Question about Air Assault and LTC

Cadet Aaron Naiditch emailed me and asked me this question. In accordance with courtesy and respect, he has given me permission to recreate his original email here.

"I was just curious as to what you thought of LTC. I am not attending it, since I have been contracted since freshman year. Also, what made you decide to join ROTC in the middle of your college career? Was it difficult adjusting to it, after not being in the program the first two years?

thanks,"

Here is my reply:

"By and large, I thought LTC was a waste of time. I didn't really learn much I didn't already know, then again I did do ROTC for a year before I went to LTC. I started my cadet career as an MSII. However, I'm glad I went and I recommend as many people as possible to go if they can (even if you were a I or a II). As a result of LTC, I have already gotten on a plane and not know where to go when I got off the other side, so I won't feel so insecure about LDAC. I've already worked with a Zodiac and know some of the waterborne operations as a result. I know what it's like to forge relationships with people you've just met and work as a cohesive group. I've also learned things about myself having gone there.

I'm a New Yorker, (Queens, NY) born and raised. I'm a fast-talking, loud, sarcastic prick at times and I can and have pissed people off as a result. My usual attitude to people I pissed off was the New York one: "Fuck em." I have since learned this attitude is incorrect and have been striving to change that. I've met with some success and some failure. It's a slow process but it's a process nonetheless. I've stated before in earlier posts I didn't like my squad at LTC. We got the mission done and I learned how to work with people I don't like (and they didn't like me), but it's a much better process if you like each other. LTC taught me that and as a result has given me an leg up on LDAC, I believe.

And I joined ROTC in the middle of my college career after my freshman year. I had known I wanted to do it basically since sophomore year of high school. I tried to get into West Point, but family issues caused me to withdraw myself from candidacy. The same familial issues also caused me to not do ROTC in my freshman year of college. Everything happens for a reason, however. After going to Air Assault School with West Point cadets I have discerned I would have been miserable with the Academy lifestyle. I've grown so much as a person during my collegiate career and I have so much more to bring to the table now (as an Officer, of course), because I was in an environment that allowed me to make mistakes and learn from them. The structured society of the USMA would have been murderous to my development, in my opinion. Also, not being able to do ROTC in my freshman year caused me to go to LTC, which was a big help for me, so I have no regrets to date.

It wasn't that hard adjusting to cadet lifestyle in my MSII year. I had to learn how to go to sleep at a reasonable hour and work out on a regular basis, but everything else I ate up with a spoon. I love being in the Army and can't wait until I commission."