What to look for in State School AFROTC Programs?

[OfficerToBe750]

Our DS current Plan B (thought that could possibly change) is ROTC at a state university i.e. Rutgers, Maryland, Kentucky. He would like the university to be a host school for AFROTC, but other than that, what are the the characteristics of an AFRTOC program that can vary from school to school? What other things should be considered in researching potential colleges? Is the ROTC offering pretty uniform or does something like facilities or culture vary greatly? Searched this forum, but didn't find exactly what we were looking for. Given that in person visits are limited due to covid, any feedback/words of wisdom would be appreciated so that we can in turn provide guidance on building the final list of schools.

 

[kinnem]

Everything can vary to a degree. Each unit teaches the same Milutary Science courses but they can each have a different culture. The officers/instructors a different and will bring different strengths to the table. Officers are normally at a unit for 2, maybe 3, years, so the officers one starts with almost certainly will not be there when one commissions. The unit's history and it's midshipmen also contribute their part to the culture.

Each unit can have access to different facilities. DS's unit in SC was 15 minutes from Ft. Jackson and used their leadership and obstacle courses a few times each semester. His unit also raised funds for their social activities (tailgate, birthday ball, dining in) by cleaning the football stadiums at 6AM after a home game. Some units don't do that. Some do their social events on their own while units like NROTC Duke, UNC, and NC State do theirs together.

All that said, pick the school, not the unit. If one can thrive at and enjoy their college, then that will carry over to the ROTC program. Your still a green 2nd Lt at the end of any program.

 

[Pima]

I can only speak of UMDCP when it comes to a program.
I am from NJ, and Rutgers is a great school. Their AFROTC program from what I have known/seen here is strong and Rutgers is an outstanding state U, but I have no 1st hand experience.
My husband and son commissioned from Det 330. 25 yrs apart to the date.
Det 330 is considered by HQ AFROTC as a large size det. That means they have @200 cadets. They have consistently over decades won the best AFROTC large size det in the nation. The 4 yrs., my husband was with 330, they won it once. The yr before my DS started they won. The yr my DS commissioned they won again.
~ They compete against every AFROTC det., including SMCs.

UMDCP also has some great aspects for AFROTC.
1. They do, or at least used to do a weekly GMC night.
~ This is for AS100, 200 and 250s . Typically on a Weds. night from 6-9 The det will pay for pizza/subs and sodas. The cadets hang in the cadet lounge, play foosball, crud, watch movies, etc. There will be a PMS there to "chaperone". This allows the cadets to talk to the PMS off the clock. It also creates a bond for these cadets.
~~ UMDCP does not "house" ROTC students together, and that campus is huge, so it allows them time to know each other socially outside of LLAB and PT.
~~~ It is not mandatory to attend. It is optional.
2. AFROTC has 4 military fraternities at UMDCP
~ Silver Wings, Arnie Air, Angel Flight and Honor Guard.
~~ Again, it allows more bonding if the cadet wants to be more involved
3. The lounge is open all day.
~ My DS lived on campus, but he would go to the dining hall and take out food. He would than go to the det. eat/hang out between classes. Usually would play Xbox games with other cadets.
~~ My husband did the exact same thing 25 yrs earlier.
4. Det 330 has always met or came in at a higher rate than the national selection for SFT and rated boards.
~ When my DS was there they had 100% selection rate for rated, whereas, the national selection was 93%

Hope that gives you a glimpse of Det 330.

FWIW, whatever college he selects, he will get out of it with what he puts into it. It doesn't matter how many military fraternities they have or if they do GMC nights if he is not going to partake.
~ My DH and DS still keep in contact with those they commissioned with. They became lifelong friends, but both of them embraced the AFROTC life, along with those friends.
~~ When DS went to UPT, his friend that commissioned the yr prior (Arnie Air relationship) was at the same UPT base. He had an immediate friend at UPT, plus since he was a yr older he was able to guide him in the beginning with what to expect. The next yr. he was the guy that welcomed a cadet from UMDCP at the base. Interesting fact all 3 got C130Js and have been following each other from base to base.
~~~ The AF is small and gets much smaller as you make rank.

