Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) Custom Challenge Coins
“Leadership Excellence”
ROTC: Building Men and Women Ready to Lead America’s Armed Forces
The Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) is a program at many colleges and universities that allows students to become commissioned officers in the United States Armed Forces upon graduation.
The roots of military training in civilian colleges date back to 1819, when Captain Alden Partridge established the American Literary, Scientific, and Military Academy at Northfield, Vermont, where Norwich University is today.
Congress saw the need and passed the Morrill Act of 1862, setting up land-grant colleges which were required to have military tactics as part of their curriculum— thus forming ROTC.
Available at more than 1700 colleges throughout the USA, ROTC programs are divided into Army, Navy, and Air Force ROTC and produce the majority of commissioned officers for the US Department of Defense. Prospective Marine Corps officers go through Navy ROTC and elect to join the USMC if they meet additional requirements.
ROTC students go to school like other students while also receiving basic military training and officer training for their chosen branch of service through the ROTC unit at or near the institution. During the academic year, they participate in regular exercises and off-campus summer training programs.
Under ROTC, a student may get a competitive, merit-based scholarship that covers the entire cost of college tuition, books, and lab fees in exchange for an active-duty service commitment following graduation (or completion of a graduate degree under an approved education delay), in addition to a monthly stipend to help cover everyday expenses.
ROTC challenge coins are some of the best coins to make, combining your school and military pride in one custom challenge coin!
U.S. Army ROTC Cadet Custom Challenge Coins and Pins
US Army ROTC cadets are expected to uphold the Army Values, a set of core values that all members of the Army team must adhere to: Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity and Personal Courage.
ROTC cadets are expected to be more responsible than the average college student, considering a year after their graduation they could be calling in airstrikes or parachuting out of a C-130 Hercules aircraft. That’s also why their Cadet Summer Training prepares them directly for the US Army mission in the field.
While many US Navy sailors enjoy the Navy Ball, the event is not mandatory. Each Sailor is allowed one guest, and attendance is usually strongly recommended by the command. If you’re overseas, it might be even more meaningful due to the reality of living in a foreign country and regarding your fellow service members as a family.
During this training evolution, Army ROTC cadets learn troop movement and orienteering over complex terrain, how to engage the enemy with simulated fire, how to perform vital first aid in the field on fellow soldiers, rappelling down a tower and more. Future soldiers get to look forward to the obstacle course, also known as a confidence course, a 12-mile foot-march, and gas mask training using real gas.
Finally, only the best of the best ROTC cadets will qualify to earn the Ranger tab before they report to their first duty station.
Some of the Top US College ROTC Programs on Unique Custom Challenge Coins
These top colleges’ ROTC programs consistently win awards and produce the best of the best junior officers in the armed forces year after year. They are also notable for their graduates’ success both in and outside of the military, number of alumni with zero college loans, cost, and prestige.
- Notre Dame - South Euclid, OH
- The Citadel - Charleston, SC
- Virginia Military Institute - Lexington, VA
- Texas A&M University - College Station, TX
- Norwich University - Northfield, VT
- University of New Hampshire - Durham, NH
- Saint John’s University - Collegeville, MN
- Bowie State University - Bowie, MD
- University of South Florida - Tampa, FL
- University of Tennessee - Knoxville, TN
- University of North Georgia - Dahlonega, GA
- Virginia Tech - Blacksburg, VA
- Santa Clara University - Santa Clara, CA
- University of Mississippi - Oxford, MS
- George Washington and American University Joint Program - Washington D.C.
- Villanova University - Philadelphia, PA
- University of Oklahoma - (Norman, OK)
Custom Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) Challenge Coins and Belt Buckles
Navy ROTC scholarship students participate in a summer cruise in the fleet, where they receive hands-on training with real Navy personnel and equipment. Midshipmen (both Navy and Marine) attend CORTRAMID (Career Orientation and Training of Midshipmen) at either San Diego or Norfolk after their freshman year.
The Midshipmen spend a week in each of the three primary Unrestricted Line communities (Surface, Submarine, and Aviation), as well as a week with the Marine Corps to assist them choose which community to join when commissioned.
In the spring of their third year, Navy Option scholarship midshipmen participate in a surface ship, submarine, or aviation squadron for two months each summer. Midshipmen can only go on aviation cruises during their First Class Cruise. They choose which warfare community they want to learn from and are granted the chance to train all around the world during each summer cruise.
The second-class cruise occurs between the second and third years. They are paired with an enlisted running companion that gives them a sense of what it's like to be an enlisted person.
The operational cruise that midshipmen take during the summer between their junior and senior years of college is known as the First Class Cruise. This cruise focuses on integrating midshipmen into the officer community. Specialty cruises include EOD cruises, SEAL cruises, FOREX cruises (midshipmen are attached to a foreign country's ship), and Navy Nurse Cruises.
