Presidential communication

Letter from the President

Office of the President, president@uidaho.edu | Nov. 6, 2026

Dear Vandals,

The University of Idaho’s military history began in 1894, when Brig. Gen. Edward R. Chrisman organized the university’s military science department. More than a century later, that legacy is still being written — one cadet, one class, one field training at a time.

A West Point graduate, Chrisman quickly became a beloved teacher and leader. When the Spanish-American War broke out in 1898, he was called back to active duty. The farewell was marked by a campuswide ceremony and a holiday, with classes canceled. Once war was officially declared, 39 of Chrisman’s cadets enlisted — two of them never came home. The fallen soldiers are memorialized in a statue erected in 1901 on the Administration Lawn.

U of I students have served in every war since.

Army veteran Blake Bryant didn’t even know Chrisman’s name when he first considered the U of I. Stationed at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida with the 7th Special Forces Group Support Battalion, he was weighing options after years in an Army airborne division. A buddy from Coeur d’Alene suggested he look at Idaho. Then a conversation with Ross Warren, a U of I career consultant and former head of the university’s Army ROTC program, sealed it.

Bryant joined the Chrisman Battalion through the Green to Gold program, which allows active-duty soldiers to earn a college degree and be commissioned as an officer. A former member of the Army's elite 75th Ranger Regiment, Bryant underestimated the undergraduates around him.

“I really came in not expecting much,” Bryant said of the ROTC program. “But it’s a really solid group of cadets. The people in charge do a great job training them up, and the program has definitely taught me how to be a leader.”

This fall, Bryant took on a leadership role as operations officer for the Chrisman Battalion — a position he earned while balancing classes and his long list of duties.

The tools of combat have changed over the past 130 years, but the commitment behind U of I’s ROTC units has not.

“We’re responsible for planning all of our operations,” Bryant said. “It’s our job to make sure we’re trained thoroughly and everyone has what they need.”

When Bryant returns to the Army as a commissioned officer next spring, he will seek a career in either finance or medical services. He is majoring in general studies with a minor in biology. He credits the blend of U of I coursework and ROTC training with preparing him for either path.

“It’s given me a lot of confidence, and I’ve enjoyed growing through that,” Bryant said.

Military science remains a core part of U of I’s land-grant mission. The university is dedicated to supporting its veterans and ROTC cadets, and we are grateful for their service and sacrifice, not just on Veterans Day but every day of the year.

Go Vandals!

C. Scott Green
President

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Did you know?

The U of I will host the annual Veterans Appreciation Dinner on Nov. 11 at ICCU Arena. The dinner is free for all veterans.