College had always been in the plan for Tony Fisher, 19, a sophomore at Chaminade University. However, the application process was not his main concern. Fisher already had a plan, knew what he wanted and was training for it. He was going to college for the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC).
Fisher is the seventh generation of his family to take part in serving for a branch for our country. As a four-year contracted cadet, the support from the Fisher family motivated him toward pursuing his life-long dream down the same path that both sides of his family have adapted to as a career and way of life.
“You are becoming a leader that will one day lead a group of people into action and that could either end in failure and death, or success and victory,” Fisher said.
Setting the bar for success during her two-year ROTC career, Fisher’s mother, Donna Fisher, 48, became the first woman labeled as an iron woman airborne at George Mason University.
Pursuing the best interest for her family, Fisher’s mother retired early from her career at a captain’s rank in order to raise her children, while Fisher’s father, Robert Fisher, 46, a current Lieutenant Colonel, was deployed at that time. Strengthening her family’s foundation at home, Fisher’s mother now teaches 12th grade English at Lanakila Baptist High School, in Ewa Beach.
“She decided to give up her future for her kids and was committed to it, ” said Fisher. “She did the right thing in her mind and in mine, for my sister and me. It would have been impossible otherwise. I don’t know where I’d be.”
Following in his parent’s footsteps, Fisher said he is always working to gain and maintain some of the highest roles for his skillset in the ROTC class. A successful navigator in the classroom, as well as on the training field, Fisher has shot himself to one of the main positions as a MS-2 (sophomore class-standing ranked student), where he is the liaison between the ROTC program and the community. He is also an S-5 assistant, which is normally a senior ROTC student’s held position, an active member on the ranger challenge team, a part of color guard and in charge of monitoring all volunteer events where he works with the S-1 (accountability unit). He also works in the S-5 shop of public affairs and resources, making him the head person in that shop for his class and third in charge.
“I am like two people at the same time,” Fisher said. “It gets confusing, but I try not to overstep any people while I am in charge of them on the other side.”
It may seem like a lot, but to Fisher it is never enough. He maintains a 4.0 cumulative G.P.A and works hard in continually setting himself up for academic and physical achievement. There is always room to grow Fisher said, and because of ROTC he is at his physical peak.
“The environment is that of the actual army,” said Fisher. “The training is what prepares us for the future, it makes you better speakers, it makes you better leaders, it makes you physically fit, and it makes you highly aware.”
Fisher’s mother said she and her husband are proud of their son. Enlisted army members cannot go through the normal army training and then become an officer, she said. They are only guaranteed an officer’s career by attending college through the ROTC program.
Fisher, still learning all he can from both parents, said that because they both had held similar roles during their ROTC years, he respects their input highly and always aims toward making his parents proud.
“Somewhere, someone is looking at you and they aren’t looking at you, they are looking at your status,” said Fisher, emphasizing a valued message from his father. “They are saying, ‘So that is what ROTC stands for’ or ‘That’s what an officer is,’ or ‘That’s what an army solider is.’ All they see is the uniform.”