By Condoleezza Rice and George Shultz
January 27, 2011
Professor Ewart A.C. Thomas
Chair, Ad Hoc Committee on ROTC
c/o Ingrid Deiwiks
E115 Encina Hall
Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies
Stanford University
Stanford, CA 94305-6055
Dear Professor Thomas,
We are honored to join our colleagues, former Secretary of Defense William Perry and History Professor David Kennedy, in supporting the return of the U.S. military's ROTC programs to Stanford.
The Reserve Officers' Training Corps equips future military leaders with not only the preparation they need to defend our nation but also the richness of a university experience.
Given the complexities of the threats we face and the missions we demand of our military in the twenty-first century, this is an appropriate and necessary time for the Faculty Senate to restore ROTC programs to Stanford's campus. We can think of no better way to prepare future servicemen and women – many of whom will become national leaders - than by enriching them with a Stanford education.
Our democracy is strongest when those who cherish our freedoms engage with those who defend them. By allowing ROTC cadets to interact more closely with their non-military classmates, Stanford will create a mutually beneficial educational environment that will help reduce the ever-growing distance between civilians and the military in our nation.
We applaud you and the rest of Stanford's Ad Hoc Committee on ROTC for studying this important issue, and we encourage the Faculty Senate to support ROTC's full reinstatement.
Sincerely,
<signed>
Condoleezza Rice
<signed>
George Shultz
