Air Force ROTC Cadet Quinton Maxwell has his summer planned already, and will mark a first for the University’s Detachment 17 in the process.
Maxwell, a freshman criminal justice major from Crestview, Fla., will study Arabic this summer in Morocco with a full scholarship through Project Global Officer, a U.S. Defense Department initiative aimed at improving the language skills, regional expertise and intercultural communication skills of future military officers.
“Our detachment’s growth, and its move to a four-year program, allows our cadets to apply for great opportunities like this that are not only in line with the TROY motto, but also help build military readiness,” said Lt. Col. Stephen Cox, Det. 17’s commander.
Sponsored by the Defense Language and National Security Education Office and administered by the Institute of International Education, Project GO provides institutional grants to U.S institutions of higher education with large ROTC student enrollments, to include the Senior Military Colleges. In turn, these institutions provide language and culture training to ROTC students from across the nation, funding domestic and overseas ROTC language programs and scholarships. Working in support of Army, Air Force, and Navy ROTC Headquarters, Project GO facilitates collaborative efforts both among universities and ROTC leadership.
Maxwell will spend nine weeks obtaining a level-one proficiency in Arabic through the program, which is being administered by the University of Maryland.
He said both the Air Force and the University has been instrumental in pushing him to excel in various levels.
“Being a cadet at TROY has pushed me in leadership, preparedness and keeping my head in complex, sometimes chaotic, environments. These components will help me throughout life and this exciting journey I will soon begin,” he said.
He plans to further his Arabic studies, a move encouraged by the U.S. military.
“Developing our future military officers within all of the U.S. Armed Forces, to possess the necessary linguistic and cross-cultural communication skills is required for effective leadership in the 21stcentury and beyond,” Cox said. “This is not only the goal of the Department of Defense, but also of the Air Force ROTC and Detachment 017 here at Troy.”
