Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps is part of the Jeanne M. Holm Center for Officer Accessions and Citizen Development, with headquarters at Air University, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
Mission Air Force Junior ROTC's mission is to develop citizens of character dedicated to serving their nation and community.
Goals
Instill values of citizenship, service to the United States, personal responsibility, and sense of accomplishment.
Personnel and Resources
Air Force Junior ROTC staff includes 28 headquarters personnel, eight regional administrators, and more than 1,960 retired Air Force military instructors. There are 884 AFJROTC units with 117,000 cadets in high schools across the United States and selected Department of Defense Dependent Schools in Europe and the Pacific, and public schools in Puerto Rico and Guam. The program is planning to expand to 955 units by 2020. With the addition of new units, AFJROTC is expected to reach more than 125,000 cadets worldwide.
Organization AFJROTC provides leadership training and an aerospace science program for high school students. Secondary school students who enroll in the AFJROTC program are offered a wide variety of curricular and extra-curricular activities. The program explores the historic and scientific aspects of aerospace technology and teaches high school students self-reliance, self-discipline and other characteristics found in good leaders. AFJROTC is open to 9th through 12th grade students who are citizens of the United States. The program is not an official recruiting tool for the military services and those students who participate in AFJROTC do not incur any obligation to the Air Force.
The objectives of the Air Force Junior ROTC program are to educate and train high school cadets in citizenship and life skills; promote community service; instill a sense of responsibility, character, and self-discipline through education and instruction in air and space fundamentals and the Air Force's core values: Integrity First, Service Before Self, and Excellence In All We Do.
Curriculum
Aerospace science comprises 40 percent of the curriculum; leadership education, 40 percent; and physical fitness for life training 20 percent. Students who successfully complete AFJROTC classes are granted credit toward graduation. Classroom study includes heritage of flight, development of aerospace power, contemporary aviation, aerospace environment, human requirements of flight, aerospace vehicles, principles of aircraft flight and navigation, space programs, space technology, rocketry, propulsion, and aerospace industry.
Students are also introduced to military customs and courtesies, citizenship in the United States, first aid, wellness, health and fitness, basic drill and ceremonies, effective communications, management, human relations and life after high school. All uniforms and curriculum materials are provided by the Air Force. Supplemental materials are provided to enhance the curriculum.
To reinforce what is learned in the classroom, cadets participate in many outside activities such as field trips to military bases, aerospace facilities and industries, museums, civilian airports and other areas related to aerospace education.
Cadets also participate in parades, summer leadership schools, drill team competitions, color and honor guards, military balls and honorary academic groups. Many AFJROTC units complement the curriculum through the cooperation and resources of organizations such as NASA, Civil Air Patrol and the National Endowment for Financial Education
Instructors All AFJROTC instructors are retired Air Force commissioned and noncommissioned officers. The instructors maintain Air Force standards and are trained through the AFJROTC Academic Instructor Course. They are fulltime faculty members of the participating high school and are employed by the local school board to teach AFJROTC classes. There are more than 1,960 instructors serving at more than 884 units around the world.
Community Service
Community service is a major part of the cadet experience and helps instill a sense of civic pride and citizenship. Projects range from working with national organizations, such as March of Dimes, Muscular Dystrophy, National Red Ribbon Campaign and Special Olympics, to participating in local community projects such as cleaning and refurbishing cemeteries, building parks and sponsoring little league teams. In school year 2008-2009, AFJROTC cadets performed more than 2.9 million hours of community service.
Drug Abuse Prevention
Cadets are also very active in drug abuse prevention education. The Awareness Presentation Team is a program designed to provide cadets as positive role models for elementary and middle school students. Cadets visit the younger students at their schools and present talks and skits in an effort to deter drug use and abuse. Active unit programs make presentations to thousands of students each year.
Scholarships and other benefits AFJROTC cadets who choose to continue their education may receive special consideration for AFROTC scholarships. Many of these scholarships will pay for two, three or four years of tuition, books and fees at numerous universities and colleges and allow cadets to pursue studies in various technical and non-technical majors. In school year 2009-2010, 279 out of 702, or about 40 percent, qualified AFJROTC cadets received AFROTC scholarships during the College Scholarship Program selection board process. The overall select rate for all applicants was 30 percent.
Cadets completing two years of AFJROTC and who continue AFROTC in college may waive one term of the AFROTC program. Students completing three years in AFJROTC may receive credit for a full year of college-level AFROTC.
In addition, cadets electing to enter the military immediately after graduating from high school are eligible to enlist in the services at one to two pay grades higher than other enlistees. Students completing three years in AFJROTC are eligible to enter the Air Force two pay grades higher than other enlistees and are automatically enrolled into the Community College of the Air Force to receive college credit toward an associate degree.
