U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has designated LSU as a Distinguished Military College. U.S. Air Force Colonel Joseph Musacchia, who is the commandant of the LSU Corps of Cadets says Hegseth’s order gives LSU Corps of Cadets and ROTC graduates a better chance at starting their military career in the officer ranks.
“Having this designation as a Distinguished Military College, and indicating that they have graduated from our program and receiving that designation, is something that makes them stand out from the pack,” Musacchia said.
Musacchia says these military programs teach leadership skills that would help any student regardless of their career path. He says LSU was founded in 1860 as the Louisiana State Seminary of Learning and Military Academy, so the school has a long military tradition.
“And since 1860, every year up to today, LSU has had military training and has produced military officer that have served in every conflict since the Spanish-American War,” Musacchia noted.
Musacchia says the LSU Corps of Cadets program currently has about 350 students. With this designation, he expects it will double in size in the next four years.
“That designation gives us immediate membership into America’s Corp of Cadets and the endorsement of the Department of War for the caliber and the level of training and leadership that we provide here at Louisiana State University,” Musacchia explained.