Pershing Rifles:Company K-4

Our Founder

Notable Riflemen

'The purpose of the National Society of Pershing Rifles is to develop, to the highest degree possible, outstanding traits of leadership, military science, military bearing, and discipline within the framework of a military oriented, honorary fraternity.'
—General of the Armies John J. Pershing

Overview
At its core, the National Society of Pershing Rifles, or P/R, is a coeducational civilian organization, geared towards students enrolled in US-based institutions of higher education. The organization was founded in 1891 by then-Lieutenant John J. Pershing, as a means of increasing the motivation and esprit de corps of the cadets in the military department at the University of Nebraska, where Pershing served as the Professor of Military Science.

With trick rifle drill as its initial reason for existence, it is easy to see why a group of men who trained extensively together quickly bonded into a fraternal organization; in a few short years, the Pershing Rifles became one of the most prominent organizations in the Nebraska military and social framework. The organization was renowned for excellence both on and off the drill field, and membership was considered a great military honor.

The Society has had several ups and downs over the past century, but membership in the Pershing Rifles still denotes military and academic excellence. Today's Society consists of members spread across all three services: about 85% are enrolled in Army ROTC, about 10% are Air Force cadets, and a handful are in Naval ROTC/Marine Option. Somewhere around five percent of our members are civilians, although a significant number of those individuals have spent time in some form of ROTC.

Unlike the Arnold Air or Semper Fi Societies, Pershing Rifles is not directly affiliated with or biased towards any particular military service-although our concentration in Army ROTC may be due to the lack of a similar, solely Army-oriented organization.

Structure
As a function of its military roots, the Society's structure closely resembles a scaled-down version of our nation's armed forces. There are three levels of command: national, regional, and local. Only one unit exists at the national level; Pershing Rifles National Headquarters is stationed at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, and is commanded by a Pershing Rifles O-8. The National Commander and his/her staff are directly superior to 12 Pershing Rifles Regiments, each of which is commanded by a Pershing Rifles O-6. Regimental command units, where active, are staffed by members of the respective Regiment, and provide administrative and operational support for the Companies under their command. Pershing Rifles Companies are the foundation of the Society, and are commanded by a Pershing Rifles O-3. Today's Companies average about fifteen members, each holding a grade appropriate to their assignment and time in service. Ranks are determined by each individual's service branch; for example, if the National Commander is enrolled in Army ROTC, he/she would hold the rank of P/R Major General. Were he/she in Naval ROTC, his/her rank would be Pershing Rifles Rear Admiral.

It is noteworthy that a Rifleman's rank is the only way in which you can tell their service branch. In all other aspects, Riflemen are service-independent, using the framework of the Society as their medium, which promotes inter-service relationships when our members graduate and receive their commissions.

Opportunities
Once an individual has attained membership in Pershing Rifles there are a number of options open to them, the most visible of which is usually the precision trick rifle drill team that most Companies field. In addition to Society-sponsored competitions, most drill teams participate in community events. Riflemen provide honor guards, saber arches, color guards, and more. Some events that Companies have participated in include: Presidential Inauguration Parades; Military Unit Re-Initiation Ceremonies; Honor Guards for ranking military, church, and civilian officials; Emergency Medical Training for community civilians.

The Society also affords its members an amazing array of leadership opportunities. At the Company level members have the opportunity to serve in any capacity, from First Sergeant to Drill Team Commander to Commanding Officer. In addition, since Riflemen generally have more extensive military training than their peers, they are often found serving as the example for their fellow cadets. This paves the way for greater interaction with the cadre, and is also part of the reason that many Riflemen hold high leadership positions in their ROTC detachment. The Regimental and National command units are also staffed by Active Riflemen, offering a level of leadership that no ROTC can match.

Benefits to ROTC
The goals of the National Society of Pershing Rifles closely mirror those of all branches of ROTC. In short: "ROTC creates leaders; Pershing Rifles helps create the best leaders." Contact us at CompanyK4@PershingRiflesSociety.org for more information on how we support ROTC in the following areas:

·  Recruitment

·  Retention

·  Training

·  Scholar/Athlete/Leader Development

·  Extracurricular Activities

'To foster a spirit of friendship and cooperation among men in the military department and to maintain a highly efficient drill company.'

This is the purpose of the Pershing Rifles, as propounded by its distinguished founder in the early eighteen nineties.

In 1891 General Pershing, then a second Lieutenant in the Sixth Cavalry, became Professor of Military Science and Tactics at the University of Nebraska. He, wishing to improve the morale of the ROTC unit, formed a select company of men, thereafter known as Company A.

In 1892 this company won the maiden competition at the Omaha Competition. In 1893, the special drill company became a fraternal organization bearing the name of 'Varsity Rifles.' In 1894, the organization, in appreciation of the initiative and cooperation of Lt. Pershing, changed its name to 'Pershing Rifles.'

