The Army ROTC program in south Florida started back in 1956 at the University of Miami. The program was relocated to Florida International University in January 1996 by order of the Department of Defense and was officially activated on July 1, 1996.

The average cadet enrollment in the ROTC “Southern Strike” program is over 225 students. The program is also part of the Hispanic Access Initiative established in fiscal year 2003. The Battalion also has 8 partnership schools: Florida Atlantic University, University of Miami, Nova Southeastern University, Barry University,  Miami-Dade College, Broward College, Palm Beach Atlantic University, and Florida Memorial University.