The Shorthorn - ROTC cadets learn about importance of humanitarian operations

HOME

Schools/Colleges

ROTC cadets learn about importance of humanitarian operations

Written by Johnathan Silver, Contributor to The Shorthorn

Thursday, 26 March 2009 08:11 PM

Former Army Maj. William Deakyne addresses ROTC students on the impact of humanitarian operations Thursday at College Hall. Deakyne stressed the importance of humanitarian operations in countries at war to prepare the students for their service project at Mission Arlington on Saturday. (The Shorthorn: Andrew Buckley)

No one told former Army Maj. William Deakyne how to assist in the Iraqi government reconstruction.

Deakyne lectured about the Army’s humanitarian assistance operations during the ROTC lab “Civil Military Operations” Thursday. The lab prepares cadets for a service project at Mission Arlington on Saturday.

“What makes the difference is you,” Deakyne said. “You’ve got to take the initiative in Iraq, and no one’s going to hand you all the answers.”

In Iraq, Deakyne formed a civil affairs team, a group of military personnel that serve Iraqis’ needs ranging from food to educational structure.

Since Iraqi schools lacked funding, Deakyne’s team proposed a high school-based solution to the Ministry of Education.

The lecture included procedures for transporting goods, barricading roads and pursuing and killing enemies. Deakyne included audience involvement by playing a scene from the movie Predator, and splitting them into three groups of 10 to form a plan to drop food to civilians during wartime.

Major Jeannie Deakyne, military science assistant professor, said humanitarian assistance operations are about growing in terms of human compassion and developing social skills that can only be learned by doing.

“Although we can talk tactics, pay attention to how experts deliver goods and apply it to everything you do,” she said.

Visual communication sophomore Aaron Renaud won’t be at Mission Arlington on Saturday but has volunteered in the past.

“The information we learned from the lecture is something you can never get from a reporter on TV,” he said.

“Learning about what’s actually going on Iraq is interesting.”

Cadets’ roles in the service project are determined when they show up. Mission Arlington services include, but aren’t limited to, furniture transporting, crisis intervention and youth rallies.

Views: 1237 | E-mail

Be first to comment this article

Last Updated ( Tuesday, 28 April 2009 06:24 PM )

< Prev		Next >

[ Back ]