When Pershing left Nebraska in 1895 he, at the request of a committee, gave the company a pair of his cavalry breeches. These breeches were cut into small pieces and were worn on the uniform as a sign of membership. These 'ribbons' were the first service ribbons ever worn in the United States.

During the Spanish American War, thirty members of the now powerful Pershing Rifles enlisted in the 1st Nebraska Volunteers. W. H. Oury, Captain of the Pershing Rifles, now a full Colonel in the Regular Army, was placed in command. Another Pershing Rifleman by the name of Robbins was made the First Sergeant. He later achieved high position in the war department. Every one of the thirty distinguished himself in the ensuing battles.

From 1900 to 1911, Pershing Rifles reached the height of its existence prior to World War II. It was one of the most important features of Nebraska military and social life, and membership was a great military honor. Its influence in the Military department continued strong until 1911.

After 1911, the organization suddenly lost prestige and declined deplorably. Its activity suddenly seemed to cease, and the organization became a mere shadow of itself. Its military influence plummeted and its social activities dropped.

In 1917, the conditions became so bad that the organization was disbanded and its records were burned. Thus, in seven short years, this promising organization had passed from national renown to oblivion.

In 1920 Pershing Rifles was reborn. Out of the ashes of the organization which had died of its own weight in 1917, there sprang a corps with new life and activity. However, it was obvious that the prestige of the early 1900's was missing.

As originally organized in 1920, Pershing Rifles was an organization for junior officers. It soon, however regained its status as a basic military society. The presence of Scabbard and Blade on the Nebraska campus probably prevented its growth as an officer's organization.

The growth of Pershing Rifles after its reorganization is as remarkable as its former decline. It stepped back into its old niche and strove to grow big enough to fill it again. By 1924, it had regained some of its lost prestige. Special drill companies all over the country began to seek admittance into Pershing Rifles.

The present National Honorary Society of Pershing Rifles owes its existence to Ohio State University. In the fall of 1922, a group of advanced course men got together and formed 'The President's Guard.' It was so named in honor of William Oxely Thompson, President of Ohio State University. The 'Guard' gave an exhibition drill on Military Field Day in the spring of 1923. After this exhibition the company disbanded. In the fall of the same year it was reorganized by the Captain of the local Scabbard and Blade chapter and basic men were admitted.

This new organization was too loosely organized and too closely allied to the regular drill for the company to stand alone. In the spring of 1925, it applied for affiliation with Pershing Rifles. The Nebraska organization refused. The Ohio State group, seeing the need for a national organization for basic men, threatened to nationalize the 'President's Guard' and leave Nebraska out of it if the two organizations could not work together. Finally, after a negotiations lapse of over a year, the Nebraska organization approved the formal application of the Ohio State organization. This application was dated May 13, 1925. The chapter was installed on May 22, 1925 by John A. Picker, Colonel of Pershing Rifles. Thus was inaugurated a new policy in Pershing Rifles.

In 1927 the University of Tennessee's crack drill unit was granted a charter by the National Headquarters. This group was designated Company C, and was established under the influence of Scabbard and Blade of that school. From this time until 1929, the Nebraska unit concentrated on the establishment of a strong long local unit rather than a weak national organization, figuring that if the local unit was made strong, a national organization could be easily organized. Due to this program, Pershing Rifles at Nebraska even surpassed its Spanish American War greatness.

In 1928 the National Headquarters was established at the University of Nebraska. All of this laid the foundation for a strong national unit. In the summer of this year, a number of circulars were sent to other universities, besides those already having P/R units, inviting their crack units to apply for charters from the National Headquarters. Those who knew of the relative value of Pershing Rifles as an organization capable of promoting interest in drill for basic students heeded the circulars. Also during that summer, officers attached to the schools where there were Pershing Rifles chapters met with officers from other institutions and thus the organization received good publicity.

From that time forward, the National Society of Pershing Rifles grew tremendously, to its peak of over 170 Active Companies in the 1950s, organized into nearly twenty Regiments. Riflemen met socially and competitively on both the Regimental and National levels, and alumni of the organization have since held top positions in military and civilian life. Notable Riflemen include current Secretary of State Colin Powell, Former Vice Chief of the Army General Jack Keane, and Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Hugh Shelton.

During the time of the Vietnam War, however, the popularity of the Society declined along with public opinion of the military in general. Once again, the organization declined to a mere shadow of itself. Membership numbers dropped around the country, including at the National Headquarters in Lincoln, NE, and much of the prestige that the organization held at the national level was lost. Many of the Companies that remained did so without any formal affiliation with the National Headquarters.

Since the early 1990s, the Society has slowly built itself up once again to a viable national organization. This growth has largely been the product of the few remaining Companies along with a number of Professors of Military Science who, having once been Riflemen themselves, re-chartered units at their respective institutions. The Society currently stands at approximately sixty Chartered Companies, and the National Headquarters Staff is once again fully staffed for the first time in nearly a decade. It is a new chapter in the life of the Society, and we firmly believe that the best is yet to come!