University of Iowa cadet Trejahn Manning carries teammate Joseph Junker to the finish line in November 2022 during the 3rd Brigade ROTC Ranger Challenge competition at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. The pool of military officers participating in ROTC programs has become more diverse, according to a recently released Government Accountability Office report. (Angelina Betran/U.S. Army)
The percentage of women and minorities enrolled in college ROTC programs nationwide grew between 2011 and 2021, a new government watchdog agency report has found.
However, white men still make up the major demographic in most units across the country, a result that often contrasts with their schools’ diversity, a Government Accountability Office report published this month said.
The GAO said the Pentagon needs to establish guidance to enhance and track diversity goals for its ROTC programs.
The Senate tasked the agency in 2021 with reviewing ROTC’s contributions to the Defense Department goal of cultivating a more diverse military officer corps.
The training and scholarship program for students is the military’s largest source of officers, with more than one-third of all active-duty officers commissioning through ROTC. Since 2011, the program has produced more than 94,000 officers, according to the GAO.
During the review period, the number of white men in ROTC programs totaled more than 53,000, a drop from 60.8% to 51.4% of all officer candidates.
Incoming Navy ROTC cadets endure the confidence chamber at Recruit Training Command Great Lakes, Ill., in 2019. A recent Government Accountability Office report found that the pool of people participating in ROTC programs has become more diverse. (Giselle Christmas/U.S. Navy)
The percentage of white female students rose from 12.8% to 14.9%. The share of Hispanic men went from 5.5% to 8.1%, while Black male student figures jumped slightly, from 5.2% to 5.9%, according to the GAO study.
Another trend cited in the report indicated that ROTC-commissioned officers were more often coming from affluent areas.
Despite the uptick in diversity, the GAO found that some groups were underrepresented in ROTC units when compared with their schools’ student body.
Across the Army, Navy and Air Force, about 11%, 12% and 18% of ROTC units, respectively, had more women than men, the report found. In comparison, about 56% of students at schools with ROTC units are women.
Among its recommendations, the GAO said the military needs a comprehensive approach for evaluating ROTC units to ensure they contribute to a diverse officer corps.
The Army, in particular, which has the largest ROTC program, should develop goals, such as for its applicant pool, that aid in diverse recruitment, the GAO said.
The Defense Department agreed with the GAO’s recommendations, the report said.
Air Force ROTC cadets pose next to a KC-46 Pegasus tanker at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., on Aug. 4, 2023. The pool of ROTC students has become more diverse, a new Government Accountability Office report found. (Leighton Lucero/U.S. Air Force)
