George Mason’s ROTC continues to provide a path for personal and professional growth

George Mason University’s Army ROTC Patriot Battalion is on the rise. From its humble beginnings more than 40 years ago in 1982 with little more than 20 students, the program now boasts nearly 150 cadets and continues to grow in recognition. 

The George Mason ROTC program was launched in 1982 as an extension of the Georgetown University Army ROTC, before splitting off independently in 2002. Today, the Patriot Battalion hosts co-enrolled students from Marymount University, University of Mary Washington, and Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA).

The number of first-year students making the choice to pursue a commission as an Army officer increased ninefold in the last five years, more than ever before. This year one of Patriot Battalion’s own—Mason Cadet Bryan Vega—was recognized as the premier ROTC Cadet in the nation.

Lt. Col. Matthew M. Kuhn, an active-duty officer and department chair, leads George Mason’s ROTC effort. “ROTC combines courses in military science with practical leadership training to prepare for success in college, as leaders in the Army, or in any profession of choice,” he said.

Students in the program receive classroom instruction and participate in a weekly leadership lab and early morning physical training activities.

First-year students and sophomores can participate in the first two years of Army ROTC without committing to serve in the Army. Students offered an ROTC scholarship then contract and incur a military obligation. There are also opportunities for juniors, seniors, and graduate students.

Students must contract by their junior year or first year of graduate school to continue with the advanced course program, obligating them to serve four years of active duty in the regular Army, or six to eight years in a unit of the Army National Guard or U.S. Army Reserves, depending upon whether they received an ROTC scholarship. Officers may then continue to serve the remainder of their obligation in their current component or transfer into the Reserve Components or the Individual Ready Reserve.

A quick scroll through Mason’s Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps Instagram and Facebook accounts provides a visual of the wide range of Mason cadet activities—including an annual senior trip, physical training at the EagleBank Arena, the Patriot Battalion Military Ball, commissioning ceremonies, field training exercises, and the Patriot Games. What it does not reveal is what cadets consistently agree are the overarching benefits of the ROTC experience—the physical, psychological, and financial support provided through the corps.

“My unit is a second family to me,” said Matthew Rigdon, a Military Science 3 (MS3) junior.

“Some of the best memories you’ll make in ROTC are in the field with other cadets making the most of a challenging time—where you’re being stress-tested to see how you perform under pressure,” said Rigdon, who is from Stafford, Virginia. “My fellow cadets are friendly, encouraging, and determined to succeed even when put in tough situations, especially since the success of each cadet contributes to the overall success of the team.”

For Cadet Christopher Roman, an MS2 sophomore, college tuition assistance was paramount. “The financial aid is extremely helpful and was very important to me,” said Roman, who hails from Canton, Ohio. “Although my parents were going to pay for my degree, I felt a responsibility to help them.”

Sahar Khalid-Schieber, an MS4 Senior, who comes to George Mason from London, England, echoes Roman’s appreciation for financial support. The Army ROTC is the largest provider of post-secondary school scholarships in the United States and one of the nation’s foremost leadership development programs.

Khalid-Schieber explains that ROTC offered more than just discipline and a pathway to military service; it presented an opportunity to be part of an organization that goes beyond the individual. “ROTC is not just about me; it's about a collective sense of purpose, an interconnected web of responsibilities, and a shared mission,” Khalid-Schieber said. “In ROTC, I found an environment where I could channel my innate desire to give back, to serve not just a cause, but a country, a community, and a set of ideals.”

About a quarter of the cadets arrive at George Mason through NOVA, often through the ADVANCE Program, which provides a seamless pathway for community college students to earn a four-year degree. It was that route that brought MS4 Raymond Bonniwell to Mason. Bonniwell, a dual major in anthropology and Russian studies who emigrated from South Africa, noted the advantage of the monthly stipend, the ability to get a security clearance, and the chance to serve his adopted country as key motivations for joining ROTC. 

Roman, who plans to pursue a career in law enforcement, also touts the professional support found through the program. “The experience that ROTC provides, especially for me, is perfect. My cohorts are motivated leaders that continuously strive to make each other better.” 

“My favorite memory in ROTC is from the Spring 2023 Field Training Exercise where I was fortunate enough to ride in a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter down to Marine Corps Base Quantico,” said Rigdon, who studies operations and supply chain management and hopes to be an active-duty quartermaster officer after graduating and commissioning into the U.S. Army. “This experience was one of the coolest things I have ever done.”