Cadet makes top ten in national ROTC ranking

In a recent ranking of ROTC cadets across the United States, Daniel Chapman, a fourth-year International Affairs and Modern Languages (Spanish) major, was ranked eighth out of more than 4,000 cadets. His success is attributed to his hard work and the strong ROTC program here at Tech.

During his senior year of high school, Chapman became interested in the military. "I've always wanted to be able to serve in the military and earn a college degree," Chapman said.

Chapman took the ROTC program at Tech into consideration when making his final choice. "What I like about ROTC [at Tech] is that it gives you good opportunities to practice leadership skills in ways you normally wouldn't get to," Chapman said.

His journey to success began during his freshman year when he attended briefings informing young cadets of what they needed to do in order to thrive in the future and attain a high ranking in ROTC. A large portion of a cadet's rank is determined by his or her performance at their home school. Cadets are encouraged to maintain a high GPA and become involved in extracurricular activities, sports, and community service. Chapman instantly became involved at Tech. He tutored students at an elementary school, played intramural soccer and mentored through Gringos y Latinos: Atlanta's Spanish Service Society (GLASSS).

ROTC proved to be one of Chapman's greatest learning experiences. "I was given hands-on experience...I learned to speak publicly and give presentations, all of which are part of the training experience here," Chapman said.

The summers between his freshmen and sophomore years, Chapman was eligible to work with real army soldiers. He attended the Mountain Warfare School, a training camp in which cadets saw firsthand how the military operates. He was named the honor graduate at Mountain Warfare School, which means he was ranked number one. His performance at this training camp would count towards his ranking score in later years.

As he entered his second and third years at Tech, Chapman took on more responsibilities. During his junior year, he was in charge of 80 cadets. He also studied abroad in Spain and Mexico to gain a more international perspective of the world he would soon serve in. He attended a 33-day long army training camp in Fort Louis, Wash. known as Warrior Forge. The first three years of ROTC helps prepare cadets for Warrior Forge since one's performance there is a large component of what determines a cadet's rank during assessment.

The year before a cadet graduates, he or she goes through an assessment. The ranking received, or the Order of Merit Listing (OML), is used to determine what jobs graduated cadets are seeking.

Physical fitness tests, GPA, involvement in extracurricular activities, sports, community service, leadership opportunities and performance in training camps all affect a cadet's overall ranking. The ranking then affects the probability of receiving a position in a particular branch of the military as well as the first assignment.

Chapman recently returned from the Ranger Challenge, a competition in which teams from Georgia, Florida and Puerto Rico compete in eight different events. Tech was able to send a group of 12 cadets to the competition. The team placed first in its tier and seventh overall.

Chapman hopes to start his army officer training in early January. He will go through three Basic Officer Leadership Courses (BOLC) before becoming an infantry officer and getting assigned a location and unit.

Chapman encouraged current students to keep a high GPA and become involved in community service.

"I would really recommend doing some kind of study abroad. You won't understand the global perspective until you've experienced it firsthand," Chapman said.