The Army ROTC program at USC welcomes its first female professor of military science

The Army ROTC Gamecock Battalion, which has trained cadets at the University of South Carolina for nearly 50 years, is poised to make history. On Aug. 8, USC welcomes its first female ROTC commander, Lieutenant Colonel Lindsay Dudley.

Dudley has held a variety of roles over the past 16 years of her military career, including her work in human resources command at Fort Knox and her most recent role as a manpower and personnel director for Joint Task Force North at Fort Bliss. She has been deployed several times, supporting Operation Inherent Resolve in Qatar and Operation Spartan Shield in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Dudley holds a Master of Human Resources from Webster University, a master’s in military operational arts and sciences from the U.S. Air Force’s Air University and a Bachelor of Science in business administration from the University of Pittsburgh.

But for Dudley, preparing the 280 Army cadets for military service at USC as their ROTC commander is a full-circle moment. The Kittanning, Pennsylvania native’s first duty assignment out of officer candidate school brought her to Fort Jackson in Columbia, where she met her husband and had her first son.

“I’m excited to get back to the Columbia area because that’s where I started my career as an Army officer,” says Dudley. “It’s a fantastic opportunity, not only for me but for my family, and I’m super excited for it.”

As commander of the Army ROTC, also known as professor of military science, Dudley will be responsible for preparing the nation’s future Army officers. She will provide all required tactical training in the field and basic military instruction and customs in the classroom as well as helping cadets develop leadership skills in anticipation of commissioning as second lieutenants in the U.S. Army. She is in a prime location to take advantage of what she views as a trifecta of leadership opportunities: providing service to the university, to Fort Jackson and to the greater Columbia community. 

“Lieutenant Colonel Dudley's assignment as commander to the University of South Carolina Army ROTC is not only momentous for the university and the aspiring women leaders she will train but is also a testament to the continued growth in leadership of the Army and nation,” says Candace Terry, executive director of veterans and military affairs. “I am excited to see the outcome of her tenure at USC as she focuses on the development of the whole soldier. Her strong leadership and experience will bring great value to Columbia and the Gamecock family.”

Dudley enters the role with three major priorities, emphasizing the crucial role of mentorship, health and wellness and academic excellence. 

Because not all cadets join ROTC with a military background, Dudley understands the importance of her position as a leader who can mentor and guide students through the earliest stage of their military careers. She is also a firm believer in the value of wellness beyond simply passing Army combat fitness tests and hopes to instill in her cadets the importance of building healthy lifestyles that will sustain them throughout their lives and careers.

Dudley also emphasizes that her cadets have dual roles as students and are expected to excel in the classroom. “As future officers, promoting academic excellence is huge for the program-- making sure that they are not only doing well with their military training and physical fitness, but bringing it back full circle to the academic excellence as well,” she says. “The Army needs not only fit leaders but bright leaders leading our next generation.”

For Dudley, though, what she most eagerly anticipates is the change of pace.

“The past couple of years have been really divided from the leadership aspect of the military because of the roles I’ve been in,” says Dudley. “I’m super excited to be able to directly reach out to these cadets and have that very hands-on approach.”