Western Illinois University will retain its Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program after the U.S. Army reversed its decision to inactivate it, the Macomb-based university announced Tuesday, Sept. 2.
In a news release, WIU said the United States Army has announced plans to maintain WIU’s program after a “comprehensive review and consideration of feedback from community leaders and key stakeholders.”
WIU’s officer training program has been active for more than 50 years and has developed more than 1,000 cadets for service in the nation’s armed forces. The WIU ROTC program was founded in 1968.
In late June, the U.S. Army Cadet Command announced plans for a strategic rebalance and optimization of the Senior ROTC program, which among other actions would reduce the command’s civilian workforce by 168 positions, or 12%. Under the rebalancing plan, the Army also inactivated the First Brigade headquarters at Fort Knox, Kentucky, which provided support for the ROTC programs at 10 host universities, including WIU.
The reorganization plan called for ROTC programs on 84 college campuses around the country to be reorganized or shut down as part of a broader effort to streamline Pentagon operations. The U.S. Army Cadet Command also announced plans to shut down ROTC programs at three Iowa institutions: the University of Northern Iowa, the University of Dubuque and Buena Vista University. In June, UNI said on its website that it was exploring alternatives with Army leadership. No new information on these three programs was available as of Wednesday, Sept. 3.
The WIU release said the decision regarding its ROTC program is being reversed after further study of the impact of ROTC programs and in recognition of the positive impact of ROTC on campus communities. The Western Illinois University ROTC program will operate as an extension unit rather than being inactivated.
“We are grateful for all of the advocacy on behalf of our ROTC program,” WIU President Kristi Mindrup said in the release. “I want to thank our Congressional Representatives who voiced their support, and our Leatherneck community. ROTC is an important part of WIU culture, and the continuation of the program is wonderful news.”
WIU Interim Provost and Academic Vice President Mark Mossman added that the program is beneficial to WIU’s students and the entire campus community. “WIU has a long history of being a military-friendly campus and supporting our active duty and veteran students,” he said in the release. “The retention of our ROTC program allows us to maintain service and support our student cadets.”
The WIU release said that according to the Army, “all reinstated programs will maintain onsite cadre, education, training and support.” Cadets will remain enrolled on the campuses they currently attend and will continue to receive the educational benefits afforded to ROTC cadets.
Last week, the North Country Public Radio in New York reported that the U.S. Army had reversed its decision to shut down the North Country region’s only ROTC program at Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York. Other media reports in that region also indicated that U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-New York), had stepped in and pushed back on the plans to shut down that university’s Golden Knight Battalion.
Through ROTC, participating college students receive full-tuition scholarships at the partner institution, as well as monthly stipends for living and housing expenses.
WIU’s Military Science department oversees the ROTC program, which offers leadership, management, and professional knowledge classes as well as “hands on” leadership experiences. For more information on WIU’s ROTC program, visit wiu.edu/rotc.
