Air Force ROTC News
By Caleb Coleman ’21
There were a lot of unknowns when coming back to Virginia Tech this fall.
How are we supposed to conduct Air Force ROTC operations in a COVID-19 environment? How do we continue to effectively prepare our cadets for field training and commissioning? Basically, how do we continue to better ourselves in the midst of a pandemic?
Ultimately, we had to adapt almost all of our training methods. The cadre and cadet leadership were able to develop a plan so we could train to become effective leaders in the Air and Space Forces.
The fall cadet wing commander, Josh Stevic ’21, led the charge by optimizing the video conferencing platform Zoom to hold Leadership Lab virtually, so that we could consistently train cadets for the next steps on their paths to becoming officers.
There were many other events throughout the semester, such as virtual base visits, career field briefs with alumni, and leadership seminars. While most of these events were virtual, we still held our annual fall training exercise, Warrior Day, in-person. Those cadets who have not attended field training were able to get crucial training that will help them succeed at field training this summer.
The cadet wing also continued to meet in-person for PT and now holds the third highest average Physical Fitness Assessment score in the nation.
The fall semester saw the end of a few cadets’ time at Virginia Tech. Noah Lay ’20, Mark Wolter ’20, and Benjamin Stadler ’20 commissioned into the Air Force as second lieutenants. Good luck in your future Air Force careers!
The fall 2020 semester was very bizarre and unconventional in terms of what has traditionally been done, but it was one that brought with it a lot of growth for everyone at Detachment 875.
The spring semester brought about new challenges with rising national cases of COVID-19; however, the spring cadet wing commander, Ryan Elmiger ’21, and his team were ready to face them. They continued to take advantage of great alumni, such as Capt. Micah Hafich ’11, who were willing to share their active duty experiences with cadets over Zoom.
Maj. Adam Cade ’09 even made a special appearance, landing his HH-60 helicopter on the Drillfield and talking with cadets about life as a helicopter pilot. Thank you to all the alumni who have taken the time to share their experiences with us over the past year!
As the semester progressed, the cadets took advantage of opportunities to meet more in-person and executed a successful Air Force Training Exercise (AFTX), the biggest training event of the semester.
The wing also received a new virtual reality flying simulator, which gives cadets another unique opportunity to log flight hours in their pursuit of obtaining a rated pilot slot.
Cadet Sarah Mombaur ’23 also received a scholarship to earn her Private Pilot’s License through the JROTC Flight Academy this summer.
At the end of the spring semester, 49 cadets took the oath and commissioned into the Air and Space Forces. Thanks to all of their hard work and dedication over their time here as the fruits of their labor will finally come to pass. So good luck to the class of ‘21 and may everyone take a strong first step into their career as Air Force and Space Force officers.
This semester has also brought us three new faces as we have received another awesome team of non-commissioned officers: Technical Sgt. Christopher Spotswood, Staff Sgt. Isabella Stanford, and Staff Sgt. Melvin Henderson. They have already been accepted into the Detachment 875 family, and we thank you for your hard work so far.
With their arrival, Staff Sgt. Valerie Wingate and Staff Sgt. Melanie McKinnon’s ended their time here. We thank both of you for your time here and all that you have done for us. At the end of this semester, we also said goodbye to Maj. Ian Chesley as he retired and Capt. Jacob Drinkard as he moved to his next duty station. Thank you both for your leadership and guidance!
Lastly, we said goodbye to Col. Eric Dorminey ’90, who has made a big impact on the lives of over 400 cadets during his three years as detachment commander. His leadership and guidance led to over 145 cadets staying on glide slope and commissioning as highly effective second lieutenants in the Air and Space Forces. We wish you the best of luck as you continue your career in the Space Force! Semper Supra!
This year has been one that has put us face to face with challenge after challenge. However, those challenges have caused us all to grow and adapt into better leaders of tomorrow. All the lessons from this year will stay with all of us as we continue down our respective paths.
