I am a member of one of this University’s ROTC units, and I love being here. Throughout my years as a member of the Pack, I have always felt welcomed and appreciated, and am proud to wear my uniform around campus. Not until today have I ever been disappointed in my school’s treatment of this nation’s military personnel.

As you may know, Thursday’s game was our school’s Military Appreciation Day, an event that I have enjoyed every year that I have been a student here. In past years, we have been allotted seats near the end zones in sections near the field. This year, however, we have been assigned sections 14 and 15. Those sections are about as far away from the field as one can get and still be in the stadium. When I discussed this with several cadre members and fellow cadets, I was informed that the decision to move us to the “nosebleed” section was made by the Student Senate. I have been to the Student Senate website and seen resolutions from previous years allotting seats for Military Appreciation Day games, so I believe this claim to be accurate.

This is not, however, a complaint about the fact that we had our seats moved, and I am not writing this letter because I am angry. It is not important that our school’s ROTC units have continually made efforts to give back to the school, including installing each and every one of the ten thousand cushioned seats in our football stadium by hand with time out of our summer breaks and weekends.

Each year at our Military Appreciation Day game, we invite a group of servicemen and women who have been wounded in the line of duty to come enjoy the game with us, and to show that our school supports them. They have always had a great time and enjoyed the excellent seating set aside for them. But this year they will be seated in section 14, the nosebleeds. As some of you may have noticed, colored panels were placed throughout the stadium seats to spell out “Thank you troops.” These panels extend into section 14. The wounded soldiers will not see this show of appreciation, because they will be holding up the signs they’re supposed to be looking at.

I am not a member of Student Government, and do not know why the people who are supposedly the focus of Thursday’s game have been shuffled away into the back corner of the stadium. Some of my fellow cadets say that the Senate wanted to be able to sell the seats normally reserved for us instead of giving them away for free. Others say it is because the Senate has decided that other groups deserve them more. I am not concerned with why the senate made this decision, because it is not important. It is clear that, for all the fanfare surrounding Military Appreciation Day, the soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines are not the focus, and that is why I am writing this letter. I am disappointed at our school’s dismissal of these men and women on a day reserved for them.

Most members of the military will tell you that no matter what, your troops come first. I hope you took the time to glance up into sections 14 and 15 every now and then. As the Army parachute team delivered the game ball, as the giant flag waved on the field and the National Anthem played, I hope you glanced up at the crowd of Army tan, Navy khaki, Marine Corps greens and Air Force blues. The troops did not come first that day.

Anonymous ROTC Member