Army ROTC

By Lt. Col. Daniel Harrison

At Virginia Tech’s Army ROTC program, the New River Battalion (NRB), cadets consistently prove to be national top-tier performers and future leaders. As is true in the Corps, here in the NRB, the pursuit of excellence is more than a tradition – it’s the standard! Our mission is to recruit, develop, and commission officers of impeccable character and competence, capable of thriving in chaos as servant leaders, dedicated to lifelong service to our nation. VT AROTC received the 2022 and 2023 General Douglas MacArthur Leadership award for being the best battalion in 1st Brigade, U.S. Army Cadet Command, which includes all the military colleges, as well as the recipient of the DoD ROTC Partnership Excellence Award ranking the NRB first out of 274 Army ROTC programs nationwide in both 2023 and 2024, back-to-back champions! The NRB is the first Army ROTC program to win this award twice! The cadets of the New River Battalion have earned these accolades and a sterling reputation through consistent excellence in training, leadership development, and academic achievement. For the last eight years, Virginia Tech’s Army ROTC program has been the most preferred by national scholarship applicants, attracting the nation’s best to our ranks.

The cadre and staff of the NRB approach the training and development of our cadets as if leading them into combat. This mindset of making the most of the time we have to prepare and improve permeates down to the lowest levels, starting with physical readiness training between three to five times a week, in the classroom during developmental military science classes, and in both leadership labs and field training exercises. This sets conditions for the NRB to truly be a cadet-led organization, as our senior cadets plan, resource, synchronize, and execute the NRB’s training as leader-trainers for the underclassmen, but also as platoon, company, and battalion leadership. This incremental and developmental approach to creating junior officers sets NRB cadets on a very positive trajectory and prepares them extremely well for service as commissioned officers in our Army.

One of the key elements that sets the NRB apart from other ROTC programs and even other military colleges is the unparalleled access to elite summer training opportunities. This summer, we sent more cadets to summer training opportunities and badge-producing schools than any other ROTC program in the country: 22 cadets graduated from Air Assault School, two cadets completed the Basic Airborne Course and earned their jump wings, one cadet graduated the Jungle Operations Training Course and earned the Jungle Tab, one cadet was the Honor Graduate of the Basic Military Mountaineering Course, and 25 cadets participated in the Cadet Troop Leader Training (CTLT) program gaining real-world leadership experience within Army units around the world. Additionally, 10 cadets completed DoD-sponsored internships, three attended Cadet Field Training at the U.S. Military Academy with one earning the coveted Recondo Badge alongside his peers at West Point, and 18 others attended various training programs across the Army. Finally, three cadets earned certifications in other badge-producing courses, continuing the NRB’s mission of development for future officers in the United States Army.  

Looking ahead, Virginia Tech Army ROTC is poised to make history. The New River Battalion is projected to commission 150+ cadets in Fiscal Year 2025, which will be the largest Army ROTC cohort from Virginia Tech since 138 were commissioned in 1969, and potentially since 1958! The combination of developmental training, elite summer opportunities, and hands-on leadership development allows our program to continue to set the standard for Army ROTC nationwide. With a focus on developing leaders who are adaptable, resilient, and ready to serve in an increasingly complex global environment, the New River Battalion is shaping the future of the United States Army, one cadet at a time.