Aggie Battalion Army ROTC History

Aggie Battalion History

The Morrill Land-Grant Acts, more specifically, the Morrill Act of 1862 and 1890, provided for military training at state colleges in return for federally controlled lands and funds. The concept of military training on the North Carolina A&T campus began in 1919 when the Department of the Army established an Infantry Branch of the Senior Reserve Officers' Training Corps at the university.

Lt. Robert L. Campbell, a recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross, was appointed as the first Professor of Military Science (PMS) along with his assistant, Sergeant Wilburn Green. Lt. Campbell departed North Carolina A&T State University in November of that year due to other military obligations and was replaced by a civilian. Sergeant Green remained at the university and continued working with the cadets until 1926. In 1936, Captain. Campbell returned to North Carolina A&T once again to serve as the PMS and once again the program was under military control and obtained a Junior ROTC designation and was identified as 55 Charlie. The ROTC program remained a Junior unit until September 1942, when it received Senior status and was designated as a Branch Specific Unit (Infantry). In 1947, eight Second Lieutenants were commissioned and branched into Infantry.

In 1954, the Branch Specific Unit (Infantry) was converted to a General Military Science (GMS) unit. At the discretion of the university, ROTC became an elective course in September of 1968. The ROTC unit at North Carolina A&T State University is currently designated as the First ROTC Region Instructor Group, Senior Division, and branch affiliated with the Transportation Corps.

Since its inception, the University's Army ROTC program has become a partnership in Nursing School. It has also expanded to bringing students from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Bennett College, Elon University, Greensboro College, Guilford College, and High Point College. To date, the North Carolina A&T State University Army ROTC program has commissioned over 1,775 officers since 1947.