Blue Mountain Battalion: ROTC at Dickinson
Assistant Professor of Chemistry Olivia Harper Wilkins '15, peering through a stainless-steel reducing adapter for her ultrahigh vacuum chamber, in a lab in the Rector Science Complex, home of the Department of Chemistry. Photo by Dan Loh.
video by Tyler Caruso
Four-year program prepares students for the military, and for life
Dickinson's Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) program, known as the Blue Mountain Battalion, offers students a unique blend of academic rigor and leadership development. The program is designed to cultivate well-rounded individuals prepared for success in military and civilian life.
"Here at Dickinson, we strive to set the standard for the battalion through our physical fitness, our academics, as well as how hard we push each other," says Sam Orzolek '26 (law & policy, Russian), an ROTC cadet. "I think the ROTC program is a great way to get a physical challenge but also a mental challenge."
Students who complete the advanced course are prepared for service as commissioned officers in the active Army or part-time in the Army Reserve or Army National Guard. But the four-year ROTC program, which focuses on critical thinking, leadership principles, management, ethics and military history, not only prepares students for the military; it prepares them for success at Dickinson and in life.
"I think the program does a great job of providing you leadership opportunities within the school," says Eileen Sweeney '25 (international business & management), another cadet. "ROTC is a great place to push yourself out of your comfort zone and build confidence. The Blue Mountain Battalion has offered me a place to grow and learn and pushed me to do things I never thought I could do."
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Published April 15, 2025