I’m excited to welcome back Silver Beaty who is an ROTC instructor at the University of Montana. She shares a little about what she has learned as a leader to help ROTC cadets in their journey to military service. I interviewed Silver a few months ago about her experience in the Montana Army National Guard and I’m excited to have her back on again.

Lessons from an ROTC instructor

If you are considering becoming an officer you should look at all your options. You can commission through three main channels. Office Training, Reserve Officer Training Corps and the Military Academies. If you already have your degree then an officer training program is right for you. You can go from enlisted to officer or have no military experience at all. ROTC is primarily for college students without a degree. You can get a scholarship either in high school or during college. The miltiary academies are very challenging to get into often requiring a letter from a Senator or House of Representative member. Doing your research and figuring out what you want out of the military is a great first step to joining.

Adapting to Gen Z

Silver talked about how things have changed and how differently Gen Z learns. Because of this she has had to adapt how she teaches her students. Also, COVID played a huge role in students lives and it means that many students are still learning the social aspect that they could have learned in high school but now are learning in college.

How is ROTC changing?

A lot of things are staying the same. Keeping cadets to the high standards required for the military. But there is a big shift in how we teach people who are joining the military. Adapting from death by powerpoint to making things more interactive. Silver talked about the different training she has received and how it has impacted her as a leader.

Do you have questions about becoming an officer in the military? Check out my book, A Girl’s Guide to Military Service that helps you answer your questions about joining the military.