Military Science (Army ROTC)

Welcome to the Army ROTC Southern Guards Battalion at Wofford College!

Army ROTC is our Nation’s oldest and long-standing leadership development course that is offered at 274 colleges throughout the United States and its territories. Through classes and field training, Army ROTC provides you with the tools to become an Army Officer without interrupting your academic coursework. We welcome athletes to participate and will work with the individual needs of each student to accommodate the demands of their athletic and Army requirements to ensure success in both.

On-campus students can compete for a two or three-year scholarship to off-set tuition costs, and high school students can compete for a four-year scholarship click here to learn more. Wofford students who are awarded an Army ROTC scholarship automatically qualify for the Wofford ROTC Scholarship which covers room and board. This means college is at no-cost to you!

Graduates of ROTC have a 100% guaranteed employment rate upon graduation in a number of Army disciplines to include, but not limited to, Military Intelligence, Aviation, Engineering, Cyber, and Healthcare. Service to county doesn’t always mean full-time military service on Active Duty. Some Cadets may wish to pursue part-time military service in the National Guard or the Army Reserve while in Army ROTC, thus qualifying them for benefits such as the Minuteman Scholarship, G.I. Bill, in-state tuition and more! Do you have what it takes?

History

To date, more than 2,000 young men and women representing the Southern Guards Battalion have been commissioned through the program at Wofford College. Twenty-two officers have become general officers; one officer receiving the Congressional Medal of Honor. For more information, view this article about ROTC’s history.

Leading Across

Leading Across
In ROTC, we begin to develop leadership skills by teaching our Cadets to lead their peers. Leading expert, John Maxwell, refers to this as leading across. Many leaders think that leadership flows in one direction: from top to bottom. But if leadership is influence––nothing more, nothing less––then leadership can flow from bottom to top and from side to side. Leading across means that you can successfully lead your peers–– a challenge faced in both corporate America and in the military (John Maxwell, The 360 Degree Leader).

Military Honors

Military Honors
The Southern Guards Battalion Color Guard is one of the most high-profile student groups on campus. This group gives Cadets the chance to demonstrate their abilities to perform more advanced facing and marching movements, as well as display our Nation’s colors in a honorable and dignified manner. Color Guard members demonstrate their new found talents at home football games, basketball games and several memorials and ceremonies surrounding the Spartanburg community.

Featured Alumni

Featured Alumni
To serve his campus and his country – introducing Second Lieutenant (2LT) John Martin Reed ’23. 2LT Reed was the boss behind Boss! He proudly served as the school mascot during his four years at Wofford. 2LT Reed managed to attend athletic events and college celebrations as Wofford’s mascot while balancing academics, ROTC and a job as a resident assistant. Conquer and Prevail!