The other piece of legislation that the Senate approved this weekend passed bya vote of 90 to 1. This one was about the U.S. taking a tough position againstIran`s controversial nuclear program. And on taking steps to prevent Iran fromdeveloping nuclear weapons. The one Senator who voted against the resolutioncompared it to the idea of declaring preemptive war.

 

See if you can ID me? I`m a program that`s associated with the U.S. Military.I`m offered at college. And I train students to become officers in themilitary.

I`m ROTC, the Reserve Officer Training Corp. 

You might have a Junior ROTC at your high school. There are more than 1,000ROTC programs at colleges and universities around the United States. HarvardUniversity had one of the first army ROTC programs in the United States. Butback in 1971, the school dropped the ROTC. At the time it was because ofstudent protests against the Vietnam War. But later, Harvard said it wascontinuing the ban because of the military`s don`t ask, don`t tell policy. Thatprevented gay and lesbian troops from serving openly in the U.S. military.Cadets could still study at Harvard, but they had to go to a different schoolto do their ROTC courses.

Now, 41 years after Harvard banned ROTC from its campus the program and itscadets are back and back in training.

Start in position, move.

We are doing PT training.

ROTC is one of the mechanisms that we produce officers through the UnitedStates Army.

 

Hey.

This year with the official agreement between the Department of Defense andHarvard -- 

Position Attention, move.

We now are able to conduct our PT, right here officially on Harvard grounds.

This is our second Monday here just outside the Harvard stadium.

It`s previously, we do everything at MIT. So, people would just assume thatthere was no R.O.T.C. for Harvard.

I think the fact that it is back on the Harvard campus broadens theperspectives of many people in the area.

The Nation`s top institutions are again recognizing that military service issomething which should be respected. And which should be cherished andencouraged.

When I walk around in my uniform, several times I have been thanked for myservice. And the funny thing about that is I`m not actually serving yet. Butit`s nice to know that there are people out there. You know, especially here inthe Harvard community that are still willing to thank us even though. Justbecause they see us in uniform.

 

To be back at Harvard especially in that uniform is a humbling experience forme and something I will cherish.