UPDATED: Nov. 8 at 11:34 a.m.

Lorraine Bower is not good with maps, especially not the standard-issue military maps. Unlike a road map where there’s bare-bones information — roads, towns, county lines — the maps she uses have grid coordinates identifying where you actually are, color codes for types of terrain and elevation lines to identify hills, ridges and valleys.

So when Bower did a land navigation exercise for the first time in roughly three years, she was wary. She double and triple checked her grid position as she searched for a bright orange flag somewhere in the woods. Eventually, she reached a road and knew the flag was somewhere on the other side. The only problem was the thick brush of undergrowth, tree branches and mud she’d have to plow through.

Standing just about 5-foot-2, Bower trudged in and began searching. She reached the point marked on the map, but no flag.

Look left, look right. Still no flag.

She began to doubt herself, worrying she could’ve been off by a whole grid — the equivalent of 1 kilometer. Then, Bower heard one of her squad mates speak up. The flag was in the tree above her.

“There’s an old joke that there is always a lost lieutenant,” Bower said.

That was a normal Friday for Bower, a graduate student in the Maxwell School of Public Affairs and Citizenship and cadet in Syracuse’s ROTC program. A standard week for Bower includes three early morning physical training, PT, sessions, a Friday “lab” for her ROTC coursework and a full slate of graduate level courses. Balancing everything is hard, but for Bower, it’s worth the early mornings and hectic days.

“I’ve always wanted to serve my country,” Bower said. “I love the sisterhood and brotherhood that you have. You don’t get that with other jobs.”

Three mornings every week, Bower is up at 5:30 a.m. — 0530, for her — to get ready for PT. While the weather is still semi-nice and there’s no snow, cadets gather on the Quad to begin their workout by 6:30 a.m., cadet Sam Jacey said.

Codie Yan | Staff Photographer

Most workouts have the usual exercise components like pushups, situps and jumping jacks. But other times, they shake things up. One day, cadets started a five-mile ruck march at 5:30 a.m. to be done in time for classes. When snow begins to fly they move inside the Carrier Dome, where cadets will run or “bunny hop” the concourse steps.

“It’s a great circuit run,” Bower said of workouts in the Dome.

Bower doesn’t limit herself to the Army’s fitness plan. If she has free time in the evenings, she’ll get a quick workout in. For her, it’s a chance to do something different, like lifting weights, which is never a part of ROTC workouts. Sometimes she’ll pick programs from Facebook pages she follows.

More important than the weights is the music. The cadets don’t listen to any tunes during PT, so Bower loves to bump her music when she works out on her own time. She’ll turn up EDM or rock, like Rage Against the Machine.

“If it’s 130 beats per minute,” Bower said, “it gets my blood pumping.”

When Bower finishes PT, she runs to Archbold Gymnasium, takes a quick shower, and is back to being a graduate student. Three times a week, she heads to an 8 a.m. class and the other two days, she starts at 9:30 a.m.

When in her uniform, Bower maintains “military bearing.” Per regulations, Bower doesn’t get to wear heavy makeup when in uniform, only lipgloss and eyeliner. She also can’t let her hair — which must be a natural color — touch her collar, so she keeps it in the recommended bun.

Codie Yan | Staff Photographer

No cadet is allowed to use their cellphone or have earbuds in while walking in uniform. They stand up straight, their eyes fixed ahead.

“I have it down to a ‘T,’” Bower said. “How to quickly take a shower, put on makeup, get dressed and run to my 8 a.m. at Eggers Hall.”

No matter what, Bower always works in a break in the middle of the day to eat lunch and occasionally catch a power nap. Bower will only doze about 25 minutes — if she goes any longer she’ll get into too deep a slumber.

Bower plans out her shuteye in part because of advice from her father. He was an engineer, Bower said, and taught her that time is a resource and should be spent as such. That’s why Bower keeps her schedule in a carefully curated spreadsheet.

She has time blocked for classes, PT and her internship. Any of the white space is filled with meals, a nap or homework. She tries to be in bed by 9:30 p.m. and lights out by 10 p.m. every night. But despite discipline and careful planning, the balance isn’t always easy to keep.

“There are some days when I struggle,” Bower said. “I’m not going to lie … Coffee helps, too.”

Still, Bower finds it all worthwhile. She originally wanted to get involved in the military out of high school, but her mother, Asuncion Bower, had reservations. She wanted her to explore college first, then worry about enlisting.

Codie Yan | Staff Photographer

So that’s what Bower did. She got her associate degree in international relations and global studies from Marymount California University. Then she went on to graduate from the University of San Francisco, where she majored in international studies and economics.

But Bower was still unsure of what to do. So she enlisted in the Army.

She served three years, achieving the rank of E4, or specialist. She worked mainly in ammunition, handling logistics and supply. Her prior rank meant when she join the ROTC program at Syracuse, she was already an MSL3. That rank is generally higher than a new cadet’s, which put her in an unfamiliar leadership role.

“It’s a little bit of a struggle,” Bower said. “But I’m forcing myself to take up that role.”

Her older brother, Matthew, said there is a stark difference between Bower the soldier, and Bower, his sister. Yet, they’re still very similar.

“Lorraine the soldier is unfailingly committed to not only her duty, but her country,” Matthew said in a text to The Daily Orange. “Lorraine my sister is one who cares for others and strives to work hard towards her goals in life.”

Now Bower strives for a job in the intelligence or national security fields. She’s working toward a master’s degree from Maxwell in international relations with a focus on security studies.

Her days begin before the sun rises and finish after it has gone back down. But even through grueling morning workouts followed by full days of classes, Bower sees this all as bigger than her or any single cadet.

“I’m representing the United States Army,” Bower said. “I am representing Syracuse ROTC.”

This post has been updated with appropriate style. 

Published on November 7, 2017 at 10:51 pm

Contact Andrew: [email protected] | @A_E_Graham