Jarom Ricks
Current Class: Third year of Law school
Graduation Date: April 2010
Major: Juris Doctor
Other degrees: BA International Politics (BYU 05)
Hometown: Brigham City, UT
Other Interests: Right now I'm reading the Chronicles of Narnia to my daughters. I enjoy spending time with my family and helping my wife get ready for our first son who will be born in February. I also enjoy studying Japanese, Korean, and Chinese. I like shooting sports, such as skeet shooting, target shooting, and archery.
On What you will do in the Army
I joined the Army National Guard back in 2000. Basic Training and AIT in 2001, deployed to Iraq in 2003-2004, studied Japanese at DLI in Monterey, CA in 2006-2007. I started ROTC at the beginning of Law school because I want to be JAG officer. I'm still learning new things, and I'm staying with the Army because I enjoy being with people who are disciplined, dedicated, and love their country.
On balancing family life, school, and ROTC
Life can get pretty busy with school, National Guard, and ROTC, but it's a privilege to train and learn with a great group of people. The key is to get the important things done first, and not to waste time on things that aren't essential. If I ever feel like complaining that I'm too busy, I just think of my friends who are in Afghanistan right now. They're away from their families for a year. No matter how busy I get, I get to come home to my family each day. Being in college and doing ROTC may be demanding, but it provides great opportunities to learn discipline and leadership skills.
On being SMP(Simultaneous Membership Program)
I recommend that everyone in ROTC do SMP. SMP gives cadets a chance to learn from NCOs and Officers in National Guard units, and going through Basic training and AIT gives future officers a perspective of what enlisted soldiers have to deal with.
