Royal University Militias

In 1611, the Spanish Dominicans founded in the city of Manila the University of Santo Tomas. In 1780, in it were created four Militia Companies, without a fixed number of posts, therefore dependent on the total number of pupils studying there. In 1785, the termination of these university militias would have been decreed and only when needed would they have been rearmed.

This unit wore a green coat lined with white linen, with a red collar and facings. Vest and breeches were also green with gold buttons. Shod with black cordovan shoes and white silk stockings. On their heads they wore a hat made of felt, with three points, with gold braid hemmed at its edge and a red cockade.

These Royal University militia companies were part of the colonial militia organized after the British occupation of Manila—6 October 1762 through 31 May 1764, or one year, seven months, and twenty-five days—to augment the capabilities of the Spanish colonial army in the Philippines. These Spanish colonial militia units which existed for five years, were first raised in 1762 when two hundred student volunteers were formed into four companies to fight the British. After the disbandment of the Royal University Militias in 1785, the UST military unit would reemerge 151 years later, in 1936, as an American colonial ROTC unit.

In the same manner that the Royal University Militias' Spanish uniforms resembled French infantry uniforms of the period , the UST ROTC also had French-inspired uniforms consisting of pale-blue full-dress coats and trousers whose color resembled the horizon blue of French World War I field uniforms. The unit also used Adrian helmet tin replicas, similar to commercially produced aluminum, cork, and felt Adrian helmet replicas privately purchased by French officers for use during parades and ceremonies. UST during this period used uniforms styled after those of France—whose Revolution inspired the leaders of the Revolution four decades earlier—probably because the second highest-ranking officer of the American colonial army at that time, Brig. Gen. Basilio Valdes, was a UST graduate who had served in the French military during the Great War, and may have influenced the choice of uniforms at his alma mater.

By contrast, the American colony's other cadet corps sported different looks: khakis and guinit helmets—which closely resembled British Wolseley sun helmets, and which were used by the University of the Philippines even before the colonial regular army had been formed—gave the UP Corps of Cadets a British appearance; whereas PMA remained loyal to the colonial master and opted for West-Point-style uniforms, which at one time were also used by Ateneo.

About 180 years after UST students went to war in 1762, UST students again participated in a global conflict when, even after all ROTC units had been disbanded on 23 December 1941, UST ROTC cadets volunteered for regular service and became artillerymen of the colonial army's Second Regular Division, which fought in Bataan during the Pacific War. After the surrender of the colonial army, some former UST cadets became guerrillas, most notably of the Hunters ROTC.

UST's ROTC unit was reactivated on 13 September 1946, and in 1949 it trained in Floridablanca, Pampanga. At the military installation there, some UST cadet were part of a group of pioneering ROTC men, composed mostly of FEU cadets, who received armor training and learned to operate the American M5 light tank. In the 1950s, the Model Battalion began to use a full-dress uniform patterned after the famous ceremonial uniform—known as Guard of Honour Order, or Guard Order for short—of the UK's Brigade of Guards.

Until 2001 when compulsory military service was abolished in Spain, University Militias (Milicias Universitarias) also known as I.M.E.C. were a method for Spaniards to fulfill military service obligation. Militiamen who completed military training became reserve officers or reserve non-commissioned officers. The program is still active, and there exists one for each of Spain's services: Army, Navy (I.M.E.C.A.R.), and Air Force.

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