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Austin Peay State University Army ROTC Program celebrates 50th Anniversary

Austin Peay State University - APSUClarksville, TN – This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Austin Peay State University (APSU) award-winning Army ROTC program.

Here’s a look at some of the program’s milestones that occurred over the last five decades.

January 28th, 1971 – Army General Order Number 4 authorizes Army ROTC at APSU.

September 1971 – Army ROTC classes begin at Austin Peay State University.

January 25th, 1973 – Michael Worsham is the first APSU cadet commissioned as an Army officer.

March 14th, 1975 – Remo Butler (Class of 1975) is commissioned. He will become Austin Peay State University’s first general officer and the first black Special Forces officer to make brigadier general in June 2000.

June 3rd, 1977 – Former cadet Ronald Bailey graduates. He joins the U.S. Marines and retires as a lieutenant general.

August 2nd, 1979 – Herbert Rodriguez is the 100thcadet commissioned.

November 1988 – Lance Richardson (’89) is named the top Army ROTC cadet in the nation.

November 1990 – APSU Army ROTC program earns its first MacArthur Award.

November 1991 – Austin Peay State University Army ROTC program earns its second MacArthur Award.

December 12th, 1985 – 1st Lt. Kip Stevens (’84) is among the 248 soldiers killed in the Gander, Newfoundland, plane crash after a six-month peacekeeping mission in the Sinai Peninsula.

December 4th, 1987 – Paul Bontrager is commissioned. He will be promoted to brigadier general in August 2014.

November 1997 – APSU Army ROTC program earns its third MacArthur Award.

November 2001 – APSU Army ROTC program earns its fourth MacArthur Award.

October 6th, 2003 – 2nd Lt. Richard Torres (’02) is killed in action in Iraq. He is the only Austin Peay State UniversityArmy ROTC killed in combat.

November 2008 – APSU Army ROTC program earns its fifth MacArthur Award.

November 2014 – APSU Army ROTC program earns its sixth MacArthur Award.

November 2015 – APSU Army ROTC program earns its seventh MacArthur Award.

June 2016 – Maj. Greg Mabry (’04) is inducted into the Army ROTC Hall of Fame at Fort Knox.

November 2019 – APSU Army ROTC program earns its eighth MacArthur Award.

May 7th, 2021 – Katherine Alba is the program’s 800thcadet commissioned as an Army officer.

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