The Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) is an educational program designed to give men and women the opportunity to become an Air Force officer while completing a bachelor's degree. Air Force ROTC offers various routes to an Air Force commission at almost 1,000 institutions throughout the US and its territories.

The National Defense Act of 1916 established ROTC. The first Air Service ROTC units were formed four years later and, by 1923 seven Air Service ROTC units had been established. After World War II, Air Service ROTC units were organized at 78 colleges and universities throughout the nation. In 1952 Air University assumed responsibility for the AFROTC program that consisted of four-year programs at 188 academic institutions. The AFROTC Utilization Act of 1964 authorized a new two-year program, scholarships, and a junior program.

An experimental program to commission women through AFROTC was first conducted from 1956 to 1960. After eight more years of male-only AFROTC, women were again allowed to enroll in the senior program in 1969, and in the junior program four years later.

Today, AFROTC is under the supervision of the Air Education and Training Command (AETC). The senior program is conducted at 142 institutions throughout the US and its territories. Also, students from colleges located near these host AFROTC institutions can attend AFROTC classes through approximately 1,000 cross-town enrollment programs. Additionally, AFROTC junior programs provide citizenship training and an aerospace education program at 638 secondary high schools throughout the nation and some US dependent schools in Europe and Guam.

Check back here soon for more specific information regarding the history and mission of the Pittsburgh’s Steel Eagles, Detachment 730.

AFROTC history courtesy of Detachment 450 at Montana State University.