ROTC unit at SRU gets recognition

This is the third time the unit has received the honor.
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. -- Slippery Rock University's Reserve Officer Training Corps has been named the best small-school unit in the region for 2002, receiving the Gen. Douglas MacArthur Award.
SRU's unit was named the best among 270 units in the region.
Three awards are given each year in each of three U.S. regions to recognize exemplary performance in training Army officers. SRU's ROTC is part of a region with headquarters at Fort Bragg, N.C.
"This award gives tremendous recognition for the hard work of our cadets and the entire cadre, especially those enrolled in our leadership minor," said Lt. Col. Steven Stevens, chairman of the university's military science department.
This is the third time in nine years SRU has received the award, presented by the MacArthur Foundation and the U.S. Army Cadet Command. SRU's ROTC program also earned the honor in 1993 and 1995.
"I congratulate both the faculty and the students for their diligence and perseverance in developing leadership skills for expanding the leadership minor within the program," said Dr. Bruce Russell, dean of business, information and social sciences at SRU.
SRU created the leadership minor within the ROTC program two years ago. The only such program in Pennsylvania, it requires 25 credit hours focused on Army ROTC courses and hands-on experiences.