Army combat uniforms (ACUs) may not be pink, but the title of this week’s campus celeb article accurately describes Sarah Triplett’s personality. The senior kinesiology major is my apartment’s resident badass, but just because she’s in the army doesn’t mean she’s all work and no play. Triplett, a Finksburg, MD native, talks about ROTC, her accomplishments and responsibilities, and of course, the fun stuff!
For those who don’t know, what is ROTC?
ROTC stands for Reserve Officer Training Corps. It’s a leadership development program for college students who want to be Army officers. ROTC combines classroom instruction with practical experience and throughout their college career, students complete a 36-credit minor including a once-a-week lab session. The lab helps students combine classroom lessons with tactical training and practical exercises. They also complete field training exercises (FTX) every semester, do volunteer work for JMU at football and basketball games, set up recruiting tables at CHOICES, and you can find Army ROTC Color Guard at many on-campus events.
ROTC is almost like four-year job training. It prepares graduates to make tough decisions when they are officers.
Why did you join ROTC?
I always knew wanted to be in military and [it’s] nice to know throughout college that you will have job security that the Army provides. I also like the team feel. I did sports in high school and wanted to keep that type of environment in my life. The money to help pay for school is great, too!
Tell me about the position you have now.
I’m the Head TAC (Teacher Assessor Coach) officer. So I’m in charge of a seven man “shop” and we train and evaluate MS3 cadets (juniors) who are preparing to go to their Leadership Development Assessment Course (LDAC) separately from other cadets. Our job to prepare them to succeed at LDAC by providing leadership evaluations and advice based on our own experience on how to better succeed.
What kind of responsibilities does that entail?
My position and those underneath it share similar responsibilities. We plan training events, evaluate cadets in different leadership positions based on their personal interactions with peers and advisors and their tactical work, and compile that information to assess where they can make improvements.
You recently received the Marshall Award. What does that mean?
The Marshall Award recognizes outstanding senior ROTC cadets in military science and in leadership ability. My instructors here at JMU nominated me based on my leadership, scholarship, physical fitness and community involvement. The award is given by the George C. Marshall Foundation at VMI and all of the winners are invited to a four-day conference where high-ranking generals and other officers hold seminars and discussions on military hot-topics like conflicts in [the] Middle East, nuclear capabilities and cyber terrorism.
What are you doing after graduation?
I received Active Duty Military Intelligence, which is mostly enemy and battle space analysis. It’s a very broad field, but I’d be analyzing an area of operation and the enemy through human interaction, satellite imagery and signal communications. I’d really like to get into human intelligence at some point. Start training in July in Fort Huachuca, Arizona, but I don’t know where will be stationed after that. Eventually I want to become a physical therapist for the Army, which is what I have always wanted to do.
Are you excited about MI?
Yes, yes I am! Its a broad field and nothing like I majored in but I think it’ll be fun. Supposedly it’s a lot of guesswork and Power Points…which I’m great at.
Are you worried about getting deployed?
No, I actually want to be deployed because it gives you a lot of good experience and a chance to use your knowledge. You train to deploy and deployment puts your skills to the test.
Do you know anyone who is deployed right now?
A few JMU grads, yeah. My mentor from my sophomore year, Erin Lamneck, is in Military Intelligence, 2011 grad. Gerald Bradner is MI as well and he graduated in 2012. Both are in Afghanistan.
OK, now some fun questions! What’s your favorite part about living in Harrisonburg?
I just really like the college town feel, all of downtown and the little things to do like Blue Hole. There are lots of fun things to do if you know where to look, and we’re right in the middle of it all!
When you’re not kicking ass and taking names, what do you do in your free time?
I really like to run, snowboard and just hang out. My roommate Kate got me hooked on all kinds of awesome sci-fi shows. So there’s that. And I love watching football. Go Ravens!
What has been your best JMU experience so far?
There are two that jumped out at me. The first one is when we beat Tech and everyone went crazy running around campus. Then last year for FTX, we took helicopters and flew over campus and got to see everything.
Tell me about some fun ROTC training exercises!
There’s so much fun stuff! Rappelling off Eagle Hall, paintball in the rain, crawling through the mud on Godwin field during GUTS competitions, flying in helicopters, skits making fun of other classes and instructors and getting to shoot, just to list some!