FORT KNOX, Ky. — In his early 30s, Matthew Gooch thought he was too old and too qualified to go back to school and enter a university ROTC program. He’s been a salvage diver, a military freefall instructor, a Ranger, a Sapper and a medical sergeant. He’s also been deployed three times to Iraq, the last two as a Green Beret.
Not only is he a student and a cadet in Campbell University’s ROTC program today, Gooch, now 34, is one of the top cadets in the nation. He is ranked sixth in the nation among 5,617 Army ROTC seniors in the national Order of Merit List, which takes into account grade point average, performance in the Army physical fitness test, leadership roles in the cadet’s program and his or her performance at the Leader Development and Assessment Course.
“The high honor was completely unexpected,” Gooch said. “I didn’t know the command released a Top 10 list, and I found out on [Nov. 21] when my phone and email started blowing up from friends, instructors and peers wanting to tell me the news.”
One of the well-wishers that day was Lt. Col. Brian Scott, the professor of military science for the Campbell ROTC Battalion. Scott said one of the major strengths of Campbell’s program is the number of prior-service cadets who mentor and make those cadets with no military experience better. The possible downside this, Scott said, is having experienced cadets who “may think they already know what we’re trying to impart on them.” Gooch, he said, had a smooth transition into the program.
“He’s a cadet battalion commander and he’s finishing up in December,” Scott said. “He’s done very well for us, and we’re proud of him.”
A native of Oklahoma, Gooch is majoring in biological sciences and is looking to pursue graduate studies and a career in medicine upon graduation and commissioning. In his military career, Gooch has served in Iraq three times, the final two with the Army’s Special Forces, known widely as the Green Berets, a group tasked with unconventional warfare and counter-terrorism, among other duties. In this role, Gooch helped train Iraqi nationals to fight and took part in several missions, including enemy searches, cache recovery and improving and rebuilding the infrastructure of areas hit hard by the war.
He said he has embraced the role of mentor, but has also benefited from his time with the young cadets who have re-taught him how to perform academically.
“Being out of school for 15 years, I benefit on the academics side,” he said. “The ROTC program purposely aligns upperclassmen with younger students, and the program at Campbell is full of Special Forces veterans, Rangers and others who have a wealth of experience and qualifications. It’s a huge part of what makes this program a success.”
A husband and father of two children — ages 4 and 5 — Gooch says his biggest challenge today is juggling his family life with 18-hour semesters. Despite being a self-proclaimed “average student,” he has made the Dean’s List last fall, benefiting from a stringent work ethic he developed over the past 15 years.
“My grandfathers and brothers were all in the military, and my initial goal was to just be your average guy who goes for a few years, gets his college money and runs,” he says. “But I fell in love with it. I’ve had so many jobs and so many experiences. I don’t know of any other career where you can have that much diversity.”
STRONG TEAM SHOWING
The Campbell Battalion usually performs well as a whole in the annual Order of Merit List. In 1995, Cadet Kevin Perera ranked as the top cadet in the nation, and in 2012, John LeBaube ranked second.
According to Scott, 40 percent of Campbell Battalion’s senior cadets (20 total) ranked in the Top 20 percent of the national OML, which means they will receive designation as a Distinguished Military Graduate and top choice for the branch they’ll serve in and the specialty they’ll practice in the Army. Ten of Campbell’s 50 senior cadets are in the Top 10 percent of the national list of 5,316 total seniors.
This year, Campbell will commision 50 lieutenants. All other North Carolina ROTC programs will combine to commission 73.
Campbell was the only four-year private college or university in North Carolina ranked in The Military Times’ “Best for Vets: Colleges 2015,” a list of the 100 best schools in the U.S. for veterans released Nov. 10. In September, the University was named to Victory Media’s coveted Military Friendly Schools list for the fifth time. The list honors the top 15 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools in the United States that are doing the most to embrace U.S. military service members, veterans and spouses and ensure their success on campus.
“Ranking well in the program was not just my doing,” Gooch said. “Forty percent of the accession is based on academics, and the professors I have worked with have been incredibly supportive. Being a full-time student, dad and husband cannot be accomplished alone. My wife’s support continues to be cardinal.”