Why ROTC is better off not being made mandatory

[ian]

Since there are those pro-compulsory ROTC, I decided to make a thread why ROTC should NOT be compulsory. Most of those discussing this are more on the anti-ROTC where they really want ROTC to be abolished, but I couldn't find a thread about pro-optional ROTC.

To start it off, I think that ROTC shouldn't be compulsory because by making it optional, ROTC must compete for enrollees against CWTS and LTS (ala laissez faire), therefore ROTC units will do their best to make their program more attractive, one way of which is to eliminate corruption and hazing among other things.

Other NSTP programs are also good for the country in general, because with NSTP, the country will produce graduates who specialize in three different fields, civic service, literacy training, and military training.

Quoting myself from the other thread, the other two programs aren't threats to ROTC, but instead compliment it, making universities and colleges produce students with holistic learning experience.

[Adroth]

As Sen Magsaysay (former Corps Commander DLSU ROTC) said in a privilege speech at the Philippine Senate, the old mandatory system produced approximately 250,000 reservists a year -- which was 90% more than was necessary to maintain reservist levels.

Why produce more reservists than the AFP needs or can be processed?

More trainees means smaller budget allocations for each individual cadet. Better to have 10 effectively trained reservists than 1000 half-baked cadets.

[ian]

True! In addition, if ever the reserves are activated, it would be useless to arm tens of thousands of ill-trained reservists (provided that we even have enough equipment to arm all of them).

It would be better to have a small, lean and mean reserve force, capable of being called to active duty and deployed whenever needed, that having a large, but ill-trained rag-tag unit.

It *seems* to me that the idea of making ROTC mandatory has a hidden agenda since the only "gain" I could see is that if ROTC was mandatory again, there would be more cadets to abuse and extort money from.

[Adroth]

It *seems* to me that the idea of making ROTC mandatory has a hidden agenda since the only "gain" I could see is that if ROTC was mandatory again, there would be more cadets to abuse and extort money from.

That is indeed a possibility.

Laziness could also be part of it. Overhauling the ROTC system is a monumental task, requiring a top to bottom review of the program and retraining of the assigned commandants and tactical NCOs. Given that ROTC assignments are often viewed as "freezer" positions for people whose careers have either stalled or are under investigation for various offenses (note, this is not true for all), higher ups may simply not want to take the time to fix the problem. Hence the attraction of reinstating mandatory ROTC to cover up for their lack of imagination.

Its also possible that those in charge of running ROTC could also be unfamiliar with free market style competition. They are used to telling people what to do, instead of convincing them of the merits of their case. Therefore the "marketing" efforts required by the new situation are simply alien to them, and they do not know how to adapt. So in their panic, they've hatched this attempt to return mandatory ROTC.

Yet others may simply view the change in ROTC as being part of a grand communist conspiracy and consider the change in ROTC as a kind of leftist victory that must be overturned at all cost or the "game" is lost. This kind of one-track mindedness is typical of Cold War-era warriors who only see the world in terms of "communists" and "non-communists". This is similar to how some hard core leftists view the world in terms of "imperialist" and "non-imperialist" forces. Such ROTC right-wingers completely ignore the fact that ROTC is ailing.

[Adroth]

For those who came late, here is a related thread: http://timawa.net/forum/index.php?topic=3365.0

CEBU-CITY - The Armed Forces of the Philippines is pushing to make the Reserve Officers Training Corps again for all male college students.

Military officials here said the numner of students enrolling in ROTC had dropped tremendously since 2002 when the military training became optional for college students.

[ian]

From my experience, the biggest reason why people don't like ROTC is because there is too much idle time. Cadet officers are busy doing nothing. There is a POI, but it is not followed for various reasons such as there are no training/field manuals, no training aids, no qualified instructors (since lazy advance cadets didn't study the subject to be lectured in advance), etc. Cadet officer and training staff meetings are haphazardly done thus planning for events are sacrificed. Because of this, most of the people from the outside think that this is how ROTC really works thus thinking that ROTC is a waste of time.

One basic thing that they could do to avert this is for the training staff to simply do their jobs! To properly implement the POI! When they come to saturday formations or on meetings, they just sit around and smoke cigarettes (which is by the way, not allowed since we are in a no smoking campus). We only see them work at the eleventh hour, the last minute. Because of this habit, the quality of work is very poor, and since they ARE the training staff and supposedly lead by example, most cadet officers follow in their path of laziness and poor performance.

[Adroth]

One basic thing that they could do to avert this is for the training staff to simply do their jobs!

I couldn't agree with you more.

If only cadet officers would realize just how useful the basic duties of an advance ROTC cadet will be later in life. My training delivery experience (both good and bad) during my cadet days were instrumental in my achieving my current position as a global trainer in my company today. ROTC, when properly implemented, and/or taken seriously by the cadet-in-training can be turned into an applied management course whose advantages cannot be overstated.

[Failure Analysis]

Compulsory ROTC will be a drain in AFP resources. Men, cash, time, and effort, which in the end will produce substandard, or worse, pissed-off-at-the-military-establishment  ROTC graduates.

[ian]

Compulsory ROTC will be a drain in AFP resources. Men, cash, time, and effort, which in the end will produce substandard, or worse, pissed-off-at-the-military-establishment  ROTC graduates.

Exactly. Instead of promoting patriotism, majority of the ROTC graduates would instead hate the organization and the government for forcing them into a program which they didn't want to do.

[Tikboy]

Exactly. Instead of promoting patriotism, majority of the ROTC graduates would instead hate the organization and the government for forcing them into a program which they didn't want to do.

Just like me...

Actually I like the idea of the program, its just that when you are in the program it is just a pure worthless peace of crap..

[Adroth]

Just like me...

Actually I like the idea of the program, its just that when you are in the program it is just a pure worthless peace of crap..

. . . the way it was implemented in your school when you were there. 

As Ian noted, the usefulness of the program is a function of the people who run it. If all officers heed Ian's observations, all units -- including your former unit -- would be better off.

Exactly. Instead of promoting patriotism, majority of the ROTC graduates would instead hate the organization and the government for forcing them into a program which they didn't want to do.

I don't really believe the compulsory nature of the program is the problem. The fact of the matter is, citizen's have duties to the country -- and kids have to be taught that early on. For example, nobody likes paying taxes, but they have to be paid so that the country can function. (Whether or not taxes are used properly, and how much tax is too much, are different issues entirely).

The youth need to understand that there is sometimes a difference between "doing what I want" and "doing what I should do" -- and that as much as possible the latter should prevail.

That is why I believe in NSTP. It instills the need to think about the community, while at the same time, lets kids choose how they do it. Its the best of both worlds. Not everyone is either fit or willing to serve through ROTC, so they can settle for the other NSTP programs that might be better suited to their strengths.

[ian]

That is why I believe in NSTP. It instills the need to think about the community, while at the same time, lets kids choose how they do it. Its the best of both worlds. Not everyone is either fit or willing to serve through ROTC, so they can settle for the other NSTP programs that might be better suited to their strengths.

Exactly! It is the best of both worlds since all college/university students are required to take it hence fulfilling their duty to the nation, but they also have the option of how they want to do it.  This in turn makes their way of service better since they like what they do.