'Four-Star' ROTC Unit
News
The Army ROTC "Duke Battalion" at James Madison University has earned the prestigious MacArthur Award for 2010 in recognition of its place as one of the top eight ROTC units in the nation. The battalion received the high honor previously in 1992, 1998 and 2004.
Awarded by U.S. Army Cadet Command in conjunction with the General Douglas MacArthur Foundation, the honor recognizes battalions' performance based on the ideals of MacArthur. The MacArthur Award was established in 1989 to honor units in accomplishing their missions of training and commissioning the majority of the lieutenants entering the Army each year.
The award is based on performance from October 2009 through September 2010. During that time, the Duke Battalion greatly exceeded its goal of training and commissioning 24 men and women by commissioning 34 lieutenants.
"This award shows the hard work the Duke Battalion cadets, instructors and human resources staff all have done and continue to do and also represents the contributions of those who came before us," said Lt. Col. Robert E. Pettit III, commander of the battalion. "It also awards the tremendous support we receive locally at JMU and from our alumni. I'm extremely proud of the cadets and cadre in the Department of Military Science and look forward to continuing this tradition of excellence."
U.S. Army Cadet Command comprises 273 units nationwide. The Duke Battalion is part of the Cadet Command's 4th Brigade, headquartered at Fort Bragg, N.C. A total of 38 college and university ROTC battalions make up the 4th Brigade.
JMU's battalion joins Texas A&M University, St. Johns University, the University of Minnesota at Twin Cities, Texas Christian University, Georgia Southern University, Western Kentucky University and Pacific Lutheran University in earning the MacArthur Award for 2010.
A formal, public ceremony acknowledging the award will be announced, Pettit said.
Related Links:
Duke Battalion website - https://www.jmu.edu/rotc/
Be the Change Operation Purple Pride website: https://www.jmu.edu/bethechange/operation-purple-pride.shtml
