I'm a Buckeye from Ohio. I don't know of your history and traditions, but I like what I see.
stoneyjr78 said:
"Sir, there were 18,000 aggies who served during WWII, more than any other school including the United States Military Academy at West Point NY."
"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friend. John 15:13. This memorial is dedicated to those aggies who died for their country since WWII. Here is inscribed in spirit and bronze a tribute to their valor and devotion to their country. Gift of the classes of 1967, 68, 69, 70, 71, and 72."
"Governor Cokes' advice to the students was "let your watchword be duty. Know no other talisman of success than labor. Let honor be your guiding star in your dealings with your superiors, your fellows, and with all. Be true to a trust reposed as to the needle to the pole, stand by the right even to the sacrifice of life itself and and learn that death is preferable than dishonor."
TAMU has a uniformed corps of cadets that runs between 2,000 and 3,000 with ROTC mandatory for the freshman and sophomore years. At the end of the sophomore year, contracts can be signed with the cadets choice in services of Army, Navy, Marine, Air Force, and Coast Guard depending on the needs of the service. I don't know about the Space Force. Typically, the cadets score a little higher on grades than the rest of the student body. Cadets can also apply for military and civilian scholarships. There is physical training, discipline, mandatory call to quarters for studying, and strict regulations against hazing as defined by state law. There is a tremendous camaraderie. Aggie cadets do well in competition with other ROTC cadets. It can be harder and lonelier for minorities but the university snd cadre are heavily recruiting so the cadet corps will show the diversity of the state.
Aggies have done very well in the military and business. It's engineering and agriculture areas are superb. I hope this answers some of your questions.
cavscout96 said:
TAMC was chartered under the Morrill Land Grant of 1862
First proposed when Morrill was serving in the House of Representatives, the Morrill Land Grant College Act of 1862 set aside federal lands to create colleges to "benefit the agricultural and mechanical arts." The president signed the bill into law on July 2, 1862. It granted each state 30,000 acres of western land, to be distributed by each senator and representative, and funded the construction of agricultural and mechanical schools.
In addition to agriculture and engineering, the curriculum included compulsory military training (pre-ROTC).
Due to unfortunate circumstances in the early to mid 1860's, the establishment of TAMC was delayed until 1876.
Participation in the Cadet Corps remained compulsory until the late 1960's.
Langenator said:
Another interesting bit of A&M trivia: in 1917 (when membership in the Corps of Cadets was mandatory), following the U.S. declaration of war against Germany in April, A&M did not hold a graduation ceremony in May.
Because the entire senior class had volunteered for the Army.
AgBQ-00 said:
We are one of five designated Senior Military Colleges. The others being VMI, Virginia Tech, Norwich, and the Citadel. A&M offers commissions into all branches of the military and provides the military with a ton of officers. Historically we have had former students participate in every US foreign engagement since the Spanish-American war, and have the honor of having 8 former students receive the Medal of Honor.
MOH Recipients
Link to Corps of Cadet information
Langenator said:
Another interesting bit of A&M trivia: in 1917 (when membership in the Corps of Cadets was mandatory), following the U.S. declaration of war against Germany in April, A&M did not hold a graduation ceremony in May.
Because the entire senior class had volunteered for the Army.
Quote:
On this month 100 years ago, administrators at the institution that would become Texas A&M University canceled graduation ceremonies the only time ever in the history of the campus and released all seniors for active military duty as the country went to war against Germany.
Most of the approximately 120 cadets at the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas underwent military training at a camp in Leon Springs, Texas. A few members of the class were sent to Houston for naval training, and a small number went to Parris Island in South Carolina to be trained as Marines.
Ultimately, four members of the Class of 1917 died in the war effort, including three in France and one stateside during training..
Now, a century later, the Board of Regents at the Texas A&M University System unanimously passed a resolution honoring the Class of 1917.
Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp said the members of the Class of 1917 will be remembered as some of the most courageous and most dedicated students to ever be part of the A&M family.
"The members of the Class of 1917 were heroes," Chancellor Sharp said. "Their selfless service stands as a model for all of us."
Speaking for the Board of Regents, Chairman Cliff Thomas said the Class of 1917 deserves to be honored and remembered.
"The Board of Regents always will remember the sacrifices of the Class of 1917," Chairman Thomas said. "Those young cadets exemplify the core values that we hold in such esteem as Aggies."
Agreed!Rabid Cougar said:
This is the highest of all Aggie Traditions.
Aggie Muster
This is not true for the Army ROTC department. You must be contracted to the Army to enter your junior year in Army ROTC, and all contracted Cadets who graduate WILL commission unless they fail the APFT or HT/WT. That is how it is at Norwich. A&M may do it different I guess, but Norwich follows Army policy on that.Commandant79 said:
There are actually SIX Senior Military Colleges (SMC), as designated by Title X, US Code:
Norwich
The Citadel
VMI
Va Tech
North Georgia
Texas A&M
Texas A&M is the youngest of the SMCs, has the largest Corps of Cadets of all the SMCs, is the only SMC west of the Mississippi River, and consistently commissions more officers into the military each year than any other SMC.
SMCs are required to maintain a full time Corps of Cadets, have a "code of conduct" to help develop character by which all cadets live, all cadets must take military training (ROTC), all cadets seeking a commission must maintain the same military training standards as the military academies, and the institution must offer a bachelors degree.
Cadets at an SMC are authorized to take the ROTC program all four years, but taking a commission upon graduation remains optional. At Texas A&M, approximately 45% of cadets take a commission. The other 55% pursue careers in both the private and public sectors.
