February 2026

For almost 100 years, Land Grant universities in the United States required male students to participate in military training. Freshman and sophomore men received training in military drill, physical fitness, and military science. For Captain John Christiansen, U.S. Army, the military training he received at the University of Maine literally showed him that the sky was the limit on what he could do in the Army. Three years later, he found himself flying reconnaissance missions over South Vietnam in support of U.S. and allied troops on the ground. His experience helped shape the rest of his life.