ROTC Returns to Harvard

The Air Force Reserve Officers’ Training Corps has returned to Harvard University, opening for the first time since the Vietnam War. Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James on Friday visited the university, and announced the move in a Boston Globe editorial as another step in the military becoming more inclusive. “Diversity is not just about our platforms and technology, of course, but also the most valuable asset of our nation, its people,” James wrote. “For our country to remain a beacon of freedom and progress, we must continue to seek and embrace the intellect across America, both in and out of uniform.” The ROTC program ended at Harvard during the Vietnam War and did not return while the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy was in place. But since then, the policy has been repealed, more combat positions have been opened to women, and Pentagon leadership is evaluating allowing transgender persons to serve. “From my point of view, anyone who is qualified and capable of accomplishing the job should be able to serve,” James wrote. “These steps indicate a military that understands our society has a renewed dedication to the very foundation of this nation: diversity.”