Three members of the Rhodes Class of 2018 will become officers in the U.S. Armed Forces during ceremonies held May 4 at The University of Memphis. Samantha Lamy and Dulcie Trottier will be commissioned as second lieutenants in the United States Army, and Madisen Duke-Bruechert will be commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Air Force.
Rhodes, in cooperation with The University of Memphis and the Departments of the Air Force, Army and Navy, participates in crosstown agreements that provide the opportunity for Rhodes students to enroll in ROTC. A student receives a commission as a second lieutenant in the appropriate military service upon passing a medical physical as well as fitness test requirements throughout his or her college career and upon successfully completing the reserve officer training programs and the undergraduate degree at Rhodes. The curriculum for the ROTC program is reviewed by the Rhodes faculty and the appropriate credit hours are assigned. The student who participates in the ROTC program has to complete all requirements as specified by the military service departments, including summer training camps, in order for commissioning to be granted.
Lamy, a neuroscience major from Southbury, CT, and Trottier, a political science major from Dunbarton, NH, will attend the Basic Officer Leader Course before reporting to their units. Over the summer, they also will serve as instructors for the U.S. Army Cadet Command Advanced Camp at Fort Knox, KY.
Both Lamy and Trottier are members of Kappa Delta Sorority. “ROTC has taught me the importance of servant leadership and teamwork,” says Trottier, who served as the sorority’s 2017-2018 president. “Throughout my training experiences, I have become a more confident leader, who not only develops and drives a clear vision for the organization but also actively makes every attempt to motivate and engage with those who are following me.”
After training, Trottier will serve as a military intelligence officer stationed at Fort Lewis, and Lamy will be a signal corps officer stationed at Fort Bragg. Trottier’s advice to students—“Don’t be afraid to push yourself out of your comfort zone and try something new. You may just find your future career path.”
Unlike Trottier and Lamy, Duke-Bruechert participated in Air Force ROTC. “The ROTC program was something I stumbled upon during my first year at Rhodes,” she says. “I decided to try it out on a whim. I have absolutely loved the experience and am thrilled to enter the Air Force as a second lieutenant.”
A resident of Austin, TX, Duke-Bruechert is pursuing a double major in physics and religious studies. In the fall of 2017, Duke-Bruechert was granted a scholarship from the Air Force Association for academic excellence in STEM fields.
She will go to Pensacola, FL, to begin training as a combat systems operator after graduating from Rhodes on May 12. “The job is in an airframe, and I will be responsible for navigation and weapons,” she says. Eventually, Duke-Bruechert plans to pursue a graduate degree in physics.