At 5:30 a.m., when most of Mercer’s campus is still dark and silent, cadets from the University's Reserve Officers' Training Corps battalion lace up their boots for morning PT, or physical training. As Mercer student continue to sleep across campus, the cadets gather around Kicklighter Hall, which houses the campus’s ROTC program. The physical and mental discipline of early morning training is at the core of the cadet’s commitment to ROTC and their future aspirations as commissioned officers.
The purpose of any ROTC is to prepare students to commission as lieutenants into the United States Army. Aside from military tactics, the program emphasizes leadership, decision-making, time management, discipline and commitment to service, according to Mercer’s ROTC website.
“We teach military science, but we also teach how to be a leader in life,” Master Sergeant Craig Matoon, ROTC’s current military science instructor, said. He strives to produce strong leaders of tomorrow, whether they pursue active duty service or civilian careers.
Mercer’s Army ROTC program was originally activated in 1947, just two years after World War II, and once boasted over 200 students involved. Over the decades, participation has dwindled. Two and a half years ago, when Matoon arrived at Mercer University, the program had 10 cadets on its roster. Now, that number has nearly quadrupled, rising to 38 cadets.
“My biggest goal when arriving here was to build the program up as much as I could, build the relationships around campus to gain more notoriety, and I wanted to take our cadets to the top level,” Matoon said.
Matoon, who is in his 15th year of service, credits President Bill Underwood and President-elect Penny Elkins for helping him expand the program again.
“Their support has opened doors for us, and has allowed us to be seen more on campus,” he said.
Mercer’s ROTC has produced a cadet in the top 500 of 6,000 cadets in the nation over the past three classes. They have had Distinguished Military graduates, too, who are cadets placed in the top 5%.
“When you put our cadets up against other schools, you can really see the differences in caliber in our cadets and what they put into the program,” Matoon said.
Mercer’s cadets meet for class twice a week to study military science and tactics. On Thursdays, they participate in a three-hour lab to apply what they have learned in the classroom setting. The lab includes training, planning and mission execution, said Matoon. Seniors lead the program, juniors plan the missions and underclassmen act as soldiers carrying them out.
Matoon said that his favorite part of the ROTC program is witnessing cadets develop over time.
“Watching the growth in these cadets, especially the juniors who were freshmen my first year here, and seeing them grow and expand as leaders and come more out of their shell has been the best,” he said.
For cadets like Mackenzie Hopson '27 and Daniel Russell '27, the pressure is on as they lead missions and prepare for the national ROTC training camp hosted at Fort Knox, Ky., in July.
“The ROTC program is focused on developing us juniors. Over the summer, we’re assessed and ranked nationally," Russell said. "We compete for the branches and jobs we want. So everything we do this year matters.”
According to Matoon, success at camp and in the ROTC program itself requires commitment and drive.
“Always prepare,” Matoon said. “The more prepared you are, the easier it becomes. We can really see the difference between the people who put prior work into something and the people who do not.”
As a junior, Hopson enjoys leading missions and witnessing the impact that leadership, effort and preparation have on others.
“Seeing plans come to fruition, especially when they go really well, that is a sense of accomplishment. Seeing that you are making an impact on the other cadets is the most rewarding part of the program,” Hopson said.
The program has also been a transformative part of Russell's college experience that he said encouraged a strong work ethic and showed him "what I am truly capable of."
The strength of Mercer’s program lies not just in training, but in the overwhelming sense of community, Matoon said, adding that the ROTC tries to "build camaraderie and really open our arms to all of the cadets" in the group bonded by shared training, rucks and early mornings.
Hopson agrees. “For me, it feels like family. You get close to people because y'all go through everything together. It definitely does build that sense of camaraderie, shared memories and shared experiences,” Hopson said.
Both Hopson and Russell look forward to stepping into senior leadership roles in the fall.
“It's our last hoorah,” Hopson said. “You've made it through the program, so now you get to be in charge.”
“I'm looking forward to seeing the underclassmen develop more,” Russell added, “I want to see them enjoy the program the same way that I enjoy the program.”
And as Matoon prepares for a likely new duty station at the end of the school year, he hopes the program continues to grow even after he moves.
“My goal was to rebuild it,” he said. “But it’s the students who really make it what it is."
Clara Kurczak '29 is majoring in journalism at Mercer University. She loves capturing moments and bringing stories to life with her camera and pen. When she is not working on articles, Clara enjoys listening to music, spending time with the people she cares about and reading anything she can get her hands on.
