Brig. Gen. Peggy C. Combs became the 11th commanding general, U.S. Army Cadet Command, Fort Knox, Ky., on March 6, 2014.Combs, a Reserve Officers’ Training Corps distinguished military graduate from Syracuse University and a Chemical Corps officer, previously served as chief of chemical and commandant, U.S. Army Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear School, Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., and commanding general, U.S Army Training Center and Fort Jackson. S.C.In an interview with AUSA NEWS, Combs discusses the future of Cadet Command and the challenges it is facing. *********** Q: What is the effect on Cadet Command in light of force reductions and budget cuts?A. Our current mission is to commission 5,350 new lieutenants for the Army. Starting in Fiscal Year 2016, our mission requirement will be 5,065.Cadet Command (USACC) is subject to resource constraints, but we will adapt and we will remain dedicated to ensuring reductions will not affect the quality of the leaders we commission.Developing cadets, be that on their university campuses or here at Fort Knox for cadet summer training, is our number one priority.Currently, we offer SROTC to university students nationwide. We are also resourced to retain JROTC programs where they currently exist. Again, leader development will remain our priority. Q: What motivates young men and women to join ROTC, and is there still a future in the Army for ROTC grads?A: Each cadet has his or her reason for enrolling.If you were to ask a dozen cadets that question you could get 12 different answers. Although we don’t record and track why cadets enroll, reasons include: patriotism and a desire to serve the country; a family member served; they want to "give back;" and educational and career opportunities.What motivates a person to serve may vary, but I do not expect that we will have a shortage of young men and women who want to be a part of the U.S. Army and there will always be a future in the Army for ROTC graduates.Please visit our "Cadet Spotlight" webpage – http://futurearmyofficers.com/cadet-spotlight/ – to learn about cadets who participated in this year’s training. Q: What changes are being made in the way Cadet Command does business?A: USACC is transforming all facets of our mission: recruiting, leader development (cadet and cadre), accessions management and program administration.Our leadership development program ensures the Army’s future leaders can thrive in ambiguity and succeed in the complex environment of the future.The ROTC curriculum is being revised. This supports the Army Leader Development Strategy: to develop adaptive junior leaders who understand the strategic environment the Army will face in 2025, and to successfully execute their assigned missions.The curriculum has been tested, researched and refined to ensure second lieutenants start their Army careers at the level of competence, and with the skills and ability, to accomplish the Army’s basic officer leader tasks.ROTC leadership development is a combination of classroom instruction and more complex performance-oriented opportunities for cadets to demonstrate leadership and decision making abilities.Cadets are carefully monitored and mentored by cadre members to develop platoon- and company-level leadership skills for both garrison and austere environments.This curriculum improves critical thinking and problem-solving skills that are the foundation of their basic field skill training during the summer.The revised curriculum will also offer a broader portfolio of summer internships, language training, and other specialty training while requiring additional mandatory university- or college-conducted classes.This summer we consolidated the Leader Training Course (LTC) and Leader Development and Assessment Course (LDAC) at Fort Knox.This created opportunities for the more experienced cadets to lead and train underclass cadets during summer training with the supervision of the cadre.Next summer, LDAC transforms to the Cadet Leaders Course (CLC), providing multi-echelon squad- and platoon-level training for all cadets following their junior year.CLC will focus on assessing a cadet’s ability to demonstrate officer-leader traits such as mental agility, as well as the delegation of tasks and authority.Also in 2015, a new Cadet Initial Entry Training (CIET) course will replace LTC and will be required for all ROTC cadets who have not attended a military basic training course.During CIET, cadets will be immersed in large group leadership opportunities, confidence training and basic field tasks that cannot be trained on most university campuses.CIET will provide an additional leadership opportunity for SROTC juniors (MS IIIs) to serve as cadre and lead CIET units. We have already tested this initiative with pilot programs executed during LTC rotations this past summer.Conditions have changed and the operational environment, technology and the learning sciences have changed.Transformation of the Army’s senior ROTC program is critical to acquiring the talent and developing innovative and agile leaders for Force 2025. Q: What traits do you look for in potential ROTC cadets?A: Leaders are responsible for the Army’s most valuable resource – our soldiers. There are three key attributes that contribute to successful military leadership: character, competence and commitment.Character is the standard by which we live and the outward projection of those standards. By projecting those standards to others through our demeanor, actions and words, our character is defined.It is the moral foundation that allows us to choose the hard right over the easy wrong.Competence is the ability to do something successfully or efficiently. A competent Army leader is agile, adaptive and has the personal courage to make tough calls, to discipline or demand better when required.Commitment is our honorable calling that requires unwavering commitment to our profession and our nation’s constitution. It is fueled by constant learning, self-assessment, and a sincere passion to care for soldiers, civilians and our organizations.These traits were demonstrated recently at Fort Knox by two newly promoted second lieutenants who saved the life of a woman choking at a restaurant.