Campus Connection

UWL ROTC cadets give back to community through ORA trail work

Cadets in the UW-La Crosse Army ROTC Eagle Battalion spent a day giving back to the community this fall. 

In early November, cadets volunteered with Outdoor Recreation Alliance (ORA) staff to improve trail safety and sustainability on the ORA trail system, a community resource used regularly for ROTC training and land navigation exercises. 

After ORA staff cleared a new trail corridor using heavy equipment, the cadets completed the detailed finishing work by hand. 

“Our cadets were responsible for finishing the work — shaping the trail, creating a gradual cross-slope to reduce erosion, leveling the trail bed, and removing roots and debris,” says LTC Devin R. Bright, professor of military science and chair of the Military Science Department at UWL. “ORA leadership noted that, because of the way the trail was finished, it should not require major maintenance for several years.”

Bright credits the collaboration to an interdisciplinary connection on campus.  

“I have to give a shoutout to Dr. Scott Cooper from the UWL Biology Department, who is currently on the ORA board,” Bright says. “He’s the one who reached out to us.” 

Beyond trail maintenance, the project served as a hands-on leadership exercise that reinforced the ROTC program’s emphasis on service and teamwork. Cadets worked in small groups, with team leaders responsible for planning and execution on-site. 

“Team leaders had to assess the work site, divide tasks, ensure safe tool use and adapt to changing conditions,” Bright says. “That mirrors the leadership competencies emphasized in ROTC training.” 

Ethan Fitzgerald, a junior majoring in public administration with minors in military science and legal studies, shares that working with ORA provided cadets with a more organic leadership experience than typical ROTC training.

"During training, ROTC cadets are typically assigned to specific roles, which determine the level of leadership they are expected to perform. This usually means that upperclassmen are expected to lead underclassmen, allowing the underclassmen to learn by example," Fitzgerald explains. "During the trail cleanup, however, I was delighted to see that without a 'scripted' leadership structure, several underclassmen took the initiative to take charge. It was great to see that they took the leadership qualities they had observed all semester to heart and were able to apply them themselves."

"It reinforced the idea that leadership isn’t always about a form of command, but about contributing where you’re needed and motivating others through action," adds Evan Herbig, a business major with minors in entrepreneurship and military science.

The experience allowed cadets to apply classroom and field instruction in a real-world setting while supporting a community asset used by students and local residents alike. 

“This project was important to the Eagle Battalion because it allowed cadets to give back to a community resource we rely on while practicing leadership in a hands-on, service-oriented environment,” Bright says. “It reflects the service mindset and community commitment at the core of the ROTC program.” 

Bright adds that the cadets took pride in the tangible results of their work.

"The most rewarding part was seeing a result from our efforts that will directly benefit the community," Herbig says. "Knowing that people will be able to enjoy and safely use the trails because of our work made the day of work all worth it. It was fulfilling to step back at the end and see how individual efforts came together to create something lasting. And I will add, the trails did not look half bad either."

Bright shares that many cadets expressed pride in leaving behind a trail that will benefit the community for years to come.

"I believe this project was a valuable lesson for all of the cadets involved; that service does not stop when the uniform comes off," Fitzgerald says. "We are taught the value of selfless service, and it is our duty to carry that value beyond our official responsibilities."