Members of the U.S. Army are recognized during Troy University’s annual Military Appreciation Day football game at Veterans Memorial Stadium. (Photos/Troy University)
By Troy Turner
Many fans following the Men’s College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska, this week may not know much about the school that is home to the upstart Troy Trojans team playing there for a national title, but the U.S. military sure does.
The Trojans hail from Troy, Alabama, where Troy University caters to almost 14,000 students, more than a quarter of whom have military ties.
Each year, Troy’s enrollment includes somewhere between 25-30 percent of its student body with a military connection as either active-duty, Reserve, National Guard, veteran, or a military spouse.
The student ranks include a large number of students pursuing their degree online, including active personnel serving in all branches and around the world. And while many of those service men and women are in Troy’s distance-learning programs, the university also has on-site offerings at numerous bases in the U.S. and abroad.
Last year, for example, Troy announced it would begin offering classes on-site for Airmen at Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter, South Carolina, as part of a new educational partnership.
Officials from Troy University and Shaw Air Force Base celebrated a new partnership to offer teaching on base.
Troy began serving military students in 1951 at what was then Camp Rucker, and in 1965 the university established a teaching center at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery.
The university in 1974 began offering classes in Europe through a contract with the U.S. Air Force.
“At Troy University, we take great pride in our service to America’s military men and women and their families,” said Jack Hawkins Jr., chancellor, in the Shaw AFB announcement. “Because of our long history of military support, Troy understands the unique needs of military students, and we remain committed to helping them succeed in their educational and career pursuits.”
The Troy Online program reaches students in all 24 time zones.
Troy University is consistently ranked by various publications and onsite media as one of the best schools in the nation for veterans and active-duty personnel. It counts more than 60 flag officers among its alumni ranks.
Oh, and it’s pretty good at baseball too.
Troy Turner is the editor and senior consultant for AlaDefense.com. He can be contacted at [email protected]. His bio can be found here.
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