Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) established its Department of Military Science, commonly known as the Viking Battalion Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) program, during the tenure of its sixth president and first chancellor, Marion Dennis Thorpe, who served from 1968 to 1983. The ROTC program was officially introduced to the campus in the summer of 1981 and quickly grew to over 100 students in the first two years. The program's objective is to attract, motivate, and prepare selected students to serve as commissioned officers in the U.S. Army, Army Reserve, and Army National Guard.
Since 1983, Elizabeth City State University's Viking Battalion has produced some of our Nation's best leaders, and is classified under the Fourth Brigade, United States Army Cadet Command. In 1994, ECSU Viking Battalion commissioned the first General Officer to graduate from the program, and as of 2002, has commissioned 145 cadets. ECSU Viking Battalion Cadets participate in battalion field training and joint training exercises, tactical ruck marches, Color Guard, leadership labs, partnerships with athletic teams, and recruitment events. One of their signature events is an annual JROTC Cadet Challenge co-hosted with Washington County High School in Plymouth, North Carolina.
ECSU Cadets are commissioned as Second Lieutenants into branches that are categorized into Operations, Operations Support, Force Sustainment, and Information Dominance, each focusing on different aspects of military operations. These branches include Air Defense Artillery, Armor, Aviation, Chemical, Cyber, Engineer, Field Artillery, Infantry, Medical Service, Military Police, Military Intelligence, Adjutant General, Finance, Ordnance, Transportation, and Quartermaster.
ECSU has a strong focus on STEM, homeland security, aviation sciences, and criminal justice programs highly compatible with Army career fields. ECSU Viking Battalion supports student retention, career readiness, and cross-campus partnerships, especially with nearby community colleges and high schools.