Embry-Riddle Army ROTC Named Among Best in Nation for Second Consecutive Year

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Ranger Challenge team competed in the 6th Brigade Phase II competition at Ft. Moore, Georgia
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Ranger Challenge team competed in the 6th Brigade Phase II competition at Ft. Moore, Ga. The team placed first out of 39 schools in the region, completing a journey of nearly 26 miles almost an hour prior to the second-place team. (Photo: Lt. Col. Jerome Reitano)

Mike Cavaliere photoMike Cavaliere /

Jan 03, 2024, 9:32 AM

For the second consecutive year, and the third time in the past five years, the Army ROTC at Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University’s Daytona Beach, Florida, campus has been named a MacArthur Award Winner, placing it among the top programs of its kind in the nation.

This honor — awarded by Cadet Command and the Gen. Douglas MacArthur Foundation to recognize the ideals of "duty, honor and country," as advocated by MacArthur — positions the Eagle Army ROTC program to compete for the esteemed U.S. Department of Defense award.

“Serving those who serve is at the core of Embry-Riddle’s mission,” said Embry-Riddle President P. Barry Butler, Ph.D. “I am extremely proud of our cadets, and the university at large applauds this outstanding achievement.”

The Embry-Riddle program is comprised of over 200 cadets, and last year, it commissioned 64 second lieutenants into the Active Component, National Guard and Army Reserves, marking the largest graduating cohort in the program’s 40-year history. Embry-Riddle also boasts the seventh-largest Army ROTC program in the country, and it is the third-highest-producing Army ROTC organization of all non-military college programs nationally. Additionally, its cadets have accumulated the second-highest grade point average among the largest Army ROTC programs in the country, with nearly 50% of all cadets pursuing STEM degrees.

“Earning this prestigious award reflects the hard work and dedication of every person involved in the ongoing success of Embry-Riddle students,” said Lt. Col. Jerome Reitano, Embry-Riddle Army ROTC alumnus and current professor of Military Science. “Our cadets are also students, athletes, club leaders and more, and honors like this one would not be possible without the support system that extends throughout this university.”

Embry‑Riddle's Daytona Beach Army ROTC, known as the Eagle Battalion, is known for its community service, including mentorship of local Junior ROTC cadets. Winners of the Douglas MacArthur Award are determined using a combination of a school's commissioning mission achievement, its cadets’ performance/standing on the National Order of Merit List and its cadet retention rate.

Posted In: Institutional News