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Half-Moon Battalion · Half-Moon
Army ROTC at Siena College commissions officers alongside University at Albany SUNY cross-town students.
About this program
Half-Moon Battalion is Siena College's officer-accessions program for the U.S. Army.
Half-Moon Battalion runs as a consortium for cadets from University at Albany SUNY, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Russell Sage College, and Skidmore College as well as Siena College. Cross-town students typically retain their primary residency and academics at the home campus and route only military-side coursework through the host.
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. Siena College cadets pursue degrees across a wide spectrum, with biology and pre-health programs and mathematics and applied analytics drawing strong cohorts.
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 Half-Moon Battalion by commuting to Siena College.
Cross-enroll students take Military Science courses at Siena College.
Cross-enroll students take Military Science courses at Siena College.
Cross-enroll students take Military Science courses at Siena College.
Cross-enroll students take Military Science courses at Siena College.
Cross-enroll students take Military Science courses at Siena College.
Cross-enroll students take Military Science courses at Siena College.
Contact & location
Located at: Siena College, Loudonville, NY 12211-1462
Army ROTC FAQ
Where is Half-Moon Battalion located?
Half-Moon Battalion is hosted at Siena College in Loudonville, New York. The battalion's training events, classes, and PT all run on the Siena College campus.
Which colleges and universities can attend Half-Moon Battalion?
In addition to Siena College, students enrolled at University at Albany SUNY, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Russell Sage College, Skidmore College, Union College, and College of Saint Rose can contract through Half-Moon 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 Half-Moon 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 Half-Moon 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.
Can students at other schools join Half-Moon Battalion?
Yes — Half-Moon Battalion accepts cross-town and partner students from 6 other institutions, including College of Saint Rose, Russell Sage College, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, University at Albany. See the cross-town options for distance and enrollment paths.
Can I commission through Half-Moon Battalion as any major?
Army programs accept students from most academic majors at Siena College. Some scholarships and commissioning options (e.g., nursing, engineering, foreign-language) carry major requirements — confirm with the unit before declaring.
How do I contact Half-Moon Battalion?
See the contact section for current cadre information.
Interested in Half-Moon Battalion?
Send your details and the cadre can reach out about visits, scholarships, and next steps.
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