ROTC Prepares Second Lieutenant and 2024 Graduate Marshall Redd for Active Military Duty

"I enjoyed every second of it."

That's what 2024 Trevecca graduate Marshall Redd had to say about the past four years in Trevecca's joint ROTC program with Vanderbilt University.

Learning about Trevecca through Midland Valley Community Church of the Nazarene, visiting campus to participate in the Top Nazarene Talent competition (TNT) and receiving a national ROTC scholarship all factored into Redd's decision to attend college on the Hill. A native of North Augusta, South Carolina, he double majored in criminal justice and behavioral science while minoring in psychology and sociology. But equally significant in his college journey was his time with the Reserve Officer Training Corps.

"I thought it would be a great opportunity to serve my country and set a good foundation of knowledge to prepare me for the civilian world, whether I proceeded to the military or not," he said.

The goal of ROTC is to train cadets to become officers in the U.S. military, and Redd holds the title of second lieutenant in the Army after completing his four years of training. "ROTC trained me to be a strong leader, to go out there and lead soldiers the best way that I can both physically and mentally," he said.

A typical week for Redd included three days of early morning physical training. He'd wake up around 5 a.m. and drive to Vanderbilt's campus for training at 6 a.m. When training finished at 7, he had more than enough time to drive back to Trevecca's campus and get to his 8 a.m. classes. "Starting out with PT in the morning gave me a sense of accomplishment," he said. "It woke me up and got me ready for the day. I got used to waking up a little bit early."

The only classes Redd attended outside of Trevecca's campus were those related to the ROTC program, which were mostly held on Vanderbilt's campus. ROTC class requirements include labs (different forms of training), classroom-style ROTC classes and military history. For labs that involved hands-on learning, he said, his group learned everything from how to lead an attack or an ambush to performing first aid.

He also had one field training exercise per semester where cadets were challenged to camp in the woods, run through missions, prepare to run attacks, navigate the land, etc. All of was in preparation for cadet summer training, which took place during the summer of his junior year. "That is where they put your first three years of being a cadet to the test," he said.

Redd's Christian faith is what drives him, and during this time at camp, there were chapel services once per week where he could take a break and ride a bus to go worship. "I really enjoyed getting that moment to be able to go from going nonstop all the time to attending a chapel service and enjoy that time of worship. It's nice being able to just pause and be able to worship God," he said.

Since Redd has been commissioned out of ROTC and into the ordnance corps of the army, he and his wife Daniela have plans to move to Richmond, Virginia, for three months. After that, they'll move again to Fort Stewart in Savannah, Georgia, where he will serve for at least two years.

These circumstances don't seem to phase him. "The military pushes you out of your comfort zone in a good way to prepare you to be a better leader," he said.

With his two majors and two minors from Trevecca, Redd has no shortage of options for his future. And that's thanks to his experience at Trevecca, and the people that made it such a positive experience for him. "I loved the people. It was amazing meeting my wife and some of my best friends at Trevecca. The people were easily my favorite part of my whole experience."

He came away from his academic career with advice for future Army ROTC students at Trevecca. "Just be willing to go out there and meet new people," he said. "Be willing to create a friend group and have that support system. And enjoy it."