By Kirstin MaguireContributing Writer
When Weinberg junior Travis Dziubla was growing up in Asia, he saw people living in fear of the government and dying from war and starvation.
When he came to the United States and didn’t witness those atrocities, he became convinced that this country is “the best place in the world,” instilling in him a desire to join the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps.
“It’s difficult to explain the emotions that come from seeing people die all the time when there’s war and starvation everywhere you look,” Dziubla said. “The U.S. is a place where there is nothing like that. That’s something worth anything you’re willing to give.”
Dziubla is one of about 50 male and female students from Northwestern and Loyola universities enrolled in NU’s Navy ROTC program. The program provides officer training and a full university scholarship in exchange for at least four years of active duty following graduation.
The NROTC program – founded at NU in 1926 as one of the original programs – offers two tracks: Navy and Marine. Jim Otis, the commanding officer on campus, said both programs are demanding, requiring students to meet a GPA requirement, enroll in naval science courses, participate in physical training and take semi-annual exams to ensure they meet physical standards.
“Our enlisted personnel deserve the best leaders, so our goal is to train them to be that,” he said.
Midshipmen – as the NROTC students are called – attend weekly navy labs, where they wear their uniforms and hear presentations on various topics. They also participate in summer programs, which range from naval cruises to an Officer Candidate School for Marines.
After four years, NROTC students graduate as commissioned officers and can choose ships, submarines or aviation on active duty. The Marine graduates prepare for work on land.
Students in the program say they understand the risk associated with their commitment. But Weinberg sophomore Chris Vittorio, who cannot comment on his personal view of the war, said he was willing to accept any assignment.
“We are allowed to have our own opinions, just not allowed to say them or think them,” Vittorio said. “Once you put on the uniform and start saying things, people get the idea that’s the official policy of the U.S. Navy.”
Dziubla emphasized that only citizens – not the military – can influence policy, and his duty is to defend the choices of the American public. His first loyalty, he said, is to his orders, which he follows because of his belief in the goodness of the country he now calls home.
“When it comes down to it, America is still one of the few countries in the world where you can walk down the street and not worry about being raped or killed by someone in the government,” Dziubla said. “That, if nothing else, is worth fighting for.”
Reach Kirstin Maguire at [email protected].
