EWU Army ROTC – Eastern Washington University

Welcome to EWU Army ROTC

Fighting Eagles Battalion

We regularly integrate military vehicles and aircraft into training to give cadets a true "Army experience."

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What is Army ROTC?

Eastern Washington University (EWU) Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) is an on-campus leadership development program. All students are welcome to sign up for our Military Science classes along with classes required for an EWU bachelor’s or master’s degree. Our instructors are active duty (full-time) military officers and non-commissioned officers who will help any interested student to develop their leadership skills, but our ultimate purpose is to produce U.S. Army Officers that receive management-level job placement leading soldiers immediately after graduation from EWU. Participation is voluntary, but we do offer full-tuition scholarships if you decide to lead soldiers as a U.S. Army Officer in one of the various Army career fields including infantry, aviation, artillery, nursing, law, cyber, and many more. You don’t need to know which degree or career path you want to choose immediately. We’ll help you find your future – just show up motivated and with an open mind.

The best part? If you are unsure if military service is right for you, ROTC is the only way to explore military service WITHOUT actually being in the military or making an immediate commitment. The first two years of the Military Science curriculum are open to all students regardless of academic standing. Participation in classes does not result in any military obligation. All participants are referred to as “cadets” and we do have a rank structure so that everyone understands the cadet leadership roles and responsibilities within the program. This structure and hierarchy is part of the program that facilitates leadership and management skill development. The last two years are only open to students who have entered a contract with the Army to continue ROTC, earn their degree, and serve as U.S. Army officers after graduation. Completion of the Advanced Course qualifies students to earn a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army. Visit our ROTC News feed to learn more about the programs and activities our cadets are involved in around campus and in the community.

Decide to lead and start your journey with EWU Army ROTC!

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Why should you try out EWU Army ROTC?

There are many reasons why EWU Army ROTC stands out as an amazing opportunity for Eastern students to explore military service. For example, we have nationally recognized instructors, Cadets that have received national recognition, the top ROTC nursing program in the region, above average branching results, among a host of other accomplishments that mean you’ll be in good company to help you on your leadership journey. Whether you decide to commit to military service or not, you’ll come out of ROTC as a stronger, better version of yourself in ways you never imagined. If you do commit, we have full-tuition scholarships available and a litany of other benefits via the SMP program so you can finish college with little to no student debt and a have a paid position waiting for you as a U.S. Army officer after graduation. You can truly be all you can be through ROTC!

*Photo: A cadet rappelling during one of our leadership labs This is one of many basic military skills we’ll teach you during classes and hands-on lab training. No contract required!*

Photo: We arranged to have Cadet Mykenzie Belliotti (business major) spend time shadowing a platoon leader in charge of AH-64 Apache Attack Helicopters. It helped solidify her desire to become an Aviation Officer. We provide these kinds of opportunities to help our cadets determine the U.S. Army career field they want to serve in after graduation from EWU.

Scholarships

Whether you are a college-bound high school student or already attending college, Army ROTC has full-tuition scholarships available for a degree of our choice – to include nursing school! Scholarships are awarded based on academic, athletic, and leadership merit, not financial need. All scholarships fully pay tuition and mandatory fees – or students can opt for $12,000 per year room and board scholarship to spend at their discretion. Scholarships also provide a $1,200 allowance for books as well as a $420 monthly personal living allowance while in school. Army ROTC scholarships are divided into two categories: 4-year and 3-year National Scholarships (for high school seniors) and 4, 3, and 2-year Campus-Based Scholarships (for incoming or current college students). We want you to be successful as possible at receiving a scholarship, so please read our walkthrough guide on how to apply for a ROTC National Scholarship as well as our Top 10 Tips for a Successful ROTC National Scholarship Application to get you started. Visit our EWU ROTC Scholarships page for more information.

Photo: Cadet Drew Kimmel earned a scholarship worth nearly $30,000 to complete his Masters in Organizational Leadership and will receive management-level job placement after graduation as a U.S. Army Officer.

Cadets Koepke (left) and Neumann (right) received full-tuition scholarships for nursing school. After graduation they’ll serve as U.S. Army Nurses taking care of soldiers and their families at a military hospital or clinic.

A Week in the Life of a Cadet

All students registered for ROTC classes are referred to as “Cadets” and they are integrated into a organizational structure that provides a military-like experience. Cadets will have one class a week, physical fitness training in the morning three times a week (generally Monday, Wednesday, Friday), a squad/platoon meeting with fellow cadets at a time that works well for everyone, and a leadership laboratory (lab) on Thursday afternoon where cadets get extensive hands-on practice with leadership and basic military skills such as drill and ceremony, land navigation, rappelling, rifle marksmanship, tactics, etc. The physical training sessions are meant to be team-building events and to build individual confidence through physical strength improvement. The ROTC program has its own gym as well, so cadets can come between or after classes to work out together or with one of our military faculty members (called cadre). If getting in shape is one of your goals the EWU ROTC program can help you do that without the cost of a personal trainer. Cadets only wear a uniform for official ROTC training or events, meaning you get the full college student experience with all the benefits of being part of ROTC.

EWU ROTC also provides a number of extracurricular activities for both contracted and non-contracted Cadets. All Cadets can try out for our annual Ranger Challenge team. The team competes each fall quarter in a regional competition that tests the Cadets physical and mental stamina in a variety of military related events. All Cadets can also participate in our Cannon Crew and Color Guard teams that support the university’s sports teams and important events.

*Photo: Cadets conducting fitness training on Roos Field.*

Photo: Cadets can join the Cannon Crew, which involves firing off a 75mm howitzer at football games and to start race events on campus. Our howitzer was used in WWII and other wars, so cadets get to experience a fun piece of history!

Internships, Language Bonus Pay, and Cultural Immersion Opportunities

Project GO – Project Global Officer (GO) is a nationwide program open to all qualified ROTC students offering fully-funded opportunities in critical language education, overseas study, and cross-cultural experience generally during the summer. Through Project GO, future military officers develop linguistic and cross-cultural communication skills required for effective leadership for all Services in the 21st century operational environment.

Critical Languages Incentive Pay – Bonus (CLIP-B) – Contracted cadets are eligible for a bonus of up to $835 per credit or $3,000 a year for top-tier languages in addition to their scholarship or SMP benefits. EWU ROTC Cadet can earn this on campus or via Project GO over the summer.

Internships – Contracted cadets can participate in any number of fully-funded internships paid for by the U.S. Army. These include forensic internships at national laboratories, cyberspace operations internships, nuclear security internships, etc. More information and types of internships can be found here.

Alumni example: 2nd Lieutenant (2LT) Corina Lindsey (Class of 2022) took advantage of the CLIP-B program to learn Japanese and she is now stationed in Japan as an Air Defense Artillery Officer. She is using her language skills daily and she is getting access to unique cultural experiences such as learning traditional Japanese archery.

*Photo: 2LT Lindsey (left) with LTC Stafford (former EWU Professor of Military Science) in Japan next to an air defense system that 2LT Lindsey is responsible for.*

Photo: 2LT Lindsey (right) taking traditional archery classes in Japan.

Contact us today to see how we can help you find your future as a leader in one of many different career fields in the U.S. Army!

For anyone interested in finding out more information about the ROTC program we invite you to stop by our offices at Cadet Hall on the EWU campus or contact us by email or phone.

Department of Military Science
202 Cadet Hall
Cheney, WA 99004
email: rotc@ewu.edu
phone: 509-359-6110
fax: 509.359.6108

Photo: 1980s advertisement in the campus newspaper. Still rings true today and our Enrollment Officer still sits in room 201 of Cadet Hall here on campus!