[2] The brigade is headquartered at Fort Dix, NJ, and comprises ROTC programs in the North Eastern United States including CT, MA, ME, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, and VT.[3][4] Penn State's role in national defense dates from 1863, when it was designated a place for boys to be land-grant institution under the Morrill Act.

The ROTC provided military instruction in addition to standard academic studies and awarded reserve officers' commissions to students upon graduation.

In addition, the University provided technological training to students headed off to war, as well as national defense research through its schools of engineering and agriculture.

Penn State's involvement in defense-related activities expanded during World War II to include additional personnel-training programs, as well as government-funded research projects.

Currently, 19 of Penn State's 24 locations offer at least one ROTC program either as a host unit or in partnership with another Pennsylvania college or university.

All three programs are top-ranked nationally and have received high marks during external inspections and audits compared with their counterparts across the country.

In the fall of 2010 a team of 10 students from the Penn State Army ROTC came out on top of squads from 43 other northeastern schools in the regional Ranger Challenge Competition held on Oct. 24, near West Point, N.Y.

The Penn State's victory propels them to the historic Sandhurst Military Skills Competition, which has been held annually since 1967, where they will compete with squads from across the nation and around the world.

For a cadet who takes only the first two years of ROTC (basic course), there is no military obligation, unless the student accepts a scholarship or enrolls in the Simultaneous Membership Program (SMP).

All Army ROTC courses at Penn State have three components: classroom instruction, physical readiness training, and Leadership Labs.

Junior Cadets receive separate training to prepare them for the Leader Development and Assessment Course (LDAC).

CIET is four weeks of intense classroom and field training held in the summer at Fort Knox, KY.

Third-year cadets practice briefing operations orders, executing small-unit tactics, leading and participating in physical training, and preparing for successful performance at the four-week Leader Development and Assessment Course during the summer following the third year.

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.

MSL IV's main goal is to teach and train MSL I, II and III cadets as well as be a mentor and establish sustainable systems to meet all requirements and provide quality training designed to develop and prepare the best leaders for United States Army.