Army ROTCRanger ChallengeDrill TeamColor GuardArmy ROTC at Vanderbilt University
Go Gold Battalion · Go Gold
Army ROTC at Vanderbilt, open to cadets from six partner schools in Middle Tennessee.
Cadets come from Vanderbilt University and 6 partner schools: Belmont University, Tennessee State University, Trevecca Nazarene University, Fisk University, Lipscomb University, Welch College.
Assembled from public sources · Last reviewed September 23, 2026ROTCScholar put this profile together from the unit's public pages. The unit has not reviewed or approved it.
Extra money from the university
Some schools add their own benefit on top of a national ROTC scholarship. These offers change, so check the source before you count on one.
Additional benefit from Vanderbilt University
Additional room-and-board grant
$6,000 per year
Vanderbilt University states: Army ROTC scholarship recipients who are admitted to Vanderbilt get an extra $6,000 each year toward room and board.
View eligibility and source (opens in a new tab)Verification needed, checked September 23, 2026
About Go Gold Battalion
The Go Gold Battalion trains Army ROTC cadets from Vanderbilt and from six partner schools: Belmont, Fisk, Lipscomb, Tennessee State, Trevecca Nazarene and Welch College. Cadets take military science and leadership courses next to their degree and train together each week on the Vanderbilt campus.
Summers are where many cadets get their first taste of Army training. Go Gold cadets compete for places at Airborne School, Air Assault School at Fort Campbell, cultural immersion trips abroad (recent groups went to South Korea and Colombia), Project GO language study, and Cadet Troop Leader Training with an active-duty unit. Nursing cadets can also do the Nurse Summer Training Program at an Army hospital.
Watch and explore
Meet the unit
Cadre and staff
LTC Daniel Peck
Professor of Military Science
Leads the battalion. He commissioned through ROTC in 2005 as a Field Artillery officer and served in Afghanistan and Iraq.
LTC Christopher Figueroa
Assistant Professor of Military Science
A West Point graduate and Military Police officer who later trained as an Arabic-speaking Foreign Area Officer, with service in Iraq and Afghanistan.
MSG Zachary Rosser
Senior Military Science Instructor
The battalion's senior enlisted instructor. He joined the Army in 2009 in Air Defense Artillery and deployed to Qatar and Iraq.
Mr. Darrell Thompson
Human Resource Technician
A retired Master Sergeant with 21 years of active duty, including work as a brigade marketing manager. He joined the battalion staff in 2018.
Ask a cadet
Ask a cadet a question (opens in a new tab)Charlotte P.
Vanderbilt University·Human and Organizational Development · Senior
Captains the drill team, and also finds time to be an orientation leader and a consulting club board member.
Keon P.
Lipscomb University·Biology (pre-med) · Senior
Balances the drill team with coaching chess for elementary students and work as a pharmacy technician.
Matthew S.
Belmont University·Media Production and Journalism · Senior
Helps with cadet recruiting, plays flag football, and produces the Belmont student newspaper.
Isaiah O.
Fisk University·Psychology · Junior
Serves on the color guard, acts in theater, and hopes to work with military families after college.
Cadet life and traditions
Ranger Challenge
Often called Army ROTC's varsity sport. The battalion holds tryouts each year, and the team trains every morning for competition.
Color Guard
Cadets present the colors at Vanderbilt sporting events and at community and corporate events each semester.
Tradition
Push Up Club
At home football games, a group of cadets drops to the field after each Vanderbilt score and does one push-up for every point on the board.
A day in the life
A Thursday in the Go Gold Battalion
- 0600 Physical training with the battalion
- 0700 Breakfast with other cadets
- 0900 Regular classes for your major
- 1300 Lunch
- 1430 Leadership lab on Magnolia Lawn, such as rappelling or field tactics
- 1700 Dinner, then club sports, homework and time with friends
Stories and highlights
Short summaries of stories published elsewhere. Each link opens the original article.
Vanderbilt University News · June 4, 2024
Vanderbilt's Joint Commissioning Ceremony celebrates Class of 2024 with fanfare and inspiration (opens in a new tab)
Vanderbilt's joint ceremony commissioned 35 new Army, Navy and Marine Corps officers, including Go Gold cadets from Vanderbilt and partner schools.
The Vanderbilt Hustler · October 14, 2023
Vanderbilt AROTC places ninth in battalion's first-ever Army Ten-Miler (opens in a new tab)
The battalion entered the Army Ten-Miler race in Washington, D.C., for the first time and placed ninth.
Vanderbilt Army ROTC
Nursing Students Receive High Honors in ROTC (opens in a new tab)
Two Belmont nursing students in the Go Gold Battalion ranked 2nd and 12th of more than 215 Army nursing cadets nationwide.
National Army ROTC scholarships, pay and service terms are the same at every unit. Read how Army ROTC scholarships work.
Scholarships at this unit
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 and partner schools
Students at these schools can join Go Gold Battalion. They travel to Vanderbilt University for training.
Contact this unit
ROTCScholar is an independent directory. We do not run Go Gold Battalion, and we cannot answer questions about it. The details below belong to the unit. Use them to reach the unit directly.
Unit email
armyrotc@vanderbilt.eduThis is the address Go Gold Battalion publishes. You can email the unit directly. Or use the form below, and we will forward your message to that same address.
Phone: 615-322-7311
Official site: https://www.vanderbilt.edu/army/
Location: Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37240
Want a cadet's view? Ask a cadet (opens in a new tab) through the unit's own page.
Army ROTC FAQ
Where is Go Gold Battalion located?
Go Gold Battalion is hosted at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN 37240.
Can students at other schools join Go Gold Battalion?
Yes. Go Gold Battalion takes cross-town and partner students from 6 other schools, including Belmont University, Tennessee State University, Trevecca Nazarene University, Fisk University. See the cross-town section above for distances and how to enroll.
Can I commission through Go Gold Battalion as any major?
Army programs take students from most majors at Vanderbilt University. Some scholarships and commissioning options require a specific major, such as nursing, engineering, or a foreign language. Ask the unit before you declare a major.
When was Go Gold Battalion founded?
Go Gold Battalion was founded in 1947.
How do I contact Go Gold Battalion?
Contact the unit directly. ROTCScholar is not the unit and cannot answer for it. Email: armyrotc@vanderbilt.edu. Phone: 615-322-7311. Official site: https://www.vanderbilt.edu/army/.
Where this profile comes from
ROTCScholar put this profile together from the unit's public pages. The unit has not reviewed or approved it. Last reviewed September 23, 2026. Videos, stories and photos stay with their owners; we link to them. See something out of date? Tell us, or claim this profile if you run this unit.
- Vanderbilt Army ROTC home page (opens in a new tab)
- About the battalion (opens in a new tab)
- Ask a Cadet (opens in a new tab)
- Cadre and cadet leadership (opens in a new tab)
- Cadet life (opens in a new tab)
- Scholarships (opens in a new tab)
- Training opportunities (opens in a new tab)
- Partner schools (Vanderbilt Hustler, Oct 2023) (opens in a new tab)
See an error on this page? Tell us.
ROTCScholar is an independent directory. We are not an ROTC unit, and we are not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Department of Defense or any branch of the U.S. military. Check details with the unit before you act on them.