The U.S. Army no longer plans to cut the ROTC unit at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.
After announcing the unit’s closure this summer, the U.S. Army Cadet Command said the unit will continue under a new structure.
Instead of serving as a host unit, UW-Oshkosh will be an extension unit of Marquette University’s ROTC program, the U.S. Army Cadet Command told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Sept. 11.
Host units are senior ROTC programs with full-time ROTC staff based on campus where cadets train and take classes. Extension units are linked to host institutions but allow cadets to take ROTC courses on their own campus.
The U.S. Army initially announce closing the unit in June, with the cut planned to take effect after this school year. Officials tied the program elimination to the Trump administration’s deferred resignation program, which encouraged federal employees to leave their jobs while continuing to receive pay through September.
Nearly 170 Cadet Command civilian workers resigned. That’s about 12% of its workforce, prompting the cuts.
Feedback from community leaders and others, however, led to the change of course.
About 40 students were participating in the ROTC program at UW-Oshkosh, Provost Ed Martini said in July. About half of the students were enrolled at UW-Oshkosh, with the rest attending other schools in the Fox Valley region.
“We continue working closely with our ARMY/ROTC colleagues to help revive a program that will best serve students and ensure their successful advancement,” UW-Oshkosh spokesperson Alex Hummel wrote in an Sept. 9 email. “We anticipate more positive developments and good news to report to all of our stakeholders in the weeks ahead.”
The Cadet Command announced ROTC unit closures at nine other universities nationally.
These previous host programs will now be retained as extension units:
The Cadet Command did not mention any reversal in its decision to reorganize 40 other ROTC host units to extension units in its statement to the Journal Sentinel. Among the 40 units being reorganized was UW-Stevens Point.
ROTC programs are available at about 900 campuses, including more than a dozen in Wisconsin. There are also Junior ROTC programs at high schools across the country.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: U.S. Army reverses cuts for ROTC unit at UW-Oshkosh and other colleges, but plans changes
Reporting by Kelly Meyerhofer, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
