Army ROTC Cyclone Battalion brings home the honors
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The honors keep rolling in for Army ROTC.
Iowa State’s Cyclone Battalion was named the overall number two ROTC program in the 3rd Brigade of the U.S. Army Cadet Command at the end of the fall semester. The 3rd Brigade is made up of 40 senior ROTC programs in the upper Midwest.
ISU again was recognized as the best program in the brigade in training and operations. Each summer all cadets who have completed their junior year attend the challenging ROTC Leadership Development Assessment Course at Fort Lewis, Wash.
“Our cadets excelled in leadership over the summer,” Lt. Col. Rick Smith, commanding officer of the Cyclone Battalion, said. Sixty-one percent of ISU participants earned an “Excellence” rating (highest in the brigade) and 30 percent earned honors as “Top 5” in their platoons. ISU earned the number one “Workload” (Large Program) honor in the brigade in addition to the overall number two ranking.
“We have consistently ranked as one the top programs in the country,” Smith said.
ISU cadets also are excelling in the classroom. Six of 25 cadets recently earning an Army commission were “Distinguished Military Graduates” and three earned high recognition for finishing in the top 10 percent in the country. “Overall, we continue to rank in the top 85th percentile on National Order of Merit list,” Smith said.
In September, the men’s and women’s Ranger Challenge Teams won the TF Dodge/Riley Ranger Challenge competition. Each team won five of 10 possible first-place awards.
Smith added, “We here in Iowa State Army ROTC are committed to producing the highest caliber students, leaders and best future second lieutenants in the country.”
It’s always great to work with the ROTC students, Army, Air Force and Navy/Marine Corps. Their military training means when they say they will do something, they do it. And they’re always on time for appointments. Outstanding men and women.
Make sure you check out the ISU ROTC recruitment video, done by Will Stone and Jess Guess in the LAS Communications Office.
– Steve Jones