ABSTRACT
Citizens’ Military Training Camps were established in 1920 as a result of the Army Reorganization Act and continued to operate every summer until
1940. CMTCs were basic military camp programs that prepared mainly affl uent and educated men with a no-obligation military offi cer preparednesstraining program that taught them to march, shoot and become physically fi t. Candidates had to complete four progressive summer programs to graduate. In the event of another major war these men were eligible for reserve commissions as second lieutenants. It took more than sixteen years, however, before blacks regularly gained admittance. It was diffi cult for them to enroll because the CMTC admission policy outmaneuvered the federal law that stated all male citizens were eligible. According to policy, black men could enroll in most established camps only if enough qualifi ed to make the fi nancial burden of “separate but equal” accommodations and training feasible. Basically, unless a certain number of black men qualifi ed for enrollmentenrollment fi gures were locally set-none would be admitted.5
