Bush Commissions Dunsterite

President Bush commissioned Naval Reserves Officer Training Corps (NROTC) member Erik A. Sand ’07 yesterday, and took the opportunity to make some pointed remarks directed towards schools such as Harvard that do not officially sanction ROTC programs.

According to a transcript from his speech on the White House’s Web site, Bush said, “To the cadets and midshipmen who are graduating from a college or university that believes ROTC is not worthy of a place on campus, here is my message: Your university may not honor your military service, but the United States of America does.”

Sand, the former president of Harvard’s ROTC Association, was selected earlier this week to attend the ceremony.

According to Sand and current president of Harvard’s ROTC Association, Air Force ROTC member Michael J. Arth ’08, the White House contacted the association because it wanted to have ROTC cadet representatives from schools that do not sanction the programs, such as Harvard and Stanford University.

At the ceremony yesterday, Sand received his certificate of commission from Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates and the president.

Sand and Arth both agreed with the sentiment behind Bush’s statement, stating their wish for the reinstatment of an ROTC program at Harvard, which the Faculty of Arts and Sciences terminated in 1969 amidst the Vietnam War.

“Harvard is one of America’s elite universities, and I think it’s important that ‘elite’ be connected with defending our country and having that experience in service,” Sand said.

In reference to the controversial “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy that is in part responsible for Harvard’s stance today towards ROTC, Sand said that the policy is part of the country’s law and should not be seen as a military policy.

“Lots of people think it’s a bad policy, but it’s not something that we have control over,” Sand added. “If the University wants to make a statement, the best way to get it changed is to call your congressperson and get the law changed, not to punish armed forces.”

Arth added that Harvard’s position on ROTC is “fairly hypocritical” since it accepts federal money but will not support a federal program.

“We’re bending over backwards to serve our country, and not just as regular cadets, but under the pressure of a university that in its official policy says they don’t approve of what we do,” Arth added.

But Sand expressed hope for changes in Harvard’s future relationship with the program.

“Harvard has a great tradition of involvement with armed forces, and it’s important to both the University and country that the tradition be renewed,” he said. “But if change doesn’t happen, we’ll still keep doing what we’re doing.”

—Staff writer Aditi Banga can be reached at abanga@fas.harvard.edu.