No Commitment Required

Dannie Swanson, NIC Military Science instructor, times students in the class as they run through drills in front of Christianson Gym. The students, who are all from Coeur d’Alene, are, from left, Alexa Matute, Jeanie Prince and Joaquin Calderon.

NIC course offers insight into military career. By Kaye Thornbrugh. Photo by Tom Greene.

Weapons training. Water survival. Mountaineering. They’re all part of a soldier’s skill set, but they’re not just for soldiers anymore. Through military science courses at North Idaho College, students can get a taste of the military lifestyle without enlisting. No military experience or commitment is required.

“A lot of times, I think people see ‘army’ or ‘military’ and it scares them off a little bit,” said Dannie Swanson, NIC military science instructor. “The thing I hope that students realize is that, even if they don’t want to pursue the military, that’s okay. Anybody can take the class.”

NIC offers both 100- and 200-level courses in military science. Students who have completed basic training do not have to take the 100-level courses and can move on to the 200-level.

Military Science 101 includes a weekly lecture, as well as four or five labs per semester. Labs are challenging outdoor activities such as whitewater rafting, mountaineering, weapons qualifications and rappelling. Other classes include a leadership lab and a two-credit physical fitness course designed to introduce students to a fitness program used by the United States Army.

“It’s a great course for someone looking for an interesting elective,” Swanson said. “And, of course, if there’s a young student who is interested in pursuing the military or wants to learn more about ROTC, this is a great avenue for that.”

Swanson noted that students do not have to commit to the military at this level. Because students don’t have to make that commitment until their junior year, they can take two years of military science courses at NIC and have no military obligations whatsoever.

Credits earned through NIC’s military science courses are transferable to ROTC programs at other colleges in the area, including University of Idaho, Gonzaga University and Eastern Washington University.

Former NIC wrestler Joaquin Calderon became interested in military science primarily because of the physical fitness aspect.

“I thought I was in shape, and I thought I was strong because I was a wrestler,” he said. “Then I took the class, and I found out that I had a lot of weak spots. In the military, they have a different idea of ‘in shape.’ In wrestling, they have a different idea of ‘in shape.’ I found out that I could get stronger from what the class taught me.”

Calderon now works with Swanson at NIC and helps teach the military science classes. Though taking the classes made his own enlistment easier, he believes the experience can be useful for anyone. Military science encompasses a wide range of skills, from weapons training to land navigation.

“Even if you’re not interested in pursuing the military, it’s a good way to educate yourself,” Swanson said. “If you’re interested in the military at all, it’s a great way to make that decision to move forward.”

For more information on Military Science courses at NIC, contact instructor Dannie Swanson at (208) 769-5080.

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