Air Force ROTC
The cadets at Detachment 875 had an action-packed spring semester, filled with exciting training events and inspiring incentive flights, while learning about our Air Force and Space Force heritage.
Immediately upon returning from a well-deserved winter break, AFROTC cadets from across the eastern U.S. traveled to Virginia Tech for the first-ever STARS Align Space Training Weekend. Our STARS student club (Space Training and Advancement Readiness Squadron) is dedicated to advancing the education of our nation's future Space Force officers. Cadets and civilian students who attended this event were able to network with over 200 participants, while gaining insight on the future of the Space Force from the Vice Chief of Space Operations, General D.T. Thompson, Air Force ROTC Commander, Col. Corey Ramsby, and a variety of Space Force officers (including six Hokies) who traveled from around the country to share their knowledge and hands-on demonstrations of space domain concepts.
During Black History Month, cadets had the opportunity to visit Charleston Air Force Base, South Carolina for “Accelerating the Legacy.” Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. was in attendance, along with the last living Tuskegee Airman, retired Lt. Col. James Harvey. The cadets were able to talk with pilots from different airframes and explore historic aircraft. To top the weekend off, our cadets experienced a flight in a C-17!
It’s not all about aviation in Det. 875. Nineteen cadets attended the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge (GAFPD) competition at Ft. Bragg, which was hosted by the 93rd Combat Weather Group. The GAFPB is a decoration of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. Participants accomplished many military events, including first aid application, chemical gear exercises, a 7.5-mile ruck march, and a pistol qualification. Det. 875 represented well, with 18 cadets earning bronze, silver, or gold badges.
The cadets of Det. 875 have an insatiable appetite for flying. Air Force Flyers, a cadet-led organization, also had the opportunity to visit Charleston Air Force Base for a deep-dive into the operations group. This trip gave our cadets excellent insight into the life and mission of a pilot and what it is like to be an Air Mobility Command member. These cadets also got to experience flight in the back of one of the 437th Airlift Wing’s C-17 aircraft.
Det. 875 finished off the semester with its capstone exercise, the Air Force Training Exercise. The two-day training event was conducted at Radford Army Ammunition Plant. The exercise was planned and executed by senior cadets, led by Cadet Jillian Haas with oversight from Det. 875’s Operations Flight Commander, Maj. Kristen Baker. Planning training exercises provides cadets with experience in running large-scale military operations. Junior cadets were put through realistic scenarios based upon current events, and practiced tactics like operational security, tactical combat casualty care, and basic base defense, all skills they will need to succeed at summer field training and in the Air Force as multi-capable Airmen.
Cadet Alec Reynolds, our cadet wing commander, summarized the semester perfectly, saying, “The cadets and cadre of Detachment 875 collaborated seamlessly to successfully execute a dynamic schedule of events, advancing our mission of developing exceptional future Air and Space Force officers. With each passing semester, we continue to learn and grow as a unit, eagerly anticipating the exciting prospects that lie ahead in our future.”
We capped off the year by commissioning 44 new Air Force and 2 Space Force officers. Det. 875 tops the Southeast Region in number of officers commissioned, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) majors, and cost efficiency…Hokies lead the way!