ARNOLD AIR SOCIETY
Arnold Air Society is a professional, honorary, service organization advocating the support of aerospace power. The society is composed of Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps Cadets who possess unyielding desires to become Air Force Officers. For the cadets, the society is a way to get more officer training, develop leadership skills, and serve the community. It is safe to say that, far and wide, Arnold Air Society cadets are usually among the best-trained in their detachments.
The society offers membership to AFROTC cadets who are willing to complete a candidate training program put on by the local squadron, and its cadet leadership. Candidate training programs vary from detachment to detachment, and your squadron’s program will likely have a fair amount of tradition associated with it. After training concludes, the initiates will be inducted into the society in a formal ceremony, usually in the style of a formal military dinner.
Once inducted in AAS, the members will be given plenty of opportunities to hone their leadership skills. AAS is a cadet-run organization, from the squadron (local) level all the way to the national level. Active members can hold various positions with according responsibilities at the squadron level, area level, and national level. It is not unusual for one cadet to progress from one level to another during the course of their active membership.
The primary focus of AAS is service, so your squadron should spend a good amount of time completing service events. Each year at NATCON, the voting bodies of AAS and SW must decide on a Joint National Project as the focal point of the next year’s service. This will give the squadrons an area to focus their efforts on as they serve the campus and community.
AAS and SW are sister organizations, so your local squadron and chapter should work together on projects and activities. This is great practice for active duty, as the cadets will all one day encounter civilian employees that need to be treated with the same respect and dignity as uniformed personnel. If your squadron is not communicating well with the local SW chapter, some prodding may be needed. Also, if your squadron does not have a corresponding chapter, a challenge to set before the active membership would be to establish a new chapter. At NATCON, the membership is briefed on the procedures required to establish a new chapter, so this would be a feasible task for the cadets.
Overall, AAS is an invaluable sharpening tool for the cadets at your detachment. Since its founding, thousands of cadets have been blessed with leadership and management opportunities they could not find in the cadet wing, as well as being instilled with the all-encompassing value of service. The cadets will be eager to run the show, and, as an advisor, you will be a guide and mentor as they test their wings.
** from
Arnold Air Society & Silver Wings Advisor Handbook