Unlike ROTC at other schools, the Department of Defense is prohibited from closing or reducing the ROTC programs at an SMC, even during time of war (full or total mobilization). This exists primarily because SMCs are usually expected to produce large numbers of military officers during time of war to fill shortages.
Another distinction of the SMC system is that all cadets at the senior military colleges are guaranteed active duty commissions when they graduate.
Texas A&M remains one of the largest and most visible SMCs in the nation, and continues to provide high caliber men and women to become leaders in the military and across a wide array of career fields throughout our state and nation.
All in the south except Norwich.Commandant79 said:
Norwich
The Citadel
VMI
Va Tech
North Georgia
Texas A&M
D&C Cadets? Easy. We played Corps, built life long brotherhood, got okay grades and wore extremely cool Boots!OldArmyCT said:
Explaining the Corps is fairly easy, explaining what we called in my day Drills and Ceremonies Cadets is darn near impossible.
OldArmyCT said:
Interesting tidbit...classmate of mine hurt his knee playing football in HS, disclosed same on his physical prior to enrolling at A&M under a 4 year Army ROTC scholarship. Dad was an active duty Colonel. He was smarter than most of us, graduated in 3 years, asked the Army if he could take grad school his 4th year, they questioned if he could finish in 1 year but he convinced them and did. So after 4 years of school he has an MS in Industrial Engineering, reports for his induction physical and fails due to his knee. Asks for a waiver, is denied. Father intervenes, denied again. Goes into the civilian world and makes a fortune. Thank you Uncle Sam for the free, no-obligation education.
Explaining the Corps is fairly easy, explaining what we called in my day Drills and Ceremonies Cadets is darn near impossible.
Yep, in my era, for my Army ROTC Scholarship, I spent all day at Darnall Army Medical Center at Fort Hood getting examined every different way. If there was anything wrong with me other than my eyesight, they would have found it.JABQ04 said:OldArmyCT said:
Interesting tidbit...classmate of mine hurt his knee playing football in HS, disclosed same on his physical prior to enrolling at A&M under a 4 year Army ROTC scholarship. Dad was an active duty Colonel. He was smarter than most of us, graduated in 3 years, asked the Army if he could take grad school his 4th year, they questioned if he could finish in 1 year but he convinced them and did. So after 4 years of school he has an MS in Industrial Engineering, reports for his induction physical and fails due to his knee. Asks for a waiver, is denied. Father intervenes, denied again. Goes into the civilian world and makes a fortune. Thank you Uncle Sam for the free, no-obligation education.
Explaining the Corps is fairly easy, explaining what we called in my day Drills and Ceremonies Cadets is darn near impossible.
I had a fairly intensive DODMERB physical for my scholarship. In fact I went into it failing as I had a very badly broken finger, delayed surgery the doctors wanted, and had to get cleared 6 months later to keep my scholarship. Summer/Fall 2000
Best Vietnam Medical story I've got was the full timer E-8 who worked at our Armory.CanyonAg77 said:
I was always skeptical of some of the Vietnam era medical deferments. I'm sure we can all name public figures with those that seem questionable.
But when our daughter put in her medical papers, we had to have a doctor modify a chart entry for "sinusitis " to "common cold", because sinusitis could have been disqualifying.
This was around 2006, and they were apparently having lots of trouble with the dust in Iraq
The South maintained much more of the martial element in its culture well after that element began to decline int the North. A very large part of it was the chivalric self-image of the planter culture, but it was also a response, at least in part, of fear of slave revolts, especially after Nat Turner's Rebellion.Rabid Cougar said:All in the south except Norwich.Commandant79 said:
Norwich
The Citadel
VMI
Va Tech
North Georgia
Texas A&M
Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia, Texas and Vermont.
Very interesting.
Took the hearing test 7 times in 1984 PH year for Marine Corps Scholarship and didn't pass any of them. 80% hearing loss in right ear. Even offered to sign a waiver. Even P.X. Kelly couldn't save me from a Navy doctor.JABQ04 said:OldArmyCT said:
Interesting tidbit...classmate of mine hurt his knee playing football in HS, disclosed same on his physical prior to enrolling at A&M under a 4 year Army ROTC scholarship. Dad was an active duty Colonel. He was smarter than most of us, graduated in 3 years, asked the Army if he could take grad school his 4th year, they questioned if he could finish in 1 year but he convinced them and did. So after 4 years of school he has an MS in Industrial Engineering, reports for his induction physical and fails due to his knee. Asks for a waiver, is denied. Father intervenes, denied again. Goes into the civilian world and makes a fortune. Thank you Uncle Sam for the free, no-obligation education.
Explaining the Corps is fairly easy, explaining what we called in my day Drills and Ceremonies Cadets is darn near impossible.
I had a fairly intensive DODMERB physical for my scholarship. In fact I went into it failing as I had a very badly broken finger, delayed surgery the doctors wanted, and had to get cleared 6 months later to keep my scholarship. Summer/Fall 2000
Commandant79 said:
At Texas A&M, approximately 45% of cadets take a commission. The other 55% pursue careers in both the private and public sectors.
The reason for pushing them out prior to the MSIII year is to reduce the Instructor to Student ration, since the MSIII year is all about prepping the Cadets for summer camp.HollywoodBQ said:
At VMI, my daughter participated in Army ROTC through her MS III Year and only dropped out of Army shortly before Advanced Camp or whatever it's called now.
Presumably she would have had to sign an Army contract to go to camp in 2019.