University of Scranton Hosts International Fellows from U.S. Army War College

Nov 25, 2014

The ROTC program at The University of Scranton hosted nearly 80 international fellows from the U.S. Army War College, who represented 73 different countries, for a dinner and presentation by University ROTC cadets on campus. From left, University of Scranton ROTC cadets who presented at the event: Kelly Tracy, Mary Beery, Jesse Hodges and Graham Henderson, and Lieutenant Colonel Lars Wendt, professor of military science.

 

Nearly 80 military officers from 73 different countries visited The University of Scranton in October for a series of events that included a presentation by cadets from the University’s ROTC program. The foreign officers, all international fellows at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, are spending a year at the college to advance their professional qualifications, to study and write on subjects related to the security interests of their own and allied nations, and to establish working relationships with U.S. military officers, as well as to learn about the United States and its institutions.

Their visit to Scranton provided information about military education in the United States at the cadet level, through the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC). For some nations, military academies provide the only venue for military education, so the cadets from the University’s Royal Battalion discussed their experiences with the international fellows. University Cadets Mary Beery, Tinton Falls, New Jersey; Graham Henderson, Troy, New York; Jesse Hodges, Harrisburg; and Kelly Tracy, Hartsdale, New York; all of whom are seniors, led the presentation.

President Woodrow Wilson established the ROTC in the United States in 1916. Today, 60 percent of new active duty army officers are ROTC graduates.

At The University of Scranton, an Army ROTC program was established in 1951, at a time when the school was all male. Every student was required to take ROTC courses for two years. When the university became co-educational, ROTC participation became voluntary.

Today there are 138 cadets in the program, and 1,150 lieutenants have been commissioned since its creation at the Scranton campus.

Across the United States, 35,096 cadets are currently enrolled in ROTC programs.

 
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