DEPARTMENT OF MILITARY SCIENCE

1997-1998 Bulletin Information

For current bulletin information see www.southalabama.edu/bulletin

Chair: Lieutenant Colonel Robert F. Barrow (460-6341)
Professor: Barrow
Assistant Professors: Brown, Pitts
Instructors: Virden, Mendoza, Williams

MILITARY SCIENCE
The Military Science Department offers a progressive program which will enhance student education regardless of academic endeavor. The program is designed to improve the leadership abilities of students, develop managerial skills, inform students concerning the roles, missions, and capabilities of the army, and train qualified ROTC students to become commissioned officers in the National Guard, Reserve, and U.S. Army. Military Science is an accredited field of minor study. Students may take Military Science courses and receive graduation credit in lieu of Physical Education courses. National Guardsmen, reservists, veterans and former JROTC students may receive advanced placement by requesting it through the PMS.

BASIC COURSE
The purpose of the Army ROTC Basic Course is to introduce students to Army ROTC, to give them general information about the Army and to introduce them to basic skills which have both military and civilian application. Courses and practical exercises in land navigation, orienteering, and leadership round out the student's academic life, provide a challenge, develop confidence, and break the classroom monotony. With this initial exposure, the students will have experience upon which to base their decisions to continue into the Advanced Course and into the Army as commissioned officers. There is no military obligation in connection with the Basic Course.

MS I (MS 101-103). Meets for one classroom period per week. All students are required to attend a two hour leadership lab once per week. In addition, contracted students are required to attend physical training lab three times per week for 1.5 hours per session. During leadership laboratory, students will participate in adventure training, and other military activities. Several optional training activities on and off campus are scheduled each quarter.

MS II (MS 201-203). Meets for two classroom periods per week. All students are required to attend a two hour leadership lab once per week. In addition, contracted students are required to attend physical training lab three times per week for 1.5 hours per session. During leadership laboratory, students will participate in adventure training, and other military activities. Several optional training activities on and off campus are scheduled during the school year.

BASIC CAMP
Army ROTC Basic Camp, conducted during the summer session, is a challenging six-week training course designed to evaluate students' ability to handle themselves and others in new and demanding situations. Throughout the program, the student is provided with the fundamentals of soldiering which include physical training, marksmanship, tactical operations, map reading, and orienteering. Students are provided transportation to and from camp, fees, room and board, as well as approximately $650 in pay and allowances. Attendance at the Basic Camp does not obligate the student to military service; it does, however, qualify the student for the Army ROTC Advanced Course when taken in lieu of the Basic Course requirements.

ADVANCED COURSE
Upon completion of the Basic Course or Basic Camp (above), ROTC students entering the Advanced Course continue to develop their ability in evaluating situations, making decisions, and practicing traits considered essential in a leader. The ability to motivate subordinates, to win their confidence, and to supervise them effectively has been attributed by many civilian and military leaders to training received through ROTC in college. The ROTC Program uses and extends the intellect, education, and special abilities of college students. Its primary purpose is to produce Army officers needed for the defense of our nation in time of crisis; but, in the process, it also develops the kind of junior executive or manager needed in every field of civilian endeavor.

All Advanced Course students earn $150 a month (upon contracting) beginning the first month of their junior year and continuing until they complete the Advanced Course (maximum of $3,000). Additional pay and travel allowances for the five-week Advanced Camp training between the junior and senior years, makes the total received approximately $3,700.

MS III (MS 301-303). Meets for two classroom periods per week. All students are required to attend a two hour leadership lab once per week. In addition, contracted students are required to attend physical training lab three times per week for 1.5 hours per session. Three training activities off campus will be scheduled during the school year.

MS IV (MS 401-403). Meets for three classroom periods per week. All students are required to attend a two hour leadership lab once per week. In addition, contracted students are required to attend physical training lab three times per week for 1.5 hours per session. Three training activities off campus will be scheduled during the school year.

ROTC SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
See information provided in the chapter on financial aid.

Army ROTC Scholarships
These competitive scholarships are awarded solely on potential rather than financial need and cover the costs of tuition, fees, and a flat-rate book allowance (of $150 per quarter) plus a subsistence allowance of $150 per month up to ten months per year. Four-year scholarships are available to designated freshmen, who applied and were selected during their senior year in high school. Three- and two-year scholarships are available to eligible students, both enrolled and not enrolled in the ROTC program. This allowance is tax free and is in addition to most other assistance that the student may receive.

ACTIVITIES
In an effort to develop maximum leadership qualities among cadets, the following organizations and activities are sponsored by ROTC as an integral part of the Army Cadet Corps:

Scabbard and Blade - Company C, 17th Regiment; a national military honorary society for outstanding Advanced Course cadets.

Color Guard - The official color guard for the city of Mobile is composed of ROTC cadets from the University of South Alabama.

Ranger Company - Students are trained in small-unit tactics and participate in ranger-type operations.

ACADEMIC CREDIT
Academic credit is granted for the completion of Military Science course requirements as follows:

Basic Course 1st year (MS 101-103) 1st, 2nd, 3rd Qtr. - 1 hr ea. - Total 3

Basic Course 2nd year (MS 201-203) 1st, 2nd, 3rd Qtr. - 2 hr ea. - Total 6

(Basic camp in lieu of Basic Course) (9)

Advanced Course 1st year (MS 301-303) 1st, 2nd, 3rd Qtr. - 3 hr. ea. - Total 9

Advanced Course 2nd year (MS 401-403) 1st, 2nd, 3rd Qtr. - 4 hr. ea.- Total 12

AUDITING
Students who do not meet qualifications for Army contracting and commissioning may be allowed to audit a Military Science course. Students desiring to audit must receive the permission of the department chair. Auditing students may not participate in leadership laboratory, field training exercises, or other physical activities. Non-U.S. students must have written permission from their government prior to taking an ROTC course. MS 104 restricts registration to U.S. citizens age twenty-seven (27) and under.

REQUIREMENTS FOR A COMMISSION AS A SECOND LIEUTENANT IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY
Students desiring a commission must complete a minimum of 50 hours of course work to include:

  1. 30 hours of Military Science, including
    1. MS 101, 102 and 103;
    2. MS 201, 202, and 203;
    3. Students can receive placement credit for the 100- and 200-level courses for prior military service, Junior ROTC, ROTC Basic Camp, and equivalent military training with PMS approval;
    4. MS 302, 302, and 303; e. MS 401, 402, and 403.
  2. One Professional Military Educational Course in each of the following three categories:
    1. Written Communicative Skills American Poetry, Late 18th Century Literature, English Grammar, Technical Writing, Professional Writing, Theory and Practice in Composition, Rhetoric, British Drama, Milton
    2. Military History Warfare and Society, U.S. Civil War, History of Military Thought, History of War and Society in the 20th Century
    3. Computer Literacy Introduction to Computer and Information Science, Introduction to Computer Science, Microcomputer Business Applications
  3. In addition to the required courses, students must contract and attend the ROTC Advanced Camp for five weeks training between the junior and senior year;

REQUIREMENTS FOR A MINOR
Completion of the 30 quarter hours of MS course work included in the Basic Course and the Advanced Course are required for a minor in Military Science. Placement credit may be awarded for the Basic Course for prior military service, attendance at ROTC Basic Camp, or 3 or 4 years of JROTC. Students who are already commissioned officers are not eligible to receive a minor in military science. Non-contracted students are not eligible to receive a minor in Military Science.

DESCRIPTIONS OF MILITARY SCIENCE (MS) COURSES BEGIN ON PAGE 281.

College of Arts and Sciences