Army ROTC

You will gain hands on leadership experience and be taught many desirable soft skills such as communication and time management. You will make lifelong friends, and you will be surrounded by a group of highly motivated people that will help you achieve success in your college career. Scholarships, book stipends, and monthly stipends are also available to help cover the cost of attending school. Those who complete the ROTC curriculum are also eligible to graduate with a minor in Leadership & Military Science.

You will have an opportunity for full time military employment following graduation. However, you may choose to be in the National Guard (NG) or US Army Reserves (USAR) if you would prefer to pursue a civilian career or remain in the state of Tennessee.

We have many Cadets who have rigorous academic schedules or are employed while in school. Your freshman ROTC classes will be 3 credit hours per semester. The time commitment will be similar to your non-ROTC classes. As you progress into leadership positions your junior and senior year, your time commitment will slightly increase, but the time management and scheduling skills that you develop your freshman and sophomore year will help you to navigate the added responsibility. The key to success in college is time management. Schedule time that you will study and do homework for your classes and stick to your schedule. This will help you finish all your projects and have time left over for recreational activities. Cadets are “Students first, Cadets always.” This means if there is a conflict between academics and ROTC, then academic requirements will take precedence over ROTC.

There are three main components to the ROTC curriculum, physical training, class lectures, and labs. Physical training (PT) focuses on getting you in shape. PT is held 3-4 days a week at 6:00 am and lasts about 1 hour per session. Class, which meets 1.5 hours a week your freshman year, will focus on teaching you how to be a leader. Lab, which is held between 4-6 pm on Tuesdays, will give you hands on experience working in teams and teach you the basic soldiering and tactical skills necessary for advanced camp.

The only required summer training for most Cadets is Advanced Camp, which lasts 5 weeks and is attended the summer after junior year. Lateral entry Cadets, those who don’t join as freshman, are also required to attend a 4 week basic camp. High performing Cadets have opportunities to travel abroad, work internships at places like NASA, and attend advanced Army schools such as Airborne or Air Assault School. You are free to work internships or get a civilian job on the summers that you are off. Many Cadets’ experiences in ROTC have helped them land competitive civilian internships related to their major.

No, you will have up to 2 years to decide if you want to join the Army through ROTC. University scholarships do not require a service commitment. Many students enroll in Military Science classes their freshman or sophomore year and decide for a variety of reasons not to contract and join the Army. They walk away from the program with better leadership skills and are typically more physically fit! We encourage everyone to give ROTC a try and see if they like it.

That’s okay. Many Cadets have no previous military experience, did not participate in JROTC, and did not grow up in a military home. We will teach you what you need to know.

Yes. Many Cadets are already in the National Guard/US Army Reserves or are in the process of joining when they enroll in ROTC. This is the Simultaneous Membership Program (SMP). In addition to other available scholarships and stipends, SMP Cadets receive E-5 drill pay.

You will likely still be able to join as long as you have 4 semesters of school remaining. Enrollment is also open to graduate students.

Yes. You can apply for an educational delay which, if approved, will allow you to delay your service to pursue a degree in the medical field. After you graduated medical school you will be able to work in your medical specialty in the Army.

No. ROTC Cadets receive all required training on campus and during Advanced Camp at Fort Knox, KY. If Cadets join ROTC as a Lateral Entry Cadet, then they may have to go to Basic Camp at Fort Knox, KY for 31-days, but this is far different from the US Army Basic Training that lasts for 16 – 22 weeks.

No. You will have the option to choose between Active Duty (full-time employment) and a reserve component (NG/USAR).

Absolutely! The Army is a large organization with many different career paths. There are jobs in nursing, engineering, law enforcement, criminal justice, medicine, social sciences, business administration and just about anything else that you can imagine.

Scholarships are awarded based on academic achievement and leadership potential. Some scholarships are awarded prior to enrollment in ROTC and some are awarded after enrollment. For more information, contact Mr. Tollison at (931) 372-3574 or email us at ctollison@tntech.edu or ROTC@tnech.edu.