ROTC gets help from recreation. (National Student Branch).

ROTC students at Ferris State University (Mich.) have a rigorous training program that helps them build strength, teamwork and dedication. And next year it's going to be harder, thanks in part to Ferris State's recreation department.

One of the components of ROTC training is the Challenge Course, where cadets are expected to run, climb, jump and crawl as fast as they can over challenging terrain. Next year, the Professional Recreation Association (Ferris State University's student organization for recreation leadership and management majors) has been invited to assist the program in leadership and team-building activities.

"This will be a wonderful opportunity for students to learn more about the important role of the armed forces recreation," says Cinnamon Dockham, Armed Forces Recreation Society liaison to the NRPA Student Branch. Through recreation programs, soldiers are given alternative methods of learning to think critically, communicate and work together as a team. Soldiers' families are provided with opportunities to bond with other military families, support each other and have their social needs met. Recreation students at Ferris State are learning that "for all, the recreation programs provide the military a chance to decompress, relax and have some fun," says Dockham.

You can learn more about armed forces recreation by attending the sessions hosted by AFRS at NRPA's National Congress in Tampa, including "What in the World is Military Recreation?"

Students can sign up for the "Take A Student to Lunch" event being hosted by AFRS and learn about interesting internship and job opportunities in armed forces recreation.