Returning from War: Miami students transition from active duty to college life.

By Kevin Chlum

It's April 2003.

Operation Iraqi Freedom is just weeks old.

Sgt. Eric Kaskela is in an abandoned airport in Mosul, Iraq with a Marine unit.

Then an Iraqi weapon blows out one side and all the windows of the airport.

"You feel all kinds of emotions (during combat) -- nervous scared, excited, but for me it was worth it," Kaskela said.

It's April 2004.

Kaskela, 22, is in Millett Hall taking a naval science course. He is a business major at Miami fulfilling his Miami Plan requirements.

He spent four years on active duty before coming to Miami last August as part of the Marine Enlisted Commissioning Education Program (MECEP).

"I'm not a school person but it's a means to an end," he said. "If I want to be an officer I need to get my degree."

MECEP allows enlisted personnel to attend college and become a commissioned officer. After completing ROTC students become second lieutenants.

"I decided to enter MECEP because I wanted more influence in what happened when dealing with my unit while I was overseas," Kaskela said. "I felt like I had a lot to offer the Marine Corps and I wanted to change a few things. I figured it would be easier being in the officer ranks."

Kaskela enlisted right out of high school to get out of his small hometown of Massena, N.Y.

"I figured money for college and four years of awesome experience wouldn't hurt so I enlisted," he said. "It turned out I loved the Marine Corps and decided toward the end of my first enlistment to stay in."

Kaskela served in Spain, Liberia, Malta, Albania and United Arab Emirates.

He is one of 14 prior enlisted students who joined Miami's Navy ROTC battalion of 91 midshipmen. Kaskela chose Miami because he has spent significant time on both coasts - he did some training in California - so he wanted to experience the Midwest.

"It was a rough transition," Kaskela said.. "In the beginning they told us we were to be mentors   (to non-prior enlisted NROTC)," Kaskela said. "We're equals in we have the same consequences in everything we do here at ROTC, but mentors in we have to show them the way an officer is supposed to act."

Maj. Aisha Bakkar, Marine Officer Instructor of Miami's NROTC, said all midshipmen are equal because they will all be second lieutenants, but prior enlisted students get respect from peers because of their current rank and previous experience.

"There are two ways they can handle that," she said. "They can use it as an opportunity to mentor as an officer would or they can go into drill instructor mode. Sometimes we have to pull back the reins a little bit but the adjustment is pretty quick."

Kaskela said it was difficult to enter the more relaxed atmosphere. ROTC involves physical training and coursework, which prepares the midshipmen to become officers.

"The Marines are more structured and organized (than ROTC)," he said. "I'm used to a certain way of doing things in the fleet and here it's not as organized. You have so much free time that sometimes you don't buckle down and do your homework."

Kaskela was a computer specialist in the Marines. He said he aced his computer class first semester but struggled with others, such as calculus.

Bakkar believes coursework is the most challenging adjustment for prior enlisted.

"I think the biggest transition is getting back into study habits and getting back into not having such a regimented schedule," Bakkar said. "Here, they are given an incredible amount of freedom so it's a mindset adjustment."

MECEP tries to ease the transition by sending officer candidates to preparatory school in San Diego before enrolling in their universities. Acceptance into MECEP is based on performance in the service and high school scores.

Midshipmen's time at school is considered active duty but midshipmen won't be sent   overseas because MECEP orders supercede all other orders.

It's April 2007.

Kaskela is just a few weeks shy of graduation - he plans on finishing school in three years. After completing MECEP, the newly commissioned officers are allowed to choose a new job within the Marines.

Kaskela has not yet decided what he will do after graduation.

Read more of Kevin Chlum's articles:

AFROTC Story