Baylor ROTC programs proudly prepare Bears for military service

Baylor’s long history of military education dates back at least as far as 1888 — just a couple of years after BU settled in Waco. Over the years, Baylor has prepared a long line of future military officers through the Air Force ROTC and Army ROTC programs; today, these programs offer students the option to earn their degrees while preparing for careers as officers in the U.S. military.

Baylor’s Air Force ROTC program (Detachment 810) was formed in 1948, just 10 months after the Air Force was created as a separate military branch. AFROTC gives men and women the opportunity to become Air Force officers while completing their college degrees. Detachment 810 was named the No. 1 large detachment in the nation in 2008, and was recognized among the top four in the country in 1996, 2003 and 2008.

“Our students are always surrounded by determined men and women who are ready to make a difference in the world for our country,” says Captain Rodney Wilkinson, Baylor AFROTC recruiting officer. “But what’s more important to us is our commitment to a life of integrity, humble service and excellence.”

Baylor’s Army ROTC program (the “Bear Battalion“) can trace its lineage back through a variety of on-again, off-again military education programs as far back as 1891. Its current ROTC form began training and commissioning officers in 2008. Aside from physical training, Baylor Corps of Cadets members participate in a wide variety of campus activities, from playing varsity football to marching in the band, serving in student government, and helping lead countless student organizations.

“Our program is designed with the Baylor cadet in mind,” says Captain Shenika Lewis, recruiting operations officer for Baylor Army ROTC. “We’re humbled to say our Bear Battalion helps produce approximately 60% of the Second Lieutenants who join active forces.”

Thank you to our current ROTC members, past ROTC graduates, and all those in the Baylor Family who have dedicated their lives to serving our country and others around the world as members of the U.S. military.

Sic ’em, Bears!

You might also like:
* Happy 70th birthday, Baylor AFROTC! (May 2018)
* Baylor AFROTC student earns prestigious Pentagon internship (April 2016)
* For this U.S. Naval commander, service began at Baylor (Oct. 2014)
* Baylor engineering grads show they have ‘The Right Stuff’ (Feb. 2014)
* Baylor nursing, ROTC alum putting her training to work in Afghanistan (May 2013)