Mississippi State University has been recognized as a “Distinguished Military College” by U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.
The school joins four others in earning the title. Hegseth said the new designation expands America’s Corps of Cadets, a War Department program established to expand the pipeline of “patriotic leaders of character” commissioned into the Joint Force – a military organization that combines significant elements from two or more military departments, such as the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard – operating under a single commander.
“We’re partnering with a new crop of premier higher ed institutions, including Louisiana State University, Liberty University, Tuskegee University, Mississippi State University and Hillsdale College,” Hegseth said. “These schools have stepped forward to answer the call to duty and establish new corps of cadets in partnership with the Department of War.”
The existing Corps of Cadets program is housed at the nation’s six Senior Military Colleges established by law: Texas A&M University, Norwich University, the Virginia Military Institute, The Citadel, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, and North Georgia College and State University.
Universities joining America’s Corps of Cadets earn “Honor School” status, granting priority in future officer commissions.
“Our university is deeply honored to have the opportunity to serve our country in a way that is part of our institutional DNA,” Mississippi State President Dr. Mark Keenum said. “We were established as a land-grant university and a military school. We have robust U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps components – and we have one of the nation’s premier Centers for American Veterans.”
Keenum contended that the legacies of the late U.S. Sen. John C. Stennis and the late U.S. Rep. G.V. “Sonny” Montgomery cast long shadows over MSU’s historic service in preparing students to serve their country in the military. Montgomery notably served in the U.S. Army for more than three decades and retired as a Major General.
“The USS John C. Stennis, CVN-74, named in honor of the MSU alumnus who for many years led the Senate Armed Services Committee, and the landmark Montgomery G.I. Bill, named in honor of Montgomery’s long tenure as chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, speak to how our alumni have answered the call not just to serve in the military, but to lead with vision and distinction,” Keenum said. “We are proud to be consistently acknowledged nationally as a top-ranked university for support of the veteran community and for having a military-friendly campus culture.”