by Nathaniel LiedlNews Reporter

Most students have probably walked by the U.S. Army Recruiting Station in University Square, and some may have even wondered about the time commitment involved.

Dedicating oneself to one of the military branch’s reserves requires not only time out of a student’s life, but also adds the anxiety that one could be called to duty thousands of miles away from home at any given time.

Most students who serve attest to the giant impact joining the Army Reserves or Reserve Officer Training Corps has had on their lives.

Sgt. Brett Fischer, Station Commander of the U.S. Army Recruiting Station at University Square, knows firsthand the toll that military service takes on a student. While studying at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in the 1990s, he was mobilized for active duty in the Middle East as part of Desert Storm.

But whether a student is actively on duty or not, military life takes up a great amount of time.

Weekend drills, typically on Saturdays and Sundays, last eight hours a day. Some months there are no drills, while some months may require more than one drill.

Upon joining the Army Reserve, a member is “assigned to a specific reserve unit, whether it be a medical, transportation, civil affairs or military police unit. The army reservist is sent to basic training and also sent to job training, where they are trained to do their specific job that they have chosen to do,” Fischer said.

The Army reservists then come back and continue their local monthly drills.

“This is to make sure that they are trained in case they are called up to serve overseas or within the United States to support the rate of the Army,” Fischer explained.

The duties and time commitment involved for ROTC are different from those of the Army Reserve.

The ROTC has classes three days a week and physical-fitness training each morning. It is a regular college course offered at UW. ROTC students typically take military-science classes, which teach everything necessary to become a basic officer.

“It is a set of instructions,” Fischer said.

Every Thursday, members have a two-hour leadership lab. Labs might consist of mountain climbing, skiing or pistol/rifle marksmanship.

When asked if reservists are more likely to be called to active duty, Fischer left no room for misunderstanding.

“Certainly, yes, but call-ups depend on what your specific job is. Reserve units have a variety of responsibilities, but it really depends on your specialization,” Fischer said.

ROTC members are not subject to be called into active duty until they complete their training.

Upon completion of training, ROTC members can be called on for active duty, Army Reserve or National Guard. This is determined in a process called a “session” and depends on many factors, but primarily on the needs of the Army and the desired location of the officer.

Dan Fuhrman of the International Guard offered a current student’s perspective on the possibility of being called into active duty.

“I would be a little shocked at first, but would be willing if I was called onto duty,” Fuhrman said.