 

[CatDog99]

Typically on a Weds. night from 6-9 The det will pay for pizza/subs and sodas. The cadets hang in the cadet lounge, play foosball, crud, watch movies, etc.

Oh man @Pima -- Crud is one of the greatest games ever! We Navy guys used to play at the Whidbey Island O Club on Friday nights (back in the day!) -- We played "Full Contact" Crud -- the hockey players seemed to be the best -- they delivered incredible hip checks that could send you flying into the wall.

One of our favorite places to play was the dedicated "Crud Pit" at the Canadian Air Force base at Cold Lake (way up north) -- those Canadian Hornet guys were very serious about their Crud and their beer....

I think Crud originated with USAF -- here is a YouTube video of a low contact game:

 

[OfficerToBe750]

So helpful Pima - thank you!

 

[Pima]

We played "Full Contact" Crud -- the hockey players seemed to be the best -- they delivered incredible hip checks that could send you flying into the wall.

AF wives would play with the guys, including me. We even had annual wives tournaments.
I have to say, the best players when it came to hip checking were always wives. Our center of gravity is lower, thus, we could take them out at the guys knees. They would just drop on the floor. This would be with them full blocking. We would come around the corner and just drop down with a hip check and BOOM they went down, regardless of their weight or height.
I miss those days. Can't tell you how many Saturday mornings I woke up with bruises on the top of my thigh (jumping against the table to grab the ball) or on my hips from checking someone.
~ FWIW, not to be smug, but typically even when I played against guys, I always ended up as the "virgin" in the end. For those that are reading this, the virgin means, last person standing and has not lost a life yet. Guys on a whole will forget their playing against a woman when it comes to pride. Yes, I have been chucked against a wall because they were not going to get teased that I took them out.
That video is a very low contact game. Plus, you never have 2 side judges, nor is played on a pool table.

Crud SUPPOSEDLY started with the AF. The story goes....a couple of AF officers (rated) got stuck in Canada. They went to the O Club, got drunk, and saw they had a skittles table (A skittles table is much larger than a pool table, higher and has no side pockets). They only had a white and red ball, no pool cues. So they created the game.

Crud is popular in the fighter world.

My kids being AF brats of an F15E WSO learned this game at a very young age. Our DS that attended det 330 actually shocked the cadets when he was an AS100. He played dumb the 1st game. It was POC vs GMC. He knew how to play this since he was probably 8 or so. All of our kids do. He knew how to hip check, he knew how to call no 6, he knew how to plant and not get called, he knew when to call lips. He even had watched us enough to know how to do the "round the world" serve.
~ Funny story. 1st time he played as a GMC, he called no six. The POC was what is NO SIX? The PMS was the judge. Our DS pulled out a dollar bill and handed it to the PMS. The PMS looked at him and the POCs, and announced the GMCs have a "ringer"! Only truly players know that a judge will use a $1 bill for a no 6.

Back on topic.

 

[dhen81]

Our DS current Plan B (thought that could possibly change) is ROTC at a state university i.e. Rutgers, Maryland, Kentucky. He would like the university to be a host school for AFROTC, but other than that, what are the the characteristics of an AFRTOC program that can vary from school to school? What other things should be considered in researching potential colleges? Is the ROTC offering pretty uniform or does something like facilities or culture vary greatly? Searched this forum, but didn't find exactly what we were looking for. Given that in person visits are limited due to covid, any feedback/words of wisdom would be appreciated so that we can in turn provide guidance on building the final list of schools.

Has he considered West Virginia University? We are in Delaware and my son was awarded a type 7. WVU gives their ROTC cadets in state tuition and they also paid for his room!!
for us when we were looking for a university it needed to have a tech major which WVU has a good engineer in department with several options for engineering degrees. My son wanted a big college feel. Detachment has been great for him.