The Barometer Online

Issue date: 3/2/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Andrew Burton Ron Clement, who has been a member of Army ROTC since 1999, served one year in the Iraq War after doing cleanup work in Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina. He is now a senior at OSU studying sociology.

Neil Dysart sits at the back of the class, facing the door. He scans the room for potential threats, watching each person that comes and goes.

He is an Army soldier, specializing in aviation, whose life has been forever altered by his experiences overseas.

According to the OSU Web site, the ROTC program focuses on leadership development. It helps students learn problem-solving techniques, decision-making skills, planning and organizing skills, interpersonal communications skills, professional ethics and responsibilities in addition to other management and leadership skills.

The soldiers who have served in foreign countries and return as students have been impacted in many ways civilians may not realize.

"Re-acclimation was hard at first because you get so used to keeping your distance from everyone. I went into a Wal-Mart after I returned, and it was brand new again," Dysart said.

Dysart, a Western Oregon student who is in OSU's ROTC program, is working toward a degree in law enforcement.

"Multiple entries are bad for me," added Mathaniel Lehmann, a junior and a medic in the military. "It took some time getting used to being in buildings with multiple doors and people coming and going all the time. It would make me jump."

Lehmann, a husband and father of two sons, noticed he was more aggressive upon returning from a year in Iraq.

"It takes way less for me to reach an elevated level where I want to fight," Lehmann said. "Sometimes I have what I call 'red days' where I am extremely aggressive. I wouldn't pick a fight with anyone, but I almost want someone to pick one with me. I also noticed that I stare at people, which I know is not polite."

Realization doesn't set in for many soldiers until after they are deployed.

For Lehmann, it didn't set in until after he'd returned from Iraq.

Continued...

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