Army ROTC

Army ROTC Military Science

Misericordia University offers students the opportunity to participate in Army ROTC at King’s College in nearby Wilkes-Barre through the Royal Warrior Battalion Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program. The primary objective of Army ROTC is to develop leadership capabilities in all students and to train future officers for the Army, Army Reserve, and Army National Guard.

The Royal Warrior Battalion Army ROTC program continually ranks in the top 10% of all ROTC programs nationwide and was ranked third in the Eastern United States in 2011. The Battalion has recently celebrated sixty years of commissioning outstanding officers for the Army.

The Army ROTC program can be tailored to fit any student’s schedule, particularly in the freshman and sophomore years. Military Science instruction is offered at King’s College with two, three, and four-year programs leading to a commission as an officer in one of the three components of the United States Army. Any student may participate in an Army ROTC course without cost or obligation for the first two years.

To be commissioned as a Second Lieutenant, students must pass a medical examination and complete at least the final two years of the ROTC program of Military Science courses. Students normally take one course per semester during their normal four-year course of study, although there are numerous means to meet each student’s academic needs.

All students receiving ROTC scholarships as well as sophomores, juniors and seniors who are contracted with the Army receive a tax-free monthly stipend to cover living expenses of $420. The stipend is paid directly to the student each month that they are in school or participating in Army ROTC summer training.

The Army ROTC Department provides all uniforms, equipment, and textbooks required for the classes. In addition to the academic classes, students also participate in additional training such as physical training and hands-on training each week. Each semester there is a military social event and at least one weekend training session that includes such events as military marksmanship, cross-country orienteering, military rappelling, leadership application courses, and obstacle/confidence courses.

During breaks and vacations students can volunteer for active Army training such as military parachute operations, helicopter operations, military mountain climbing, and training with active Army units in the United States and overseas. There are also numerous opportunities for academic internships with state and federal agencies through Army ROTC. Language and cultural immersion programs offer incentives for language classes taken on campus as well as funded study abroad and summer foreign exchange internships to thirty countries. All training is cost-free to the student, and students are paid for some summer training courses. The ROTC program consists of two programs, the basic courses normally taken during the freshman and sophomore years consisting of MIL 211/212, MIL 221/222 and MIL 251/252. The advanced courses normally taken during the junior and senior years consist of MIL 231/232, MIL 241/242 and MIL 251/252.

Students who have completed basic training in any U.S. service may qualify for placement in the advanced course. Additionally, students who have not completed the ROTC basic course may qualify for the advanced course by attending a paid four-week long Leadership Training Course conducted each summer at Fort Knox, Kentucky.

Incoming freshmen, transfer students, and all enrolled King’s students can compete for one- to four-year ROTC scholarships that pay full tuition and fees regardless of cost and $1,200 per year for books in addition to the monthly stipend. Special five-year scholarships may be available for qualifying Physician Assistant majors. The Army will commission successful graduates as a second lieutenant with a starting salary of over $43,000 per year, in addition to a locality-based housing allowance, subsistence allowance, medical and dental benefits, as well as 30 days paid vacation per year. Pay raises occur for both years of service increases and promotions.

For more information on the Army ROTC program at King’s College, contact the Army ROTC Department at (570) 301-4986.