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A brief history

The Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) was born when President Woodrow Wilson signed the National Defense Act of 1916. Since its inception, Army ROTC has provided leadership and military training at schools and universities across the country and has commissioned more than a half million Officers. It is the largest commissioning source in the American military

 

Ricks College

The BYU–Idaho Army ROTC's roots go back to the 1970s with Ricks College. It was a two-year program with only a few cadets. President Henry B. Eyring (who at the time was the college president) had this to say:
 
"[The] ROTC was brought onto the campus in the last few years. I have been surprised at the reception of this large program. We began as a satellite program of Idaho State University; now we are almost as large as the Idaho State University program, because our young people have a feeling about their country... I think that in a country moving away from what might be called old-fashioned patriotism, Ricks is moving the other way."

BYU–Idaho "Viking Battalion"

Because Ricks College only offered two-year degrees, cadets in the Army ROTC would have to move on to finish their degrees and be commissioned at a different institution.

 

This changed when Ricks College became BYU–Idaho. During this transition, BYU–Idaho saw its first students graduate and become officers in the U.S Army.

 

Today, the BYU–Idaho Viking Battalion boasts more than 50 cadets, one of the largest programs in the state, with more joining every semester.

Chemistry Set

 

"I got married and I had a couple of kids and I didn't know how I was going to pay for college. Joining the Army ROTC provided me a way to get my education while also serving my country. I couldn't have asked for anything better."