Here is an article that the University of Texas at Arlington student newspaper wrote regarding higher than avergae female enrollment in the UT Arlington Corps of Cadets. Interesting read.
Women enrollment in ROTC exceeds brigade average (Written by Lataisha Jackson, The Shorthorn staff)
Wednesday, 21 October 2009 07:07 PM
The Army Reserve Officer Training Corps and Maverick Battalion has more women enrolled this semester than the brigade average.
Women make up 55 of 166 ROTC cadets at the university. The 33 percent enrollment rate places the program above the 5th brigade average of 21.9 percent. The 5th brigade covers programs in Texas, Colorado, Oklahoma, Arizona and Missouri. Texas Christian University is part of the 5th brigade with a women’s enrollment rate at 33 percent.
Women’s military involvement is increasing, but women are the minority in the ROTC program and the Army. The U.S. Army active duty recruitment is up to 16.28 percent, Lt. Col. Tom Matchin, Jr. said.
Senior cadet Jaime Sale said women are becoming a more dominant in the culture than in the past.
ROTC has allowed women since 1976, the same year West Point started admitting women. Before this time, women were only affiliated with the ROTC program as ROTC Sweethearts, the official hostesses of the cadet core. Entering in 1976, Susan Tillotson became the first female battalion commander. She is actively engaged with the ROTC program as a member of the Cadet Corps Alumni Council.
The Army ROTC program does not have strategies or quotas for targeting specific recruits based on ethnicity or gender, said Lt. Col. Albert Alba.
“We want to have a diverse school by recruiting,” he said. “The Army does the same thing.”
According to the Demographic Trends spreadsheet, for the past four years women have comprised more than 51 percent of the university’s enrollment. This year’s demographics have not been compiled yet, said Terri Day, Institutional Research, Planning and Effectiveness assistant director.
Sophomore cadet Melanie Vega said many women are in the program, but it will not affect her Army experience.
“I don’t think it has anything to do with male or female,” Vega said. “Being around different cultures and different perspectives is what’s going to make the difference.”
Other cadets said it is beneficial to have a higher percentage of women in Army ROTC for Army experience.
“It adds to the training here because it is not an all-male army,” senior cadet Erik McCaffrey said. “We learn how to interact and effectively lead females.”
There are different physical training standards for males and females, according to the Army Physical Fitness Test Standards Web site .
Despite these standards, McCaffrey said the women are at par with the men and mentioned Sale, a top performing female cadet.
“She gives me a run for my money in physical training,” McCaffrey said.
The cadets are held to the same standards in their class work.
“We are all expected to learn the same amount of knowledge because we are all preparing to be officers in the army,” Vega said.
Cadets graduating from the Army ROTC program enter the Army as second lieutenants and get an automatic promotion in 18 months to first lieutenant, said alumna and 2nd Lt. Bethany Nord.
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