Former U.S. Secretaries of State Condoleezza Rice and George Shultz have officially offered their support for the return of ROTC to Stanford. In a letter delivered today to the Faculty Senate’s Ad Hoc Committee on ROTC, Rice and Shultz stated that they were joining former U.S Secretary of Defense William Perry and Stanford History Professor David Kennedy in their calls for ROTC’s return to campus.
On the role of ROTC in general, Rice and Shultz stated:
“The Reserve Officers’ Training Corps equips future military leaders with not only the preparation they need to defend our nation but also the richness of a university experience.”
ROTC is unique in that it simultaneously integrates both military and academic preparation. But with regard to combining military preparation and a Stanford education, in particular, Rice and Shultz wrote:
“Given the complexities of the threats we face and the missions we demand of our military in the twenty-first century, this is an appropriate and necessary time for the Faculty Senate to restore ROTC to Stanford’s campus. We can think of no better way to prepare future servicemen and women — many of whom will become national leaders — than by enriching them with a Stanford education.”
And the two former Secretaries weighed in on how ROTC serve as force to close the increasing distance between civilians and the military. They said:
“Our democracy is strongest when those who cherish our freedoms engage with those who defend them. By allowing ROTC cadets to interact more closely with their non-military classmates, Stanford will create a mutually beneficial educational environment that will help reduce the ever-growing distance between civilians and the military in our nation.”
The letter touched on some of the main problems that the ROTC ban really have impacted Stanford, including a relatively small number of future military leaders graduating with Stanford undergraduate degrees and the large distance between cadets and non-military students on campus.
Autumn Carter is the editor of the Stanford Review and blogs at Fiat Lux. She is a contributor to the Student Free Press Association.
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