ROTC retains coveted Titan Helmet as region’s No. 1, nation’s No. 3 battalion
October 14, 2024
Demonstrating its motto “Primus Inter Pares”—“First Among Equals”—Columbus State University’s ROTC Cougar Battalion claimed the top spot among its regional counterparts and the No. 3 spot nationally at Cadet Summer Training.
The Army ROTC’s 35-day Cadet Summer Training—considered the Army’s largest annual training event—tests cadets’ leadership, academic excellence and physical fitness skills. Like year-round campus-based ROTC activities, the annual summer program at Fort Knox, Kentucky, focuses on developing cadets into tough, adaptive leaders who can thrive and make decisions in complex environments.
“Our cadets’ unwavering commitment inspires others and exemplifies our motto and mantra
of ‘First among Equals – Cougars lead the way!’,” said Maj. Dale Cox (pictured), who assumed battalion leadership during the summer as its professor of
military science. The Columbus State alumnus, who earned a master of public administration degree in 2019, continued, “They embody the spirit of scholastic achievement, leadership
excellence and athletic dominance.”
Seventeen Columbus State cadets—students in their junior and senior years—were among the nearly 6,000 cadets across 10 regiments representing every corner of the U.S. who attended. Training activities evaluate Army fundamentals—drill and ceremony, land navigation, marksmanship skills, physical fitness, road marches and field training exercises—while testing cadets’ mettle and ranking them and their battalions regionally and nationally.
As the No. 1 battalion in its tier and the entire 6th Brigade, Columbus State reclaimed the coveted Titan Helmet for the third consecutive year—and the fourth time in six years. In doing so, they beat in-state battalions at the University of Georgia and Georgia Tech, out-of-state ones like Auburn University and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and others in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Puerto Rico that comprise the 6th Brigade.
That same performance also ranked Columbus State’s Cougar Battalion third nationally among the 900 universities and colleges that form the U.S. Army Cadet Command.
INDIVIDUAL HONORS
Of Columbus State’s 17 cadets who attended Cadet Summer Training, 15 were rated in the top 50% nationally—and nine of those in the top 15%. Two from Columbus State—Tyler Fleming and Sean Heisterman—rated in the top 1% of the camp’s 5,871 cadets.
“The fact that the Cougar Battalion was the only battalion in our brigade to have two cadets rank in the top 10 speaks to how our cadets value personal achievement and bring distinction to our program, institution and community,” Cox said.
The Cougar Battalion’s strong reputation and its proximity to Fort Moore were among
the factors that attracted Fleming (pictured), a Rutherfordton, North Carolina, native
to Columbus State.
“My success at camp was largely due to surrounding myself with highly motivated individuals. I believe that iron sharpens iron, and their determination inspired me to push beyond my limits,” said the second-year cadet and a senior who ranked first in his regiment, seventh in the brigade and 40th in the nation. As the top cadet in the Cadet Command’s 2nd Regiment, Fleming received the Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA) Leadership and Excellence Award.
“I realized early on that Columbus State had one of the best ROTC programs in the nation,” added Heistermann, a second-year cadet who ranked ninth in the brigade and 56th in the nation. The senior, originally from Anaheim, California, continued, “In its success, it never rests on its laurels. Columbus State strives for excellence, and its exceptional CST performance will be carried far beyond 2024.”
ABOUT THE ROTC COUGAR BATTALION
The Titan Helmet is one of several ways the battalion’s success underscores ROTC’s role in developing future military leaders and contributing to the nation's defense. Columbus State’s ROTC program dates to 1972; in 1973, CSU’s ROTC Department authorized its distinctive unit crest, modeled after the official seal of Columbus College with the motto “Primus Inter Pares” or “First Among Equals.” The battalion later adopted its name from the school’s mascot and is today known as the Cougar Battalion.
In June 1974, the battalion commissioned its first 12 ROTC graduates, and since then, CSU’s ROTC program has grown in both size and reputation. Today, the battalion includes more than 70 cadets—with plans to grow—on the path to commission as Army officers. The cadre consists of traditional college students and active-duty Green to Gold enlisted officers to advance in rank by earning a bachelor’s degree. Over the last 50 years, the Cougar Battalion has commissioned more than 650 officers and is recognized as one of the strongest units in the U.S. Army Cadet Command.
As an interdisciplinary studies major specializing in communication and a Green to Gold cadet, Fleming looks to serve as a medical service officer after he is commissioned as a second lieutenant.
“Effective communication is critical in coordinating medical operations, managing teams and ensuring clear and accurate information is being transmitted at all times,” he noted. “[ROTC] has been a huge help in my academic success by instilling discipline, time management and leadership skills that have helped me excel both in and outside the classroom.”
Like Fleming, Heistermann (pictured) is a Green to Gold cadet with his sights set
on a medical career. The husband and new father wants to specialize in physical therapy.
“I have been [at Fort Moore] on active duty as an infantryman for the last 10 years and chose to study at Columbus State so I could stay local while starting a family,” he said. “As a kinesiology major, I am an aspiring physical therapist. I intend on using my degree to best prepare me for the Army's Doctor in Physical Therapy program at Baylor University, as well as becoming a certified strength and conditioning specialist.”
For more information about Columbus State’s ROTC Cougar Battalion or to explore ways to benefit from adding ROTC participation while a Columbus State student, visit columbusstate.edu/rotc.
Media contact: Michael Tullier, APR, Executive Director of Strategic Communication + Marketing, 706.507.8729, mtullier@columbusstate.edu