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Corps Units

Two cadet companies were organized at Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College during the first session of 1872-73. The corps of cadets was established as a permanent organization in the 1891-92 session, along with formation of the first battalion. E Battery, manning four Civil War artillery pieces with upperclassmen, existed between 1893 and 1907. In 1922, the Corps was reorganized into a regiment of two battalions and expanded to three battalions in 1927. A fourth battalion existed from 1937 until a fifth battalion was added in 1940. The First Battalion was primarily Infantry ROTC. The Second Battalion was Engineer ROTC and the Third, Fourth and Fifth consisted of Cadet Batteries taking Coast Artillery ROTC. In 1942, the corps reached brigade strength but late in the war dropped back to one battalion. The first Air Force squadron (Squadron R) appeared in 1946. Batteries were eliminated in 1948. Squadrons were disbanded after 1947-48 but were re-established in 1956-57.

Companies were created as the corps grew in size, then disbanded as enrollment shrunk, only to be reactivated when numbers increased. A chronological listing of corps units under their original names, according to the date of their first appearance, follows:

  • Company A (1872)
  • Company B (1872)
  • Company C (1887)
  • Band Company (1892)
  • Company D (1894)
  • Battery, later Squadron E (1893)
  • Company F (1902)
  • Company G (1922)
  • Company H (1922)
  • Company I (1927)
  • Company K, later Battery K (1927)
  • Company L (1927)
  • Company M (1927, no longer exists)
  • Battery N (1931, no longer exists)
  • Battery O (1931, no longer exists)
  • Battery R (1939, no longer exists)
  • Battery S (1939, no longer exists)
  • Battery T (1940, no longer exists)
  • Squadron L (1973, no longer exists)

The dates listed refer to the academic year which began in the fall of the year stated. The Regimental Band was formed in 1892 and has been in continuous existence since that year and is, therefore, left out of the table. The history of the Corps’ organization is as follows:

1872-1886 Infantry companies A, B.
1887 Infantry companies A, B, C.
1888-1891 Infantry companies A, B.
1892 Infantry companies A, B, C.
1893 Infantry companies A, B, C and Battery E.
1894-1897 Infantry companies A, B, C, D and Battery E.
1898-1899 Infantry companies A, B, C and Battery E.
1900-1901 Infantry companies A, B, C, D and Battery E.
1902-1907 Infantry companies A, B, C, D, E, F, G and Battery E.
1908-1916 Infantry companies A, B, C, D, E, F.
1917-1918 Infantry companies A, B, C, D. (World War I years)
1919-1921 Infantry companies A, B, C, D, E, F. (One Battalion)
1922-1926 Infantry companies A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H. (Two Battalions)
1927-1928 Infantry companies A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, K, L, M. (Three Battalions)
1929-1930 Infantry companies A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, K, L, M and headquarters’ company. (Three Battalions)
1921-1934 First Battalion (infantry) - Companies A, B, C, D and headquarters’ company; Second Battalion (engineers) -- Companies E, F, G, H and headquarters’ Company; Third Battalion (coast artillery) - Batteries I, K, M, N, O and headquarters’ battery.
1935-1936 Headquarters’ battery; First Battalion (infantry) - Companies A, B, C; Second Battalion (engineers) - Companies E, F, G; Third Battalion (coast artillery) - Batteries I, K, L, M, O.
1937 First Battalion (infantry) - Companies A, B, C; Second Battalion (engineers) - Companies E, F, G; Third Battalion (coast artillery) - Batteries I, K, L, M; Fourth Battalion (coast artillery) - Batteries N, O , R, S.
1940-1941 First Battalion (infantry) - Companies A, B, C; Second Battalion (engineers) - Companies E, F, G; Third Battalion (coast artillery) - Batteries I, K, L; Fourth Battalion (coast artillery) - Batteries M, N, O; Fifth Battalion (coast artillery) - Batteries R, S, T.
1942 Brigade; First Regiment, First Battalion - Companies A, B, C, D; Second Battalion - Companies E, F, G, H. Second Regiment, First Battalion - Batteries I, K, L; Second Battalion - Batteries M, N, O; Third Battalion - Batteries R, S, T.
1943 Companies I, K, L, M, N. (One Battalion)
1944-1945 Companies L, M, N. (One Battalion)
1946 Companies A, B, E; Batteries I, K; Squadron R. (One Battalion)
1947 First Battalion - Companies A, B; Squadron R, S; Second Battalion - Companies E, F, O; Third Battalion - Batteries I, K, L.
1948 First Battalion - Companies A, B, C, D; Second Battalion - Companies I, K, L
1949-1950 First Battalion - Companies A, B, C, D; Second Battalion - Companies E, F, G, H, L; Third Battalion - Companies K, L, M, N.
1951 First Battalion - Companies A, B, C, D, E; Second Battalion - Companies F, G, H, I, K; Third Battalion - Companies L, M, N, O, S.
1952-1953 First Battalion - Companies A, B, C, D; Second Battalion - Companies E, F, G, H, I; Third Battalion - Companies I, K, L, M; Fourth Battalion - Companies N, O, R.
1954 First Battalion - Companies A, B, C, D; Second Battalion - Companies E, F, G, H, I; Third Battalion - Companies K, L, M; Fourth Battalion- Companies N, O.
1955 First Battalion - Companies A, B, C, D; Second Battalion - Companies E, F, G; Third Battalion - Companies I, K, L, M; Fourth Battalion - Companies N, O; Company H.
1956 First Group - Squadrons A, B, C, D; Second Battalions : Companies E, F, G; Third Battalion - Companies I, K, L, M; Fourth Group - Squadrons N, O; Company H.
1957-1960 First Group - Squadrons A, B, C, D; Second Battalion - Companies E, F, G; Third Battalion - Companies I, K, L, M; Fourth Group - Squadrons N, O, S; Company H.
1961-1969 First Group - Squadrons A, B, C, D; Second Battalion - Companies E, F, G; Third Battalion - Companies I, K, L, M; Fourth Group - Squadrons N, O, R, S; Company T.
1970-1972 First Battalion - Companies A, B, C, D; Second Group - Squadrons E, F, G, H; Company T.
1973-1975 First Battalion - Companies A, B, C, D; Second Group - Squadrons E, F, G, H; Squadron L; Company T.
1976-1977 First Battalion - Companies A, B, C, D; Second Group - Squadrons E, F, G, H, L; Company T.
1978-Feb. 1979 First Battalion - Companies A, B, C, D; Second Group - Squadrons E, F, G, H, L; Company I; Company T.
Feb. 1979-1980 First Battalion - Companies A, B, C, D; Second Group - Squadrons E, F, G, H; Company I; Company T.
1980 First Battalion - Companies A, B, C, D; Second Group - Squadrons E, F, G, H.
1984 First Battalion - Companies A, B, C, D; Second Battalion - Companies E, F, G, H.