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Diplomat Battalion · Diplomat
Army ROTC in Lancaster, PA runs out of Franklin & Marshall College as the Diplomat Battalion.
About this program
Diplomat Battalion sits inside Franklin & Marshall College as the campus's Army ROTC battalion. The mission is straightforward — produce U.S. Army officers — and the cadre run a four-year curriculum to do exactly that.
Millersville University, Elizabethtown College, Lebanon Valley College, and York College of Pennsylvania are the cross-town partner schools feeding Diplomat Battalion. All ROTC-side curriculum runs at the host; partner-school students typically attend twice a week and full PT three to five mornings.
Cadets compete for the AROTC 4-Year National Scholarship as high-school seniors and the 3-Year Advanced board on contract. Minuteman seats route Reserve and National Guard contracts, and Green-to-Gold opens the door for prior-enlisted soldiers transitioning to officer. On the academic side, Franklin & Marshall College draws cadets into history and the humanities as well as biology and pre-health programs, and the cadre work directly with academic advising on time-conflict resolution between ROTC and major requirements.
Scholarships available here
Scholarship route obligating service in the Army Reserve or National Guard rather than active duty.
Service obligation: 8 years
Active-duty enlisted soldiers transition to officer via ROTC with several scholarship options (2-year, 3-year, 4-year).
Service obligation: 8 years
On-campus scholarship awarded to enrolled cadets at the start of their MS-II year.
Service obligation: 6 years
Covers full tuition and fees OR room and board (your choice), plus a $420/month stipend (10 months/yr) and $1,200/yr book allowance. Merit-based board score with PT assessment and SAT/ACT. Application opened June 14, 2026; final deadline to start an application is March 4, 2027. Three selection boards (Oct, Jan, Mar). 8-year total service obligation; you can exit after freshman year with no obligation.
Service obligation: 8 years
Cross-town & partner schools served
Students at these schools can commission through Diplomat Battalion by commuting to Franklin & Marshall College.
Cross-enroll students take Military Science courses at Franklin & Marshall College.
Cross-enroll students take Military Science courses at Franklin & Marshall College.
Cross-enroll students take Military Science courses at Franklin & Marshall College.
Cross-enroll students take Military Science courses at Franklin & Marshall College.
Cross-enroll students take Military Science courses at Franklin & Marshall College.
Cross-enroll students take Military Science courses at Franklin & Marshall College.
Cross-enroll students take Military Science courses at Franklin & Marshall College.
Contact & location
Located at: Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster, PA 17604-3003
Army ROTC FAQ
Where is Diplomat Battalion located?
Diplomat Battalion is hosted at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The battalion's training events, classes, and PT all run on the Franklin & Marshall College campus.
Which colleges and universities can attend Diplomat Battalion?
In addition to Franklin & Marshall College, students enrolled at Millersville University, Elizabethtown College, Lebanon Valley College, York College of Pennsylvania, Gettysburg College, Dickinson College, and Shippensburg University can contract through Diplomat Battalion via cross-town agreements. Cross-town cadets keep their primary academics at the partner school and travel to the host for ROTC-side coursework.
What scholarships are available through Diplomat Battalion?
Army ROTC cadets at this battalion compete for AROTC 4-Year National, AROTC 3-Year Advanced, Minuteman (Reserve/Guard), Green-to-Gold (prior-enlisted). National awards apply out of high school; on-campus side-loads kick in once a cadet is enrolled and contracted.
What's the Army ROTC summer training for cadets at Diplomat Battalion?
After the MS-III year, cadets ship to Cadet Summer Training (Advanced Camp) at Fort Knox for the 31-day capstone evaluation that drives branching and order-of-merit standing.
How big is the corps at Diplomat Battalion?
Public corps-size figures aren't always published year-to-year; Army ROTC battalions in this size class generally carry between several dozen and a few hundred contracted cadets depending on host enrollment.
What's the commissioning path through Diplomat Battalion?
Cadets who complete the four-year Army ROTC curriculum and meet medical, fitness, and academic standards commission as officers in the U.S. Army. The battalion reports through U.S. Army Cadet Command.
Can students at other schools join Diplomat Battalion?
Yes — Diplomat Battalion accepts cross-town and partner students from 7 other institutions, including Millersville University, Elizabethtown College, Lebanon Valley College, York College of Pennsylvania. See the cross-town options for distance and enrollment paths.
Can I commission through Diplomat Battalion as any major?
Army programs accept students from most academic majors at Franklin & Marshall College. Some scholarships and commissioning options (e.g., nursing, engineering, foreign-language) carry major requirements — confirm with the unit before declaring.
Interested in Diplomat Battalion?
Send your details and the cadre can reach out about visits, scholarships, and next steps.
Not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Department of Defense or any branch of the U.S. military.