Active Duty

Freshman

Register for the Freshman Army classes:

Fall semester: MSL 101, Spring semester: MSL 102, and Physical Training (PT) course MSL 100

You incur no service obligation to the Army by registering and attending these classes.

Sophomore

You have three options:

1. If you are enrolling for the Fall semester, you can accelerate the basic course and take both freshman and sophomore army courses, MSL 101 and MSL 102 in the fall and MSL 102 and MSL 202 in the spring
2. If you are enrolling for the spring semester, you can register for Army classes as an introduction to the program, but you will have to attend Basic Camp at Fort Knox, Kentucky over the summer, or Basic Training.
3. Highly qualified persons can participate in the Accelerated Cadet Commissioning Program (ACCT). You will participate in a training program and register for the junior Army courses, MSL 301 in the fall and MSL 302 in the spring, your junior year.

You incur no service obligation to the Army by registering for these classes; however, you must enlist in the US Army to enter Basic Training

Junior

You have 4 options:

1. You can attend Basic Camp at Fort Knox, Kentucky, or Basic Training before you begin your junior year. You can then register for the junior Army courses, MSL 301 in the fall and MSL 302 in the spring.
2. Alternate Entry Option: You contractually agree to attend Basic Camp after your junior year and Advanced Camp after your senior year. You will register for the junior army courses, MSL 301 in the fall and MSL 302 in the spring, for your junior year.
3. Accelerated Cadet Commissioning Training (ACCT). Highly qualified persons will skip Basic Camp and instead complete the ACCT training program and register for the junior army courses, MSL 301 in the fall and MSL 302 in the spring.
4. Placement Credit. Qualified individuals can use experience and prior training as credit towards the Army basic (freshman and sophomore) courses

You must contract during your junior year.

Senior

There are no options available at this time for seniors through this ROTC program, however, after you graduate you can apply to Officer Candidate School (OCS). To attend this school, you must be a US Citizen and a college graduate, and must be between the ages of 18 and 30.

For more information, contact your local recruiter.

Scholarships

2, 3, 4 Year Scholarships:

Benefits:

• Full Tuition and fees OR Room and Board
• Receive money for books annually
• Monthly stipend while attending class
• Commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Army upon graduation
• Marketable leadership skills and experience

Requirements:

• US Citizen
• Between 17 and 26
• Cumulative GPA of 2.50
• Minimum of 920 (math/verbal) on the SAT or 19 (excluding the required writing test scores) on the ACT
• Meet physical fitness standards
• Agree to accept a commission
• Complete a [PDF] CC 104-R – Planned Academic Worksheet (1,006 KiB)

Commitment:

• Serve for four years on Active Duty or with the National Guard or Reserve.

Guaranteed Reserve Forces Duty (GRFD): 

• There are three GRFD scholarships; the GRFD-USAR (United States Army Reserve) 2 year scholarship, the GRFD-ARNG(Army National Guard) 2 year scholarship, and the Dedicated ARNG 3 year scholarship
• A dedicated ARNG scholarship recipient must commission in the Army National Guard
• You must participate in the Simultaneous Membership Program (SMP)
• You cannot receive both a campus based scholarship and a GRFD scholarship
• If you have completed Basic Training, you can use Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits

In State Tuition The Simultaneous Membership Program allows you to attend Army ROTC and serve in the U.S. Army Reserve or Army National Guard at the same time. It gives you an opportunity for additional training and experience. Cadets serve as Officer trainees in the Reserve or National Guard while completing college. You can earn Reserve/Guard pay and benefits in addition to your Army ROTC allowances.

If you are a member of the Minnesota National Guard, Reserves or on active duty, you may be eligible for in-state tuition.

Simultaneous Membership Program (SMP) Cadets will:

• Job shadow leaders in their Army National Guard (ARNG)/United States Army Reserve (USAR) unit and get hands-on management and leadership training
• Attend weekend drill/annual training
• Get paid as an E-5; wear cadet rank at training (cadet 2nd Lieutenant)

Benefits:

• Eligible to federal (ARNG and USAR) and state (ARNG only) tuition assistance
  • In order to use these benefits, SMP cadets must be non-scholarship or using their scholarship towards Room and Board
• Eligible for in-state tuition
• Eligible for training opportunities and school slots from both the ROTC program and ARNG/USAR
• Eligible for Guard Recruiting Assistance Program benefits
• Eligible for Montgomery GI Bill benefits, if the SMP cadet completed basic training
• Eligible to all applicable ARNG/USAR benefits of a service member

Cadets can participate in SMP and still access into Active Duty, although there are some limitations

Requirements:

• At least sophomore status
• Eligible to contract in the ROTC program
• Eligible for enlistment in the ARNG/USAR

Enlisted Soldiers who are eligible to contract in the ROTC program can also participate in SMP

For more information contact: National Guard ROTC Liaison SSG Lawrence Eustice 100 Martin Luther King Jr Drive Mankato, MN 56001 mobile: 507-291-0515 lawrence.eustice@us.army.mil

Many of these questions are addressed in more detail in the Maverick Battalion Army ROTC Program Guide. The Program Guide and other useful information are available at the ROTC office. Our phone number is (507) 389-6229. Feel free to call with any questions.

What are you all about?

• The mission of the ROTC program is to produce US Army officers (leaders and managers).
• Our program includes students from Minnesota State University, Gustavus Adolphus College, and Bethany Lutheran College

Who can participate in ROTC?

