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SMWC welcomes first contracted Army cadet

News | 09.18.2020
Wyatt Bales in uniform
Wyatt Bales, a sophomore psychology major from Terre Haute, was sworn in on Sept. 4 in the Sunken Garden. He is the first SMWC student to be contracted.

Raise your right hand and repeat after me – “I, state your name, welcome cadet Wyatt Bales to the Army.” Bales is Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College’s first to be contracted by the ROTC. He was sworn in at the Sunken Garden on Sept. 4.

Bales, a sophomore psychology major from Terre Haute, was joined by his family as he took his oath at The Woods. With historic Le Fer Hall in the background, it was the perfect backdrop for one of the most important days of Bales’ life.

SMWC is one of seven schools that are part of the Wabash Valley Battalion. Students in the battalion register for the ROTC class through their respective school, but take the class at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.

Bales runs cross country and track & field, so when he was offered to run at SMWC, he also joined the ROTC program.

“I’ve always wanted to be in the Army – since 7th grade,” Bales said. Paired with his degree, he has a calling to help others. “I want to go into the armory unit, but I also want to use my psychology degree to help with everything that goes on after, like PTSD.”

Lt. Col. Benjamin Schneller swore in Bales, saying he was honored and excited to be a part of Bales’ journey.

“It’s a testament to his selflessness, a testament to his family and the way he was brought up and the school he works with,” Schneller said.

Lt. Col. Schneller swearing in Bales
Lt. Col. Benjamin Schneller, left, swears in SMWC student Wyatt Bales on Sept. 4 in the Sunken Garden. Bales is the first SMWC student to be contracted by the ROTC.

The next step for Bales is to finish school, including going to ROTC every Wednesday, and receive his degree. Between his junior and senior year, he will train to become qualified so once he graduates, he can go straight into the Army.

“It’s probably the biggest thing that’s going to happen to me,” Bales said. “I’m committing my next eight years to the service.”

Bob Doll, recruiting operations officer for Wabash Battalion Army ROTC, encourages any student interested in ROTC to try it out. If they like it, it can open scholarship and career opportunities.

“Anybody can sign up for the ROTC class and try out for the Army and see if it’s what they want to do,” Doll said. “Hopefully someday we can grow this program into a bigger one so we can have classes here at SMWC.”

Doll has been working with another SMWC student who he hopes will be the second contracted student from the College. Elizabeth Kerr, a freshman environmental science major from Indianapolis, did some research and found the program SMWC offers.

“I had been feeling like I had a calling to be in a branch of military since before my freshman year of high school,” Kerr said. “When I enrolled here at The Woods, I was highly interested in the ROTC program.”

While the program was one draw, Kerr also loves the atmosphere The Woods has to offer. “I grew up in the city, but I am in fact a country girl at heart,” she said. “Being out here and visiting made me feel like it was the right place for me – it’s so peaceful.” According to Schneller, less than one half of one percent of the country’s population has chosen to join the service.