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Army ROTC
Army ROTC
Posted on Dec 2, 2025
During operation Desert Storm, were SMP ROTC cadets were brought to the front lines to experience combat?
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I saw this dumbass comment somewhere on Facebook saying ROTC cadets got to partake in Operation Desert Storm to see what it is like to lead in a combat environment. I believe this is clearly bullshit, because cadets are non-deployable. Can anyone vouch for this stupid ass bullshit comment or am I just not researching hard enough? Thanks!
Operation Desert Shield/Storm
Army ROTC
ROTC
ROTC Instructor
Posted 1 mo ago
Responses: 11
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One SMP, SGT Joseph Bongiorni, from WVU was able to volunteer to deploy with his USAR unit and was killed in action, not sure how they skirted the reg, or how no one noticed..
Cadets cannot deploy, and ROTC dets cannot be shut down to deploy cadets short of a total mobilization (minus the academies and senior military colleges).
Cadets cannot deploy, and ROTC dets cannot be shut down to deploy cadets short of a total mobilization (minus the academies and senior military colleges).
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CPT (Join to see)
Ah........... so this was an EXCEPTION for someone who was ALREADY qualified as an NCO. Something similarly happened to me. I was direct commissioned to 2LT, but I had not yet gone through BOLC. So I was not qualified to be deployed as a QM Officer. However, the annual S. Korea annual training missions need bodies and they needed to full a seat with a security clearance (which I had from my previous enlisted MOS).
Apparently....... it was a really BIG DEAL to send me, and needed waivers, and someone to speak up and say "hey, this guy already did all the soldiering training, and has another MOS, he can sit in a corner and fill the roster up with one more body". Who cares if he's MOSQ for his billet, he's a 2LT anyway.
Apparently....... it was a really BIG DEAL to send me, and needed waivers, and someone to speak up and say "hey, this guy already did all the soldiering training, and has another MOS, he can sit in a corner and fill the roster up with one more body". Who cares if he's MOSQ for his billet, he's a 2LT anyway.
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SGM Erik Marquez
"Dual Status" cadets in the National Guard/Reserves can deploy with their unit, though many state policies and ROTC rules aim to keep them non-deployable while in the program. And Sgt Bongiorni was just that, Duel Status
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Not entirely BS. As SGM Jeff Mccloud pointed out, exceptions existed for certain cadets who were also members of a reserve unit.
Prior to the RC and accession changes implemented by the Army in 2005*, ROTC cadets who belonged to a reserve unit weren't specifically fenced off from deploying if their unit deployed. Since the change, all contracted cadets (which would include anyone in the SMP) and non-contracted cadets, who have completed their first semester with ROTC, are non-deployable (as an aside, Duke also details a couple of ROTC cadets who deployed with their units during DS/DS*).
What is BS is the assertion a ROTC program was implemented to give leadership experience to their cadets to a war zone (much like saying the reason there are no polar bears in Florida is because of the alligators).
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* DA Memorandum - Mobilization of Reserve Component Member Cadets in U. S. Army Cadet
Command (USACC) - https://www.ship.edu/globalassets/rotc/hqda-g-1-memo-dtd-20050830.pdf
* Duke Army ROTC History - https://arotc.duke.edu/our-history
Prior to the RC and accession changes implemented by the Army in 2005*, ROTC cadets who belonged to a reserve unit weren't specifically fenced off from deploying if their unit deployed. Since the change, all contracted cadets (which would include anyone in the SMP) and non-contracted cadets, who have completed their first semester with ROTC, are non-deployable (as an aside, Duke also details a couple of ROTC cadets who deployed with their units during DS/DS*).
What is BS is the assertion a ROTC program was implemented to give leadership experience to their cadets to a war zone (much like saying the reason there are no polar bears in Florida is because of the alligators).
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* DA Memorandum - Mobilization of Reserve Component Member Cadets in U. S. Army Cadet
Command (USACC) - https://www.ship.edu/globalassets/rotc/hqda-g-1-memo-dtd-20050830.pdf
* Duke Army ROTC History - https://arotc.duke.edu/our-history
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SFC Michael Peterson
Sorry Sir, I have to disagree. No one who was deployed, was deployed as a “Cadet”. Anyone who was a member of a Reserve Component or National Guard was deployed as an enlisted member of that unit. If one of them happened to be in a college ROTC program, that had absolutely nothing to do with them being deployed. No one wore pips on their uniforms so, there were no “Cadets” deployed.
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A1C Medrick "Rick" DeVaney
GOD, I Hope You're Right; Rookies Don't Belong In The Front Lines NOR Given Any Authority Lead Or Command Of Others- HO- LEE- CHIP
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A1C Medrick "Rick" DeVaney
Not Just This Question, But Many Others Asked Makes Me Think
" Most Of These Bull Sh-(censored) Questions Could Fertilize The
Deserts Into An Oasis.-Some Are So Easily Answered If Only Though Of
For No More Than A Moments Thought. "Can I Reenlist If.?" - Contact A Recruiter.
"How Can I Have My DD-214 Changed To An Honorable"? - Contact The VA. -
Sometimes I Wonder If Some Of These Questions Are Real Or Made-Up
Just To Fill- Up Remaining Space On The Paper. - As I Keep Repeating "Perhaps It's Only Me" -- Or IS It Me Who's That Stupid? -
" Most Of These Bull Sh-(censored) Questions Could Fertilize The
Deserts Into An Oasis.-Some Are So Easily Answered If Only Though Of
For No More Than A Moments Thought. "Can I Reenlist If.?" - Contact A Recruiter.
"How Can I Have My DD-214 Changed To An Honorable"? - Contact The VA. -
Sometimes I Wonder If Some Of These Questions Are Real Or Made-Up
Just To Fill- Up Remaining Space On The Paper. - As I Keep Repeating "Perhaps It's Only Me" -- Or IS It Me Who's That Stupid? -
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