Military Science Department / 42
Faculty Liaison to Military Science: Mark Corson
U.S. Army Faculty: Lieutenant Colonel Shay Howard, Master Sergeant Joseph Wilson, Sergeant First Class Grady DuBose
Statement of Mission
The Army Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) provides an opportunity for qualified college students to pursue a commission in the United States Army while attending college as a full-time student. The program also provides the general student body the opportunity to attend leadership and confidence building classes without incurring a military obligation. A commission as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army, Army Reserve or National Guard is awarded to individuals who have successfully completed the ROTC program and obtain a baccalaureate degree from Northwest Missouri State University.
Northwest Missouri State University has a partnership agreement with Missouri Western State University in order to provide the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) program to Northwest Missouri State University students. Other partnership schools include Rockhurst University, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Benedictine College, Park College and Avila College. These combined schools constitute the Pony Express ROTC Battalion.
Program Descriptions
Four-year ROTC Program
This program consists of 26 credit hours of Military Science offered on cam-pus: six credit hours from the basic ROTC program MILS 100- and 200-level courses, and 20 credit hours from the advanced ROTC program MILS 300- and 400-level courses. First-time sophomores who did not take Military Science during the freshman year may compress the basic program during their sophomore year by taking a 100- and a 200-level course (for 3 credit hours total) for two trimesters.
Two-year ROTC Program
This program option is designed for junior- and senior-level students who were unable to enroll in ROTC during their first two academic years. As a prereq-uisite, the two-year program substitutes a paid five-week leadership internship at Fort Knox, Ken., for the MILS 100- and 200-level courses. This Basic Course Qualification is designed for students with no prior military training. Students must attend in the summer between their sophomore and junior years to qualify for the program.
Financial Assistance
Financial assistance is available through the U.S. Army Scholarship Program. Two- and three-year scholarships are awarded each year to selected students who are enrolled or will enroll in the Army ROTC program. The scholarships provide payment directly to the college for applicable tuition and fees. Each student receives a textbook allowance of $1,200 annually paid in two incre-ments of $600. In addition, a tiered monthly tax-free stipend is paid directly to the student for the duration of the scholarship, not to exceed 10 months for each year of the scholarship. These scholarships are available for both un-dergraduate and graduate students. Non-scholarship contracted cadets in the advanced course also receive the tiered monthly tax-free stipend, not to ex-ceed 10 months per year for two years. Students are furnished free textbooks for military science classes.
The Simultaneous Membership Program (SMP) allows students to be a member of a National Guard or Reserve unit while enrolled in ROTC. Ad-vanced-course SMP students receive E5 pay, plus the tiered monthly tax-free stipend from ROTC, tuition assistance, and any Active Duty GI Bill entitlement.
The tiered stipend pay is: first year contracted cadets MSI, $300; second year MSII, $350; third year MSIII, $450; and 4th year MSIV, $500; per month not to exceed 10 months of the year.
Commission Requirements
This program requires all students seeking a commission to attend a paid four-week advanced training camp, normally the summer between the junior and senior years, at Fort Lewis, Wash. Attendance at camp may be deferred until after the senior year for exceptional cases with the recommendation of the chairperson of Military Science and approval from the ROTC chain of command.