The IU Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps at IU received the 2016 General Douglas MacArthur Award according to an IU press release on Feb. 20.
The award goes to the best ROTC program in the 7th Brigade, which consists of Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan and Tennessee. The award is intended to recognize duty, honor and country, according to an IU press release.
This is the first time IU has been the recipient of the award, which is presented by the U.S. Army Cadet Command and the General Douglas MacArthur Foundation.
“I’m incredibly proud of all of the cadets and cadre in our program,” said Lt. Col. Todd Burkhardt, director and professor of military science at IU Bloomington, in the release. “I want to thank IU for the amazing support that it provides to our program, which truly sets the conditions for our success.”
The award is based on the GPAs of the cadets, the achievement of the school’s commissioning mission, the cadets’ standing on the command’s National Order of Merit List, the cadets’ retention rates, Ranger Challenge competitions, Army training and physicality and the 7th Brigade commander’s assessment and evaluation of the program overall, according to the release.
There are eight ROTC regions in the US. In total, there are 275 programs.
“There are many outstanding programs in the 7th Brigade, all providing students a distinct opportunity to serve their country as an officer in the U.S. Army, Army Reserves or Army National Guard,” said Col. Lance Oskey, brigade commander at the U.S. Army Cadet Command, in the release. “However, this year the top ROTC program in the brigade is Indiana University.”
According to the release, IU has 110 cadets. IU has 24 seniors who will commission and who have all received the military assignment they have asked for. Eight out of the 24 senior cadets were considered to be in the top 20 percent, and four of the eight were considered in the top 10 percent of the country.
Thirty-three percent of IU’s Army ROTC senior class is in the top 20 percent nationwide, and 17 percent is in the top 10 percent, according to the release.
“I am thrilled for IU Army ROTC and proud of the wonderful work of Lt. Col. Todd Burkhardt and his team,” said Lauren Robel, IU Bloomington provost and executive vice president, in the release. “They continue IU’s long tradition of military training, which began in 1840 and is one of the oldest programs of its kind in the country.”
An award ceremony will take place at 11 a.m. March 20 in President’s Hall at Franklin Hall.
Cody Thompson
