Northwest, MO Army National Guard celebrate partnership on leadership development program

Leaders representing Northwest Missouri State University and the Missouri Army National Guard (MOARNG) gathered recently to celebrate a partnership.

The partnership created the Guard Officer Leadership Development (GOLD) Program on the Northwest campus which develops commissioned officers while providing a pathway to degree completion. In appreciation of their partnership with Northwest, members of the MOARNG presented Northwest President Dr. John Jasinski with a Minute Man statue which is the symbol of the National Guard.

“It’s a win-win relationship for the Missouri National Guard and the university,” Brigidere General David Boyle said. “We’re going to gain some wonderful leaders for our organization as we produce officers. The university can maintain its military science program and demonstrate a commitment to service to the nation.”

The objective of the GOLD Program is to develop qualified Missouri citizens into commissioned officers in MOARNG through classroom instruction, leadership laboratories and physical training. It is designed to provide a pathway to becoming an officer in the MOARNG at schools that do not offer Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) programs.

The GOLD Program prepares candidates for the rigors and challenges they will face at Officer Candidate School (OCS). Participants attend military science classes during their freshman, sophomore and junior years at Northwest. During the summer between their junior and senior years, each participant is required to attend accelerated OCS training in South Dakota.

To be eligible, students must be MOARNG members and accepted to enroll at Northwest. Graduates of the program are eligible to become commissioned officers. Upon commissioning, participants will return to the university to assist cadre and finish their degree.

MOARNG administers the program which enrolled its first 14 students this fall. Captain Tamir Middleton serves as the officer in charge and the program operates from an office in the Garrett-Strong Science Building on the Northwest campus.

The GOLD Program at Northwest is the third such program in the state. Missouri State University and Southeast Missouri State University launched the GOLD program on their campuses in 2013. During its first three years, more than 200 individuals graduated from the program and it is producing about 30 new officers per year.

Northwest has a lengthy history of supporting veterans and military programs. Northwest served as a Naval Shore Station for the US Navy during World War II and has been recognized for four consecutive years by Victory Media as a Military Friendly School.