Columbia News

The Truman Bulldog Battalion was recently ranked 12th out of more than 270 Army ROTC programs nationwide.

This ranking is part of an annual placing of programs by the U.S. Army Cadet Command, the national headquarters for all ROTC programs. Rankings are derived from a variety of metrics calculated yearly during the fall semester. Several of the key criteria include academic excellence across all classes that students are enrolled in, physical fitness, leadership development and aptitude as evaluated during summer training opportunities. To the program’s knowledge, this is the highest they have ranked and places them in the top 5% nationally.

Senior ROTC students were some of the most competitive cadets across the nation through extracurricular participation, volunteer work within the Kirksville community and excelling in their coursework at Truman.

“For being such a small program among hundreds of others, this is a phenomenal achievement,” said Kate Benzing, Army ROTC cadet. “Our cadets work extremely hard to become successful and well-rounded individuals while displaying exemplary leadership qualities on our campus.”

The purpose of the Army ROTC program is to train and prepare college students as commissioned officers for the United States Army and its reserves components. There are more than 30,000 Army ROTC cadets enrolled in 274 ROTC programs at major universities throughout the United States. Truman’s program currently has 52 cadets enrolled.

“We work with students to help them succeed in the degree of their choice while earning a minor in leadership and a commission in the active, reserve or National Guard components of the U.S. Army,” said John Clark, professor of military science. “Through shared values, advanced training and experience, men and women can achieve their goals.”

Army ROTC is open to all full-time enrolled students on campus. There is no binding obligation to participate as a cadet. However, if a student makes the commitment to commission as an officer in the United States Army, students must graduate with their declared degree, complete the necessary military science classes, and attend and complete additional summer/weekend training requirements throughout their four years on campus. There are several other secondary requirements that must be met in order to receive a commission as a U.S. Army officer. Leadership and management training can also be completed in conjunction with any chosen academic major. In addition to gaining valuable skills from the program, students can also develop friendships, relationships and memories to last a lifetime. 

Original source can be found here.