‘Meet the Army Community Day’ set for April 14
Posted Monday, April 03, 2023
Author: Mickey Alvarado
Several significant Army combat and transport vehicles will be on display outside of Adrian College’s Merillat Sport and Fitness Center from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., on Friday, April 14, as part of a Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) and Michigan National Guard, “Meet the Army Community Day.”
Some of the equipment expected to be on display include a M-ATV, a mine-resistant ambush protected vehicle, a Stryker, an eight-wheeled armored fighting vehicle, and a M777 Howitzer, a large 155-mm artillery piece. Depending on availability, a Black Hawk or Chinook helicopter may also fly in for the event. Bruiser the bulldog, Adrian College’s live mascot, will also make a guest appearance.
“Part of the reason we wanted to put out a press release is, so people weren’t concerned something serious was happening on our campus,” the coordinator of the event, Adrian College Exercise Science & Athletic Training Director/Professor Tina Claiborne, said jokingly.
In addition to the display of combat vehicles, visitors will be able to try on army gear including bulletproof vests and helmets, and shoot in an indoor virtual smokeless range.
The Adrian College community and general public will also be able to take pictures with soldiers, talk with ROTC and National Guard members about scholarships, and watch the Army Combat Fitness Test competition in Docking Stadium. Guests can also tour the combat and transport vehicles and have interactive experiences during the free-of-charge event.
Claiborne coordinated the event to give students a chance to find out about the ROTC scholarship opportunities specific to Adrian College, as well as opportunities through the Michigan National Guard.
“The impetus for this event was to actually support the Army’s new Holistic Health and Fitness, or H2F system. It’s the Army’s largest and most comprehensive effort to care for our nation’s soldiers, improve their readiness and prevent injuries,” Claiborne said. “The Army is investing heavily in our soldiers’ health, wellness and performance optimization. I learned about this because we had a former graduate start working with soldiers at Ft. Bragg. He’s an athletic trainer.”
She said she started talking to her current exercise science and athletic training students at Adrian College, and found they weren’t aware of the ROTC scholarship opportunities on campus.
“People have a different view of what committing to the Army means,” Claiborne said. “Many students aren’t aware that ROTC programs can actually be explored before they have to commit. So that prompted me to reach out to the National Guard in Michigan and Adrian’s ROTC program that we have right here on campus.
“As I learned more and our ideas evolved, we decided that we needed to educate and create some awareness, and in tandem with that, support this notion of holistic health and fitness across campus,” Claiborne said.
During the event there will be a Tactical Athlete Competition between Adrian College students, faculty, and staff. Claiborne said the Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) has been totally revamped to be a more accurate assessment of a person’s fitness to serve. Teams of four competitors will go through the entire ACFT and be graded as if they were in the Army to see, “How they stack up.”
“This is a great collaboration between Ohio and Michigan, Adrian College’s ROTC program with the University of Toledo, the Michigan Army National Guard, the Reserves, those serving as well as those training to serve,” Claiborne said. “It’s really exciting that we’re able to bring everyone together for this great event!”
Adrian College has long partnered with the ROTC, and recently added a new special academic program, a minor in Military Science and Leadership, that give students a unique opportunity to check out the ROTC to see if it would be a good fit for them, without having to commit to join the Army.
“Adrian College would like to extend a special thank you to American Legion G. Chandler Bond Post 275 and the William C. Stark American Legion Post 97, Game One, and Red Paint Printing for sponsoring apparel and prizes,” Claiborne said.
For more information about the event, contact Claiborne at tclaiborne@adrian.edu.
