WASHINGTON, DC (November 24, 2025) — Today, Congresswoman Valerie Foushee (NC-04) sent a letter to United States Army Brigadier General Maurice Barnett cautioning against the reclassification of the Bull City Battalion, a joint Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program between Duke University and North Carolina Central University.
The Bull City Battalion has been hosted at Duke University since 1982, where it was previously known as the Blue Devil Eagle Battalion. A recent proposal seeks to reclassify this program as an extension of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, fundamentally altering its structure and leadership. Under this proposed reclassification, the host institution would shift from Duke University to UNC Chapel Hill. This change would result in the removal of Duke University’s Professor of Military Science position along with other civilian staff positions currently based at Duke.
Congresswoman Foushee raises concerns about the impact this reclassification would have on NCCU cadets. She notes that “the new structure doubles travel time and distance to the host institution, creating clear logistical and financial burdens.” Furthermore, the Congresswoman warns that “the loss of local administrative and instructional presence risks diminished participation, higher attrition, and a smaller pool of future officers from one of the Army’s most effective and diverse commissioning pipelines.”
Congresswoman Foushee also raises concerns about losing the distinct strengths that Duke and NCCU bring to cadet development. She emphasizes Duke’s leadership in defense research and national security, while highlighting NCCU’s historic role as an HBCU in cultivating officer talent that reflects the nation’s diversity and strengthens its military leadership.
The letter urges Cadet Command to reconsider this reclassification or, at minimum, conduct a comprehensive impact review before proceeding. To complete a sufficient review, Congresswoman Foushee maintains that it must evaluate critical outcomes including officer production rates, diversity, recruiting sustainability, and cost efficiency to determine whether reclassification serves the Army’s mission and interests.
The full text of the letter can be found here.