James March-April 2024 online - Flipbook - Page 11
for ROTC Scholarships at a follow-on college or they can
separately enroll in GMC’s Early Commissioning Program.
The second group is aimed at improving law enforcement recruitment across the state, specifically
training future police officers. The Georgia Public Safety
Leadership Institute developed after state public safety
officials visited. They appreciated how good the cadet
program was and wanted to establish a program to
build the best public safety officer.
The third program is the foundational cadet at GMC,
the Army ROTC. There is a full contingent of active-duty
officers and non-commissioned officers on campus, and
students enroll in the Early Commissioning Program.
At graduation, students are commissioned as second
lieutenants and students are required to continue their
education at a university with an Army ROTC program
and serve in the U.S. Army Reserves or Army National
Guard. They can also request to compete for service in
active duty.
The fourth cadet program is for those wishing to attend one of the service academies— West Point, the Naval Academy, Air Force Academy and the Coast Guard
Academy— but may not quite be ready yet. Students can
attend GMC for a year, get good grades, develop their
leadership skills and stay fit, then enroll in the service
academy. (GMC does not have a formal agreement with
the Merchant Marine Academy yet, but cadets attend
there every year as well.)
Finally, the fifth cadet program is the civic leader
program. These are cadets who want the discipline of
a military school— living in barracks, room inspections,
working out every day, study hall and character development— but don’t want to serve in the military.
Athletic program & military culture
Athletics is also a key piece of the culture at GMC.
The 2021 football season marked the 30th anniversary
of football being reinstated. By the way, GMC is the only
junior college football program in the state but in just that
short time, more than 50 players in the NFL have come
out of GMC. Also, more than 400 players have gone on to
play Division I football. Another 200 have played at the
NAIA level, making 600 players who have gone on to fouryear colleges as athletes.
Under Caldwell and with its long heritage, GMC continues to build on an historic foundation but is embracing
a bright future, offering opportunities that are increasingly being recognized as critical to the development of rural
areas, minority students and the military.
As many places have drifted away from military heritage, GMC continues to highlight it. After all, our military
needs new recruits. Clearly, GMC is well-positioned to
continue to attract a dedicated and committed core of
its student body. One of the many sayings around GMC
is “Start Here… Go Anywhere!” That’s something GMC is
truly capable of providing for anyone.
Baker Owens is a staff writer for James and James Magazine Online.
MARC H/AP R I L 2 0 2 4
11
