READY TO MEET THE WORLD’S CHALLENGES
Army and Air Force ROTC programs have trained military leaders since CSU’s earliest years
By Allison Sylte | Photography by Vance Jacobs | May 22, 2025
THE SUN WAS still an hour from peeking over the Plains when the cars started pulling into a dark, empty parking lot on the edge of the Colorado State University campus. One by one, students clad in their Army uniforms and carrying rucking backpacks walked down the quiet sidewalks to Moby Arena, where – at 5:45 a.m. – they lined up to hear what that morning’s physical training would entail.
This early wake-up call is a ritual that occurs three days a week for the 122 cadets in CSU’s Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps. This morning, students hefted rucking packs loaded with 20 percent of their body weight and, to those, added 45-pound weights and multiple kettlebells. They hauled these loads around the 1-mile concrete loop that circles CSU’s intramural fields. Next, they completed sets of squats, pushups, and bear crawls – exercises made more difficult by a dusting of snow on the ground and temperatures that hovered at 27 degrees.
“Let’s go! Keep pushing! Remember to drink water!” called squad leader Bella Penna, who was encircled by her team on the practice fields as the cadets completed that morning’s training.
After the sun rose and other students began making their way down the sidewalks, the Army ROTC cadets returned to Moby Arena to cool down. Some then went home to grab breakfast and drink a well-earned coffee. Others headed to 8 a.m. classes. A few would be back on ROTC duty that afternoon to serve as color guard at a track meet.
From left, Mariah Langley, Sebastian Trujillo, and Michael Ferdigalov take part in tactical physical training using gear and body weight to enhance conditioning.
This rigorous routine is a time-honored part of a military science program established in 1883 at Colorado Agricultural College, which would evolve into Colorado State University. Land-grant universities, including Colorado State, are well-known for their foundational programs in agricultural sciences and for their calling to educate any student with the talent and tenacity to earn a college degree. Perhaps less well-known is the founding mission to bolster democracy by preparing military leaders through academics, physical training, and a deeply ingrained ethos of service and leadership. This democratic principle is embodied by future U.S. Army and Air Force officers who trek around CSU’s grounds, gain tactical training in the foothills west of Fort Collins, and learn military history and tactics in the white-brick Military Science Building in the heart of campus.
The CSU military science program has two parts: Army ROTC, whose cadets make up the Ram Battalion, and Air Force ROTC, whose cadets form Detachment 90, known as the “Mighty Ninety.” CSU has 253 ROTC cadets in all, and both programs have recently gained national recognition. This year marked the second time since 2022 that the Ram Battalion earned the Army’s Best Medium Program Award, outshining others in an eight-state region. The Air Force ROTC, meanwhile, was named the Best Large Detachment in the Nation in 2019 and 2021. And, for the second year in a row, two Army cadets represented CSU at the MSC Student Conference on National Affairs – one of the most prestigious events in the country, drawing students from military institutions such as West Point and The Citadel.
Students involved in the two ROTC branches may study any discipline offered at the university and, in fact, have majors as varied as political science, music, engineering, and sociology; students also minor in military science. At graduation, most of these students will be commissioned as second lieutenants with a commitment to serve at least four years on active duty or eight years in the National Guard. In a matter of time, the same CSU students doing pushups in the snow at dawn may serve stateside or be deployed to combat zones abroad. It’s an eventuality they have fully contemplated.
“It’s important to me to be part of that next generation that continues to build up democracy and improve the world,” said Jordan Rivers, a senior in political science, who is following both of his parents into the Army. “What I think ROTC has given me is a further sense of purpose and honor to live in service to something greater than myself.”
Tactical physical training starts at 6 a.m. three days a week for Army ROTC cadets.
His fellow cadet Nathaniel Bigelow, a senior studying computer science, is also inspired by a family tradition of military service – in his words, “devotion to something bigger than oneself ” – and hopes to apply his academic studies to an Army career in cyber warfare. “I’ve always enjoyed computers, ever since I was young, which is why I want to specifically get into electronic warfare. Here, you go out into the field with the enemy, and you do geolocating based on enemy radio frequencies or jamming of enemy communications,” said Bigelow, who recently attended the national affairs conference. “As we’ve seen in the Ukraine war, the jamming of drones is going to be a huge part of future warfare.”
