Army ROTC Program Allegedly Forced Cadets To Wear High Heels For ‘Walk A Mile In Her Shoes’ Political Event, Sparks Outrage

For those who are interested in joining the military — specifically the Air Force, Army, and Navy — but still have aspirations for college, the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) is a worthwhile prospect. It is a great way to be military-trained while pursuing one’s academic degree. Yet, not everyone is on board with ROTC programs, as reported by the Inquisitr. One student at Brown University, for example, has called ROTC a “criminal organization,” while attempting to ban the program on campus. Apparently, the belief of ROTC being a “criminal organization” is centered on anti-military opinion, which may not be enough to enforce a ban.

However, the actions of the ROTC program at Temple University may be enough to get it banned. Allegedly, cadets were forced to wear high heels during a political event known as “Walk a Mile In Her Shoes.”

According to IJReview, a Reddit post contained a message and an image that showed cadets having to participate in an alleged mandatory ROTC event. As mentioned earlier, the event was known as “Walk A Mile In Her Shoes,” which raises awareness for sexual abuse on campus.

Though “Walk A Mile In Her Shoes” is an important event and supports a great cause, the fact that ROTC cadets are participating in such brings up issues. According to Washington Times, cadets have taken to message boards complaining they’ve been pressured to participate in the event by means of making attendance mandatory, as explained by one anonymous cadet.

“Attendance is mandatory and if we miss it we get a negative counseling and a ‘does not support the battalion sharp/EO mission’ on our CDT OER for getting the branch we want. So I just spent $16 on a pair of high heels that I have to spray paint red later on only to throw them in the trash after about 300 of us embarrass the U.S. Army tomorrow.”

Just from the statement above, it seems as if the ROTC threatened cadets by “ruining their careers before it even starts” if they did not participate. Others have commented their disdain on social media. For example, by making the event’s participation mandatory, it might possibly be recognized as forced activity. Also, wearing high heels along with the uniform is considered a violation of the uniform dress code.

It should be recognized that the ROTC has supported such events in the past, but participation was only promoted, not made mandatory. Apparently, the reason for making participation mandatory is because the ROTC is trying to get maximum participation. Unfortunately, it is unknown if their plan bore fruit for its outcome has not yet been announced or reported.

[Images via Temple University Army ROTC Facebook Page]