The Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (AROTC) is the United States Army component of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps. It is the largest Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program which is a group of college and university-based officer training programs for training commissioned officers for the United States Army and its reserves components: the Army Reserves and the Army National Guard. There are over 30,000 Army ROTC cadets enrolled in 274 ROTC programs at colleges and universities throughout the United States.COL Scott Sonsalla, US Army Command, Director of Recruiting, Marketing and Incentives These schools are categorized as Military Colleges (MC), Military Junior Colleges (MJC) and Civilian Colleges (CC).
All of these units are commanded by the U.S. Army Cadet Command, whose mission is "to select, educate, train, and commission college students to be officers and leaders of character in the Total Army and form partnerships with high schools to conduct JROTC programs to develop citizens of character for a lifetime of commitment and service to the nation."
The first college to offer military training was Norwich University, founded in 1819 in Vermont, followed by various state-chartered military schools and finally post-Civil War civilian land grant colleges that required military training. The modern Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps was created by the National Defense Act of 1916 and commissioned its first class of lieutenants in 1920.
ROTC progression For a cadet who only completes the first two years of ROTC (Basic Course), there is no military obligation, unless the student is a 3- to 4-year scholarship cadet or has other specific scholarships. If a cadet has accepted a scholarship, service commitments may vary. With some exceptions, in order to progress to the last two years of the program (Advanced Course) the cadet must contract with the United States Army. To do so, the student enlists in the United States Army Reserve Control Group (ROTC) as a cadet and elects to serve on either active duty or in a reserve component (Army National Guard or Army Reserve).
Course of instruction The following is an outline of a general military science program.
Basic Course
Basic course qualification requirements A candidate for freshman and sophomore level ROTC training must: Be of good moral character Be a citizen of the United States Be under 35 years of age by December 31 of the year of your graduation Be physically able to participate in the program of instruction Meet other entrance requirements as determined by the departmental chair, current army regulations and university policies A student who does not meet all of the above requirements should consult with the Department of Military Science and Leadership to determine if waivers can be granted.
Military Science I year (MSI) This year serves as the cadets' first introduction to the Army. Topics covered include military courtesy, military history, basic first aid, basic rifle marksmanship, basic hand grenade use, land navigation, rappelling, fundamentals of leadership, map orienteering, field training, military procedures, radio operations, rank structures and drill and ceremony.
Military Science II year (MSII) The second year is an expansion of the topics taught in the first year of the program. Cadets are introduced to tactics, troop leading procedures, basics of operations orders and ethics.
Basic Camp Basic Camp, formerly Cadet Initial Entry Training (CIET) and Leader's Training Course (LTC) before that, is a four-week (28-day) introduction to Army life and leadership training of the ROTC, held at Fort Knox, Kentucky each summer. The aim of this training is to motivate and qualify cadets for entry into the Senior ROTC program. Basic Camp is a summary version of the first two years of leadership development training that cadets receive at their university for the basic course. This course is designed for college students, either in the summer between freshman and sophomore year or between sophomore and junior year, qualifying these cadets for enrollment in the Military Science III year and Advanced Course.
Advanced Course Military Science III year (MSIII) The third year marks the beginning of the Advanced Course. This is where most cadets must contract with the Army to continue in the program. Cadets may be eligible for the Advanced Course if the following criteria are met: The cadet has prior military service or The cadet has completed the first two years of the program (Basic Course) or The cadet has graduated the Leaders Training Course (formerly Basic Camp) at Ft. Knox, Kentucky and The cadet has completed 54 credits (at least 60 preferred) of college coursework
The course sequence in this year is mainly focused on the application of leadership and small-unit tactics. Cadets are assigned rotating leadership positions within the School Battalion and are evaluated on their performance and leadership abilities while in those positions. Third-year cadets practice briefing operations orders, executing small-unit tactics, leading and participating in physical training and preparing for successful performance at the four-week Cadet Leader Course during the summer following the third year. Under current regulations, attendance at the course is mandatory (in the past, Ranger School was offered as an alternative to select cadets).
Leadership Development Program During MSIII year and continuing through Advanced Camp, cadets are introduced to the Leadership Development Program (LDP). The LDP is a structured set of rotations where MSIII cadets are assigned to specific roles in an organization consisting of companies, platoons and squads. Some of the roles traditionally filled are that of a company commander, company XO, first sergeant, platoon leader, platoon sergeant and squad leader.
