Friends of WVU Army ROTC (FOAR)
In 1775 a group of citizens from our state answered the Continental Congress’ call to arms by marching from Shepherdstown to Boston, Massachusetts. They marched the nearly 500 miles in only 25 days. Some historians claim the trek to fight alongside the Minutemen of Concord and Lexington signaled the formation of the United States Army.
In 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed into law the first Morrill Act granting land to states for the purpose of establishing institutions of higher education which focused on teaching military tactics, engineering, and agriculture. Under the terms of the 1862 Morrill Land-Grant Colleges Act, the West Virginia Legislature created the Agricultural College of West Virginia (now West Virginia University) and its Corps of Cadets on February 7, 1867. As a Land Grant school, the law required military training for all male students up through the late 1960s.
Today, the sons and daughters of West Virginia still answer the call to defend our nation’s freedom. Because they deserve our respect and support, The Friends of WVU Army ROTC (FOAR) was created in the spring of 2022 as a 501c3 charity to show our support and respect for the dedicated cadets.
Born out of the war between the states, our state motto is “Montani Semper Liberi,” meaning “Mountaineers are Always Free.” Our peaceful citizens know the backbone of our freedom is our willingness to fight to defend our God given rights. FOAR’s goal is to help enhance the pride and camaraderie which comes from selfless service to our nation and our state. While we are separate from The Mountaineer Battalion with actions outside the official curriculum, we help resource, recruit, and mentor leaders for the US Military.
