Maverick Battalion cadet presented national award
Cadet Joshua Grove awarded George C. Marshall Award for leadership excellence
Kaitlyn Jorgensen
Staff Writer
George C. Marshall served as Secretary of State from 1947-1949 under President Truman. He is best known for his “Marshall Plan,” which was an initiative to aid Western Europe in rebuilding, following the destruction of World War II. Marshall devoted much of his military career to using diplomatic strategies favoring international peace and security.
In honor of his service, one Cadet from each of the 275 ROTC programs nationwide is represented at Awards and Leadership Seminar, a four-day trip to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas that ran this year from February 11-14, 2018. Awardees had the opportunity to participate in workshops, give small group presentations and hear from many speakers from various branches of service.
Cadet Joshua Grove from MNSU was nominated by his Military Science and Leadership Professor, Major Robert Rogers, to receive this year’s award. He was recognized for his leadership excellence, physical fitness, outstanding academics and battalion involvement. All of these skills are imperative to meeting the physical and intellectual demands required of a future Army Officer.
“The process of earning the award and being recognized was rewarding in itself. This opportunity allowed me to gain perspectives from different Cadets and take it as an opportunity to learn from them and discover ways to better lead future soldiers,” said Grove.
Grove began in ROTC upon receiving a four-year scholarship for the program. In just a few short years, he has proven to be a natural born leader. He currently holds the leadership position as Battalion S3. His responsibility is to take charge of the battalion’s operations and to also act as a training officer.
“ROTC helps foster leadership and can give you the tools to be a successful leader,” said Grove. “One of the things I appreciate is how ROTC put me on the right track to be a servant leader; learning to put others before yourself.”
Along with teaching critical thinking and leadership skills, a vast array of opportunities lay open to those who choose to contract with ROTC. ROTC offers its Cadets the opportunity to earn many other awards, such as the German Armed Forces Badge, participate in FTX training at Camp Ripley, Minn., and participate in their Cultural Understanding and Language Proficiency program.
As Grove puts it, “There really is something for everyone. If you want a job in any particular field, I guarantee you the army has it.”
ROTC also offers the option of a simultaneous membership program so that those already serving in the National Guard or Reserves can become a part of ROTC as well.
The Maverick Battalion has also recently been named one of the top MacArthur Award winners. The Maverick Battalion is 1 of 8 schools selected out of a total 275. This award is based on a combination of the achievement of the school’s commissioning mission, its cadet’s performance and standing on the Command’s National Order of Merit List, and is based in part on its high Cadet retention rate.
Cadet Grove would recommend anyone interested in ROTC to give it a shot.
“It is a challenge, but there are so many opportunities,” he said. “You can go overseas, and ROTC also provides internships. It will really set you up for success in your civilian career as well as leave you open to many choices. There are a multitude of different branches and career fields.”
