The annual Joint Military Ball is for all ROTC students engaged in military life on campus to become well acquainted with the future expectations from the military sectors of the Air Force and the Army.
The military ball is one of the longest-standing traditions at the University of Wyoming that has been held for the Army since 1898. The Air Force later joined in 1953 and since then it has become a joint ball. The ball is being held on Veterans day this year.
Saturday at 5:30 p.m. the ball will commence in the Union Ballroom and one of the largest turn outs is expected at this event. Approximately 375 guests or more are anticipated to be at this event. The ROTC cadets are required to be in a modified version of their dress uniform and female attendees are required to wear a formal gown to this event.
Throughout the evening, there will be an hour of reception, a receiving line, a guest speaker and a dinner. Guests are encouraged to socialize during the reception hour to allow for that time to get use to being acquainted with visiting military personnel and other guests.
During the dinner, toasts and several other traditions instilled in each branch are demonstrated and will be observed by all the attendees.
“[The purpose of the ball is to] celebrate the semester’s end and also give cadets a formal dining in experience because when you’re in a real military unit at your actual base, once you leave this program and get assigned you’re going to have formal balls like this maybe once every year, it’s just to get cadets practice so that they are prepared when they go to their units to know what to do,” Cadet Captain, Celyn Rogers said.
Essentially, this ball is a bonding experience between the Air force and Army units; this event is taken very seriously by both the Air force and the Army units because of how important it is as a yearly event. It allows for both units within the University of Wyoming to demonstrate unity within these prominent sections of the military on campus.
“[Some goals are to] promote comradery and spirit décor and also give the University of Wyoming community a chance to join the military tradition because everyone is welcome to come to the ball,” Rogers said. “Also, to coordinate with the programs upstairs, [Army units] and downstairs, [Air Force units], because we don’t really work that much together besides doing color guard at sporting games so it’s nice to be able to intermingle between the two programs, and cadets get to know each other.”
So, this event is meant to be all-inclusive to the people of the community and get them involved in the military culture on campus and also allow for students to become more immersed and included in military events on campus; and also promote military awareness on campus and within the community.
