The Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program is an educational program designed to give men and women the opportunity to become officers in the U.S. Air Force or U.S. Space Force while earning an undergraduate degree in the major of their choice.
The Air Force ROTC program at VMI is the 7th largest of 145 detachments. It prepares cadets for service in the U.S. Air Force or U.S. Space Force air, space, and cyberspace domains under the Department of the Air Force. Cadets that complete the Air Force ROTC program may commission as Second Lieutenants in the U.S. Air Force or, if selected, in the U.S. Space Force upon graduation.
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Interested in Air Force ROTC at VMI? Reach out to our team today to request a visit and tour of AFROTC Det. 880 at VMI.
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AFROTC Fast Facts
Air Force ROTC is the commissioning branch for both Air Force and Space Force as both branches are part of the Department of the Air Force.
Commission Rank
Second Lieutenant
Careers
There are many career paths in both the Air Force and Space Force, including: pilot, combat systems officer, civil engineering, cyberspace operations, nuclear and missile operations, and various medical career specialties.
Partner Schools
Mary Baldwin University – Virginia Women’s Institute for Leadership (VWIL)
Southern Virginia University
Washington and Lee University
Mission
The Department of Aerospace Studies is more than an academic department; it is a unit of the U.S. Air Force. We are designated Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) Detachment 880, and serve under the Air University with Air Education and Training Command. AFROTC has its headquarters at Maxwell AFB, Alabama.
Our mission is to develop cadets into professional leaders passionate about service in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force. We accomplish this through a rigorous combined program of classroom instruction, leadership laboratory, and field training experiences.
Our faculty and staff are active-duty commissioned officers and non-commissioned officers who have been specially selected for duty at VMI.
The Program
The Air Force ROTC Program provides college-level education to qualify eligible cadets for commissioned service in the United States Air Force or United States Space Force, as Airmen or Guardians respectively. The four-year program is offered in two distinct two-year courses: the General Military Course (GMC) and the Professional Officer Course (POC). Transfer students from the Army or Navy ROTC programs are credited equivalency in the GMC.
AFROTC cadets learn the principles of effective leadership and gain hands-on management experience. Successful graduates enter their chosen branch as officers and leaders, moving into management roles far earlier in their careers than most non-ROTC college graduates.
Resources from U.S. Air Force ROTC
Learn more about the AFROTC program and how it prepares students to become officers in the U.S. Air Force or Space Force while earning a college degree.
Current as of: 01 AUGUST 2026
