The Program

Overview

Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) is an educational program designed to allow young men and women to pursue a commission in the United States Air Force while pursuing a college degree. The purpose of the AFROTC program is to provide quality development of the individual so that they may serve as effective leaders and officers upon entering the Air Force. AFROTC affords graduates the opportunity to pursue a broad range of career fields to include aviation related jobs, law, space operations, medicine, intelligence, computer systems, and engineering. You can take part in this unique experience as a college freshman with no commitment. As a matter of fact, you can continue in the program without any commitment to the military for the first two years. The AFROTC program is open to all college students regardless of major or academic year.

Four Year Program

The AFROTC program is broken down into two portions, the General Military Course (GMC) & the Professional Officer's Course (POC). The GMC portion of the program typically consists of freshman and sophomores and allows them the opportunity to try out AFROTC without any commitment. During the GMC period cadets will be exposed to the basic organizational concepts of the Air Force and its history. During the sophomore year, cadets will have the opportunity to compete for a field training allocation. Completion of field training is necessary for entrance into the POC. The POC consists of your junior and senior years in the program. As a cadet you will receive instruction in Leadership/Management and National Security Policy.

Two Year program

This version of the program allows the cadet to compete directly for the POC, bypassing the GMC. It is geared more towards junior college transfers, current college sophomores or juniors, or prior enlisted personnel who have two years of college remaining. It is extremely selective and handled on a case-by-case basis. Please contact the detachment to see if you qualify for this program.

Leadership Laboratory

Leadership Laboratory is an integral part of the Air Force ROTC program. It provides an opportunity for students to apply classroom teachings to actual environments. Each course has an associated leadership laboratory. The laboratory meets for 2 hours each week during the term. Instruction is conducted within the framework of an organized cadet corps with a progression of experiences designed to develop leadership potential. Leadership Laboratory involves a study of the life and work of Air Force junior officers. Students develop their leadership potential in a practical, supervised laboratory, which typically includes field trips to Air Force installations throughout the United States. The first two years of Leadership Laboratory involve activities classified as initial leadership experiences. This includes studying Air Force customs and courtesies and drill and ceremonies; giving military commands; instructing, correcting, and evaluating the preceding skills; studying the environment of an Air Force base; and learning about career opportunities available to commissioned officers. The last two years of Leadership Laboratory consist of activities classified as advanced leadership experiences. They involve the planning, organizing, coordinating, directing, and controlling the military activities of the cadet corps; the preparation and presentation of briefings and other oral and written communications; and the providing of interviews, guidance, and information that will increase the understanding, motivation, and performance of other cadets.

Field Training

Field Training is a rigorous and challenging program designed to evaluate your officer potential. Field Training occurs at an Air Force base usually prior to entering the junior year in college, and must be accomplished before you become a POC. It is usually a four week program but if you are a cadet on the two year AFROTC program you will attend a six week camp, having all the same training as the four week with an extra two for class-based instruction on items that are covered during the first two, GMC, years. At Field Training you will receive career orientation, professional development training, aircraft orientation, survival training, weapons indoctrination, and physical fitness training. Your leadership ability will be tested and evaluated in various scenarios. The Air Force will cover all travel expenses related to field training and will pay cadets a daily wage.