UofL’s program was selected for the award from among 38 senior Army ROTC programs in the Seventh Brigade, U.S. Army Cadet Command, an area covering schools in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Tennessee and Kentucky.
The award, given jointly by Cadet Command and Gen. Douglas MacArthur Foundation, is presented each year to Army ROTC programs with the highest cadet commissioning rate, national Order of Merit list standing and cadet retention rate.
Army ROTC cadets at UofL had the highest average Order of Merit Score of all 273 ROTC programs in the nation last year, said Maj. Nathan Surrey, who leads the university’s program. UofL also has commissioned an average 21 cadets a year for the past five years—six more than the standard goal of 15 a year—and has a cadet retention rate of more than 90 percent.
“We’ve seen a real transformation in our program over the past five years,” Surrey said. “It’s due to outstanding leadership and the unwavering support we receive from the university and the surrounding community.”
UofL’s ROTC program now enrolls 100 cadets and expects its largest incoming freshman class ever this fall, Surrey added.
The MacArthur Awards, first given in 1989, were established to recognize the ideals of duty, honor and country as advocated by MacArthur.
For more details, contact Surrey at 502-852-7902 or nssurr01@louisville.edu