These students have early-morning military classes that in some ways resemble other classes across campus – with PowerPoint presentations, class discussions, and desks dotted with energy drinks. But there are also unique elements. For instance, Maj. Matt Chase, a professor of military science, recently led a ceremony for junior animal science major Celeste Gomez, who had signed a contract promising to serve as an officer in the Army after completing the ROTC program. While her fellow cadets stood at attention, Gomez recited the Oath of Enlistment before the American flag, promising to support and defend the U.S. Constitution against all enemies.
“She’s truly exceeded everything I’ve ever hoped for her,” said Mandy Gomez, Celeste’s mom, who flew in from Oregon to witness the ceremony and to celebrate her daughter’s life-changing commitment. “She’s set the bar so high for her siblings, and I couldn’t be prouder of her.”
“What I think ROTC has given me is a further sense of purpose and honor to live in service to something greater than myself.”
Today’s students follow in the footsteps of top military leaders. This includes Gen. Lewis Walt, a four-star general with the Marine Corps who served in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, and Gen. James H. Dickinson, who served as commander of the U.S. Space Command before his retirement in 2024. Dickinson, who had an illustrious four-decade military career, said he realized while in CSU’s ROTC program that the military is a people organization. “This idea embodies the importance of ROTC as a commissioning source,” Dickinson said. “ROTC is about building great quality leaders who are educated and selfless in their motives to serve the United States.”
ROTC was founded nationwide when Congress passed the National Defense Act in 1916, during World War I. Yet, its roots at CSU can be traced to the very beginning of the institution’s history.
“The ROTC program embodies so much of what CSU stands for,” President Amy Parsons said. “It represents our land-grant mission of access to an excellent, practical education, as well as the idea of service, both to the state of Colorado and to the nation.”
She continued: “From students doing pushups in the end zone during CSU football games to their early-morning workouts while the rest of Fort Collins is sleeping, ROTC is woven into the fabric of our university.”
Left: Walo Moldonado Flores adds a 45-pound weight to his physical training session in early March. Top right: Army ROTC cadets gather at Moby Arena for early-morning training. Bottom right: Air Force ROTC cadets gather for a guest lecture on campus.
Top: Walo Moldonado Flores adds a 45-pound weight to his physical training session in early March. Middle: Army ROTC cadets gather at Moby Arena for early-morning training. Bottom: Air Force ROTC cadets gather for a guest lecture on campus.
The Morrill Act, which President Abraham Lincoln signed into law in 1862, established a land-grant university in every state. Funded in part through grants of federal land, these schools offered a practical education in disciplines including agriculture, the mechanical arts, and military science – in part because the Civil War created a need for more competent Union officers.
“Ideally, land-grant schools would make higher education more useful, accessible, and democratic,” James E. Hansen II, a professor emeritus of history, wrote in his book CSU’s Sense of Place: A Campus History of Colorado’s Land-Grant University. “Students from all ranks of society, including women, were welcomed.”
ROTC was founded nationwide in 1916, during World War I. Yet, the Morrill Act of 1862 established training in military tactics as a core part of the land-grant university mission. Cadets Harry Temple and Newton Garbutt (left) represented the Colorado Agricultural College class of 1890. Horse-drawn wagons (right) were part of military camp in 1922. Archival photography: University Libraries, Archives & Special Collections.
ROTC was founded nationwide in 1916, during World War I. Yet, the Morrill Act of 1862 established training in military tactics as a core part of the land-grant university mission. Cadets Harry Temple and Newton Garbutt (top) represented the Colorado Agricultural College class of 1890. Horse-drawn wagons (bottom) were part of military camp in 1922. Archival photography: University Libraries, Archives & Special Collections.
Colorado Agricultural College was founded on Feb. 11, 1870, and its location in Fort Collins was the result of a push by the area’s citizens to replace a defunct military post with a new economic catalyst. The college welcomed its first five students in 1879. Four years later, Charles L. Ingersoll, college president and a Civil War veteran, organized the first student drill team. Military instruction officially began in 1884, when Lt. Vasa E. Stolbrand taught a course involving basic infantry tactics and maneuvers. This cadet battalion conducted a daily “Thursday drill” – or leadership lab – and cadets were regulars at campus parades and events.
