About the Battalion

Teaching The Leaders Of Tomorrow

Boston University houses the Charles River Battalion with Cadets from Boston University, Stonehill College, University of Massachusetts-Boston, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Bridgewater State University, Curry College, Bentley University, Fisher College, Babson College, and Brandeis University.

The Boston University ROTC Battalion has been proud to help develop the leaders of tomorrow.

History of the Charles River Battalion

Military education at Boston University dates back to World War I when the Student’s Army Training Corps was established. Units have been on campus since 1919, with the exception of a ten-year period during the 1970s. Army ROTC’s presence at Boston University resumed in 1980 when it was awarded recognition as a host detachment. More than three thousand military officers have received degrees from Boston University. Some two thousand one hundred officers have been commissioned through Boston University’s Army ROTC program. By the 1980s, Boston University hosted all 3 services’ programs.

BU’s ROTC Partner Institutions of Higher Learning

Air Force ROTC : Boston College, Brandeis University, Bridgewater State University, Emmanuel College, Northeastern University, Simmons University, Suffolk University, University of Massachusetts at Boston, & Wentworth Institute of Technology.
Army ROTC: Babson College, Bentley University, Brandeis University, Bridgewater State University, Curry College, Fisher College, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Stonehill College, & University of Massachusetts at Boston. (In May 2024, the U.S. Army Cadet Command elevated the Massachusetts Maritime Academy to satellite status in our partnership, which means Army ROTC will be providing two cadre members who will be assigned full-time to the MMA campus at a future date.)
Navy/Marine Corps ROTC: Boston College & Northeastern University, with MIT, Harvard University, & Tufts University also falling under BU Navy/Marine Corps ROTC command, but with separate facilities.

Support the BU Division of Military Education

Financial support from our alumni, friends, and family members helps to enrich the ROTC experience for all of our cadets and midshipmen. For example, donations help offset increasing costs for various activities, like training competitions and formal events (e.g., the annual military ball), so that our cadets and midshipmen can more readily participate.
You can donate to support our ROTC efforts at this Division of Military Education link. Thank you for helping prepare America’s future military leaders!