Air Force ROTC
By Maj. Adam Cade '09
Air Force ROTC Detachment 875 started 2024 with an exhilarating semester! As we continue to appreciate the beautiful new Corps Leadership and Military Science building, we are enjoying the increased office space and functional areas while we benefit from the high-tech classrooms and wonderful facilities. We are so grateful for Maj. Gen. Fullhart’s leadership and extremely thankful for the generosity of the Corps alumni that enabled us to work and learn in these incredible surroundings.
This semester, the detachment facilitated three mission integration visits, which offer cadets terrific opportunities to immerse themselves in various mission sets and interact with the officers they desire to become. Maj. Cade kicked off the semester with a trip to Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, where 23 cadets learned about the combat search and rescue mission. Cadets met members of the 41st Rescue Squadron and 41st Rescue Generation Squadron maintenance unit and received briefings, participated in hands-on training, and topped off the visit with an incentive ride in an HH-60W helicopter!
In February, Capt. Penland accompanied cadets to Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, where they met the 77th Wild Weasel Fighter Squadron and toured the aircrew flight equipment room. After trying on G-suits, flight helmets, and night vision goggles, cadets visited the ammo facility and watched crews practice loading bombs, then finished the trip with a stellar company-grade officer and senior non-commissioned officer panel at the 9th Operational Combat Weather Squadron. Finally, in March, Capt. Silverbush and Staff Sgt. Perez led a trip to Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, where 50 cadets observed the inaugural Tuskegee Airmen Commemoration Day and then toured a C-5M Super Galaxy transport aircraft! They also attended an interactive demonstration on explosive ordnance disposal and visited the security force’s K-9 unit.
This semester also witnessed the inception of a cadet-led wargaming team, Strategic Wargaming and Resource Management, affectionally called SWARM. The team took airpower strategy planning to a new level and injected valuable wargaming events into a multi-day Air Force training exercise. Cadets also planned and executed our biennial dining out event, which introduced everyone to that honored Air Force tradition.
Summer field training is just around the corner! Sophomore Air Force cadets have been conducting early morning prep sessions and recently attended a joint training day at Virginia Military Institute with 200 fellow cadets from three universities. Det. 875 earned 70 training allocations this year, which reflects everyone’s hard work and dedication.
Our wing commander, Cadet Vanessa Barsoom, has performed remarkably well leading the cadet wing this semester. She described her tenure by saying, “The spring semester has entailed making our vision of providing quality training, ample resources, and a motivational culture of adaptability a reality. Within the cadet wing, senior members developed under cadre mentorship for commissioning preparation, while our junior members diligently trained in competencies required for field training. I could not be more appreciative of the continued cohesion and dedication of our cadets.”
Lastly, the only constant in the Air Force is change, and we must acknowledge the amazing staff who departed this semester. In February, we bid farewell to an outstanding non-commissioned officer, Tech. Sgt. Melvin Henderson, who accepted an assignment at the Pentagon. Operations flight commander, Capt. Da'rrell Cousin will move on to the National Security Agency in May. Capt. Easton Penland, our AS100 instructor, will transition from active duty in June and remain in the local area. And finally, our detachment commander and Hokie alum, Col. Greg Lowe, will retire this summer. He and his family will remain in Blacksburg, so watch for him playing “Tech Triumph” during the annual Caldwell March in a future spring semester.