If the Virginia Military Institute was ever known for one thing, it would be its ability to bring people of different life styles, backgrounds, and ways of life together. VMI has an unorthodox way of bringing its students together to form classes and companies. At the start of every matriculants cadetship is a hard process called the Ratline. This process builds brotherhood through shared suffering and common challenges, “For others still, it is a day filled with anticipation and angst as they contemplate not only the challenges of a college-level academic curriculum but also the fact that it is occurring within the rigor of VMI’s unique educational model”. Classes form a common identity that unites all the different individuals. By the end of the Ratline individuals know, on average, a majority of their classmates. However, these bonding events stop after the end of the Ratline.
After the completion of the Ratline, companies, and classes as a whole, no longer have their own bonding events or activities that foster team spirit or cohesiveness. An interview from a first classman explained further, “After the Ratline, VMI becomes ‘clicky’ like high school. People form their own friend groups and start to forget their Brother Rats” (Rubio ’22). Due to a lack of activities to unite a company or class, cadets form their own tightknit groups. This problem has existed long before the class of 2022. With the development of more extracurricular groups, sports teams, and rigorous course loads, cadets have found themselves with less free time and more conflicting schedules.
While this problem would seem to no concern to someone who is going through the Ratline, eventually, they will become upperclassmen themselves and experience the same problem. Unless something is changed every person who enters through VMI’s doors will experience this problem. Every class will slowly watch their once close company bond fade away into something that more resembles a loosely associated group. However, there could be a way to remedy, if not fix, this issue.
It is the power of the Commandant’s staff, Company Commanders, and ROTC Leaders to work together to schedule time that doesn’t intervene with any of the others’ group activities. Before the Thanksgiving break, a prime example of this occurred. A first classmen and leader of Army ROTC communicated with Air Force ROTC leadership to host a competition between the two ROTC’s. While small in scale it proved the ability to communicate across groups and schedule times that work for both parties. The cadets who participated in the event not only bonded with their respective ROTC branch, but also became closer with their competition.
The solution to avoiding companies losing their cohesion and spirit is to have more bonding events to instill a sense of togetherness within the company and a sense of competition against other companies. Company commanders could take the time to reserve “company training time” and use it to bring units closer together. They could even face members of different classes against one another in competition to strengthen class bonds. The possibilities for more cohesion within the Corps are out there, but it will take motivation and grit to make it all happen. I believe further addressing this issue could cause longer lasting relationships and higher moral for all future and current cadets.
Sources
https://www.vmi.edu/cadet-life/events-and-traditions/matriculation/
Interviews with Cadet Rubio and Cadet Richter