Texas A&M University Corps of Cadets
The Texas A&M University Corps of Cadets (often The Corps of Cadets or simply The Corps) is an organization at Texas A&M University that trains students in the ways of the military with the option of a commission to the armed forces upon graduation. The Corps trains more military officers than any school in the United States, apart from the service academies. The Corps of Cadets is as old as the school itself, founded in 1876 when Texas A&M was an all-male military college. Membership in the Corps became voluntary in 1965, but membership of the organization still numbers around 2,000 students. The Corps is now a co-educational institution, and 15 of its 29 outfits are gender-integrated units. Members of the Corps have served in every conflict fought by the U.S. since the Spanish-American War. Over 225 Aggies have been promoted to General or other Flag Officer in the military, and seven former students have been awarded the Medal of Honor, the highest military award in the U.S. By tradition, the highest-ranking member of the Corps is the "First Lady" of Texas A&M, a collie known as "Reveille". She is the school's de facto mascot; although Reveille has no official mascot status, she is present at all A&M football games and numerous other A&M functions. Although the Corps of Cadets' immersive leadership environment is widely considered to have significant advantages over traditional ROTC programs, there has been some debate as to whether replacing the Corps with a more orthodox program would produce better officers for the modern military and its role in the world. In particular, hazing has been a lingering issue for the Corps, and it has lead to expulsions and prosecutions in some cases. The Parsons Mounted Cavalry, a unit of the Corps, was suspended in October, 2002 after an alleged hazing incident involving accusations of assault with axe handles and dousing with a mixture of horse feces and water. In May 2003, a temporary injunction was enacted, barring the University from taking further disciplinary action against the cadets accused of hazing. In August 2004, a formal decision by a Texas judge awarded about $349,000 to a group of cadets and former cadets who had accused the University of violating their civil rights during the investigation. However, the decision did not clear the cadets of wrongdoing. In addition, the Ross Volunteer Honor Corps association, another unit of the Corps, was summarily suspended by the University for allegedly threatening anti-war demonstrators during a candlelight vigil on February 3 2004. They were later cleared of any wrongdoing.
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