[6][7] All of these units are commanded by the U.S. Army Cadet Command, whose mission is "to select, educate, train, and commission college students to be officers and leaders of character in the Total Army and form partnerships with high schools to conduct JROTC programs to develop citizens of character for a lifetime of commitment and service to the nation.

The modern Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps was created by the National Defense Act of 1916 and commissioned its first class of lieutenants in 1920.

With some exceptions, in order to progress to the last two years of the program (Advanced Course) the cadet must contract with the United States Army.

[citation needed] A candidate for freshman and sophomore level ROTC training must: A student who does not meet all of the above requirements should consult with the Department of Military Science and Leadership to determine if waivers can be granted.

Under current regulations, attendance at the course is mandatory (in the past, Ranger School was offered as an alternative to select cadets).

The LDP is a structured set of rotations where MSIII cadets are assigned to specific roles in an organization consisting of companies, platoons and squads.

Advanced Camp is a paid 35 day leadership course conducted at Fort Knox, Kentucky each summer.

Cadets also participate in adventure training to include: confidence and obstacle courses, rappelling, water safety, weapons firing and patrolling.

The CDA assesses the state of a MSIII cadet's development in preparation for the MSIV year with a focus on mission-context problem solving.

This is the final year of the ROTC program and the main focus is towards preparing cadets to become successful lieutenants in the Army upon graduation and commissioning.

Army policy is to assign graduating cadets to a branch and specialty code based on the following: Leadership labs place cadets in leadership positions, teach and provide practical experience in military drill and ceremonies, troop leading procedures, small unit tactical operations, rappelling and water survival.

Physical fitness training sessions are typically scheduled for approximately one-hour and the intensity, time and type of exercises varies.

All ROTC Cadets must pass the Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) with at least the minimum (60 points) in each of the six exercises according to the standards for their age and sex.

Failure to reach the program standard may require increased physical fitness training on otherwise days of rest (commonly known as "incentive” or “remedial” PT).

The cadre at each university consist of military personnel and civilian technical assistants who run the ROTC program.

It is the cadre's job to teach the military science classes and oversee the day-to-day operations of the ROTC program.

The Army ROTC scholarship entitles its recipients to full-tuition assistance, as well as a textbook/fee allowance and a monthly stipend to cover the student's living expenses.

An initiative of ASA/MRA, allows cadets to work with a variety of programs across the nation, such as Department of the Army (DA), the Office of the Chief of the Army Reserve (OCAR), National Guard Bureau (NGB), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), European Command (EUCOM), Africa Command (AFRICOM), or the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) for 3–8 weeks.

This three-week CONUS or four-week OCONUS program trains cadets in lieutenant positions with active army units.

Cadets are trained in winter survival techniques, skiing, snowshoeing and cold weather patrolling.

The Army Mountain Warfare course is taught at the Ethan Allen Firing Range in Jericho, Vermont.

The summer phase teaches and tests cadets on military mountaineering operations including rock climbing, rappelling and orienteering.

The Sapper Leader Course focuses on the application of a mixture of infantry and combat engineer small unit tactics to forces composed of one or more branch of service.

The first consists of general information including combat lifesaving, meeting physical fitness standards, demolitions, explosive hazard recognition, land navigation, knot tying, as well as air, mountain and water operations training.

To be accepted into the program, a prospective student must show proficiency in multiple areas of physical fitness, as well as knowledge of battle drills.

Some general items such as operations planning, medical procedures, troop movements and demolitions are among the more prominent skills taught in this environment.

[19] They compete against other colleges throughout the nation in events such as patrolling, weapons assembly, one-rope bridge, Army Physical Fitness Test, land navigation and a ten-kilometer road march.

A color guard is responsible for posting the colors for ceremonial events (football games, dining ins and dining outs, military balls and commencements), as well as cannon detail at football games, in order to show honor towards flag and country.

Many dignitaries are invited, including the school president, certain university officials and representatives of veterans' societies, parents and relatives.

[33] The University of Oregon has produced the highest number of general officers out of the civilian ROTC schools, with a total of 47.