UConn’s ROTC program welcomes two new commanders and department heads to campus this year and both have a strong interest in increased campus engagement.
LTC Corey Rose is a professor of military science and now oversees UConn’s Army ROTC program. A native of Florida, Rose enlisted in the Army and later earned his officer’s commission through Methodist University at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. His most recent assignment was in Hawaii.
LTC Sean Stumpf is a professor of aerospace studies and oversees UConn’s Air Force ROTC program. He is a native of Carmel, New York, and is a graduate of Syracuse University who was most recently stationed in Texas.
The mission for both the Air Force and Army ROTC programs is to develop future leaders and have them commissioned as second lieutenants. This is accomplished through a series of academic courses, field training, and testing of leadership skills.
ROTC students are mostly undergraduates and can come from any major at the University. Following graduation, there is a service requirement in the military that ranges from four to eight years, depending on which area a student specializes in.
“I want to monitor and observe how ROTC is perceived here at UConn, but ultimately I want to grow the size of our detachment,” says Stumpf. “That requires exposure to students and letting them know what opportunities are available. Our primary goal is to build leaders for the military, but you can’t do that without building model citizens and well-rounded students. They have to be involved in campus activities and campus life.”
ROTC students are visible on campus because of their uniforms, but Rose and Stumpf want the University community to know they are regular students who are very approachable.
“The most important thing to understand about our cadets is that they are no different than any other civilian student,” says Rose. “All students are going to go do great things, and our cadets have chosen the military field to do that.
“We have highly qualified, smart, and dedicated individuals that we want the campus and the student body to meet and be involved in their activities,” he adds.
ROTC students possess strong leadership skills learned along the way during their time at UConn.
“We can give back to the campus and to the community in various ways and want to do that,” Stumpf says.
If you are interested in contacting UConn ROTC and having them be involved in your organization or activity, please email Stumpf at sean.stumpf@uconn.edu or Rose at steven.rose@uconn.edu.
