Middle Tennessee Chapter - MOAA

MTC Supported Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) Programs & Points of Contact (POC) 

(Units & Commanders) 

United States Air Force

    Lt. Col. Stephen Cash                               

   Professor of Aerospace Studies                     

   Tennessee State University                    

   (615) 963-5970 

    http://www.tnstate.edu/afrotc/

 United States Army

     LTC Christine Kendzior                              

     Professor of Military Science                 

     Vanderbilt University                            

     (615) 322-8555                                   

   http://www.vanderbilt.edu/army/                

United States Navy

    CAPT Brian Erickson, USN                              

    Professor of Naval Science                     

    Vanderbilt University                             

    (615) 322-2671                                    

    nrotc.recruiter@vanderbilt.edu    

    http://vunrotc.com/                                                        

Other Officer Commissioning Programs

United States Navy

  Commander Lauren Majchrzak, USN                              

  Naval Recruiting District, Nashville         

  (615) 332-0794  

  https://www.cnrc.navy.mil/pages-nrd/nashville/default.html                           

General Information

The presentation of a MOAA ROTC/JROTC award is an excellent way for chapters to gain exposure in the community and, at the same time, foster a positive military recognition among the youth of the community. Accordingly, it has always been the desire of MOAA national that the medals are awarded by the local chapter and not the national organization.

All of the military services that sponsor senior or junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) programs (i.e., the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps) have officially approved the MOAA ROTC medal.

It is still the desire and intent of the national association to preserve, insofar as possible, the original concept of the MOAA ROTC medal as an award of a local chapter, not the national organization.

The program is entirely voluntary; no MOAA chapter is under any obligation to award MOAA ROTC medals to ROTC and/or JROTC units in its locality.

In the event that (1) there is not a MOAA chapter in the vicinity of an ROTC or JROTC unit or (2) the nearest chapter to an ROTC or JROTC unit is for any reason unwilling to sponsor the award, national headquarters will upon request provide a MOAA ROTC medal directly to the unit commander for presentation.

Guidelines for the ROTC medal:

1. AWARD - Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) ROTC medal.

2. DESCRIPTION - The award consists of a red, white and blue ribbon 1 and 3/8 inches in width with a bronze disc pendant 1 and 5/8 inches in diameter and a matching service ribbon (these items are in a presentation case), a certificate of presentation and certificate folder.

3. PURPOSE - The purpose of the MOAA ROTC medal is to recognize an outstanding ROTC cadet or midshipman or JROTC cadet in his next-to-last year in the program, who shows exceptional potential for military leadership (exceptional academic achievement in the case of the Marine Corps JROTC Program). The medal may not be used for any other purpose.

4. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA - The cadet or midshipman must:

5. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR THE MARINE CORPS JROTC PROGRAM - Somewhat different eligibility criteria apply to the Marine Corps JROTC Program. In that program the cadet must:

6. NUMBER OF AWARDS - No more than one award may be made each year in any one ROTC or JROTC unit. Also, while the awards packages are provided free of charge, chapters should ONLY request the number of medals actually needed for the current school year. Chapters are asked NOT to STOCKPILE the medals!

7. SPONSORSHIP - Normally, the award is sponsored by an individual MOAA chapter in the same geographic area as the ROTC or JROTC unit. However, if there is no MOAA chapter in the vicinity of an ROTC or JROTC unit or if the nearest chapter to an ROTC or JROTC unit is for any reason unwilling to sponsor the award, the national association will upon request sponsor the award itself.

8. REQUEST BY UNIT COMMANDERS - A unit commander may request the award from the nearest local chapter of the Military Officers Association of America. A chapter locator is available online.

9. PROCUREMENT OF MEDALS - If your program is sponsored by the Middle TN Chapter, MOAA, or by another MOAA Chapter then you should order your Medal set from that Chapter as early as you can.   MOAA chapter sponsoring one or more units usualyy only order enough Medal sets to cover the programs they support, so if you are not on a supported list the Chapter will need some additional time in orde to ensure that the Medal set and Certificate are ordered and personalized prior to presentation. Award sets include the medal, certificate of presentation and certificate folder. 

10. SELECTION - The recipient is selected by the unit commander. However, when an award is being sponsored by a local chapter, final approval rests with the chapter.

11. PRESENTATION - The presentation is normally made by a representative of the sponsoring chapter. If the award is not sponsored by a local chapter, the unit commander may designate a person, preferably a member of Military Officers Association of America, to make the presentation.