UC Davis

UC Davis hosts the Forged Gold Battalion jointly with California State University Sacramento, with cadets from both schools training together for major exercises — land navigation, small arms qualification, squad tactical exercises, and formal military functions — creating a battalion with broader demographic and academic diversity than either school could produce alone. UC Davis's research university profile produces high-GPA cadets who compete well on the national OML, and the Davis-Sacramento axis gives the battalion a metropolitan area with active Recruiting Battalion connections. No major Army installation is immediately adjacent, but the Sacramento Valley's central California location puts NTC at Fort Irwin and other installations within reasonable drive or air distance. The California Army National Guard is among the largest in the country, and the Guard pipeline from the Forged Gold Battalion is well-worn. UC Davis's agricultural and biological sciences programs produce cadets with technical profiles that translate well to Engineer, Medical Service, and Ordnance branches. The program has operated since 1923.