The campus’ ROTC program grew in the 1920s and 1930s. Then, the need for officers doubled when the U.S. entered World War II. A 1946 order signed by Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower created a separate entity called Air ROTC units, and CSU became an early adopter. “CSU was one of the first to have what we call Air Force ROTC, and since then the university has been known for producing a very good product in that regard over the years,” said Mike Mansfield, a former naval intelligence officer and associate professor who teaches military history at CSU. That Air ROTC unit became part of the newly created U.S. Air Force in 1947. Women were allowed to join the Army and Air Force cadet corps starting in 1969.
In 1987, the University of Northern Colorado merged its Air Force ROTC program with CSU’s, creating a single cadet corps – Detachment 90 – that trains in both Greeley and Fort Collins. The detachment now includes students from Aims and Front Range community colleges and has 131 cadets
“What’s fascinating about ROTC is – despite changing climates and attitudes about the military over the years, from the Vietnam War era to now – it’s continued to survive and thrive at CSU and other campuses across the country,” Mansfield said.
The university’s first drill team was established in 1883, and military instruction followed the next year. Here, cadets perform drills in 1923. Archival photography: University Libraries, Archives & Special Collections.
With that history, ROTC traditions are deeply rooted on campus. Some of the most visible occur during football games. For instance, CSU Army ROTC cadets are responsible for firing “Comatose” – a booming 75 mm World War I field gun – before, during, and after football games. At those same games, a team of Army and Air Force cadets is stationed in the end zone to do pushups for every point CSU scores. The pushup crew is such a key part of the game-day experience that the university flew cadets to Tucson in December for the 2024 Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl, where the Rams played Miami (Ohio) in their first bowl game appearance in seven years.
ROTC is famously part of the Border War, when CSU plays the University of Wyoming each year. Cadets from both land-grant universities take part in a relay, running along U.S. 287 from their respective campuses – rain or shine – to exchange the game ball at the state border.
Retired Lt. Col. Matt Tillman, who earlier led CSU’s Army ROTC program and now serves as chief of staff in the CSU Office of the President, said one of his favorite memories as a CSU cadet himself was standing on the sidelines during a Wyoming game “I’m so thankful for the opportunities ROTC gave me, not just in finding a career but also in being part of all of these major CSU traditions,” said Tillman, who graduated in 2004.
CSU Army ROTC cadets have trained in the foothills west of campus for more than a century. At left, cadets take a break during spring camp in May 1923. At right, they take a break from a spring training session in present day. Archival photography: University Libraries, Archives & Special Collections.
CSU Army ROTC cadets have trained in the foothills west of campus for more than a century. At top, cadets take a break during spring camp in May 1923. At bottom, they take a break from a spring training session in present day. Archival photography: University Libraries, Archives & Special Collections.
While the military is central to ROTC, the program is anchored in the university’s mission of providing access to a practical and affordable education, said Michelle Stanley, interim vice provost of undergraduate affairs. “What they add to campus, from their service mindset to focus on character development, is incredible,” she said. “Their technical work, combined with foundational classes in the arts and humanities, really encapsulates what we’re trying to instill with all of our students in having an education that will serve the state of Colorado and beyond.”
Aaron Smith exemplifies that concept as a student pursuing a master’s degree in systems engineering. Smith not only is an Army ROTC cadet but also is a student-veteran who was earlier deployed to Italy, where he worked in information technology. Now anticipating a switch from enlistee to officer, he said his education and prior experience are preparing him for future leadership. “At any age, you can go back to college if you’re willing to learn,” Smith, 27, said. “I think college is the biggest place to find life truth, since you’re around so many people with so many different perspectives.”
Third-year sociology major Tanner Shain, another Army ROTC cadet, agreed: “Being in ROTC is a great opportunity to grow and become a better person in every way.”
“Being in ROTC helped me formulate a why other than ‘I want my school paid for.’ It made me know I want to be able to give back to my country because I feel like I’ve had so much given to me.”
Part of the appeal for many students is the financial assistance provided through the ROTC program. Contracted cadets receive stipends to cover monthly expenses, and a majority receive federal scholarships that cover their tuition and books.
Some students, like Caitlin Bettger, have used their support to pursue advanced degrees. Bettger was ranked the No. 2 Army ROTC cadet in the country when she graduated in microbiology in 2015, and she used her military benefits to pay for medical school. Bettger will work as an infectious disease specialist at an Army hospital once she completes her residency.
