ROTC History
Air Force ROTC has a long history of tradition and honor that dates back to
the turn of the last century. Established with the passage of the National
Defense Act of 1916, it is the largest and oldest source of commissioned officers
for the Air Force.
The first Air ROTC units were established between 1920 and 1923 at the University
of California at Berkeley, Georgia Institute of Technology, the University
of Illinois, the University of Washington, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
and Texas Agricultural and Mechanical College. After World War II, Gen. Dwight
D. Eisenhower, chief of staff of the War Department, signed General Order
No. 124, establishing Air ROTC units at 77 colleges and universities throughout
the nation.
The Air Force ROTC Vitalization Act of 1964 authorized a new two-year Senior Program,
scholarships and a Junior Program. An experimental program to commission women
through Air Force ROTC was first conducted from 1956 to 1960. Women were again
enrolled in the Senior Program, starting in 1969, and in the Junior Program
four years later. Eligible Air Force enlisted men and women pursuing a college
degree who are interested in becoming commissioned officers are given that
opportunity through competition in the Air Force ROTC Airman Scholarship and
Commissioning Program, established in 1973. In 1978, Air Training Command,
with headquarters at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, assumed responsibility
for the Air Force ROTC programs.
On July 1, 1993, Air Training Command merged with Air University to form Air
Education and Training Command. Air University became a direct reporting unit
under Air Education and Training Command and Air Force ROTC realigned under
Air University. In February 1997, in an effort to reduce duplication of effort
and streamline administrative and reporting procedures within Air University,
Air Force ROTC and Officer Training School realigned under the newly created
umbrella organization, Air Force Officer Accession and Training Schools. This
restructuring placed oversight for three-quarters of Air Force officer production
under one command, the AFOATS (now the Holm Center) commander, a brigadier general.
| 1862 |
Passage of Morrill Act (Land-Grant Act) established military
training at land-grant colleges and universities |
| 1916 |
Passage
of the National Defense Act created both a formal Reserve Officer Training
Corps (ROTC) and Junior ROTC |
1920
to
1923 |
Army
Air Service establishes separate Air ROTC units at the following colleges
with strong engineering departments: Texas A&M, University of California-Berkeley,
University of Illinois, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University
of Washington, New York University and Georgia Institute of Technology |
| 1932 |
Air
ROTC purchased out for budgetary and other reasons; last until discontinued
in 1935 |
| 1946 |
Seventy-eight
Air ROTC units were established by War Department General Order No. 124,
signed by General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Army Chief of Staff - a few
months later on 15 November, Army Air Force Headquarters transferred Air
ROTC from Air Training Command (ATC) to Air Defense Command (ADC) |
| 1947 |
Arnold Air Society founded at the University of Cincinnati |
| 1981 |
Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training and Undergraduate Pilot
Training Helicopter programs implemented |
| 1982 |
First
publication of the Air Force ROTC Leader newspaper |
| 1987 |
Air
Force ROTC began offering three-year scholarships to high school seniors
|
| 1988 |
Four-year
Nursing Scholarship Program initiated |
| 1989 |
Private
Pilots License Screening Program initiated - allowed selected cadets
to obtain a private pilot's license and provided screening to determine
if necessary flying aptitude existed to proceed to undergraduate pilot
training |
| 1989 |
One-Year
College Program offered. The program was designed to attract qualified
students in the fields of nursing, meteorology and law on either a scholarship
or non-scholarship basis |
| 1989 |
Cadet
Laree K. Mikel of Wright State University was selected as National Commander
of the Arnold Air Society; she was the first woman to hold this position |