(See story "choking," Page 15) Q: How do different training opportunities benefit future officers-in-training and prepare them for "The Fight"?A: Here are examples:CTLT – Cadet Troop Leader TrainingCULP – Cultural Understanding and Language ProficiencyMIL Courses (Airborne/Air Assault)Basic Combat Training Platoon LeadersMS III CIET CadreNo matter where we send cadets, whether it’s to CTLT or on a CULP mission, these training opportunities provide mission-focused leadership development experiences, using experiential learning concepts.CULP provides a first active duty "deployment" for our future leaders. Preparation includes: Soldier Readiness Processing, (SRP) – immunizations, passports/visas, and the required training.Leader development based on Mission Command doctrine includes: Military Decision Making Process, (MDMP); daily OPORD development and execution; preparation of country studies, risk assessments, force protection planning and other leadership development activities.We’re evolving our cadet summer training so the more experienced cadets have more opportunities to supervise and lead underclassmen in small-unit scenarios.This prepares cadets to succeed in complex environments. We are also looking to expanding the number and type of cadet summer internship opportunities.(See Story "CULP," next page) Q: Is the Culture and Language Incentive Pay program still active?A: Yes, culture and language are part of a comprehensive system of policies, programs and incentives aimed at improving the foreign language capabilities and cultural acuity of Army officers.The CLIP bonus (or "Skill Proficiency Bonus") motivates cadets to pursue fluency in languages and associated cultural studies of strategic importance.There are about 1,400 cadets, completing about 2,500 college courses or other studies in these strategic languages each school year.Many cadets pursue study abroad, both semester-long and summer studies, as a result of the CLIP bonus. We will continue the CLIP bonus as an incentive for building culture and language competence.The award varies from $100 to $250 per semester hour (or from $67 to $167 per quarter hour), based on the Defense Language Institute’s assessment of how difficult the language is to learn and the number of courses taken – with a limit of $3,000 per academic year. Q: Comment on the effectiveness and future growth of the Junior ROTC (JROTC) program.A: We are committed to our JROTC Program which is one of the largest leadership and citizenship-focused programs for youth in the nation.Currently, we are 1,716 JROTC programs strong. Overall, JROTC is achieving its intended purpose – it provides opportunities that develop good citizens and future leaders for our communities and nation.These young men and women routinely exhibit higher attendance and graduation rates than their schoolmates, with fewer disciplinary problems, a much lower dropout rate, and a slightly higher overall grade point average.(See Story "D-Day," Page 15) Q: Can you discuss the caliber of professors of military science, their officer, NCO and enlisted cadre, and civilian contractors?A: The quality of our cadre is outstanding and we want to continue to attract the best quality officers and noncommissioned officers because our cadre helps shape the leaders.Our cadre has a wealth of experience, and we have an increasing number of professors and assistant professors of military science who have graduate degrees. Our NCO cadre members either have or are working on bachelor’s degrees.They add so much to the cadets’ experience, as do the number of prior-service cadets who have been deployed.The most important initiative is the development of a collegiate-level fully accredited faculty/cadre development course for our entire cadre that will expand on their operational experience through advanced education facilitating their transition from the battlefield to the academic environment.Q: How does the ROTC Gold Bar program work?A: The Gold Bar Recruiter program allows newly commissioned second lieutenants to enter active duty for up to 140 days prior to attending the Basic Officer Leaders Course (BOLC) to assist in recruiting on campus.Gold Bar recruiters are role models who attract new recruits by sharing their experiences and informing their peers about the opportunities available through ROTC. Q: What about the Green to Gold Program?A: Green to Gold is one of our most successful programs. It affords our most talented enlisted soldiers the opportunity to develop leadership skills and continue to lead as commissioned officers.This option allows an enlisted soldier to remain on active duty, continuing to receive all pay and allowances while completing their degree and earning their commission.One example of the quality of individual we receive through our Green to Gold program: newly-commissioned 2nd Lt. Ricky W. Leslie, from Columbus State in Ga., who was the top cadet in last year’s national Order of Merit List.He has five deployments and multiple awards and decorations to add to his bachelor’s degree in business administration and his Master of Science degree in operations management. Q: Are there comments from commanders on the effectiveness of ROTC grads in austere environments?A: We continue to get good reports on the quality of second lieutenants commissioned through ROTC.Deployed senior leaders and NCOs are giving ROTC lieutenants high marks across the board. These young officers are reaching their units with the basic military skills and the branch skills they need. They are of good character and are mentally and physically fit.They are expertly trained, adaptive and confident. They are also culturally astute leaders and diplomats, representing the United States throughout the world. Q: What is your vision for Cadet Command?A: USACC develops leaders of character for the nation, across the nation.Cadet Command is America’s pre-eminent basic leadership development program, academically unrivaled, sought out by students, and staffed by leader development professionals who develop second lieutenants to meet the Army’s current and future requirements – and, through our JROTC program, develop citizens who exceed the expectations of communities across our nation.