By ARIELLE WALDMAN
Men and women in camouflage uniforms line the halls and fill the rooms in the ROTC building, creating a sense of camaraderie right from the start.
The classrooms are full, people converse in the Cadet lounge, and some sit at a long table in an open area off the hall.
Past the table, in a room to the right, is the office of retiring Lieutenant Colonel Robert Proctor.
Proctor specializes in infantry operations and training, operational deployments and contingency operations and national security and public affairs.
His courses have included developing adaptive leaders, officership/leadership in a complex world and advanced leadership laboratory.
It is clear from these courses and from speaking with him that leadership is one of the most important values the military has taught him.
Although he is not an ROTC graduate, Proctor grew up with a father in the military and went from high school to the military. . “It was a natural transition,” he said.
“I wanted to be a team leader.” After initial officer and speciality (Ranger) training at Fort Benning, Ga., his first assignment was in the Republic of Korea for one year.
He has also been deployed to Panama and Haiti. His combat tours include deployment to Afghanistan and Iraq. Regarding leadership, Proctor has always felt that mentorship was an important lesson to teach his cadets.
“It’s more than just a class,” he said. “It means you are involved in more. Being a leader means being there and taking care of my cadets.” His cadets said he taught this lesson effectively. “He is big into mentoring,” said Ariana Spano. “He makes sure that it’s important.”
Another cadet, Sean McCarey, agreed. “He has an open door policy,” he said. “He is a father figure who is always there. When you need help with anything, he will find a way to fix it.”
Proctor chose to become part of the ROTC program at UT as a professor of military science to have the “opportunity to shape future lieutenants.”
As he shared, “The contribution to lead men and women into combat needs to start early. It is my job to get them to that starting line.”
In the past two years, four officers from UT have been sent to Iraq. Proctor pointed out that current students have lived half their lives in a world regularly fighting against terrorism.
Although warfare has changed, according to Proctor, “You can’t replace the human element.”
oh that lardass always had something up his butt !