Events & Activities
ROTC Offers Many Opportunities to Excel
In Army ROTC, it’s not all classroom and field training. There are many opportunities for you to get to know your fellow Cadets better and increase your skills in a variety of areas. Learn more about these events and activities below.
Welcome BBQ
Each year, the Charles River Battalion hosts a Welcome BBQ for new and current Cadets as a time to come together and build their camaraderie for the coming school year. Families and friends are all welcome to attend! This event typically occurs during the move-in weekend. New cadets will receive more information regarding this event during the Summer.
Pass-In-Review (PIR)
Each year, cadets from Boston University’s Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corp ROTC programs join together for the annual Pass-In-Review Ceremony. The Pass-In-Review Ceremony is one of the Army’s long standing traditions. Originally when the troops are ready for battle, or assembled in celebration, the commanders formed their units in line of battle to inspect their troops. As one of the few schools that offer all the Services of the military, Boston University proudly presents an annual Tri-Service PIR.
Veteran’s Vigil
Each year, Cadets from Boston University’s Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps ROTC programs join together to honor those who served our country by conducting the Veteran’s Vigil and Ceremony. Each year for Veteran’s Day, the Cadets from all three services march down the red carpets of Marsh Chapel from early in the morning until the closing ceremony.
Tri-Service Military Ball
Each year, Cadets from Boston University’s Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps ROTC programs join together for the annual Tri-Service Military Ball. The military ball is a special event to which Cadets and cadre alike bring their guests to enjoy a night of dining and dancing. However, it is not all fun and games; it is also a night to remember POWs and MIAs from both past and current conflicts. It is one of the most anticipated events of the year.
Sheehan Cup
The Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corp ROTC programs at Boston University meet annually to compete in the Sheehan Cup, which consists of multiple challenging events.
The service that wins overall gets to take home the Sheehan Cup trophy and proudly display it in their respective detachments.
Ranger Challenge
Ranger Challenge is considered the varsity sport of Army ROTC. Each year, the competition for 1st Brigade is held at Devens, MA (a former Army Fort), which is the home for ROTC’s 1st Brigade/Eastern Region. Those schools, which field a team, provide nine primary members and one alternate, which make up a squad. These squads participate in a series of eight events over the course of the competition weekend. These squads are compiled from the best cadets in each host school’s ROTC Battalion. The events for the competition are the APFT, an obstacle course, one rope bridge, a patrolling exam, orienteering course, M16 marksmanship, M16 weapons disassembly/reassembly, concluding with a 10 km ruck march.
Pershing Rifles
Pershing Rifles (P/R) at Boston University is a branch of the National Society of Pershing Rifles, a tri-service, co-ed military honorary society which draws from ROTC units around the country. , Pershing Rifles is built around military proficiency, scholarship, leadership, and a very strong esprit de corps. Potential new members are indoctrinated into B-12 through a challenging Candidate Term which lasts six to nine weeks. They undertake a rigorous physical training program, consisting of calisthenics, running, and weight training. To ensure that academic success remains a priority, candidates attend study hall moderated by members with past experience in their fields of study.Candidates also learn many new military skills including infantry tactics, land navigation and the use of the Global Positioning System (GPS), and Drill & Ceremony. They will participate in a weekend-long Field Exercise modeled on the US Army Special Forces’ ROBIN SAGE exercise, during which they will plan and execute their own small-unit missions in a tactical environment.
Scabbard and Blade
Scabbard and Blade K-6 Company is driven by the pursuit of excellence. Our pledge term and our honor society trains cadets to be leaders of the Charles River Battalion through tactics training, personal counseling, and hands-on leadership experience. Candidates prepare for success in ROTC by improving their Army Physical Fitness scores, mastering tactics, and building their own team to work cohesively.