A detachment of the Army Reserve
Officers Training Corps (ROTC) was established in 1947
on what was then the Santa Barbara College of the University
of California. The College and ROTC, located on the Riviera above the City of
Santa Barbara, moved to its present location in 1953
into what was previously a Marine Corps Air Station.
The College reached "General Campus"
status in 1958 and was renamed the University of California
at Santa Barbara (UCSB). The University grew in size during the 1960s from about 2,400
to over 12,000 students.
The first three graduates of the ROTC Program at
UCSB were commissioned as Second Lieutenants in 1949. Since that time, over 1,000 men and women
have been commissioned into the U.S. Army, U.S. Army
Reserve or U.S. Army National Guard.
Officer production peaked in 1968 when 109
lieutenants were commissioned. The highest rank achieved by a UCSB ROTC
graduate is Major General.
|
Participation in ROTC became voluntary
in the 1970s that led to a temporary decline in the
number of students participating in the program.
By 1975, however, recovery was well under way
and the number of officers commissioned has since
risen steadily. 1974
also saw the opening of ROTC to women.
Women cadets at UCSB were among the first in
the Fourth ROTC Region to hold the position of Cadet
Battalion Commander and to be recipients of the prestigious
George C. Marshall Award.
From 1947 to present,
the Army Reserve Officers Training Corps at the University
of California at Santa Barbara has provided the nation
with highly motivated lieutenants trained to lead and
command. In
1991, UCSB was selected as the best ROTC program in
California, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico and western
Texas. The legacy
of the proud Surfrider Battalion continues to prosper
at UCSB.
|
