TAMU Air Force ROTC Judged Best In The Nation This Year

Lawman32RPD

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Texas A&M University’s Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps detachment has been judged the best such unit in the nation.

Detachment 805, as the Texas A&M unit is technically designated, garnered highest team honors in an annual competition involving all 145 AFROTC Detachments in the United States. Judging was conducted by a team of senior officers from Headquarters AFROTC located at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama.

“Texas A&M won this coveted award because of the outstanding leadership and mentorship provided by Air Force cadre to its 600-member Cadet Wing,” said Col. Hugh Hanlon, Detachment 805 Commander and Professor of Aerospace Studies. “This team was chosen as the number one AFROTC Detachment in the country at producing the best Officers for the United States Air Force. These officers will selflessly serve the nation with a strong sense of integrity and a foundation of academic excellence and exceptional leadership.”

http://today.tamu.edu/2016/01/11/air-force-rotc-detachment-named-best-in-the-nation/
 
The claim that TAMU commissions the most officers of any college other than the service academies is false, The Citadel has had that distinction for some time.
 
Major -- I assume this is the statement in the TAMU write up you are objecting to: "The Detachment is closely affiliated with the Corps of Cadets, which commissions more officers than any other university other than the nation’s military academies." Similar statement is featured on the Texas A&M ROTC website: http://corps.tamu.edu/military-focus/ Notice the statement says "university" -- not "college"

Unfortunately appears to be marketing. From the linked May 2015 article: "The Corps expects between 120 and 130 commissionees in the Army (62), Air Force (41), Marine Corps (10) and the Navy (18), Rittman said." http://www.thebatt.com/news/plus-to...cle_a145a574-f79e-11e4-937e-df5a61caf2cc.html

VMI will commission 120 just into the Army: “We do have the largest commissioning mission of any program except for [the U.S. Military Academy at] West Point,” said Vincent, noting that the unit expects to commission 120 cadets in May, with 50 of them achieving Distinguished Military Graduate status. - See more at: http://www.vmi.edu/Content.aspx?id=10737433813#sthash.w5WDpzyd.dpuf

I assume the TAMU writer is being a little sneaky concentrating on the term "university" since VMI is a "college" (undergrad only)

I couldn't find your numbers for the Citadel and I'm not certain if it considers itself a "college" or "university" -- I assume "college"?

Regardless, congrats to TAMU on the Air Force ROTC award
 
The Citadel has routinely commissioned the most military officers of any ROTC program in the country irregardless of 'university' or 'college'. Not to get in a pissing contest about numbers, The Citadel also has the largest Army ROTC detachment in the country and has commissioned the most Army officers of any institution except for USMA; last years number was 108 vs 75 for VMI, with the drawdown I would be astounded to see VMIs number jump to 120.
 
The Citadel has routinely commissioned the most military officers of any ROTC program in the country irregardless of 'university' or 'college'. Not to get in a pissing contest about numbers, The Citadel also has the largest Army ROTC detachment in the country and has commissioned the most Army officers of any institution except for USMA; last years number was 108 vs 75 for VMI, with the drawdown I would be astounded to see VMIs number jump to 120.
Nope you have bad numbers. In 2015 according to the VMI Board of Visitors report, VMI commissioned 167- (108 in the Army, 27 in the Navy, 20 in the Marine Corps and 12 in the AF) and at this point the only way they won't get the 120 Army commissions that they forecast this year is if some of the expected first classmen fail to graduate in this calendar year. Whether that is bigger or smaller than the Citadel I don't know , nor do I care, but since you mention that The Citadel commissioned 108 in the Army- then I guess (if at least that portion of your numbers is correct) that they are the same size units. Congratulations to the Texas A&M AFROTC on this award and to the VMI Army ROTC for winning the MacArthur award for the First Brigade (Senior Military College Brigade) along with the other non-SMC winners : University of Vermont,( 2nd Brigade); University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point, (3rd Brigade); University of Virginia,(4th Brigade); University of Houston, (5th Brigade); Georgia Southern University ( 6th Brigade); Austin Peay State University (7th Brigade); University of Oregon,(8th Brigade).
 
