Army ROTC courses return to Southeastern
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
by: Rene Abadie
HAMMOND – Southeastern Louisiana University will re-initiate its on-campus U.S. Army
Reserve Officer Training Program (ROTC) in the spring 2016 semester, university officials
announced.
The program, originally started at Southeastern in 1969 during the Vietnam War,
was closed in 1995 due in large part to declining numbers and retrenchment by the
military as a result of budget constraints. More than a thousand students are estimated
to have gone through the program during those years.
The program is an enhancement of the partnership programs that developed with
LSU and Southern University in Baton Rouge after the Southeastern ROTC classes were
no longer offered on campus.
“We are pleased to re-introduce our students to ROTC military science classes
on the Southeastern campus. Increasingly, students are looking for options that include
military service, either for several years or as career,” said President John L. Crain.
“Southeastern’s previous experience with ROTC was successful in helping to prepare
future military leaders. We wanted to make this an easier option for those students
seeking to become officers.”
During the break in operations, Crain said Southeastern students were still able
to participate in ROTC, but had to take their military courses through Southern University’s
Navy program or LSU’s Army and Air Force programs. Participating Southeastern students,
however, had to travel to Baton Rouge in order to participate. This brings the program
back to Southeastern’s campus.
The university and the Army ROTC have started recruiting interested students to
enter the program next semester. For more information on the ROTC program, contact
admissions@southeastern.edu.
Gary Sandifer of Hammond, who entered the ROTC program in 1971 and is a founding
member of Southeastern’s ROTC Alumni Chapter, said he was excited to learn the university
was adding the program to its curriculum.
“Dr. Crain deserves a lot of credit for this; when he was convinced of the value
of ROTC, he put this project on the fast track,” Sandifer said.
ROTC Alumni Chapter President Steve Worth of Hammond also expressed his happiness
about the reinstatement decision.
“It was a great experience, and I’m glad to see Southeastern students will have
this option once again,” said Worth, who served 13 years in the Army as a Black Hawk
test pilot. “ROTC taught me a lot in the areas of leadership and how to work with
people.”
The ROTC Alumni Chapter has approximately 35 members and raises funds to provide
scholarships for ROTC participants.
Southeastern has been named a “Military Friendly School” by Victory Media four
times in the last several years for demonstrating its commitment to assisting active
and reserve military service members in a wide range of areas.