Missouri Southern signed a memorandum with the Missouri National Guard last week that will bring a Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) program to campus. 

The program is titled “Show-Me Gold” and will pay for all four years of school. 

Captain Amanda Self will be the program’s instructor. Men and women who are between the ages of 17-30 are eligible for this program. 

“We will offer ROTC-like courses that will give credit hours and go towards a minor in military science. 

“It will also prepare young soldiers into being officers into the Missouri National Guard,” Self said in an interview with KSN on Oct. 18. 

The program will enroll approximately 20 students a semester.

“The campus is excited about the memorandum signed,“ Vice President of Student Affairs Darren Fullerton said.

“It will give us another opportunity for our students.”

“We used to have a ROTC program in conjunction with Missouri State University years ago,“ board member Rod Anderson said. 

“There’s a lot of college students that join the Guards because it’s such a great economical benefit to have their tuition paid while they’re in school.” 

Students who will graduate from the program will help defend the country overseas and provide aid domestically to disaster-stricken areas. 

While in school, students enrolled would work one weekend per month and one two-week period each year. Those enlisted would be considered part-time while attending school.

Total enlistment period would be eight years, but those enlisted could serve as little as three or six years. 

The remainder of the time would be spent in the Individual Ready Reserve, and, while they don’t train with a unit, they could be called up in the event of an emergency. 

The Guard provides complete funding for education through various means and provides an opportunity to make money while in school during the weekends worked. 

Students graduating from the program will graduate as officers.

The program is slated to begin the fall of 2013. Interested students can call (417)-529-1526 or may visit www.nationalguard.com to enlist virtually.