The Cornell University Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) Brigade, including members of Cornell's Army, Navy, and Air Force Units, commemorated the anniversary of the U.S. withdrawal from Vietnam at Barton Hall on campus, March 29.

The Brigade conducted the inaugural memorial challenge to foster inter-service competition and promote camaraderie and to remember the service and sacrifice of all Vietnam War veterans.

The Cornell ROTC Brigade Commander, Midshipman 2nd Class Maxwell Dopsch, said the event was also a continuation of inter-service unity.

"Events like this are absolutely essential for building camaraderie going forward," Dopsch said. "Getting all three units together in this way constitutes a positive paradigm shift that I'm looking to build upon as Brigade Commander. This brigade has the potential to be greater than the sum of its parts - my staff and I are going to make that happen."

After forming up, the brigade transitioned into a two-mile warmup run around campus. At the end of the route, the brigade arrived at the base of Libe Slope on Cornell's West Campus. The evolution to the top of Libe Slope included a low crawl, buddy drags, fireman carries, and a final sprint to the top. At the top of the slope was the Arts Quad Evolution. Between the statues of founders Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, midshipman and cadets performed a series of litter carries and burpees.

Professor of Naval Science and Commanding Officer of Cornell Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC), Capt. Erich Diehl, then briefed the entire brigade in front of the Cornell founder on the purpose and scope of the morning memorial challenge. In addition, Diehl recognized the service of six local, Ithaca Vietnam War veterans.

The morning concluded with a motivation run from the Arts Quad back to Barton Hall. The run fostered a collective sense of brigade unity and was led by newest midshipmen and cadets.

"I particularly liked the culminating run. As we ran down Ho Plaza, all four services carrying their flags, I could not help but feel a belonging to something bigger than myself -- a connection to those veterans that have gone before us. I only hope that we can continue to honor them in our actions moving forward," said Midshipman 4th Class and freshman Braedon Wong.

The NROTC program develops midshipmen mentally, morally and physically, to imbue them with the highest ideals of duty, loyalty and Navy core values. The program provides college graduates an opportunity to commission as naval officers who possess a basic professional background, are motivated toward careers in the naval service, and have potential for future development in mind and character, so as to assume the highest responsibilities of command, citizenship and government.

The NROTC program is overseen by Rear Adm. Stephen C. Evans, commander, Naval Service Training Command (NSTC), and his NSTC staff, headquartered at Naval Station Great Lakes, Illinois.

NSTC oversees 98 percent of initial officer and enlisted accessions training for the Navy, as well as the Navy's Citizenship Development Program. NSTC includes Recruit Training Command (RTC) at Naval Station Great Lakes, NROTC units at more than 160 colleges and universities, Officer Training Command Newport (OTCN) at Naval Station Newport, Rhode Island, and Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC) and Navy National Defense Cadet Corps (NNDCC) citizenship development programs at more than 600 high schools worldwide.

For more information about the Cornell University NROTC unit visit https://admissions.cornell.edu/cornell-reserve-officer-training-corps-rotc

For more information about NSTC, visit: www.netc.navy.mil/nstc/ or visit the NSTC Facebook pages at www.facebook.com/navalservicetraining/.

For more information, visit www.navy.mil, www.facebook.com/usnavy, or www.twitter.com/usnavy.

For more news from Naval Service Training Command, visit www.navy.mil/.