Early years Texas A&M University Corps of Cadets

edwin jackson kyle, namesake of kyle field, in 1890 wearing cadet uniform

for school s first thirty-one years, through 1907–08 academic year, cadet corps organized 1 battalion consisting of 2 4 companies, designated companies , b , c , , d . on, these designated infantry companies, commandant ensured artillery training included in military instruction. aggie band organized in 1894 permanent institution within corps. in 1908, enrollment on 570, second battalion added. enrollment climbed, cadet corps continued grow multiple battalions, each 2 4 companies, , corps became divided multiple regiments.

the academic year 1916–17 saw division of corps 2 regiments. following year, 2 regiments had total of 6 battalions composed of eighteen companies , battery of field artillery. in 1918, enrollment surged 1,284, fifty percent increase on previous year. in 1919–20 school year, signal corps battalion , mounted cavalry battalion (later called cavalry squadron ) 1 cavalry troop added. air service squadron 1 company-sized flight added in 1920–21 school year.

in fall of 1923, cadet corps, total of 2,091 cadets in twenty-three individual units, became divided between infantry regiment , composite regiment. composite regiment included cavalry, field artillery, air service , signal corps units. air corps squadron (formerly air service squadron) phased out @ end of 1927–28 school year. in fall of 1928, enrollment @ 2,770 cadets, engineer battalion added, , following year third regiment formed out of expanded field artillery battalion. fourth battalion, coast artillery, added composite regiment in fall of 1933.

corps formation outside of old main, circa 1920

the cadet corps enrollment hit peak of 2,770 in 1928, great depression took toll, , fall of 1932 enrollment had fallen 2,001. depression waned , u.s. involvement in war became imminent, enrollment climbed pre-war total of on 6,500 in fall of 1941. in 1935, swelling enrollment forced formation of engineer regiment , cavalry regiment. these 2 new regiments, added infantry, field artillery , composite regiments, cadet corps, first time in history, had total of 5 regiments, encompassing thirty-two individual units (companies, batteries , troops). same year, chemical warfare service company added composite regiment, , following year second company warranted formation of chemical warfare service battalion. sixth regiment, coast artillery regiment, added in 1937. in 1939, band had grown point divided 2 units, infantry , artillery bands.

in fall of 1942, citizens of texas responded america s need military officers, number of individual military units in cadet corps hit all-time high total of 7 regiments of seventeen battalions comprising sixty companies, batteries, , troops, including band. cadet corps @ texas a&m sent on 20,229 former cadets world war ii, 14,123 of them commissioned officers, more combined totals of both military academies. february 1943 enrollment dropped less 4,000 cadets left school serve in u.s. military. 1944–45 school year saw enrollment drop low 1,600 , depletion of cadets forced reorganization of corps down 2 regiments (infantry , composite) consisting of total of 17 companies, batteries , troops, including 2 band units. in 1943, u.s. army declared mounted cavalry obsolete, although cavalry units continued @ texas a&m mechanized units until end of 1949–50 academic year.