Lehigh Valley Steel Battalion History

An Infantry unit of the Reserve Officers Training Corps was established at Lehigh University in September 1919. In 1925 an Ordnance unit was added and in 1947 a Corps of Engineers unit. In September 1955 the General Military Science program was initiated and branch-type instruction was phased out in the 1955-56 school year.

The trustees and faculty of the University required all physically qualified students to complete either Basic Military Science course as a requirement for graduation prior to school year 1961-62. The University officially announced on 6 February 1961 that the ROTC program became voluntary commencing 1961-62.

Lehigh was one of the first three schools in the country to have ROTC after its inception in 1919. Our special equipment and training facilities are second to none. We have 20+ acres of wooded forest adjacent to the school containing a ropes course, squad situational training lanes, and a land navigation course. Classes are taught at Lehigh, Lafayette and Kutztown.