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1 1 (December 27, 2019)

handle is hein.crs/govbfxw0001 and id is 1 raw text is: FF.ri E.$~ & Updated December 27, 2019 Defense Primer: Senior Reserve Officer Training Corps The Senior Reserve Officer Training Corps (SROTC) more commonly referred to as the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) is an officer training and scholarship program for postsecondary students authorized under Chapter 103 of Title 10 United States Code. By enrolling in ROTC, students can pursue an undergraduate degree while also training to become U.S. military officers. The military departments Army, Air Force, and Navy manage their own ROTC programs, which are hosted at civilian universities and colleges. The Navy ROTC program includes a Marine Corps option. The Coast Guard, part of the Department of Homeland Security, does not have an ROTC program, but does offer a College Student Pre- Commissioning Initiative (CSPI) that awards scholarships to students at minority-serving institutions and placement in the Coast Guard Officer Candidate School. The military departments provide scholarships and other forms of financial assistance to participating students. In return, students commit to accept an appointment as an officer in the U.S. military upon graduation. The ROTC program is the largest single source of commissioned officers, producing over 6,000 officers annually (see Figure 1). Other major commissioning sources include service academies (the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Military Academy, and the U.S. Air Force Academy); Officer Candidate/Training Schools; and direct appointment. According to DOD budget documents, over 55,000 students were enrolled in ROTC programs in FY2018. Figure I. Commissioned Officer Gains in FY2017 Source: CNA Population Representation in the Military Services. Notes: ROTC includes both scholarship and nonscholarship, OCS/OTS includes Officer Candidates School (OCS), Aviation OCS, Officer Training School (OTS), and Platoon Leaders Course (PLC). During the Civil War, Congress passed the Land Grant Act of 1862 (P.L. 37-130; also called the Morrill Act) to address a shortage of trained military officers. The act provided funding and land to establish public colleges in each state. These colleges taught military tactics along with other subjects. However, the implementation and quality of military instruction across these schools lacked standardization. The National Defense Act of 1916 (P.L. 65-84) abolished the land-grant system for military education and created an ROTC structure to standardize and enhance military training for the Army. In 1925, under P.L 68-611, the Navy was allowed to participate in ROTC. Congress added a naval scholarship program in 1946 (P.L 79-729). In 1964, following a decline in ROTC enrollment, Congress passed the ROTC Vitalization Act (P.L. 88-647). The Act standardized the program across the Army, Navy, and Air Force, and authorized the department secretaries to pay for ROTC participants' educational expenses, including tuition, fees, and books. It capped the number of participants who could receive financial assistance at 16,500 (5,500 for each department). The military departments lifted restrictions on full participation by women in ROTC programs in 1969 (Air Force) and 1972 (Army and Navy). Historically, ROTC programs have been seen by military and civilian stakeholders as an opportunity to augment force structure and foster civilian-military relations. At times, however, the presence of ROTC units and students on campus has been, contentious. During the Vietnam War era, student antiwar protests were widespread, and at several universities ROTC programs were downgraded to an extracurricular or denied access to on-campus facilities and support. As a result, the military shuttered the ROTC programs at some universities. For example, in 1969, the Navy chose not to renew its contract with Yale University following a faculty member vote to disallow academic credit for ROTC courses. In the 1990s, additional controversies around the ROTC program arose due to DOD's admission and separation policy for homosexual individuals. This policy, known as Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT), became law in 1993 as part of the FY1994 National Defense Authorization Act (P.L. 103-160, §571). Some faculty members and students criticized DADT for being discriminatory and some universities barred ROTC programs from their campuses, citing rules protecting LGBTQ individuals from discrimination. In 1996, as part of the FY1996 NDAA (P.L. 104-106, §541), Congress passed legislation that denied certain federal funding to any higher education institution that prohibited or prevented the operation of ROTC units, recruiting activity, or student participation in ROTC on its campus. In 2010, DADT was repealed (P.L. 111-321), and ROTC programs began to re-appear. K~:> p\w -- , gn'a', goo mppm qq\ a , q 'S I 11LIANJILiN,

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