HOUGHTON – Several Army ROTC cadets from Michigan Technological University worked overseas this summer, learning to adapt to another culture and appreciate the strategic impact of their actions.

Six from Tech were chosen based on merit, fitness and grades, said Lt. Col. Adam Melnitsky, commander of Michigan Tech’s Army ROTC program, who served as a mission commander for the Cultural Understanding and Language Proficiency Program (CULP) mission in Lithuania.

Tech cadets were selected for CULP to serve in five countries: Jack Youngblood, a third-year student in forestry, Djibouti, Africa; Adam Pionke, a fourth-year student in mechanical engineering technology, and Ethan Knake, a second year student in electrical and computer engineering, Indonesia; Tyler Grifka, a fourth-year student in electrical engineering, Madagascar; Brandon Van Wert, a third-year student in electrical and computer engineering, Panama; and Bryce Kinder, a fifth-year student in mechanical engineering, the Philippines.

“Michigan Tech Cadets are very competitive for selection for additional Cadet Summer Training opportunities,” Melnitsky said. “For example, for CULP, about 160 cadets were selected from 41 programs assigned to our brigade. Michigan Tech had six cadets selected, so, as a percentage, our program was very well represented. Only two programs assigned to the brigade had more cadets selected to attend CULP.”

Also, as part of the deployment, the cadets learned to appreciate the countries’ cultures. On June 11, teams conducted a cultural training event at Paneriai Memorial Park, the site of mass executions by German forces from 1941 to 1944.

“While we were there, there were archaeologists who found the tunnels that the Jews dug by hand in an effort to escape,” Melnitsky said. To see the New York Times article about the discovery, visit www.nytimes.com/2016/06/29/science/holocaust-ponar-tunnel-lithuania.html?_r=0

While Melnitsky enjoyed the experience and would do it again, he had to put in a lot of effort beforehand.

“There is a lot preparation that occurs throughout the year leading up to deployment,” Melnitsky said. “Coordination has to be made between the embassy, the combatant command, cadet command and the host nation. Overall, it is an incredible opportunity for the cadets to learn about another nation’s culture. Also, the cadets selected for CULP have to prepare too. Preparation ranges from language training to receiving country specific vaccines.

“It was well worth it,” he said. “I learned tons. I’d definitely do it again.”

In the last three years, Michigan Tech has sent 17 cadets to the following countries to partner with defense forces: Cape Verde, Lithuania, Romania, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Moldova, Benin, Tanzania, Thailand, Indonesia, Madagascar, Philippines, Panama and Djibouti, Michigan Tech reported. Nationwide, 1,300 ROTC cadets went to Cultural Understanding and Language Proficiency (CULP) missions in 44 countries. U.S. Army ROTC is the largest commissioning source in the U.S. military, comprising 273 host programs spread out over 1,100 partnership and affiliate schools across the country.