Austin Peay ROTC cadets honored with the University’s eighth MacArthur Award

COL Brent Clemmer, U.S. Army, Commander – 7th ROTC Brigade, placing the MacArthur Award streamer on the APSU Army ROTC colors, held by MSG Marcus Gurule, U.S. Army, APSU Army ROTC Senior Military Instructor.

Clemmer places the MacArthur Award streamer on the APSU Army ROTC colors, held by Master Sergeant Marcus Gurule, APSU senior military instructor.

(Posted Oct. 9, 2020)

The U.S. Army on Wednesday awarded Austin Peay State University’s ROTC programs the MacArthur Award, which recognizes the eight best ROTC programs in the country.

The MacArthur Award recognizes the eight schools, selected from among the 274 ROTC units nationwide, as the top programs in the country. This marks the eighth time the APSU program has earned the award in the last 26 years.

“If I have learned anything after serving the college for 23 plus years, it’s that the Army, and combat in general, is the ultimate team sport,” said Col. Brent Clemmer, commander of the 7^th Brigade of the U.S. Army Cadet Command. “No single service can achieve victory by itself.”

IMG 1802 - COL Brent Clemmer, U.S. Army, Commander – 7th ROTC Brigade, does an elbow bump with Dannelle Whiteside, APSU’s interim president, as CSM Shannon Adkins, U.S. Army, 7th ROTC Brigade, looks on.

Clemmer bumps elbows with APSU Interim President Dannelle Whiteside.

The awards, presented by U.S. Army Cadet Command and the Gen. Douglas MacArthur Foundation, recognize the ideals of “duty, honor and country” as advocated by MacArthur. The award is based on a combination of the achievement of the school’s commissioning mission, its cadets’ performance and standing on the command’s National Order of Merit List and its cadet retention rate.

Austin Peay’s ROTC program is the top program in the brigade of five states (Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana and Michigan) with 38 schools in the school year 2018-19. These schools include Vanderbilt University, University of Tennessee, University of Kentucky, Ohio State University, Notre Dame, University of Indiana and University of Michigan.

“This streamer that was put on the colors of the APSU ROTC program is proof that this is in fact, a team sport,” Clemmer said. “The secret to success is cooperation and teamwork and not going at it alone.”

COL Brent Clemmer, U.S. Army, Commander – 7th ROTC Brigade, presenting the ROTC Hall of Fame certificate to LTC Greg Lane, U.S. Army Reserve (Retired), APSU Army ROTC Cadet Success Coordinator.

Clemmer presents the ROTC Hall of Fame certificate to retired Lt. Col. Greg Lane.

U.S. Army Cadet Command also recognized retired Lt. Col. Greg Lane’s achievements as a distinguished ROTC alumnus during the ceremony by awarding him the ROTC Hall of Fame certificate.

For more about the Governors Guard ROTC at Austin Peay, visit www.apsu.edu/rotc.

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