The Citadel numbers are easy to find - last May graduation it was 154 commissions in the military services. Numbers change up and down for all the SMCs - and do not count cadets or students in ROTC that could not make their summer camp between junior and senior year, or choose for their own reasons to attend OCS - so numbers will go up some at all the colleges. From The Citadel website: Military Commissions in 2015 total 154: Air Force 19 Army 97 Coast Guard 1 Marines 17 Navy 20 - See more at: http://q1.citadel.edu/root/profile-class-2015#sthash.r7ctLbCA.dpuf

Bruno - I don't understand your point in comparing VMI to the numbers at USMA? VMI is not a real service academy, so comparing it to one is silly. How many ROTC commissions are granted or sought at a particular college does not tell anyone what their individual experience will be. Most cadets at these schools are just civilians and will not enter military service. So all this comparison to USMA, etc., is I think silly.

I thought the purpose of this forum was to help parents and students understand the individual colleges, academics, traditions that are real, and information that parents and future students at these schools can actually use. My view.
 
I am confused. Where did bruno mention USMA in his post? I think the major referenced it, but not specifically numbers or a direct comparison. I think most of us can agree that maybe that the Texas A&M claim that they commission more officers than any school other than the SAs is stretching things based purely on numbers. I think the numbers below are important for candidates to look at based upon the info from above posters had:

Bruno: 2015 according to the VMI Board of Visitors report, VMI commissioned 167- (108 in the Army, 27 in the Navy, 20 in the Marine Corps and 12 in the AF)

glen: The Citadel website: Military Commissions in 2015 total 154: Air Force 19 Army 97 Coast Guard 1 Marines 17 Navy 20

And based upon both websites and info I have seen on this forum it does not include numbers for graduating members of each class who commission later on. Obviously if you add those in these numbers could shift. I think its also important to look at number of commissions vs. students in a class as that gives the percentage of a class pursing military service vs. the civilian path.

They commissioned close to the same numbers, it could be reversed this year. Who knows, I don't have a dog in this fight personally, except if a kid I meet asks me about the schools I tell them all the same thing in regards to any SMC, SA, or ROTC; visit, see what feels right, ask questions, what school will set you up for success the best. I do agree with glen that the purpose of this forum is how you view it, so let's keep it that way.
 
Bruno - I don't understand your point in comparing VMI to the numbers at USMA? VMI is not a real service academy, so comparing it to one is silly. How many ROTC commissions are granted or sought at a particular college does not tell anyone what their individual experience will be. Most cadets at these schools are just civilians and will not enter military service. So all this comparison to USMA, etc., is I think silly.

glen -- Navy Hoops is right -- bruno didn't mention USMA. The only mention of USMA was from the Army Colonel that is the VMI Army ROTC PMS speaking about VMI's recent Army commissioning statistics that said “We do have the largest commissioning mission of any program except for [the U.S. Military Academy at] West Point,” said Vincent, noting that the unit expects to commission 120 cadets in May, with 50 of them achieving Distinguished Military Graduate status. - See more at: http://www.vmi.edu/Content.aspx?id=10737433813#sthash.w5WDpzyd.dpuf

BTW -- you are incorrect that most cadets at VMI are "just civilians." In recent years, about half of the VMI cadets commission. Last year 167 out of 317 graduates chose to enter the military service, so a little over half.

You are partially correct in your other comment that VMI is not a "real" Service Academy. VMI is not a Federal Service Academy. It does not require a congressional nomination and not everyone is on scholarship (although many are on ROTC scholarships for tuition). I am a Service Academy graduate myself. I have had the great fortune to serve with officers that were graduates of VMI, Citadel, Norwich, Va Tech and TAMU. I have come to greatly respect what the SMC ROTC programs represent, what the "doolie/plebe/rook/knob/rat/etc." process entails, and I have been particularly impressed in what I have observed at VMI. Whether going there is "real" would be another discussion for another thread.
 
Which was my original point. Numbers are not relevant to an individual as they will be competing with all ROTC contract students within a command for ratings and eventually branch assignments. The current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs went to a college few have ever heard of - and General Powell of course attended City College of NY.
 
Believe majorofstlo is mistaken.
TAMU is largest and commissions the most.
 
That might be true for the USAF numbers, but not necessarily for other branches. The article stated 600 Cadets and 49 commissions in 2015 for USAF. 49 is higher than VMI or Citadel for the Air Force. In a cursory glance at an article I found a stat regarding TAMU in 2015 stating 130 Commissions. That is lower than VMI and Citadel. There are loads and loads of debates of this on this forum and other sites. We don't need to get in that debate again.
 
+1 Hoops

I'm now sorry I responded to major. We have inadvertently detracted from the TAMU award thread.

I think kinnem had the most salient point if I interpreted him correctly. The numbers are probably close between TAMU, Citadel and VMI each year and it probably varies each year.

Regardless. Congrats to TAMU on this year's AFROTC award.
 
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