Christian College Makes Patriotism Course Mandatory

College of the Ozarks, a private Christian college in Missouri, is making it mandatory for all freshman to register for a military science class designed to encourage patriotism, Time magazine reported.

The course is called Patriotic Education and Fitness. It combines the college's prior physical education and patriotism requirements and adds military training. It will include rifle marksmanship, land navigation, and rope climbing, according to the magazine. It also will cover military customs and flag protocol, Time reported.

"We think there needs to be a more intentional program regarding our country and especially the military," College of the Ozarks President Jerry Davis told Time. "We don't think the military has been properly recognized, and students in general need to know more about the place of the military in the democracy."

"To train a better citizen, so to speak — I don't think there's a better way to do that than to remind students of the importance of the military and to be respectful of the country in which we live. Otherwise, this division that we all see in this culture will do great damage to the United States."

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