Courtesy | The Collegian
Hillsdale College will partner with the Department of War through a new Corps of Cadets program to give Hillsdale students who want to go into military service after graduation priority officer commissioning to the military and military instruction, College President Larry Arnn announced Sept. 30.
“We need students of Western Civilization and the pillars of our republic; leaders who understand the faith of Jerusalem, the philosophy of Athens, the power of Rome, and the freedom of Philadelphia circa 1776; officers of the republic proud of our country, our heritage, and our history,” Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said in a statement. “This flagship effort is central to our goal of increasing the number of patriotic leaders of character commissioning into the Joint Force.”
Hillsdale will be one of the initial five universities designated a “Distinguished Military College.” The program will require cadets-in-training to undergo tactical instruction and military organization. The schools are also given “Honor School” status, granting student cadets priority in officer commissioning that will act as a pipeline into military officership, according to a press release from the college.
“Hillsdale College has been preparing students for military service and for citizenship generally for 182 years,” Arnn said in a statement. “Its curriculum is devised to achieve that general understanding of the natural and human world that helps one grasp ultimate causes. It is the best preparation for leadership in all its forms, including that stern form necessary in the military. We are honored at this chance to be of service and grateful to the Department of War for the opportunity.”
The other colleges partnering with the Department of War are Liberty University, Louisiana State University, Mississippi State University, and Tuskegee University.
Hillsdale’s membership in the Corps of Cadets is consistent with the college’s founding commitment to “defending liberty,” according to Peter Jennings, associate professor of leadership studies, who is a Marine veteran.
“Our college has always been a friend to the military and the military a friend to the college — military service, of course, is one of the first duties of republican citizenship,” Jennings said in an email.
Jennings said the Corps of Cadets partnership is special because of the history of Hillsdale students in military service.
“Military service is a tradition of the college that dates to the Civil War when over 500 Hillsdale College students served in the Union army,” Jennings said. “Military service and preparation for military service are central to the heritage of our college.”
One hundred and thirty-five Hillsdale students and alumni have died in service of the U.S. in armed conflicts, according to The Collegian. While most students died in the Civil War, others also died during the Spanish-American War, the First and Second World Wars, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. Four students have received the Medal of Honor.
The exact details and implications for cadet training and curriculum at Hillsdale remain undecided, according to Professor of History Paul Rahe.
“The difference between what Hillsdale has done before and what it will be doing in the partnership is a formal relationship with the Department of War,” Rahe said. “My expectation is that the minor in military history will be tweaked for the sake of the Cadet Corps. But the changes to the curriculum are undecided.”
Junior Ashley Burdo, a sergeant in the Marine Corps and member in Hillsdale’s Marine Officer’s Commissioning Program, said she has been able to understand her service better while at Hillsdale.
“As Christians, by the cross, our life is not our own,” Burdo said. “We are obligated to serve in some capacity, no matter what we do. I think it is a very specific calling to those who serve out in the military. It’s obviously more intense and harsh, but we take it on with joy.”
Burdo said she hopes Hillsdale’s partnership with the Department of War will increase the college’s publicity among young people who apply to colleges with plans to become a military officer after graduation.
“Knowing that there is something very official and substantial on campus, for those students who are more military-oriented and military-minded, will help a lot,” Burdo said. “A very established pipeline to becoming a commissioned officer is something I have no doubt would rival a lot of the military academies.”
Rahe said the Cadet Corps coincides with Hillsdale’s mission of producing better American citizens and defending liberty.
“Part of our purpose is preparing people for citizenship, and one aspect of citizenship is public service,” Rahe said. “Being attentive to the needs of people going into public service, through the Corps of Cadets partnership, keeps with our college’s mission. It’s good for the college, and it’s good for the country.”
