APSU Army ROTC Program: A 50-year Timeline

(Posted Sept. 9, 2021)

This year marks the 50^th anniversary of Austin Peay’s award-winning Army ROTC program. Here’s a look at some of the program’s milestones that occurred over the last five decades.

Jan. 28, 1971 – Army General Order Number 4 authorizes Army ROTC at APSU.
September 1971 – Army ROTC classes begin at APSU.
Jan. 25, 1973 – Michael Worsham is the first APSU cadet commissioned as an Army officer.
March 14, 1975 – Remo Butler (Class of 1975) is commissioned. He will become APSU’s first general officer and the first black Special Forces officer to make brigadier general in June 2000.
June 3, 1977 – Former cadet Ronald Bailey graduates. He joins the U.S. Marines and retires as a lieutenant general.
Aug. 2, 1979 – Herbert Rodriguez is the 100^thcadet commissioned.
November 1988 – Lance Richardson (’89) is named the top Army ROTC cadet in the nation.
November 1990 – APSU Army ROTC program earns its first MacArthur Award.
November 1991 - APSU Army ROTC program earns its second MacArthur Award.
Dec. 12, 1985 – 1^st Lt. Kip Stevens (’84) is among the 248 soldiers killed in the Gander, Newfoundland, plane crash after a six-month peacekeeping mission in the Sinai Peninsula.
Dec. 4, 1987 – Paul Bontrager is commissioned. He will be promoted to brigadier general in August 2014.
November 1997 – APSU Army ROTC program earns its third MacArthur Award.
November 2001 – APSU Army ROTC program earns its fourth MacArthur Award.
Oct. 6, 2003 – 2^nd Lt. Richard Torres (’02) is killed in action in Iraq. He is the only APSU Army ROTC killed in combat.
November 2008 – APSU Army ROTC program earns its fifth MacArthur Award.
November 2014 – APSU Army ROTC program earns its sixth MacArthur Award.
November 2015 – APSU Army ROTC program earns its seventh MacArthur Award.
June 2016 – Maj. Greg Mabry (’04) is inducted into the Army ROTC Hall of Fame at Fort Knox.
November 2019 – APSU Army ROTC program earns its eighth MacArthur Award.
May 7, 2021 – Katherine Alba is the program’s 800^thcadet commissioned as an Army officer.

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