It is an honor and echelon the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh’s Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) – and, it is believed, any similar program at UW System institutions – has not earned in recent history.
UW Oshkosh’s ROTC program earned a top ranking among 43 college and university programs in the north central United States at the recent 3rd U.S. Army ROTC Brigade Professor of Military Science and Senior Military Instructor Conference in Great Lakes Naval Training Center in Chicago, Ill. The rankings are based on program assessments made by the 3rd Army ROTC Regional Headquarters in Chicago.
ROTC programs were ranked basked on cadet performance, training management, cadet management/administration, logistics, marketing and recruiting and command inspection evaluations.
“This award is as much a part of the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh as it is the military science department,” said Lt. Col. Frederick Toti, of the Fox Valley ROTC program cadre and professor of Military Science at UW Oshkosh.
“Our performance simply could not have been achieved without the strong support from the university leadership. Our relationship with the College of Letters and Science and admissions, registrar and athletic departments have been critically important to the success of the ROTC program here. It is the finest model of support for all ROTC programs anywhere,” Toti said.
The program ratings and ultimate rankings are part of a three-year overall compliance evaluation. That evaluation is comprehensive, examining program operations to cadet performance, including performance at the 2014 Army ROTC National Leadership Development and Assessment Camp where nine of 21 UW Oshkosh ROTC cadets ascending from junior to senior years earned “excellent” ratings on leadership, military skills and other performance measures. Five of those nine received “top-five” evaluations, meaning they were among the top five performing cadets among the 50 in their camp platoons.
Kent Sorensen, enrollment and scholarship officer with UW Oshkosh Army ROTC, said schools competing for the top north-central program ranking include some of the most prestigious universities in our country.
“It reflects highly on the quality and desire to excel of our students who are predominantly from high schools and communities throughout Wisconsin,” Sorensen said.
At UW Oshkosh, ROTC cadets also study Military Science, an elective managerial training program designed to develop students for leadership positions and responsibility as junior officers in the U.S. Army, Army Reserve or the Army National Guard.
Army ROTC at UW Oshkosh allows outstanding college students to become part-time or full-time commissioned officers in the US Army. The ROTC curriculum encourages critical thinking, goal setting and problem solving through an interdisciplinary study of leadership and managerial principles.
UW Oshkosh is home to the Army ROTC Fox Valley Battalion, one of more than 270 host programs across the country. Programs are also offered through the Fox Valley Battalion on the St. Norbert, Ripon College, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and Marian University campuses.
The rankings are the most recent recognition of UW Oshkosh’s support for active military members and veterans. UW Oshkosh has been ranked military friendly by GI Jobs magazine and Military Advanced Education journal. The institution most recently earned another “Best for Vets” distinction by Gannett Government Media’s Military Times for 2015.
History of Army ROTC at UW Oshkosh
Army ROTC at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh was established as a host institution in 1968 and first produced officers in 1970. Partnership ROTC units under the host are established at St. Norbert College, Ripon College, UW-Green Bay and Marian University.
These five programs combine with UW Oshkosh’s host program to form the Fox Valley Senior Army ROTC Battalion. The battalion is headquartered at the UW Oshkosh Kolf Sports Center, a modern facility with all the latest instructional support capabilities. These capabilities include 10 separate offices, a dedicated classroom, rifle range and supply room.
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