Truman ROTC Program to Continue Operations

The U.S. Army Cadet Command will continue its affiliation with the University’s ROTC program for the foreseeable future.  

At the end of June, Truman’s program was one of more than 80 across the country slated for inactivation or reclassification as part of the Army Transformation Initiative. After extensive input from President Sue Thomas, members of the Board of Governors, the TSU Alumni Regiment, members of the Missouri federal delegation and friends of the University on the state and federal levels, the Truman ROTC program is no longer in consideration for inactivation.

In a letter from the Department of the Army dated Sept. 2, Brigadier General Maurice O. Barnett informed President Thomas the Truman ROTC program will be reclassified to an extension unit and merge with the University of Missouri Columbia Army ROTC program. He went on to add “[t]he Army recognizes the integral role Truman State plays in developing exceptional leaders” and that the University’s program “will remain a distinct unit preserving the historical significance of the program.” 

Truman’s program will retain its distinct heraldry, unit patch, Battalion designation and history. The Army will continue to offer classes on campus. 

“The Bulldog Battalion has been an integral part of Truman for 56 years,” President Thomas said. “We are enormously proud of our ROTC graduates who admirably and impressively serve the country. They are leaders who demonstrate critical thinking, problem-solving and communication skills – skills that are essential for the armed forces of today and the future.”

The ROTC program began at the University in the 1969-70 academic year. In 2023, the Truman program was ranked No. 12 among the 270 programs nationwide by the Cadet Command. Those rankings were derived from a variety of metrics calculated yearly during the fall semester including academic excellence across all classes that students are enrolled in, physical fitness, leadership development and aptitude as evaluated during summer training opportunities.