What is Air Force ROTC?
The Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) is a military leadership program designed to give men and women the opportunity to become Air or Space Force officers while completing a degree. The General Military Course (GMC) is taken during your 1st and 2nd years. This program allows you to learn about the military lifestyle for up to two years without incurring any obligation. The Professional Officer Course (POC) is taken during your junior and senior years. Before you enter the POC, you will attend a two-week summer Field Training course. Air Force ROTC classes cover topics such as military customs and courtesies, development of aerospace power, leadership and communication theories, and national defense policy. You will attend weekly Leadership Laboratory (LLAB) training sessions, where you will put into practice the leadership skills and management theories discussed in the classroom. You will also participate in two weekly physical fitness training sessions.
AFROTC Training Schedule
Detachment 055 generally follows the UCLA academic calendar, which includes a fall term that runs from late September to mid-December, a winter term from January through March, and a spring term that runs from April to early June. All of our training sessions take place on Fridays. Students attend a physical fitness session in the morning followed by Leadership Laboratory and AFROTC aerospace studies class(es) in the afternoon. Mandatory activities typically last until 1500.
Aerospace Studies Classes
You are required to complete 12 terms of Aerospace Studies classes. During your first two years, the classes will be one credit hour per quarter. During your second two years, the classes will be three credit hours per quarter. A brief overview of each of the Aerospace Studies classes follows: AS 101/102 DAF Professionalism – AS101, “Department of the Air Force (DAF) Professionalism,” is designed to introduce students to the DAF and its culture, providing an overview of essential attributes required for success in this context. This course is broken down into three units:
- Unit 1: “Introduction to DAF Culture”
- Unit 2: “Disciplined Professional”
- Unit 3: “Followership and Problem Solving
AS102, “Competition and Security,” introduces students to the concept of national security from a broad perspective, encompassing the military’s involvement in securing national interests through a range of activities from cooperation to armed conflict. This course is designed to lay a solid foundation for understanding the multifaceted nature of global security and the critical role of the DAF in maintaining peace and security. This course is broken down into two units:
- Unit 1: “National Security and Competition”
- Unit 2: “Department of the Air Force (DAF)”
AS 200 Team & Leadership Fundamentals – provides a fundamental understanding of both leadership and team building. The lessons and course flow are designed to prepare students for field training and leadership positions in the detachment. AS 300 Leading People and Effective Communication – utilizes the student’s field training experience to take a more in-depth look at leadership. Special emphasis is placed on enhancing communication skills and why that is important as a leader. Students have an opportunity to try out these leadership and management techniques in a supervised environment as juniors and seniors. AS 400 “National Security and Preparation for Active-Duty – is designed for college seniors and provides them the foundation to understand their role as military officers and how they are directly tied to our National Security. It is an overview of the complex social and political issues facing the military profession and requires a measure of sophistication commensurate with the senior college level.
Leadership Laboratory (LLAB)
Provides students to learn leadership skills through participation in our military training program. LLAB activities include basic military drill and ceremonies, guest speakers, challenging group problem solving activities, and physical fitness training. Active-duty officers provide oversight, but the LLAB program is run by the students in the cadet wing. As you progress through the AFROTC program, you will take on increasing levels of responsibility in planning and executing the LLAB program.
Physical Training (PT)
All cadets are required to take a Fitness Assessment (FA) each semester. The FA consists of sit-ups, push-ups, and a 1.5 mile run. To prepare for the FA, and to ensure that cadets are able to meet the physical fitness standards, cadets participate in two mandatory PT sessions each week. Students will participate in a “crosstown PT” session one day per week and in a full detachment PT session on Fridays.
