I knew, going into it, that ROTC is something not everyone understands, and I can see how it would be that way. For a lot of people, all that they know about the military is what they see in movies or read, but it's no secret that Hollywood stretches things.

Still, I was shocked, last week, to hear what one person had to say about ROTC.
I'm not sure if this person was joking or not (let's hope) because if they were fooling, the jest went on for a long time.
Anonymous actually said that they knew ROTC members got initiation tattoos (and that ROTC members would deny that because they have to).
Ummm...
...no.

If you become a part of ROTC, you are not required to mark your body in any way, not even in some strange, underground, hush-hush ritual. Period.
Maybe that's a let down for people looking for an interesting bit of gossip, but I promise you I'm telling the truth. Trust me, there's no way someone like me (someone petrified of shots and needles) could ever be a cadet if that or anything like it were the case.

Now, sometimes after a few years together, a few of the cadets who have become especially close (ROTC members become your family) may choose to get a tattoo together, or something, before they take the next step in their military career (which sometimes entails moving away). They'd do so, informally, to comemorate their relationship . Yes, of course that happens.
But being forced to ink your skin after putting ink to a military contract?
No.