The Armory, on South Columbia Street, houses all three of the military branches' ROTC units at UNC, but the sign on the pediment of the building reads "NROTC" above a Naval emblem that was a gift from the class of 1954.
Each of the front doors has a sign above it that identifies the branch it represents, but those unfamiliar with the building often see only the NROTC sign from the street and are unable to find the other two branches, military officers said.
Cadets from the Army ROTC and Air Force ROTC painted their respective doors the night of Oct. 23 to raise morale. The Air Force door was painted blue with the Air Force wings emblem, while cadets from the Army ROTC applied a coat of green paint with the Army insignia.
"It gave them a sense of identity," said Lt. Col. Tom Reilly of the Army and Air Force cadets within the building. "Every prank has a message behind it, and (the cadets) wanted recognition."
Reilly called the paint jobs "a good-hearted prank." But the incident hit a nerve with Naval ROTC midshipmen, who called the University police to report the "mission" as vandalism.
The Naval midshipmen and the Future Naval Officers Association declined to comment on the doors being painted.
The University owns the Armory. Clearance must be obtained from the University Grounds Committee before any building exteriors are painted, officials said. "We don't allow any unapproved painting to the exteriors of the buildings," said Steve Copeland, a UNC facility construction engineer.
Police officers responded to the call but did not charge any cadets with vandalism. The painting does not meet the "willful or malicious destruction of public or private property" required by the charge.
"They smiled -- they left," said UNC Professor Capt. Craig Marks, who is also a police officer for Cumberland County. "I was the adult supervision."
