Alcorn celebrates 50 years of the ROTC program on campus

Alcorn celebrates 50 years of the ROTC program on campus

The Department of Military Science at Alcorn State University held a day of informative events to celebrate five decades of the Braves Battalion.

The University celebrated the 50th anniversary of Alcorn’s ROTC Braves Battalion being on campus Wednesday, May 12, in the K.L. Simmons Industrial Technology Building parking lot. Several cadets from local high schools were in attendance and got to experience ROTC on a college level. They also got to tour the Experience Army Ingenuity STEM truck that displayed the Army's technological advancements.

The U.S. Army Parachute Team, also known as The Golden Knights, made an appearance during the celebration.

The Golden Knights were scheduled to parachute from their plane onto Alcorn’s Mildrette Netter-White Track & Field, but due to inclement weather, the jump was canceled.

To keep with The Golden Knight’s tradition, the group presented a baton to President Felecia M. Nave. Nave showed appreciation to the group for helping the Battalion celebrate their significant milestone.

“We were appreciative of having The Golden Knights here with us on campus,” said Nave. “Our Braves Battalion is a significant part of Alcorn’s history, so to have this team on campus is a great opportunity for us. I want to thank our team for bringing this effort to our campus, and we look forward to having you back.”

Greg Trotnic, Alcorn’s Army ROTC recruiter, spoke about the significance of ROTC at Alcorn.

“The ROTC program has played an important role at Alcorn during its time here,” said Trotnic. “This is a very important year for Alcorn and a significant moment for our ROTC program.”