“ROTC gave me a lot of courage,” she said. “I’m kind of a shy, soft-spoken person, but I had to suck it up and put myself into situations that I would not typically find myself in, like rappelling off the Lake Street Parking Garage – even though I’m very afraid of heights.”
Women joined the Army and Air Force ROTC programs in 1969. Before then, female students participated in the girls’ pistol team. Several extracurricular activities augment ROTC training today. Archival photography: University Libraries, Archives & Special Collections.
Darcy Keown, an Air Force ROTC cadet and third-year international studies major, hopes to use her degree to work in the Office of Special Investigations after graduation. Autumn Stiens, another Air Force cadet, is majoring in human development and family studies and plans to work in intelligence, which will allow her to apply her knowledge of how people think and learn.
Army cadet Penna plays the viola and is earning her degree in music education. She hopes to teach music while serving in the National Guard after graduating from CSU. “Being a squad leader puts you in a position where you’re teaching all the time,” she said, referring to her role at the training session in early March. “Motivating people is one of my favorite things to do, and it’s a huge part of being in the ROTC program.”
Leadership and team building, often accomplished during physical challenges, are a cornerstone of preparing our future military leaders, said Col. Greg Young, commander of CSU’s Air Force ROTC program. Before joining CSU, he served as an airman in military operations around the world, with multiple deployments in the Middle East.
Nathaniel Bigelow, on radio, coordinates small unit tactics training during a leadership lab. Cadets train with nonfunctioning replica weapons. The training involves a cadet tactical operations center and an opposition force.
Regardless of the activity, everything in ROTC is student-run, a key part of leadership training and team building. Those skills are on display during weekly leadership labs, when students apply military tactics learned in class to real-world situations. For Army cadets, these sessions might include land navigation in Lory State Park or rappelling off campus parking garages.
The summer before their senior year, Army ROTC cadets complete the 32-day Basic Camp at Fort Knox in Tennessee, where they lead cadets from across the country through a series of tactical maneuvers. Air Force students complete a similar 14- day Field Training between their sophomore and junior years at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama.
Students also develop leadership and public speaking skills during mandatory activities. In addition to physical training at 6 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, students learn about military history and tactics in class on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Like most things in the Army, these activities start bright and early, with the two-hour class for third-year ROTC students beginning at 7 a.m. in the Military Science Building. The day often begins with a presentation from a designated student, who gives a briefing on current events, the forecast, and activities happening on campus and around the world.
Extracurriculars likewise stress core skills. Cadets may participate in the longstanding Poudre Muskets and in orienteering and firearms education clubs; they may test their physical limits by competing in the grueling Ranger Challenge or Bataan Memorial Death March at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.
“When you’re a freshman, you’re like a sponge, and once you get to sophomore year, you’re a team leader, and you’re in charge of more and more people after that,” said Ashley Magee, an Army ROTC cadet majoring in health and exercise science. “There are times when they just throw you in the deep end and you figure it out, but you also know you have this incredible community around if you need it.”
She added: “I’ve never had this immersive leadership experience before, and if I were to say one thing, that’s truly the crux of what ROTC provides.”
Left: A group of first-year Air Force ROTC cadets recite the Air Force Core Values to demonstrate team pride and to build their warrior ethos. Right: Cadets Aspen Han, Jonathan Ellis, and Delyla Lopez gather in a campus classroom for a guest presentation.
Top: A group of first-year Air Force ROTC cadets recite the Air Force Core Values to demonstrate team pride and to build their warrior ethos. Bottom: Cadets Aspen Han, Jonathan Ellis, and Delyla Lopez gather in a campus classroom for a guest presentation.
Chase praised cadets as students who can do everything. “We’re seeking scholars and people who can come and perform academically and get the education they need to be leaders in the Army,” he said. “But we’re also teaching them to perform in the physical domain, to motivate their teams and lead even when it gets hard and even when it’s early. That’s what makes ROTC special.”
For Young, commander of Air Force ROTC, the program is about equipping students with the knowledge to adapt to a constantly shifting global landscape – and to give them the practical skills to succeed long after their careers in the military have ended.
“I always tell students, if you need a ‘why’ for why you’re here, it’s because the American people might need you to be the next greatest generation,” Young said, “and I know CSU is doing its part to prepare our cadets to match the world’s great challenges.”
SHARE