Glenville State College President Dr. Peter Barr has announced that Army ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) military instruction will resume this fall at GSC after a ten-year hiatus. Through renewal of the agreement with West Virginia State University and staffing support provided by the West Virginia National Guard, GSC officials are pleased to reinstate a very popular co-educational ROTC program to campus.

“I am excited about offering the ROTC program at Glenville State College. This will be a tremendous benefit to our students. Lieutenant Colonel Phillips and his staff are to be commended for their vision and leadership, and we look forward to a highly successful partnership. Senator Doug Facemire and the general staff of the West Virginia National Guard have been influential in providing the resources necessary to bringing this dream to reality,” said Barr.

The Glenville State College ROTC unit will be part of the Yellow Jacket Battalion that includes units from West Virginia State University, the University of Charleston, and West Virginia Tech. “We are starting from scratch at GSC, but I feel that there is great potential to establish a strong ROTC presence on the GSC campus that will be a welcome addition to the Yellow Jacket Battalion,” said Major Michael A. Rauh, WVSU Department of Military Science.

Sergeant First Class Daniel Webb of the West Virginia National Guard will be the ROTC instructor at Glenville State College. Webb has been with the National Guard since 2001 and was active U.S. Army for nine years prior to that. The Clarksburg, West Virginia resident has experience working with the West Virginia University ROTC unit. Webb says he is looking forward to restarting the ROTC program at GSC. “I am very excited to have the opportunity to spearhead the ROTC program at Glenville State College. My goal is to establish a strong program that will benefit the college and the army,” said Webb who will be on campus for the GSC Spring Pioneer Preview week April 19th through the 23rd.

United States Army ROTC provides a strong and challenging program of leadership preparation, character development, and physical fitness. ROTC further places special emphasis on every cadet’s personal honor, integrity, and acceptance of responsibility. While not a requirement for the first two years of training, a cadet’s formal affiliation with the U.S. Army entitles a cadet to tuition assistance and other compensation. Military training at operational bases will also be part of a cadet’s training.

ROTC’S purpose is to produce commissioned military officers for the U.S. Army as well as developing stronger citizenship. Glenville State College officials say they are proud the campus will play an important role in that process.

All interested persons are encouraged to contact the GSC ROTC office at (304) 462-6154. ROTC instructor Sergeant First Class Daniel Webb, WVNG, will be most pleased to provide more information and answer any questions.