Air Force ROTC holds many benefits
Students who want an opportunity to serve their country and at the same time receive many educational and career benefits may consider joining the Air Force ROTC.
The Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corp (AFROTC) at Utah State University describes itself as “an educational training program designed to give students the opportunity to become an Air Force officer while completing their degree.”
Captain Michael Sampson, commandant of cadets, said the AFROTC has been at USU since it was created by Congress in 1948.
He also said when students graduate from the AFROTC program they go into the Active Duty Air Force and start out as second lieutenants. They have to serve the Air Force for four years and pilots have to serve for 10.
“Pilots have a longer commitment because of all the money the Air Force spends on them. Most people who want to learn how to be pilots join the Air Force because flying lessons cost a fortune,” Sampson said. “The Air Force will have spent $2 million on them before they graduate.”
Another reason students join the Air Force is for the financial benefits. The AFROTC offers many scholarships. Also, the Air Force pays for all their juniors’ and seniors’ schooling in addition to giving them a monthly stipend.
Freshmen and sophomores in AFROTC typically do a one-hour academic class each week and juniors and seniors do a two-hour one. They also go to a two-hour leadership lab that teaches them military skills. They march around and practice using compasses. They also take fieldtrips every semester to a base where they talk to people who are living and working in the Air Force. They have obstacle courses to test their physical abilities and listen to guest speakers who fought in wars talk about their experiences.
“The Air Force can be really fun,” Sampson said. “We go to Hill [Air Force Base] and shoot guns and have paintball wars so cadets can see what it is like to be in real combat.”
Cadets do service projects such as food drives and veteran memorial recognition events. For the anniversary of Sept. 11 they did a lot of flag ceremonies.
They also go to high schools and give presentations on the Air Force.
“Everything we do here is competitive. When looking for leaders one of the things we look at is the community service they have been involved in,” Sampson said.
In order to qualify for the AFROTC, students must have at least a 2.0 GPA and pass a comprehensive physical exam. If students have any kind of physical limitations like hearing, eyesight or asthma, they won’t pass the test. They also have to pass a physical fitness test and a written test.
Rodger Malmgren, a senior and wing commander for det-860 in the AFROTC, said the AFROTC is very different from the Army ROTC. The Air Force is a lot more technical. They have air traffic controllers, pilots and they deal with missiles.
“Living in the Air Force is very different from living in the Army,” he said. “The only people who go to the front lines are the pilots. The rest are way back behind enemy lines.”
Malmgren said he has been in the AFROTC at USU for two years.
“I joined the Air Force because I wanted to be a pilot and I felt like it was my duty to serve my country. I come from a very patriotic family,” Malmgren said. “I’ve wanted to be a pilot in the Air Force for as long as I could remember.”
He said he didn’t even consider the benefits when he joined the AFROTC; he found out about them later. He said he was lucky to make it into the Air Force because only two out of 50 who try out make it.
Malmgren also said he thinks a lot about going to war. He said most of the prisoners of war America has had since World War I, have been pilots. Officers in the Army and the Marines are easier to recover than pilots because pilots get shot down and separated from their fleet.
“It took me and my wife two years to decide if I should join. We weighed the options about what could happen,” Malmgren said.
As a junior, Malmgren competed for and won a pilot slot. Now when he graduates, he will go to pilot training on a base.
“I have loved my ROTC experience. I was nervous when I joined but I thought it was a good thing to do. I’ve made a lot of friends in the program,” Malmgren said.
For more information on the AFROTC go to www.usu.edu/afrotc or call 797-USAF.