MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. -- Watching Army uniforms pop in and out of the bushes of East Miramar may seem like a strange sight for a Marine installation. However, the cadets from the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps’ Aztec Battalion are no strangers to the terrain.

Since 2005, the Battalion - comprised of ROTC members from San Diego State University, California State University, San Marcos, Point Loma Nazarene University, University of California, San Diego and University of San Diego - has trained aboard East Miramar to learn leadership by taking charge of their peers, and interacting with Marines.

“Training [at East Miramar] is a great opportunity to expose these young men and women to another service other than the Army,” said Lt. Col Michael Arnold, the commanding officer of SDSU Army ROTC.

“These future officers wouldn’t be half as good as they will be if it wasn’t for the Marine Corps.”

The cadets use the mountainous terrain for field exercises such as, land navigation, simulated combat patrols and casualty evacuations. Students in the program interact with Marines by learning combat marksmanship skills at the Indoor Simulated Marksmanship Trainer and managing parking lots and directing traffic at the annual Marine Corps Air Station Miramar Air Show.

For most cadets, these experiences are their first introductions to military life. However, some find they have more to offer to their peers.

Former Petty Officer 2nd Class Navy Corpsman Shane Swanson deployed twice to Iraq while attached to 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton. Currently, Swanson is in his first year of the ROTC program, but his prior service allows him the rank of Military Science 3 cadet, a rank reserved for third year students. Swanson is also the guide for the Aztec Battalion.

“Having been around the Marine Corps has definitely given me a huge upper hand in the ROTC program,” said Swanson.

Not only have his leaders recognized his leadership ability, his peers have as well. “All of our prior service guys have a leg up,” said Cadet Capt. MS 4 Brittany Summers, a public affairs cadet. “[Swanson] is definitely one of our best.”

While the cadet’s uniforms may seem out of place, their training and unique military introduction aboard MCAS Miramar should make them a better fit for whatever service they're in.