Joseph Green, a cadet in the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Army ROTC battalion, has been selected as the seventh-ranked cadet nationally on the Order of Merit List.
A political science major from Pinson, Alabama, Green received the ranking out of more than 5,000 cadets across the United States. This is the first time a cadet from UAB has ranked this high.
Green, who has served a tour of active duty with the U.S. Army, says this ranking means a lot to him and his family.
“It’s incredibly meaningful,” Green said. “To be able to bring that honor to this program is what means the most to me.”
A cadet’s positioning on the OML can determine his or her priority in being chosen for the branch or occupational specialty of choice. Cadets are ranked on the OML by achieving superior grade-point averages, strong athletic performance in the Army physical fitness test and college athletic participation, proving their worth as exceptional leaders in their college ROTC training, and their performance at the Cadet Leadership Course.
Senior Vice Provost Suzanne Austin presented Green with his award.
“UAB always attracts the best and brightest students,” Austin said. “I’m in awe of all these cadets, their academic achievement and their drive.”
UAB ROTC recently earned a cumulative cadet GPA of 3.44, which is the highest in Alabama and in the Southeast, with 37 of its students receiving presidential honors and dean’s list recognition, and another 40 receiving scholar awards. One was nominated for the Truman Award and another for the George C. Marshall Award.
After graduating from UAB, Green hopes to go to law school to become a part of the Judge Advocate General’s Corps.
The Army ROTC program at UAB began in 1980 as part of a TRADOC project known as “Expand the Base.” UAB was one of the 41 universities from around the country selected to become an extension center. The objective of the program was to increase the Army’s output of junior officers. Army ROTC awards two- and three-year scholarships to hundreds of students each year, based solely on merit. Some students who qualify also receive a full scholarship for tuition and educational fees, plus money for books and a monthly allowance to help cover the day-to-day costs of college.