It’s a dreary Sunday afternoon at the campus Starbucks, and sophomore Brianna Strobl is preparing for a busy week full of midterms, sorority obligations, and grueling early morning physical training sessions. While many students lament the idea of starting their week with an 8 a.m. class, Brianna looks forward to waking up at 6-a.m. for an hour of intensive conditioning, per her enrollment as a cadet in the ROTC program. If you were to meet Brianna in passing, you wouldn’t necessarily expect her to be training to become a warrior in the US Army; and at one point, she didn’t either. When asked if the military was something she’s always had her sights on, she laughs and says: “That wasn’t me at all”.
Briana grew up in Colorado with two parents who had served in the military. Despite being veterans, they would never force Brianna to follow suit. As a child, Brianna grew up playing softball, and she wasn’t sure if that was something she wanted to purse post-high school. Ultimately, she remembers when she told her parents she planned on making a college decision based on the ROTC program offered. Her parents would reply with “…our money was set on you!” Briana wasn’t expecting this response from her parents, but the support she would receive from them was overwhelming. Brianna remembers the moment she wanted to attend the University of Oregon. When she visited the campus and met with cadre, staff members, and others involved in the ROTC program, she remembers this as when “it all felt real”. That’s when she knew Eugene was the home for her. Brianna was ecstatic. She craved recreating the emotional connection “sisterhood” provided while playing softball as a child, without the confines of continuing the sport.
The military is an institution that faces scrutiny when it comes to gender and masculinity. Brianna doesn’t let these preconceived notions hold her back. She also doesn’t expect civilians to understand her perspective. With great conviction, Briana says “the military is one of the most equal organizations” she has ever been a part of. To participate in an organization that is based “purely on [your] capabilities” has been among the most empowering experience of her life. From this past summer where she attended basic camp, to rucks with her platoon that stretch for miles, to completing her Combat Water Survival Test, the constant physical challenges she has endured alongside her fellow cadets has led to Brianna’s biggest takeaway: “discipline”. Brianna believes that the disciplined individuals that ROTC produces are of equal caliber regardless of gender, and their treatment during that process is also devoid of gender discrimination.
Briana has signed her contract with the US Army and plans to serve for 8-years post-graduation. Her goal is to earn a job in aviation flying Chinook helicopters as a Captain in the US Army. In the meantime, Briana looks forward to enjoying her sophomore year before things “get too serious”.