“Military Proficiency” can be traced back to our inception as an organization. In 1891, John J. Pershing arrived as the new Professor of Military Science at the University of Nebraska. He found that morale and participation in the cadet corps were low, and he set out to change this by forming an elite drill team. The UNL student newspaper at the time observed,   “Lieutenant Pershing is untiring in his efforts to improve the battallion.” It is from these efforts over 130 years ago that the pershing Rifles was Born.