The Classes: Anyone can take the 100 and 200 level classes Contracting: Scholarship cadets and all other cadets taking the last two years of ROTC must sign a contract in which they commit themselves to serving as an Army Officer upon Graduation.

Do All Graduates have to go on Active Duty? - NO

• Upon graduation from college, all cadets are commissioned as Second Lieutenants in the US Army.
• Cadets have the option of serving on Active Duty, in the National Guard or Army Reserves.

What kind of student is the ROTC program looking for?

• Undergraduates and Graduate students who will graduate by the age of 31
• Scholars, Athletes, and Leaders
• Members of the Army National Guard or Army Reserve
• Former Active Duty Enlisted soldiers
• Motivated individuals who are interested in the military
• Nurses

What is the ROTC program?

1) It's a class:

All ROTC or Military Science & Leadership (MSL) classes meet once per week, regardless of how many hours are in the class.

The ROTC Basic Course (Freshman and Sophomore) - Anyone can take these classes:

Freshman Year: 1 Hour / Week

• MSL 101: Foundations of Officership
• MSL 102: Basic Leadership

Sophomore Year: 2 Hours / Week

• MSL 201: Individual Leadership Studies
• MSL 202: Leadership and Teamwork

The ROTC Advanced Course (Junior and Senior) - Only contracted ROTC cadets may take these classes:

Junior Year: 3 Hours / Week

• MSL 301: Leadership and Problem Solving
• MSL 302: Leadership and Ethics

Senior Year: 3 Hours / Week

• MSL 401: Leadership and Management
• MSL 402: Officership

2) Leadership Lab:

Who: Mandatory for contracted and scholarship cadets and encouraged for participating cadets What: The weekly "hands on" portion of ROTC - learning skills and exercising leadership Examples: Rappelling, Weapons Assembly, Small Unit Tactics, Land Navigation When: Thursday afternoons:4-6pm How: Split between Basic and Advanced course or the whole program participating in combined training

3) Physical Training (PT):

Who: Mandatory for contracted and scholarship cadets. Encouraged for participating cadets. Can be exempt if score high enough on the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT). In-season varsity and club athletes participate in their various sport practice sessions in lieu of PT. When: 6:00-7:00 AM - Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday What: Cadets learn a variety of physical conditioning techniques and the concepts to develop a lifelong healthy and active fitness lifestyle.

4) Field Training Exercises (FTXs):

Who: Mandatory for contracted and scholarship cadets. Encouraged for participating cadets. When: Thursday or Friday through Sunday. One FTX per Semester.

5) Other Activities:

Color Guard, Boy Scout support, Science Fair judging, Ranger Challenge, etc.

6) Summer Training:

In general, the summers are yours. However, 2 to 3 week-long military schools are available, such as: Airborne School, Air Assault School, Mountain Warfare School, Northern Warfare School

The following summer internships/summer programs are available: Cultural internships, Participation in West Point Summer Field Training, Civil Engineering internships around the world, Army Science Fellowships around the country, and several others

Note: Selection for summer training events is very competitive and based on Cadet order of merit ranking, which involves academic GPA, physical fitness and overall involvement in ROTC.

Advanced Camp:

After the completion of the junior year, all cadets attend a 29-day comprehensive training experience in Fort Knox, Kentucky known as the Advanced Camp. This event involves Maverick Battalion cadets participating with cadets from across the United States during daily training and evaluations.

Cadet Troop Leader Training (CTLT):

Following completion of LDAC, a select few juniors will participate in a 3 to 4 week-long summer internship program where they train with Regular Army units around the world.

Nurse Summer Training Program (NSTP):

Following completion of LDAC, cadets who are nursing majors have the option to participate in a 120-hour program allowing them to experience life in Army Hospitals around the world.

How can a college athlete find the time to participate in ROTC?

We have athletes from a variety of sports in the ROTC program and make every effort to work around their schedules. The leadership experiences learned from intercollegiate competition are equally valuable for future Army officers.

Can I join later in my college experience? - YES, via four options:

• Acceleration: Students can join in their sophomore year and take both 100 and 200 level MSL classes simultaneously, thus satisfying the requirements to complete both of these levels before entering the Advanced Course for the final two years of school
• Simultaneous Membership Program: Members of the National Guard or Army Reserve have the option to contract three years, or two years out from graduation. We prefer that these members join in the first two years of college, however, so that these cadets can gain from the additional broad-based leader training - a different focus than that received in the Reserve Component unit.
• Prior Service Active Duty: Former Active Duty enlisted soldiers have the option to contract two years out from graduation without participating in the first two years of ROTC.
• Basic Camp: Allows students who have the appropriate scholar-athlete-leader credentials to participate in a month-long training event at Fort Knox, Kentucky and then contract as a junior or a graduate student without participating in the first two years of ROTC. Not the same as Basic Training.

What do Army officers do?

Officers serve as the leaders and managers of the US Army across a variety of specialties in increasing levels of responsibility over the course of their careers. Think of the Army as a big community with 450,000 members. That community requires officers of many different specialties and different levels of experience to keep the community functioning on a daily basis. There are 16 basic career fields in the Army involving such fields as: Aviation, Armor, Artillery, Logistics, Infantry, Military Intelligence, Military Police, Adjutant General, Transportation and Finance. There are also several specialized fields such as Nursing, Medicine, Physical Therapy, and Law. 

What is the Starting Salary for a new Army Officer?

• Brand-new Second Lieutenants on Active Duty earn approximately $54,000 per year.
• The first four years see large pay raises. After four years, the average officer will earn over $73,000 per year.