When it comes to making significant strides, Air Force ROTC Detachment 855 is certainly keeping pace. The detachment program, which is administered through the Department of Aerospace Studies at the BYU Marriott School of Business, has seen enrollment nearly double over the past six years. The number of participating cadets has taken flight, rising from about one hundred in 2012 to more than 180 today.
So what is leading to increased enrollment rates? According to Cadet Aaron Cox, a senior from Alaska majoring in mechanical engineering, the growth can be attributed to many things.
“There are a host of reasons students join Air Force ROTC,” Cox says. “For me, it was family legacy. My grandfather graduated from BYU Air Force ROTC and my uncle did as well. I knew from a very young age that I wanted to fly for the Air Force.”
For others, stronger recruiting efforts, a rise in patriotism, increased awareness, and the detachment’s prestige are perhaps the biggest contributors influencing their interest.
Other appealing elements include enrollment and job placement. Unlike other academic programs, Air Force ROTC has no acceptance limits, which means that students won’t be rejected because of a cutoff. And while the majority of BYU Marriott programs have great job placement, not every student has the assurance of a guaranteed position after graduation like those who complete the AFROTC program do.
But unfamiliarity and misunderstanding still abound, keeping students from enjoying the many benefits of the program. This is where Captain Colin Slade, recruiting flight commander for AFROTC Detachment 855, comes into the picture. One of Slade’s main responsibilities is to remove the barriers that keep individuals from participating by encouraging them to learn more.
“Students should come talk with us, even if they’re not interested,” Slade says. “It is better for students to be informed than to make a decision without actually knowing anything about what goes on here.”
Perhaps the most common misconception that Slade encounters is that participation in the program constitutes a commitment to the Air Force. The reality is that in order to become obligated to the Air Force a cadet must accept a scholarship from the Air Force or opt to continue on in the program after completing Field Training—a three-week military training typically done at the beginning of a student’s junior year.
Addressing concerns, as well as providing information about how the program works and what it entails, are key when it comes to increasing enrollment. Slade points out that the concept of the program is really not as foreign as students might think it is.
“The best way to think of the Air Force ROTC is as an internship,” Slade says. “The program grants academic credit while students receive training that is designed to prepare them for life on active duty as an Air Force officer.”
To accomplish this, cadets are usually enrolled in three classes per semester—a lecture, leadership lab, and physical training course—that total two to three credit hours. In addition, optional extracurricular activities and professional development opportunities provide cadets with further experience. These include job shadowing, cybersecurity instruction, jump drills, mock deployments, Special Tactics, Honor Guard, and Field Training.
“Watching these cadets grow is extremely rewarding,” says Colonel Timothy J. Hogan, commander for AFROTC Detachment 855. “Our job is to provide cadets with skills that will make them a more productive member of society. We help cadets go from a high school graduate to an officer in the Air Force that can lead, follow, and be a technical expert.”
In reflecting on his own experience, Cox attests to the fact that the program and its instructors assist individuals in developing important skills. He emphatically concludes that his experience with Air Force ROTC Detachment 855 has prepared him for the next steps in their Air Force journey, and he knows that it will do the same for others.
“The program at BYU is one of the best in the nation,” Cox says. “If you want to serve your country, learn how to be a better leader, increase your confidence, or become more physically fit, there is no better way to get started than through the Air Force ROTC program.”
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Writer: Brendan Gwynn