Military Science

Office: 300 Radnor
Telephone: 410‑617‑5179
Email: jmucci@loyola.edu
Website: www.loyola.edu/academics/rotc

Chair: LTC Timothy Mitroka, Professor

Professor: LTC Timothy Mitroka

U.S. Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC)

The U.S. Army and Loyola University Maryland sponsor one of only 275 Army ROTC host programs in the nation to provide an opportunity for students to receive training and instruction that ultimately leads to a commission as a full- or part-time officer in the U.S. Army, Army National Guard, or Army Reserves. The military science instruction focuses on leader development, and its curriculum is based on five tracks: values/ethics, personal development, leadership, tactics/techniques, and officership. Students from Towson University, Goucher College, and Notre Dame of Maryland University may also participate in the program through a cross-enrollment agreement with Loyola. Graduate students may participate in the program by applying as special students.

Most U.S. Army officers receive their commission through one of the host programs or the United States Military Academy at West Point. A four-year degree is required to be an Army officer and Loyola's Army ROTC program commissions officers in the rank of second lieutenant following graduation. The determination to serve full- or part-time is decided by the student, and no service obligation is incurred before the student signs a contract with the U.S. Army.

Army ROTC is more than a college program, it is a tradition. In 1819, Captain Alden Partridge, former superintendent at West Point, started what is known today as Army ROTC. Captain Partridge felt that our country needed more "citizen soldiers," so he established the first private school to offer military instruction. It did not take long for his idea to spread. By the turn of the century, 105 colleges and universities across the country were offering military instruction on their campuses.

The U.S. Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps as it is known today dates from the National Defense Act of 1916. World War I prevented the development of a program through which civilian educators and military professionals could work together. Therefore, at the conclusion of WWI, the ROTC program was fully implemented on college campuses. The success of this effort has been demonstrated in WWII, Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War, and during the current global threat of terrorism. College campuses provided quality officers to meet the rapidly expanding needs of mobilization.

In 1964, the ROTC Vitalization Act improved the program by adding scholarships and expanding junior ROTC opportunities. Today, the Army ROTC is available to students at more than 275 host schools and 1,000 extension colleges and universities. Loyola's ROTC program was started in 1952 and has commissioned over 1,300 officers. Six have reached the rank of General Officer, and one is currently an astronaut working with NASA.

Basic and Advanced Courses

The Army ROTC's Military Science (MS) program consists of the Basic Course (MS 101 , MS 102 , MS 201 , and MS 209 ) and the Advanced Course (MS 301 , MS 302 , MS 401 and MS 402 ).

The Basic Course is normally taken during the first and sophomore years and is open to all students. There is no military service obligation for taking classes in the Basic Course (except for scholarship students). The Basic Course focuses on the military basics such as drill and ceremony, squad-level tactics, customs and courtesies, ethics, and values. An Intensive Independent Military Study course is available for Cadets who's academic schedule conflicts with allotted class times for the MS 100-level and 200-level courses. Cadets must make every effort to deconflict schedules during registration to allow for attending the regular scheduled MS courses. Cadets enrolling into ROTC during their sophomore year may be approved to accelerate or compress ROTC curriculum by taking MS 101 and MS 201 during the fall semester and MS 102 and MS 209 during the spring semester to complete prerequisites for the Advanced Course. Other approved options for earning Basic Course credit for students enrolling late is attending ROTC's Basic Camp at Fort Knox, Kentucky, during the summer prior to their junior year; graduating from Basic Combat Training of any military service; or completing at least three years of JROTC.

The ROTC Basic Camp at Fort Knox, Kentucky, is a four-week course designed to bring students to a level of military training that will qualify them for enrollment in the advanced course. Training is rugged and intensive. Special emphasis is placed on physical conditioning and practical hands-on work. To the maximum extent, all training is conducted outdoors and consists of exercises that permit the student to be an active participant. Classroom-type instruction is held to a minimum. Practical training in leadership is stressed throughout the camp period. To develop initiative and leadership and to ensure practical experience, students are rotated in positions of responsibility of command. Those who graduate from Basic Camp may receive summer internship credit and may be eligible to receive a scholarship, worth full tuition and fees, for their final two years of schooling.

The Advanced Course is taken during the junior and senior years or by graduate students in a two-year program. Students must have Basic Course credit to enter the Advanced Course. The Advanced Course teaches cadets about military leadership, platoon-level tactics, land navigation, troop leading procedures, written operation orders, as well as military management and law. The courses also use vignettes from the various global theaters of operation to demonstrate the real-world applications of the above principles. An Intensive Independent Military Study course is available for Cadets who's academic schedule conflicts with allotted class times for the MS 300-level and 400-level courses. Cadets must make every effort to deconflict schedules during registration to allow for attending the regular scheduled MS courses. There is a mandatory Advance Camp training program that supplements the campus training with practical experience in a field training environment at Fort Knox, Kentucky, for approximately six weeks between junior and senior years. Advance Camp trains cadets to leadership and Army standards and evaluates their officer leadership potential. Special emphasis will be placed on leadership training. Successful advanced course completion is a prerequisite for appointment.

ROTC Scholarships

The U.S. Army is interested in selecting the best candidates for scholarships, and ultimately, commissioning as the future officer leadership of the U.S. Army. ROTC scholarships cover tuition and fees or room and board, in addition to providing $1,200 each year for books and supplies. Recipients also receive a $420 tax free subsistence allowance each month that classes are attended (up to 10 months/year).

ROTC also awards campus-based scholarships for eligible students. Students must be enrolled in a military science course to compete for a campus-based scholarship. These scholarships cover the same expenses as the national scholarships. Incoming scholarship recipients from the National High School Scholarship Program and currently enrolled Cadets who receive a campus-based scholarship also receive a Loyola University Maryland Army ROTC Scholarship Supplemental Grant. This grant covers full room costs, and it remains in effect each year, provided the Cadet retains eligibility for the ROTC scholarship.

Scholarships are awarded competitively and are based solely on merit/performance. Winners are not precluded from holding other scholarships. Scholarship options include the National High School Scholarship Program and campus-based, U.S. Army Reserve, and Maryland Army National Guard awards.

Officer's Career

Graduates compete to serve full-time in the active Army or may elect for part-time in the Army National Guard or Army Reserve. Upon entering the Army, they will be assigned to a service branch based on education and experience, personal preference, and the needs of the Army. A "branch" is a general field of interest in the Army, such as Aviation, Infantry, Field Artillery, Medical Service, Military Intelligence, Signal Corps, Cyber, etc. The Army fully trains ROTC graduates in their assigned branches at schools lasting from as few as 16 weeks to a year or more.

Some of the opportunities for Army officers include leadership, travel, training, advanced education, promotions, competitive pay and benefits with regular raises for longevity, full medical (including family members) and dental coverage, housing, and 30 days paid vacation a year.

Information

For more information, contact the Military Science Department (300 Radnor), 410‑617‑5179 or jmucci@loyola.edu.

Activity Modules

Color Guard
Ranger Challenge Team
Maryland Army National Guard and U.S. Army Reserves Simultaneous Membership Program

Courses

Military Science