Unit History
61 Years & Counting
The Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) was first established in 1926 to offer college students the necessary naval science courses required to qualify them for commissions in the Naval Reserve. NROTC Units were established in six universities.
Throughout the years preceding World War II, the program was expanded to include additional universities and colleges. During the course of World War II, the Navy expanded from a force of 100,000 to over 3.5 million, becoming the world's leading sea power, and the requirement for a large regular officer corps became apparent. As a result, the mission of NROTC was greatly increased.
The NROTC Unit at the Iowa State University has a long and proud history, originating from the Navy V-12 educational program developed and implemented in the early to mid-1940's. During World War II, the Navy had a need to provide technical education to many of its personnel. The V-12 Program was designed to train enlisted personnel in specialized and technical areas such as electrician and diesel mechanics. The V-12 Program was designed to prepare large numbers of men for the Navy's officer Candidate Schools and to increase the war-depleted students bodies of many campuses.
The Department of the Navy's decision to approve the application request for a NROTC Unit at ISU was probably the result of the University's reputation for one of the most successful V-12 Programs in the country. A bronze commemorative award, engraved with the Secretary of the Navy's name and presented to the University for its commendable performance in training young men during W.W.II, is still on display in the NROTC Unit. During WWI, the V-12 unit at ISU trained thousands of Amphibious Fireman, Cooks & Bakers, Diesel Mechanics, and Electricians.
The NROTC unit at Iowa State takes pride in producing positive, well-trained and educated, and career minded junior officer for the Navy and the Marine Corps. Since 1945, ISU has turned out hundreds of such young men and women who have gone on to make careers in the United State Navy and United State Marine Corps or have successfully pursued a career in the civilian world.
