Warrior Knowledge

In the fall semester of 2008 Lieutenant Colonel Angle, Air Force ROTC Commander of Detachment 800 at the University of Tennessee, asked if a cadet within the detachment would write a history of the University of Tennessee. Included should be a military history of East Tennessee and the long tradition of military education at this university. Up to this point there was no document available for cadets to have an understanding of their institution’s past. I was selected to lead this project. Not from Tennessee and without knowledge of the university, the journey into the past was a rewarding experience. The following history begins with the University of Tennessee, founded before there was a state of the same name. You will walk through a past of continual physical and educational change. After you will journey through the rich military history of this area and come across names of Tennesseans who have volunteered for their nation. Some of these men are John Sevier, Sam Houston, Lawrence Tyson, Alvin York, and Bruce Holloway. Then you will step back in time and trace the development of military instruction and ROTC at the University of Tennessee. Knowledge is an important key to success, and the final portion of this document covers Detachment 800 Warrior Knowledge. Hopefully the words that follow will bring the same sense of pride in you that it did me as a Tennessee Volunteer and future officer in the United States Air Force.