The silence was tense and the “yes sirs” and “no ma’ams” were crisp in a Naval Science laboratory Wednesday.
Instead of the usual student uniform of jeans and sweatshirts, Northwestern’s Naval ROTC midshipmen wore dark suits with shiny gold buttons and sat ramrod-straight during the “Intel” briefing, discussing everything from the weather in Baghdad to the candidates running in the Associated Student Government elections. But in spite of the stern formality, jokes peppered their discussions of warships and code-breaking.
NU boasts 52 students enrolled in the Naval ROTC, which grooms them for leadership positions in the Navy and Marine Corps. A Naval ROTC scholarship covers full tuition and books, and recruits are obligated to serve four years in the military after graduation.
“We’re looking for well-rounded people who do volunteer work, have high ACT scores, do extracurricular activities and participate in sports,” said Petty Officer Luis Elkins, the Naval ROTC scholarship coordinator for Navy Recruiting District Chicago.
Although the graduating seniors signed up for Naval ROTC during a time of peace, today they face the possibility of a tour of duty in Iraq if the war and rebuilding stretch longer than expected. A midshipman’s amount of training and the chosen branch of the military determine the timetable for deployment.
Some midshipmen interviewed said war is constantly on their minds.
“I think (the war) certainly redefines our perspective, as far as our job, because when we came we were a peacetime military, and now we’re a wartime military,” said Midshipman Paul Metzger, a Weinberg senior. “But we’ve been training toward doing that kind of work the last three years anyway, so it doesn’t totally blow us away at all.”
Weinberg freshman Ashley Lorenz said her mother was scared and her father didn’t understand when she told them she wanted to join Naval ROTC. Family members of other midshipmen expressed a mixture of pride and anxiety in light of their loved ones’ choices to be involved in the armed forces at a time of overseas conflict.
Angela Sanecki said watching troops who are the same age as her midshipman brother Thomas fight in the war leaves her shaken but in awe of their dedication.
“I’m pretty proud of him,” said Sanecki, a Medill sophomore. “He’s an engineering major, and then having to do all those things for ROTC takes a lot of stamina and a lot of perseverance.”
Members of NU’s battalion said they know about 10 troops in the Persian Gulf and keep in touch through e-mail.
“My friend’s over there,” Lorenz said. “I try not to watch the news because I get freaked out, just because of what his job entails. It hits home, especially with the seniors. They might be there next year.”
Although there hasn’t been much talk of the war in their naval science classes, Lorenz said the battalion’s mood shifted as the United States moved toward invading Iraq. After Spring Break, Naval ROTC lieutenants gave midshipmen a security briefing and told them not to discuss their opinions on the war — in and out of their uniform.
“It’s not like we don’t have (an opinion),” said Midshipman Arielle Miller, a Weinberg senior. “It’s just not our place because we’re defending the Constitution,”
Even with antiwar demonstrations on campus, midshipmen said they have received nothing but support at NU. During the 1991 Persian Gulf War, some recruits stopped wearing their uniforms to class because of the negative comments they provoked — an action unheard of this time around.
“I found that people often say they wouldn’t make the same decision to join and they don’t necessarily understand all the reasons,” said Midshipman Joshua Lindsay, a Communication senior. “But they really respect what we do,”
Naureen Shah attended an antiwar protest in Washington over the weekend and wore a ribbon that symbolized her grief for the soldiers and Iraqi citizens killed during the war. But Shah, who is a member of Northwestern Opposing War and Racism, said she would never disrespect a Naval ROTC midshipman.
“It’s fine that they’re committed to their beliefs, but I disagree with what their fighting will cause,” said Shah, a Medill junior. “I don’t think that being against war means being against the troops. In fact, it means the opposite.”
Even in light of the war with Iraq and the possibility of having to march off to battle, many midshipmen said they wouldn’t give up their friendships and experiences in the battalion. Lorenz said Naval ROTC has provided her with a “family and a purpose on campus.”
“I signed up to serve,” she said. “And by serving my country, if they want me to go to war, then I’ll go in a heartbeat.”