While filling these positions, the MSIII is evaluated according to the Army Leadership Requirements Model (ALRM) which centers on what a leader is (attributes) and what a leader does (competencies), outlined by the following model.U.S. Department of the Army. Army Leadership. Army Doctrine Reference Publication. 14-16. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of the Army, September 10, 2012.
AttributesCharacter Presence Intellect Army values Military and professional bearing Mental agility Empathy Fitness Sound judgment Warrior ethos/Service ethos Confidence Innovation Discipline Resilience Interpersonal tact Expertise Leads Develops Achieves Leads others Creates a positive environment/Fosters esprit de corps Gets results Builds trust Prepares self Extends influence beyond the chain of command Develops others Leads by Example Stewards the profession Communicates Competencies
The evaluation is usually given by an MS IV and is delivered in writing using a Developmental Counseling form, DA 4856. Cadets are counseled on their performance through the ALRM attributes and competencies. At the end of the MSIII school year, these counselings are collected and help determine a cadet's ranking on the Order of Merit List (OML), a ranking of all ROTC Cadets in the nation that impacts how Cadets receive their component and branch when they commission.
Advanced Camp Advanced Camp is a paid 35 day leadership course conducted at Fort Knox, Kentucky each summer. It was formerly conducted at Fort Lewis, Washington, Fort Bragg, North Carolina and Fort Riley, Kansas. In 2014, Advanced Camp (then LDAC) was consolidated with Basic Camp at Fort Knox, Kentucky. This was a period of upheaval for the training event due to the rapid change of locations and new Cadet Command Commanding General stripping Advanced Camp of its graded portion. For 2014, Advanced Camp, then LDAC, retained its graded portions, but in 2015 it was changed to Cadet Leadership Camp (CLC). During the time it was called CLC, all the graded portions of were taken out and the 4 week period was pass/no pass. In 2016 a new commanding general took over Cadet Command, on his first day CLC became Advanced Camp and in 2017 the old style of graded events will be brought back. This includes a graded PT test, graded rifle qualification and graded training lanes. Typically, cadets attend Advanced Camp during the summer between their first and second years in the Advanced Course (junior and senior year of college). At Advanced Camp, cadets take on various leadership roles and are evaluated on their performance and leadership abilities in those positions. Cadets also participate in adventure training to include: confidence and obstacle courses, rappelling, water safety, weapons firing and patrolling. While at Advanced Camp, cadets take a series of standardized tests including the Cadet Development Assessment (CDA). The CDA assesses the state of a MSIII cadet's development in preparation for the MSIV year with a focus on mission-context problem solving. Cadets must attend and complete Advanced Camp to earn an Army commission.
Military Science IV year (MSIV) This is the final year of the ROTC program and the main focus is towards preparing cadets to become successful lieutenants in the Army upon graduation and commissioning. Senior cadets apply for their branches (career fields). Senior cadets apply before end of their third year, but have until mid September to make any changes before they are locked in. In early November, cadets are notified of which branch and status they were granted (e.g., Regular Army, Army Reserve, Army National Guard). For those cadets selected for the reserve component (Army Reserve or Army National Guard), they are responsible for locating a unit with which to serve. Cadets selected for active duty (Regular Army) are notified of their first duty assignment in the spring semester, typically in early April. Throughout their senior year, MSIV cadets are assigned cadet battalion staff positions and are responsible for evaluating MS III cadets, planning and coordinating training operations and missions. The primary purpose of the MSIV year is to learn how to manage and evaluate training in the field while learning officership in the classroom.
Branch assignment Branch assignments are made according to the needs of the Army. Consideration is given to the cadet's area of academic specialty and their individual desires. Army policy is to assign graduating cadets to a branch and specialty code based on the following: Army branch/specialty strength requirements Academic disciplines Personal preference Recommendation of the Professor of Military Science Demonstrated performance and potential Prior military experience Other experience
Lab
Leadership labs place cadets in leadership positions, teach and provide practical experience in military drill and ceremonies, troop leading procedures, small unit tactical operations, rappelling and water survival. Labs are held during the week and run for approximately two hours.
Physical fitness training Physical fitness training builds physical conditioning, teamwork, and self-confidence. Physical fitness training sessions are typically scheduled for approximately one-hour and the intensity, time and type of exercises varies. All ROTC Cadets must pass the Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) with at least the minimum (60 points) in each of the six exercises according to the standards for their age and sex. Each program may further make its own standards. For example, a program may set a standard of scoring no less than 70% (10% more than the Army requires) in each category. Failure to reach the program standard may require increased physical fitness training on otherwise days of rest (commonly known as "incentive” or “remedial” PT).