Small Soldiers

At first glance, the camouflage-clad troop appears no different from enlisted soldiers. Its members march in formation without complaint under a smoldering Alabama sun. They pivot right, then left, then right again on the order of their commanding officer. But when the officer halts the marching exercise to buckle the sagging pants of one of his troop members, it's clear these cadets won't be serving in battle anytime soon. They're bound for middle school instead.

"Hopefully, they have some discipline now that they didn't have before," says Lt. Michael Buck, a member of the U.S. Army Reserves who helps lead the ROTC-style club at Terry Heights Elementary School in Huntsville.

The club is believed to be the only elementary school ROTC program of its kind in the nation. Eighteen 5th graders drill for an hour each week, and another dozen students--both 4th graders and 5th graders--join them for tutoring sessions. Unlike Junior ROTC programs in high school, the group is not an official, government-sponsored military program. It's meant simply to provide the youngsters--both boys and girls--with the extra confidence and academic know-how they'll need...