Yeah, we’re still here – ROTC will always be a part of LSU
high school that I wanted to serve my country as an officer in the Air Force,” explains John Presswood, an industrial engineering major. “I felt that was where God was calling me to be.” Air Force cadet Matthew Carpenter, a history major with a passion for flying, agrees. “I have always felt a very strong desire to serve my country,” he recounted. “I believe that the values this country were founded on are worth defending, and if my service requires me to give my life in their defense, it would be worth it.”
Service Auxiliaries a n d Sp e c i a l U n i t s One way cadets are supported at LSU is through two auxiliary units that are attached to both the Army and Air Force programs. The Army Scotch Guard and the Air Force Silver Wings participate in LSU Salutes activities, as well as several other events throughout the year. These organizations are open to all students. Scotch Guard was founded in 1962 by Col. Dale Swindle as an honorary women’s auxiliary organization to Army ROTC. Collette DeJean, with the rank of colonel and title of commander, is the current student leader of the group. She and her group take great pride in their roles as representatives of the University and participate in a number of events both on and off campus. “I have a strong military history in my family and was so glad to have a way to help give back,” DeJean says. “To quote Lt. Col. James H. Doolittle, ‘There is nothing
stronger than the heart of a volunteer.’ I truly believe this, and I think this is what makes Scotch Guard, as well as ROTC, Cadets of the Ole War Skule, and our military as a whole such a powerful force.” The Captain Frank S. Hagan Chapter of Silver Wings, founded in 1958 at LSU, is one of the largest chapters in the nation. Formerly called Angel Flight, it is a national, co-ed, professional organization with the mission to develop effective civic leaders through community service and education about national defense. The student leader of Silver Wings at LSU is Benjamin Bickle, who was originally an Air Force ROTC cadet and has also served as the president of the Arnold Air Society. “Silver Wings is a great service organization,” explains Bickle, a computer engineering major. “We not only support the community in general, but also support students that have decided to take an oath to defend our country. After I left the AFROTC program, I wanted to stay active in the cadet community and support my friends as they moved through the program.” Membership in Silver Wings allowed him to do just that. Kyrie Deslatte, a kinesiology major, is also an active member of Silver Wings. “I come from a family who is very supportive of the military in all branches,” Deslatte explains. “Within my immediate family, my uncle was an airman who flew in Desert Storm, and my grandfather was a chef in the Navy. Being raised in an environment where we cherish our freedom because we have family members
who have fought and died to protect our most basic rights gives you a very solid respect for the military in all of its endeavors. I decided to participate in Silver Wings because of this basic belief, and I saw it as my way to give back to a military that does so much for us.”
Some Things Change, Some Remain the Same Research for this article has shown me an important reason why ROTC is still strong at LSU. Everyone involved – veterans and members of Cadets of the Ole War Skule, military science and aerospace studies faculty, commanders of the programs on campus, and students in ROTC, and the auxiliary organization – all exhibit a passion and love for their country and for their colleagues that surpasses any other activity on campus. Bonded together for life, these dedicated folks make a compelling case for becoming part of their inner circle, for supporting those in active service, and for continuing the traditions of “integrity, service before self, and excellence in all that [they] do.”
ON THE WEB www.lsu.edu/milscience and www.afrotc.lsu.edu Brenda Macon is a freelance writer/editor living in Baton Rouge and the former editor of Kaleidoscope, the magazine of the LSU College of Humanities & Social Sciences.
LSU Alumni Magazine | Spring 2012
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