The Marine Option midshipmen spend the second summer at the Marine Corps' Mountain Warfare Training Center. They study high-altitude survival skills and receive high-altitude conditioning. It is commonly referred to as "OCS prep." For six weeks during the junior and senior years, Marine Option midshipmen attend "Bulldog," Marine Officer Candidate School, also known as OCS.
Add a custom shape to your design– like the great state of Texas– to make your ROTC challenge coin truly unforgettable!
U.S. Air Force ROTC custom challenge coins
AFROTC's mission is to generate quality leaders for the U.S. Air Force. AFROTC units are spread out between 145 college campuses with 1100+ additional colleges participating in cross-town agreements that enable students attending those schools to take AFROTC classes at a nearby "host" institution of higher learning instead.
AFROTC students, known as "cadets," are divided into wings, groups, squadrons and flights that follow the USAF's wing-based organizational operating structure. The AFROTC detachment is then split into two courses: the General Military Course (GMC) for the first two years and Professional Officer Course (POC) for the last two years.
The AFROTC curriculum is split into two training functions: the Academic Classroom Program (Aerospace Studies courses) and Cadet Activities (such as Leadership Laboratory, Physical Training, and other activities).
In each flight, students are graded from first to last. The top 10% are designated as "Distinguished Graduates." The remaining cadets are assigned to one of three divisions in their respective flight: top, middle, or bottom third. Various other accolades are offered for excelling in physical training and warrior spirit.
The following factors contribute to a cadet's ranking:
- How ready they are for field training
- Fitness assessment results
- Skills as a cadet leader
- Professional ability
- Ability to communicate
- How they handle pressure and stress
- Overall military ethos
Challenge Coins for the Defining Moment as an ROTC Cadet: the Commissioning Ceremony
Get ready to have base enlisted personnel scramble to salute you– you’ve earned it. After 4 years of rigorous academic training, a full-time class schedule, passing physical requirement tests along the way and going out into the field with the units you will one day be commanding, it’s time to put on that gold bar.
This will be one of the most special days in your life, and something that will set you apart from most civilians in ways only an officer and a veteran would begin to understand.
By your junior and senior year, you may have even noticed that you carry yourself differently than the other college students on campus. Your inclination to noble service and defending the ideals of freedom, individual rights and prosperity, and putting your life on the line for your country is something to be acknowledged and proud of – and something that only a chosen few will ever understand.
ROTC challenge coins and custom enamel pins are a great gift to buy for your OCS graduating class. With our 20+ years of experience serving our country’s military, US DOD Coins can make a design for you that your Army battle buddies, Navy shipmates, fellow USAF airmen and US Marines will love.
ROTC: Instilling the Core Values that Maintain the Heart and Soul of the Nation’s Military
The ROTC program in college encompasses more than just physical training - it instills ethical and philosophical values through established traditions. For example, cadets will strictly adhere to a creed and honor code that reflect the core values of the ROTC program. Furthermore, they will take part in culturally enriching activities that are unique to the program.
Challenge Coin Design Template
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Custom ROTC Challenge Coins That’ll Impress the Top Brass
U.S. DOD Coins produces the finest custom challenge coins to your order’s specifications and offers a ton of amazing customizable options:
- 3D Design – Make your design jump off the coin and add extra value to your challenge coin order.
- Hard and Soft Enamel – choose between glossy soft enamel or hard enamel for the jewelry-quality effect
- Extra Features– From glow-in-the-dark paint to the latest trends in special effects during the laser engraving process, choose coin touches and preferences like antique or modern gold or silver plating, and smooth or beveled edges with or without text
Free Design for Your Own Personalized ROTC Memorabilia Perfect for Any Challenge Coin, Enamel Pin, Belt Buckle or Patch
It’s easy and fast to get started making your own custom challenge coin or pin:
Gather your elements, files and ideas and send them to us via a quote request.
From 24 to 48 hours you will get a quote along with a digital proof.
Order to start production or request revisions. Revisions are unlimited.
Let U.S.DOD Coins Bring Your Custom Coin Idea to Life
Traditional challenge coins have remained popular, although some people have requested more detailed and intricate designs in recent years.
Rather than shooting down our clients' vision like other businesses might, we instead took on the challenge and expanded our customization options.
THE EVOLUTION OF CHALLENGE COIN AWARDS
Eight years ago, the Challenge Coin industry had what we call a recipe for designing challenge coins. Round, flat, and empty.
This type of Challenge Coin is a classic, and it still being used nowadays, But people were somewhat asking for a little more spice, uniqueness, and bold designs.
That's when clients started to bring more complex ideas. Instead of refusing to take on the project as most other companies did, we embraced the challenge. We began to increase difficulty and detail to coins; we started experimenting and bringing expectations to whole new level. Some worked; some didn't.
In the end, what was the client's reaction to their finished project?
The response was so positive that a new wave of high quality and detailed coin requests came flooding into the company! Word got spread about the high-quality and unique designs spread across all militaries throughout the world.
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It takes a lot of effort, longer production time, and hard design to make these unique coins possible, so the list of clients can get full from time to time.
If you are planning to take your coin to the next level, Fill a quote here
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