that next spring and for each subsequent semester of her college career. She graduated with a criminal justice degree and a military science minor in December 2011, and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. Nolan will graduate this month, also with a criminal justice degree, a military science minor, and a second lieutenant commissioning.<\/p>\n\u201cMy experience was great,\u201d said Melissa, who is from Harrisonville, Mo. \u201cI\u2019ve learned how to work as a team but to be a leader at the same time.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve enjoyed all the extra things I\u2019ve done with ROTC. All of them were fun and really challenging,\u201d Nolan said. \u201cIt lets you know your limits, and you push yourself to the maximum.\u201d<\/p>\n
No one in his family was surprised when Nolan, from Brookfield, Mo., graduated from high school and earned a four-year ROTC scholarship to Missouri Western. Both of his parents completed the ROTC program at Northeast Missouri State University (now Truman State) and served as officers in the Army. His oldest brother, Neil, completed ROTC at the University of Missouri-Columbia and is currently an officer in the Army. Another brother, Guy \u201909, was a senior at Missouri Western in the ROTC program when Nolan arrived on campus. Guy is also an Army officer today.<\/p>\n
Nolan said he earned a very low score on his first physical fitness test as a freshman cadet \u2013 182 points out of a possible 300 \u2013 and he wasn\u2019t very happy with the score. \u201cI passed the two-mile run by four seconds and passed the other tests by the bare minimum.\u201d<\/p>\n
Although cadets are required to engage in the 6 a.m. physical training just three days a week, Nolan, determined to improve his score, trained five days a week throughout his freshman year, and earned a score of 282 on the fitness test at year\u2019s end. He had also lost about 30 lbs. and walked away with the award for most improved score.\u00a0<\/p>\n
At Melissa\u2019s first 6 a.m. session, junior Brian Turner \u201910, the platoon leader, asked her if she planned to return. She did return, and they became friends. Melissa and Brian eventually started dating and were married two weeks after Brian was commissioned in May 2010.<\/p>\n
One week after their wedding, Brian went to Ft. Knox, Ky., for his leadership training course, and then was stationed at Ft. Riley, Kan. Melissa completed her basic officer leadership training course at Ft. Jackson, S.C., this past March and was assigned to Ft. Riley, as well.<\/p>\n
Nolan and his fianc\u00e9e, Heather Blecha \u201910, are marrying this month. (Nolan had not yet received his orders when this issue went to press.)<\/p>\n
Lt. Col. J. Shay Howard, battalion commander at Missouri Western, said the mission of the program is to commission the future officer leadership of the Army and motivate young people to be better citizens. All students who graduate from the ROTC program earn a military science minor and are commissioned as second lieutenants in the U.S. Army.<\/p>\n
Missouri Western belongs to the Pony Express Battalion and is the host school for the battalion. Professors teach the classes on campus and students at seven area campuses join in via videoconferencing. Each week, cadets at all schools come together, usually at Missouri Western, for labs. In 2010-11, 16 cadets were enrolled at Missouri Western, and in the fall of 2011, there were 35.<\/p>\n
Shay said juniors take on many leadership roles and the seniors in the program are the primary instructors in the weekly labs. Throughout Melissa\u2019s last semester at Missouri Western, she served as the cadet battalion commander, which meant she was basically in charge of all the cadets from the eight schools in the program. Nolan served as Alpha Company commander this past semester, and was in charge of four platoons in the battalion.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are being leaders in our community, just like we want them to be,\u201d Shay said.<\/p>\n