{"id":28288,"date":"2019-12-17T05:30:42","date_gmt":"2019-12-17T11:30:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.discoverclarksville.com\/articles\/?p=28288"},"modified":"2019-12-16T23:07:38","modified_gmt":"2019-12-17T05:07:38","slug":"apsu-rotc-named-one-of-the-top-programs-in-the-nation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.discoverclarksville.com\/articles\/2019\/12\/17\/apsu-rotc-named-one-of-the-top-programs-in-the-nation\/","title":{"rendered":"APSU ROTC named one of the top programs in the nation"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AustinClarksville, TN<\/strong> – It\u2019s official \u2013 Austin Peay State University (APSU) is home to one of the best Army Reserve Officers\u2019 Training Corps (ROTC) programs in the nation.<\/p>\n

On December 16th, 2019, the U.S. Army Cadet Command announced the eight winners of the 2019-2020 MacArthur Awards, with APSU\u2019s Governor\u2019s Guard winning the award for the 7th Brigade.<\/p>\n

\"Austin<\/a>

Austin Peay State University ROTC cadets conducting training with Black Hawk helicopters. (APSU)<\/p><\/div>\n

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The MacArthur Award recognizes the eight schools, selected from among the 274 ROTC units nationwide, as the top programs in the country. This marks the eighth time the APSU program has earned the award in the last 26 years.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am extremely proud of our cadets and our cadre\/staff,\u201d Lt. Col. Eric Westphal, Austin Peay State University professor of military science, said. \u201cTireless effort in the pursuit of excellence is well nested in our bridge\u2019s command philosophy as it is with the guidance and intent passed down from the Austin Peay State University’s president, Dr. Alisa White. APSU is a family, and we are happy to be a part of an organization that truly cares about its people and the mission of creating future military and community leaders.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Austin<\/a>

Austin Peay State University ROTC Cadets train on a Zodiac boat in the Cumberland River. (APSU)<\/p><\/div>\n

The awards, presented by Cadet Command and the Gen. Douglas MacArthur Foundation, recognize the ideals of \u201cduty, honor and country\u201d as advocated by MacArthur.<\/p>\n

The award is based on a combination of the achievement of the school’s commissioning mission, its cadets\u2019 performance and standing on the command’s National Order of Merit List and its cadet retention rate.<\/p>\n

[320left]\u201cAustin Peay State University’s Army ROTC Program is one that is built upon a foundation of character and clear vision; excellence through pursuit of skillful and tested leadership,\u201d Westphal said.<\/p>\n

\u201cEach semester we work to establish the goals which must be accomplished. This is to ensure it is absolutely clear to all who commit to this path, what it will take for the future opportunity to lead others through selfless service to a grateful nation,\u201d stated Westphal.<\/p>\n

The award comes at the end of a highly successful year for the APSU program. Earlier this semester, Austin Peay\u2019s Ranger Challenge team became one of only 16 ROTC teams to qualify for West Point\u2019s Sandhurst 2020 competition, the world\u2019s premier academy-level military skills competition.<\/p>\n

The team earned its spot by winning the grueling, two-day 7th Brigade ROTC Bold Warrior Challenge October 25th-27th at Fort Knox, Kentucky. Austin Peay State University defeated 37 schools from Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio.<\/p>\n

\"Austin<\/a>

Austin Peay State University’s ROTC program is built “upon a foundation of character and clear vision. (APSU)<\/p><\/div>\n

Twelve Austin Peay State University ROTC students \u2013 including the University\u2019s first-ever cadet to go to the Jungle Warfare School in Hawaii \u2013 attended multiple training schools during the summer.<\/p>\n

The University also sent its first cadet since 2006 to Army Mountain Warfare School in Vermont and the third and fourth cadets ever to U.S. Military Academy Cadet Summer Training at West Point, New York.<\/p>\n

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[470center]<\/p>\n

The awardees of the General Douglas MacArthur Award, selected by their brigade commanders as the top performing program, are:<\/h4>\n