In 1947, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) began an ROTC program affiliated with the Corps of Engineers, Transportation Corps, and Signal Corps. Siena College inaugurated its ROTC program in September 1950 as a Field Artillery program, teaching associated subjects, which lasted until the fall of 1967 when the program was changed to General Military Science. The intent of focusing programs on certain branches was to align cadets with branches that closely matched their academic backgrounds, a practice that was discontinued in 1967 allowing ROTC cadets to compete for slots in all of the Army’s basic branches.
As part of the Army’s downsizing in the early 1990s, Army ROTC was reduced to its current configuration of 270 programs nationwide. The separate RPI ROTC program was discontinued, and Siena College became the host institution for Army ROTC in the New York Capital District region. RPI and U-Albany are now part of Cadet Command’s partnership school program, and the Mohawk Battalion includes cross-enrolled students from more than fifteen other schools.
