UF Army ROTC

Field Craft! In preparation for AROTC’s Fall Field Training Exercise, cadets learn important field craft skills such as in-field shelter construction, knots, and camouflaging techniques.

Army ROTC climbs the stairs to remember the tragic day and the hero’s who risked their lives.

Congratulations to CDT Monroy who completed the Scout Leadership Course this summer, and became UF’s first ever cadet to successfully navigate this rigorous course. SLC is a 26-day Army course at Fort Benning that trains the skills necessary to lead a scout platoon. It includes land navigation, recon planning, and small unit tactics taught in classroom instruction and in three field training exercises.

The ROTC Color Guard Presents Our Flags — Leading the Way to Our First Home Game and a Win for the Gators!

Congratulations to these Army cadets who took the Oath of Enlistment today. This marks the beginning of a journey that will last a lifetime. By swearing the same oath that all members of the Army have taken since its formation they are now apart of something greater than themselves. HOOAH! 🇺🇸

Army ROTC National Scholarship Application Window is OPEN!

The Army ROTC National Scholarship provides motivated students the opportunity to earn a college degree while developing the leadership skills needed to serve as an Army Officer.
Scholarship recipients can receive:
✅ Full Tuition OR Room & Board
✅ Up to $12,000 per year for Room & Board
✅ $1,200 annual book stipend
✅ $420 monthly cadet stipend
✅ Leadership training and mentorship
✅ Internship and career development opportunities
✅ A pathway to commission as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army
The Fightin’ Gator Battalion is committed to helping future leaders navigate the scholarship process and succeed both academically and professionally.

Contact Kyle Everage at [email protected] or call (352) 392-2769 if you are interested!

Today, August 18, 2026, marks the 50th anniversary of the 1976 Korean DMZ Axe Murder Incident and the deaths of MAJ Arthur Bonifas and CPT Mark Barrett while serving in the Joint Security Area.

For the Fightin’ Gator Battalion, this history is personal.

CPT Mark Barrett was one of our own. 🐊

A 1973 graduate of the University of Florida and Army ROTC, Barrett was a member of the Gator Guard Drill Team and Scabbard and Blade and served as a Resident Advisor in the Murphree Area.

After commissioning as an Infantry Officer, he completed Infantry Officer Basic Course, Airborne School, and Ranger School before eventually being assigned to the United Nations Command Security Battalion in Korea.

On August 18, 1976, 1LT Barrett and CPT Arthur Bonifas were leading a routine work detail near the Bridge of No Return in the Korean Demilitarized Zone when North Korean soldiers attacked the group. Both officers were killed. Barrett was 25 years old.

Three days later, the United Nations Command launched Operation Paul Bunyan, a massive show of force that successfully completed the mission of removing the tree at the center of the confrontation.

Barrett was posthumously promoted to Captain, and the Joint Security Area’s readiness facility was later named the Barrett Readiness Facility in his honor.

His connection to the University of Florida also lives on.

In September 1976, UF Army ROTC and the University planted a Freedom Tree in his memory. That tree was later relocated and continues to stand near the entrance of Van Fleet Hall—a living reminder of a Gator who answered the call to serve and made the ultimate sacrifice.

For 50 years, Soldiers serving in Korea have remembered the events of August 18, 1976. Today, the Fightin’ Gator Battalion remembers our own.

Congratulations to CDTs Valderrama and Broche on successfully completing the WHINSEC Cadet Leadership Development (CLD) Course! 🇺🇸

Hosted at the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation at Fort Benning, CLD provides future leaders with an opportunity to strengthen their leadership skills, build relationships with military professionals from across the Western Hemisphere, and develop a deeper understanding of cooperation and security in the region.

If you are interested in joining or would like to learn more about our program email [email protected] or call (352) 392-3261

Join us in congratulating CDTs deVries and Chiketaev on graduating Air Assault School at Fort Campbell! 🚁 Cadets, your determination, resilience, and leadership are a testament to this program and the MSIII/MSII class as a whole. Continue pursuing the Will to Win! 🐊🦅

If you are interested in joining or would like to learn more about our program email [email protected] or call (352) 392-2769