About the Stinger Battalion

Our History

Following the establishment of the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) in 1916 by the National Defense Act, ROTC began at Georgia Tech in 1917. Participation in the ROTC basic course was initially required for graduation. While the original authorization for ROTC at Georgia Tech specified a Signal Corps and Coast Artillery Unit, the first affiliation was with the Infantry. However, today’s Cadets are commissioned into all branches.

In May of 1918, the first ROTC camp was established at Plattsburg, New York. In the summer of 1918, the Student Army Training Corps (SATC) was created. The program allowed students to attend the college of their choice and enlist as a regular member of any branch concurrently. Under this program, academics took a secondary role to military training. The War Department abolished the SATC program at the end of World War I, leaving ROTC intact.

Over 7000 lieutenants have received their commission from the Stinger Battalion. Many alumni have served in every campaign from World War I to recent campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan. While Georgia Tech is the host institution for the battalion and the location of its headquarters, students at other distinguished colleges and universities participate in the Army ROTC here though cross-enrollment agreements.

For more information about the history of the GT AROTC Program, click the link below to read the article posted by the GT Alumni Association!

Georgia Tech Alumni Association – Tech History: 100 Years of ROTC (gtalumni.org)

Our Members

Georgia Institute of Technology (GIT) is the host school for four other partner and affiliate schools in the local area: Emory University, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw State University Marietta Campus, and Agnes Scott College. These Institutions are grouped together to form the companies that make up the Stinger Battalion.