Lt. Col. Jared Larpenteur brings 19 years of Army leadership—and a personal affinity for Central and Northern New York— to his new role as professor of military science.
There’s a new face leading Syracuse University’s Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) this year, and he’s already feeling right at home. Lt. Col. Jared C. Larpenteur has stepped into the role of professor of military science, taking charge of one of the longest-running Army ROTC programs in the nation.
Becoming a professor of military science is a competitive process. Officers apply and their records go before a selection board. If chosen, they rank their preferred universities. The Army then matches officers to programs based on those preferences and each program’s needs. For Larpenteur, Syracuse was the clear favorite.
“Syracuse was my number one choice, so my family and I were extremely excited when I was selected to come here,” Larpenteur says.
That excitement didn’t come out of nowhere. Larpenteur has served at Fort Drum in Watertown, N.Y., several times over the course of his career, most recently as a battalion commander in the 10th Mountain Division. Those years gave his family a chance to fall for the region.
“Over those assignments, my family really fell in love with Central and Northern New York, the people, the outdoors and the community,” Larpenteur says. “When Syracuse appeared on the list, putting it first was an easy decision for us.”
Since arriving on campus, Larpenteur says one thing stood out to him right away.
“The first thing that stood out to me was the level of support Syracuse University provides its ROTC program and its military-connected community,” Larpenteur says. “A successful ROTC program depends on having a strong relationship with the university, and I saw immediately that Syracuse values that relationship.”