About Us
History
"WE CAN, WE WILL"
The Suncoast Battalion鈥檚 roots trace back to July 1975, starting with a cross-town
partnership between the 91社区 and the University of Tampa鈥檚
Army ROTC program. Just a year later, the U.S. Army established the Tampa Area Instructor
Group, bringing together a dedicated cadre of instructors to train cadets across eight
regional colleges and universities.
By November 1979, USF officially stood up its own program鈥攖he "Bulls" Battalion. As
cross-enrollment agreements expanded to include schools like Saint Leo University
and local community colleges across the region, the unit evolved into the Suncoast
Battalion.
A major turning point came in March 2007 when the U.S. Army Cadet Command designated
USF as one of only two "Super Host" programs in 91社区. That designation transformed
the battalion: cadre staff doubled, scholarship funds tripled, and the cadet corps
surged in size. By that fall, military science courses officially expanded onto the
USF St. Petersburg campus as well.
Today, the Suncoast Battalion consistently ranks in the top 10% of all 278 Senior ROTC programs nationwide. Driven by the motto "We Can, We Will," our cadre and cadets are defined by high standards, grit, and genuine camaraderie. Above all, we hold sacred the duty we鈥檝e been given: preparing exceptional leaders worthy of leading America鈥檚 most vital resource鈥攐ur soldiers.