Each member of the Class of 1863, or University Greys, left the University of Mississippi to take up arms for the Confederacy during the Civil War, but all the young men died or were severely wounded.
After this tragedy, the university put a new importance on proper military training, and after several years, the University of Mississippi branch of the ROTC program was established on March 11, 1936.
Today, the program offers many opportunities for learning and traveling as well as teaching students how to lead and harmonize as a team.
To join the ROTC program, students must have at least a 2.8 GPA, be able to pass a physical fitness test, which includes pushups, sit-ups and a two-mile run. Entering as a freshman, members will be placed in what is called MS1 where they cover basic military customs, uniform appearance, drill and ceremony.
Every morning at 6, all members gather at the Tad Pad Coliseum on campus to begin their daily physical fitness routine. The cadets can be seen during this time running various routes on campus or hitting the gym for strength training.
Every Thursday, cadets are required to wear their uniforms throughout the day for LAB day. From 2 to 5 p.m., they cover land navigation, tactics and team building exercises.
As a junior (MS3), members must go to summer training for 30 days, where they will be accessed from various cadre from all over the US. Then they are ranked and contracted. That means that they will be locked in and owe the Active Army, National Guard or Reserve 3-5 of service years after graduation. This also means that they will then begin receiving tuition, books and a monthly stipend for additional expenses.
The scholarships aren’t limited to juniors, however. The ROTC offers a wide variety of scholarships to each branch of the armed services. The Army, for example, provides two-, three- and four-year scholarships to individuals who agree to serve on active duty in the reserves.
The ROTC opens up great windows of opportunity. For instance, members have the opportunity to got to Airborne school, Air Assault school and CULP, where they travel overseas to destinations like Germany or Japan to train with their Armies at no cost.
“It takes a lot of sacrifice to do ROTC and juggle school work at same time. Getting up early to run, workout and do school work as well as ROTC class takes a lot of discipline but the rewards are endless,” Master Sergeant Christopher Hayes said. “(You) get paid to stay in shape, have school paid for, and serve your country.”
Once a student graduates and begins their service, thus begins their career as an officer. As a graduate of the Army ROTC program, he or she will be commissioned as a second lieutenant.
Rachel Vanderford is a HottyToddy.com staff reporter and can be reached at rmvander@go.olemiss.edu.
Ole Miss' ROTC Program Not for the Meek
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