100th Anniversary of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps

Floor Speech

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Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I wish to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps, or ROTC, the Nation's training program for commissioned officers of the U.S. Armed Forces. Founded in 1916, ROTC prepares young adults to be leaders in our Nation's Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines. ROTC cadets commit to serving their country in uniform after college graduation in exchange for ROTC assisting with costs associated with their college education.

Although military training took place at civilian colleges and universities in the 19th century, it was not until the National Defense Act of 1916, signed by President Woodrow Wilson, that this training was consolidated under a single entity: the Reserve Officers' Training Corps. ROTC is the largest officer-producing organization within the U.S. military.

In 100 years of history, ROTC has commissioned more than 1 million military officers. The U.S. Army ROTC program started in 1916 with just 46 initial programs, and today it has commissioned more than 600,000 officers at almost 1,000 schools across the Nation, with a presence in every State, as well as Guam and Puerto Rico.

In 2016, Army ROTC has an enrollment of more than 30,000 and produces over 70 percent of the second lieutenants who join the Army, Army National Guard, and U.S. Army Reserve.

Army ROTC is one of the most demanding and strenuous leadership training programs a young person can choose today. ROTC training molded and shaped six Chiefs of Staff of the Army, two Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a current Supreme Court Justice, the current Governor of Kentucky, as well as countless other leaders in government, business, science, sports, and the arts.

For decades, Army ROTC has conducted summer training for many cadets at Fort Knox, KY. In 2013, I was pleased to help Army ROTC get an ROTC training program called the Cadet Leader Course relocated to Fort Knox as well. More than 6,000 cadets attend that particular leadership course at Fort Knox every year since the installation began hosting the program in 2014. In all, over 10,000 cadets attend various summer training courses each year at Fort Knox.

ROTC serves as a vital introduction to life and a career in the military for America's young men and women. Supporting our Armed Forces means supporting ROTC programs at institutions across the country. ROTC creates America's next generation of leaders, in the Armed Forces, and in American life.

I know my colleagues join me in commemorating the 100th anniversary of the creation of our military's ROTC and in thanking the hundreds of thousands of brave cadets who have successfully completed the challenges of the program and gone on to become officers. We are certainly grateful for their service and their sacrifice. Without ROTC, our Nation's military would not be the superior fighting force that is today. I am proud that Kentucky plays a significant role in the training of ROTC cadets.

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