Last Updated on February 28, 2025 by OCF Communications

Lt Col Larry Sherbondy, USAF (Ret.)

How can you get involved with ROTC ministry?

Pray for Cadets, Midshipmen, ministry partners, and OCF staff and volunteers.

Find a nearby campus with an ROTC program and get involved with ongoing ministry or begin mentoring, leading a Bible study, and more.

Donate to ongoing and future ROTC outreach efforts.

Get involved with a future regional ROTC retreat or start one.

Visit ocfusa.org/rotc for more information.

February brings ROTC Retreat Season! During the cold, dreary days between the end–of–year holidays and the beginning of spring, cadets and midshipmen from many campuses gather for a warm weekend of fellowship with other believers to seek the Lord together, away from their campuses and the distractions of daily life.  

For many, it’s the first time they’ve met disciples of Jesus from ROTC units other than their own, and they are delighted and encouraged to discover that they are not “alone.” For others, they are eager to know better how to integrate their faith with their military responsibilities as they near commissioning or as they prepare for the rigors of summer training. These retreats are critical times of growth as we and our partner ministries seek to help these future officers move toward being military leaders who represent Jesus Christ faithfully as His ambassadors.

This February, nearly 200 cadets and midshipmen from 30 different campuses met at three retreat locations, along with some 50 adult mentors. 

How can you get involved with ROTC ministry?

Pray for Cadets, Midshipmen, ministry partners, and OCF staff and volunteers.

Find a nearby campus with an ROTC program and get involved with ongoing ministry or begin mentoring, leading a Bible study, and more.

Donate to ongoing and future ROTC outreach efforts.

Get involved with a future regional ROTC retreat or start one.

Visit ocfusa.org/rotc for more information.

February brings ROTC Retreat Season! During the cold, dreary days between the end–of–year holidays and the beginning of spring, cadets and midshipmen from many campuses gather for a warm weekend of fellowship with other believers to seek the Lord together, away from their campuses and the distractions of daily life.  

For many, it’s the first time they’ve met disciples of Jesus from ROTC units other than their own, and they are delighted and encouraged to discover that they are not “alone.” For others, they are eager to know better how to integrate their faith with their military responsibilities as they near commissioning or as they prepare for the rigors of summer training. These retreats are critical times of growth as we and our partner ministries seek to help these future officers move toward being military leaders who represent Jesus Christ faithfully as His ambassadors.

This February, nearly 200 cadets and midshipmen from 30 different campuses met at three retreat locations, along with some 50 adult mentors. 

White Sulphur Springs photo

Attendees of the 2025 Eastern ROTC Retreat gather on the back porch of White Sulphur Springs’ Heritage House.

Eastern ROTC Retreat

From 7-9 February, 82 cadets and midshipmen from 10 schools across the Mid-Atlantic Region met at White Sulphur Springs in Manns Choice, Pa., to consider the topic, “Radical Relationships,” under the outstanding teaching of CH(COL) David Bowlus, USA, who serves as the Senior Chaplain at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. (If you watched the Army-Navy football game in December, you may have seen Dave give an impressive invocation to open the contest.)

CH Bowlus reminded us that to follow Jesus is to live a life “radically” different from the standard of the world, to “radically” love Jesus and others, both fellow believers and those yet to know Him. Dave’s messages were supplemented with student-led breakout groups for deeper discussion about how to implement his teaching in their own lives. Topical workshops and guided quiet times rounded out formal opportunities for growth. Still, there was ample time for cadets and midshipmen to recreate, rest, or just hang out and get to know each other.

Photo courtesy of Larry Sherbondy

Attendees of the 2025 Midwest ROTC Retreat gather for a photo at Riverside Bible Camp in Story City, Iowa.

Midwest ROTC Retreat

Over Presidents Day weekend, 75 cadets and midshipmen from 13 Midwest campuses gathered in frigid, snowy Iowa at Riverside Bible Camp, located in Story City, Iowa. There, the topic was “A Call to Spiritual Readiness,” and the speaker was CH(LTC) Todd Cheney, USA.

CH Cheney gave three excellent messages: “Knowing Our Identity in Christ,” “Spiritual Combat,” and “Knowing Our Enemy.” We were all challenged to embrace our status as “saints” and to boldly stand against the wiles of the devil. Once again, there were numerous workshops and breakout groups for going deeper in our understanding and obedience to God’s word and Spirit.

A snowy Saturday didn’t stop cadets and midshipmen from challenging each other to a game of broomball on the frozen lake!

Spring Canyon photo

Attendees of the 2025 Rocky Mountain ROTC Retreat gather on the deck of Spring Canyon’s Hartley Holmes Lodge.

Rocky Mountain ROTC Retreat

That same weekend at Spring Canyon, 23 cadets met to consider “Spiritual Fitness.” Like all these retreats, this one was a great example of how we are learning to partner together with our fellow ROTC ministries.  

Speakers included CH(1LT) Christian Rainbolt, USAR, Valor Regional Director Bobby Rainbolt, and OCF Colorado Springs Area Coordinator Tom Falconer. Devotions were led by Tyler Williams, team leader of Cru in Northern Colorado. Of particular interest to the cadets was a talk given by CH Rainbolt on the role of chaplains and the path to becoming a chaplain in our military. The cadets had ample time for reflection, interaction, prayer, and seeking God in His Word, as well as for taking in the incredible beauty and all that Spring Canyon has to offer! 

The future of ROTC retreats

As this is being written, another retreat is in the works for ROTC cadets and midshipmen in Southern California, likely in April. It is our prayer that we may soon offer these regional retreats within a five- or six-hour drive of every campus in the U.S.