The 1963 Army ROTC comic Time of Decision traced Ted Wright’s journey into college ROTC and his eventual status as a successful business man and husband. To quote the opening scene of the comic, ”…this is his story and the story of the thing that changed Ted Wright from an outsider to a popular man-about-college and a leader in a world of competition.”[^]
Ted’s guidance counselor retells his own personal story, and credits his own ROTC experience for providing him with the skills he needed to quickly moves up the corporate chain. Likewise, when Ted joins the workforce, he gets a promotion and a raise very quickly.[^] The value of ROTC training in the corporate world is also repeatedly illustrated through Ted’s training, as his instructors continually reinforce teamwork and problem-solving.
Success in the military and private realm can also be drawn to other factions of life. Once the counselor has earned this promotion, he proposes to his girl, saying “It’s what we’ve been waiting for…”[^] His job and income, then, are a primary factor in their relationship and their future together. They can’t get married until he has a good job and a good income to provide for them both. This element is nearly identical to Five Years Later…Where Will You Be?, in that it highly inflates the necessity of the men to have a good job in order to have a lasting relationship and marriage. As part of Ted’s transformation into a “popular man-about-college and a leader in a world of competition,” his success in the workplace is strongly tied to his finding a partner and starting a family.