Features

GSU’s ROTC battalion serves vital purpose for U.S. Army

Grambling State University is a historically black college in Northern Louisiana, well known for the World Famed Tiger Marching Band and the Tiger football team. But history on campus goes deeper than that. 

The Grambling State University Army ROTC Tiger Battalion has a lot of history as well.

The GSU Army ROTC Battalion has been one of the prominent key additions on the campus.  The Tiger Battalion was established at GSU in 1994. Col. Leon Jenkins was the Battalion Commander when the detachment opened. 

There have been many professors of military science instructors since 1994. Lt. Col. La’Darien Franklin was the most recent previous PMS, serving from 2011 to 2014. Grambling State’s current battalion commander is Lt. Col. Denise Moultrie.

Grambling State University teams with the University of Louisiana at Monroe and Louisiana Tech University in a joint partnership. This allows students to come from ULM and Tech to join in and take ROTC classes at Grambling. 

The GSU Tiger Battalion’s purpose on campus is to provide future officers in the United States Army. 

Grambling being an HBCU provides African American officers in the Army to help improve cultural diversity in the military. The Army has evolved much since President Harry Truman in 1948 signed an order ending segregation in the military, allowing for many different ethnic groups to serve the United States of America. 

African American Army officers make up 13 percent of officers in the military. GSU provides many of these officers.

There are many benefits that cadets receive from Army ROTC. It helps to discipline their mindset, apply leadership skills, become efficient and professional, and assist with financial needs. If students join late and miss the first two years of ROTC, they attend summer training camp to learn leadership skills, improve tactics skills, understand military lifestyle and get on the same level as the other cadets. 

Overall the Tiger Battalion is here to open doors for better opportunities after college and provide the United States with great officers.