Let’s be honest, shall we? Living like a cloistered monk for four years as a cadet at the U.S. Air Force Academy isn’t for everyone. Fortunately, “The Zoo” isn’t the only place to get an Air Force commission.
The largest commissioning source the USAF is the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC). AFROTC offers a 3-4 year program at over 1,100 college and university campuses across the country. While some college-bound teenagers place a high priority on the social life offered at a civilian school, the real advantage of attending AFROTC are the tremendous degree opportunities available at universities like Northwestern and Harvard.
Each AFROTC Detachment is led by a staff of active duty Air Force officers and NCOs. Not each of the 1,100+ schools has its own Detachment. One school will have an AFROTC Det that hosts students from neighboring schools via a “Cross-Town” agreement. For example, the Illinois Institute of Technology is home to AFROTC Det. 195. Cadets attending any of the 17 “Cross-Town” schools (including Northwestern, Loyola and Lewis universities) in the Chicagoland area actually take AFROTC classes at IIT.
The scholarships are offered based on a specific major. Of the 1,000 3 and 4-year AFROTC scholarships this year, 80% were for technical degrees (math, science or engineering). It is important to note that if a cadet on scholarship changes their major, there is a good chance that they will lose their scholarship.
While there is no requirement to be on scholarship, there are some other great financial benefits that come with being enrolled in AFROTC. Living in Illinois myself, I’m very familiar with the AFROTC Detachments here in the Land of Lincoln. So let’s look at couple of the good deals available at IIT’s Det 195.
During sophomore year, cadets apply for the Professional Officers Course (POC). Cadets are selected for the POC based on their GPA, Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) score and performance in Leadership Lab. Selection for POC is required to continue in the AFROTC program during junior and senior year. Those selected for POC the summer after a cadet’s sophomore year, attend Field Training. Field Training offers training as both a follower and as a leader with an emphasis on physical conditioning, weapons training and survival training.
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Let’s be honest, shall we? Living like a cloistered monk for four years as a cadet at the U.S. Air Force Academy isn’t for everyone. Fortunately, “The Zoo” isn’t the only place to get an Air Force commission.
The largest commissioning source the USAF is the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC). AFROTC offers a 3-4 year program at over 1,100 college and university campuses across the country. While some college-bound teenagers place a high priority on the social life offered at a civilian school, the real advantage of attending AFROTC are the tremendous degree opportunities available at universities like Northwestern and Harvard.
Each AFROTC Detachment is led by a staff of active duty Air Force officers and NCOs. Not each of the 1,100+ schools has its own Detachment. One school will have an AFROTC Det that hosts students from neighboring schools via a “Cross-Town” agreement. For example, the Illinois Institute of Technology is home to AFROTC Det. 195. Cadets attending any of the 17 “Cross-Town” schools (including Northwestern, Loyola and Lewis universities) in the Chicagoland area actually take AFROTC classes at IIT.
The scholarships are offered based on a specific major. Of the 1,000 3 and 4-year AFROTC scholarships this year, 80% were for technical degrees (math, science or engineering). It is important to note that if a cadet on scholarship changes their major, there is a good chance that they will lose their scholarship.
While there is no requirement to be on scholarship, there are some other great financial benefits that come with being enrolled in AFROTC. Living in Illinois myself, I’m very familiar with the AFROTC Detachments here in the Land of Lincoln. So let’s look at couple of the good deals available at IIT’s Det 195.
During sophomore year, cadets apply for the Professional Officers Course (POC). Cadets are selected for the POC based on their GPA, Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) score and performance in Leadership Lab. Selection for POC is required to continue in the AFROTC program during junior and senior year. Those selected for POC the summer after a cadet’s sophomore year, attend Field Training. Field Training offers training as both a follower and as a leader with an emphasis on physical conditioning, weapons training and survival training.
AFROTC Pilot selection or categorization is based on the following formula:
Those cadets categorized for pilot training then attend Air Force Initial Flight Screening (IFS) in Pueblo, CO the summer after their junior year. Upon completing their bachelor’s degree and all required AFROTC training, cadets receive their commission as Second Lieutenants in the Air Force. Approximately 400 AFROTC cadets receive SUPT slots each year.
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