Army drops ROTC Helicopter Program at UND

[Vegas_Sioux]

http://www.grandforksherald.com/event/article/id/227788/

[Homeguy]

Thank you BHO. For the cost this was probably very cost effective and drew more interest to ROTC. It is a fortaste of more things to come from this weak president who would rather subsidize foodstamps than provide jobs.

[watchmaker49]

Thank you BHO. For the cost this was probably very cost effective and drew more interest to ROTC. It is a fortaste of more things to come from this weak president who would rather subsidize foodstamps than provide jobs.

????????????????

[watchmaker49]

Thank you BHO. For the cost this was probably very cost effective and drew more interest to ROTC. It is a fortaste of more things to come from this weak president who would rather subsidize foodstamps than provide jobs.

You seem to be one of those cut government spending and when it is done you still whine because they cut the wrong thing.

[gfhockey]

yeh it makes me sick what all these liberals are doing to our country.

[ticklethetwine]

You seem to be one of those cut government spending and when it is done you still whine because they cut the wrong thing.

Perhaps he was referring to all the pork that is wasted by congress every year. You don't really think we need to spend a million dollars studying bees or two million or money we send over to China to spread democracy. Ah let's cut the programs that really do something. Nice job congress and yes BHO.

http://www.cagw.org/newsroom/releases/2012/cagw-announces-2011-porker-of.html

[Ranger]

You may be underestimating the importance of the Senator Reid supported "Cowboy Poetry Festival." The happiness of chap-wearing romantics was seriously at risk....

[fightingsioux4life]

Why does every other thread in the Community forum have to degenerate into political mudslinging?!?! Good grief, lets talk about the impacts on UND and the region and not who's fault it is. There are plenty of other places on the Internet you can go and debate this.

[Ranger]

OK... My take. Modest initial impact on UND's US Army ROTC program. Little impact on UND's aviation program. No impact on the US Army. From my experience in the program, which was extremely positive, of the cadets who were accepted into the helicopter program, a minority percentage were actually commissioned into the very competitive Aviation branch. Of those commissioned AV officers, a small number made the military a career. In my year group, more than half were aviation majors and in the helicopter program. Each received very comfortable ROTC scholarships; some in the six figure range for their 4 years. Yet, only a few became AV 2LTs. Of those, only one made it a career and remains on active duty; none are in the guard or reserve. It's an attractive program for aviation majors, but not a game changer on the battlefield, considering after all the resources consumed by the cadet, they must still attend all US Army pilot training just like all other newly commissioned AV 2LTs.

[Homeguy]

OK... My take. Modest initial impact on UND's US Army ROTC program. Little impact on UND's aviation program. No impact on the US Army. From my experience in the program, which was extremely positive, of the cadets who were accepted into the helicopter program, a minority percentage were actually commissioned into the very competitive Aviation branch. Of those commissioned AV officers, a small number made the military a career. In my year group, more than half were aviation majors and in the helicopter program. Each received very comfortable ROTC scholarships; some in the six figure range for their 4 years. Yet, only a few became AV 2LTs. Of those, only one made it a career and remains on active duty; none are in the guard or reserve. It's an attractive program for aviation majors, but not a game changer on the battlefield, considering after all the resources consumed by the cadet, they must still attend all US Army pilot training just like all other newly commissioned AV 2LTs.

With that reasoning we can then eliminate the military academies as being too wasteful and sending noninfantry branch officers to ranger school too,.

[Ranger]

With that reasoning we can then eliminate the military academies as being too wasteful and sending noninfantry branch officers to ranger school too,.

Ranger School has been considered a leadership program since the 90's, if not earlier, not just an advanced infantry school. What's your experience with the UND ROTC program? Your comment appears to support the program's continuation? So you think it's wise to invest 100K+ in an aviation cadet when they are ultimately commissioned into the transportation corps?

[JohnboyND7]

I'm with Ranger on this one. It is a lot of money to pump into a kid's education when in all likelihood, he is probably going to be doing something else.