ROTC Turns 100

At U.S. Army Cadet Command, we take great pride in the role our ROTC graduates played in virtually every aspect of life during this critical time period. Since ROTC came into existence on June 3, 1916, over 600,000 men and women have earned a commission through the program. Lean Years Isolationism and the resulting smaller standing Army did not produce a favorable environment for ROTC in the wake of World War I. During these lean years, Army ROTC efforts focused on producing officers for the Army Reserve. Each subsequent commander has built on Wagner's success. Since the onset of the global war on terrorism, the quality of ROTC-trained officers has won high praise.