A NOTE TO PARENTS from
the Commander, Detachment 775
For those parents
of
students who may be interested in joining the Air Force Reserve Officer
Training Corps at the University of South Carolina or elsewhere, let me
begin this note by saying thank you. Thank you for your success in
developing your child into the responsible citizen he or she has already
become. Thank you for investigating ROTC as an option in a college
experience. And thank you for your service as a role model and mentor
for your son or daughter and his or her peers. We in ROTC seek to
capitalize on the successes you have already had and continue the
development of a valued member of our society.
What is ROTC? On a global level, it is the largest source of
commissioned officers for the Air Force. ROTC has a long history of
creating the citizen officers that have made this nation strong in past
conflicts. The United States Air Force gets commissioned officers from
several sources, of which ROTC is one. The others are the Air Force
Academy (USAFA), and the Officer Training School (OTS). At the current time, ROTC is commissioning approximately
2000 lieutenants per year for the United State Air Force.
More pointedly for your understanding, ROTC is a program that develops
leaders and citizens. Cadets that graduate from ROTC serve in the
United States Air Force on active duty. Normally, the minimum
commitment is for four years. They serve as commissioned officers in
any of the multitude of career fields that the Air Force has to offer.
For almost any major at the University of South Carolina, there are some
corresponding commissioned military specialties that give the graduated
cadet practical experiences they will be able to use throughout their
lives. A business major could work as a military comptroller,
contracting officer, program manager, or pilot. A graduate from the
School of Hotel, Retail and Sports Management could work in Air Force
Services. An engineer has a whole host of possible specialties from
which to choose, including civil engineering and aeronautical
engineering. If you imagine any city or large business concern in
America today, you’ll find those specialties in the Air Force. The
service works to match the needs and talents of the student to the needs
of the Air Force. It is often said there are “no bad jobs” in the Air
Force and that is so true. In my career spanning almost 3 decades,
I've been a pilot and held a whole host of other jobs. Today my
civilian resume could easily say "chief executive
officer," "chief financial officer,"
"director, physical plant operations," "director,
computer services" and more. If you follow this link, you can
find out more about the many opportunities in the Air Force.
To get a commissioned officer, Air Force ROTC follows a structured
program. You can find the details by also pushing the link above.
As a brief summary, the program is 240 hours (16 credit hours) normally
spread over four years. There are courses on military history,
leadership, and national security. The cadet learns how to present his
or her ideas verbally and on paper. Because the Air Force has physical
fitness standards, mandatory fitness training is built into the
program. We also have leadership seminars and structured summer
programs that develop the individual mentally and physically.
When your son or daughter joins ROTC, they join a program that is
dedicated to him or her. Their instructors are experienced Air Force
officers. The instructors have gone through academic instructor
training and are routinely evaluated on their ability to do their
instruction job. These same instructors have had training in counseling
and are expected to maintain ethical and moral standards of behavior
that are quite stringent and enforced under the Uniform Code of Military
Justice. The cadre cares about the cadets. The detachment sets the
high standards that are displayed by the United States military and
applies them in the college environment. This structure is an
important part of Air Force ROTC and we have found that the discipline
demanded of an Air Force ROTC student leads to better academic
performance and a better college experience. If you don't believe
me, please ask one of my cadets. Drop our detachment an
email at AirForceROTC@sc.edu and we'll
make sure one of our current college students gives you their appraisal
of the ROTC experience.
One of the most important lessons learned in ROTC is that of mutual
support. In the Air Force, cadets are trained to aid each other and “be
a good lead or wingman.” As a freshman in ROTC, a cadet will likely
find more senior cadets in the same major who are willing to
share their “lessons learned.” The detachment mandates study sessions
because cadets are expected to achieve acceptable grade point averages.
The cadre counsels cadets to proactively counter adverse study trends.
We don’t always succeed in keeping a cadet in college, but we try. Air
Force ROTC offers a structured environment that encourages discipline
not only in a military environment, but also in an educational
atmosphere.
In closing, Air
Force ROTC is a great program for any student. It is particularly good
for any student Gamecock because of the tools it uses to help students
succeed. In ROTC, cadets gradually acclimatize to a military
environment. From the outset, there is a modicum of military structure
that grows over time as the Air Force become more knowledgeable about the
student and the student accepts more of what the Air Force offers. By
the time a student is a graduating senior, he or she has the discipline
and drive needed to succeed in life. They are ready to take the next
step, as a commissioned officer. Once on active duty, they hone an
entire set of skills that will serve them well.
We welcome your research into our Air Force family and the experiences
of a lifetime. As our slogan on our first page says, we teach
"life skills for a lifetime." We believe the future of
this nation is the great people of this land, and we commit ourselves
to the service of this nation. Anything less would dishonor our forbearers,
and you, the well of our strength.
GO GAMECOCKS!
For more
information also see:
Apply for a Air
Force Scholarship
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