Correction: No ROTC at Stanford

Earlier today I quoted a reader who said that Army ROTC had returned to Stanford. It turns out that that is not exactly so. Like Harvard, Stanford has an "off-campus" program. Students may be members of ROTC, but they go elsewhere for training. Reader Michael Segal writes:

The statement made by a member of Advocates for Harvard ROTC that "Stanford University already has Army ROTC" is not true  We summarize the situation at: http://www.advocatesforrotc.org/national/

Stanford: (Off-campus Navy, Army and Air Force ROTC, no university-sponsored ROTC Web page)

The confusion may be with UC Berkeley, which has both Army and Navy ROTC, or the writer may have heard of the committee at Stanford examining inviting ROTC to return.  Also, it is not clear whether this week's effort to repeal DADT will succeed, and what the effect will be if it does succeed.  I outlined some of the nuances at http://www.securenation.org/a-centrist-approach-to-reform-of-%E2%80%9Cdon%E2%80%99t-ask-don%E2%80%99t-tell%E2%80%9D/, with some updates for this week's events.

 

Michael Segal '76 MD PhD

Webmaster, www.advocatesforrotc.org

 

BTW, note on http://www.advocatesforrotc.org/recent/ that:

• 21 May 2010 Boston Globe article "Harvard's ROTC grads to get full treatment in Yard commissioning".  Note:  Speaking at Harvard ROTC Commissioning on 26 May will be Michael G. Vickers, the assistant secretary of defense for special operations and low-intensity conflict, depicted in the film Charlie Wilson's War, former US Senator Paul Kirk '60 and Harvard President Drew Faust. 

Noted for the record. Another reader writes to say:

As someone who went the ROTC route (thanks to a full scholarship!) and has now served almost 21 years in the Air Force I have to completely agree with the National Defense author: "increasing estrangement of the professionalized military from the rest of society was dangerous for democracy in the long run"

I think this was well captured by the attached picture you've probably seen, which made the rounds a few years ago.

I am a student at Stanford and I would like to clear up a reader comment you quoted in "Three about DADT, ROTC, and the Ivies." We currently do not have any ROTC groups on campus - although there is increasing debate whether or not to allow them back on campus. There are Stanford students participating in ROTC programs, but they have to commute to other schools in the area (such as San Jose State or UC Berkeley - both at least 30 minutes away). Here is a May 5th article from the Stanford Daily about a recent Faculty Senate discussion (with presentations by former Sec. of Defense William Perry and Prof. David Kennedy)  and an article about a a recent student panel on the subject.

Stanford University - Reserve Officers' Training Corps - Harvard University - Michael G. Vickers - Charlie Wilson's War