• Home
  • Military Discounts
    • Military & Veteran Discount List
    • Local Military and Veterans Discounts
    • Apple Military Discount
    • Amazon Prime Discounts
    • Veteran & Military Cell Phone Discounts
    • Gym and Health Club Discounts
  • Benefits
    • 10 Veterans Benefits You May Not Know About
    • Five Top Military Spouse Benefits
    • Medal of Honor: Benefits, History and Facts
    • Purple Heart Benefits
    • Veterans Health A to Z
  • Housing & Home Ownership
    • VA Loan Calculator
    • VA Loan Limits by County
    • VA Home Loan Guide
    • 5 Benefits of a VA Loan
    • 2022 BAH Rates
    • BAH Calculator
  • Money & Finance
    • 2022 Military Pay Charts
    • 2022 Defense Budget
    • 2022 Military Pay
    • COLA Watch 2022-2023
    • Military Pay Calculator
    • Military Pay Dates
    • VA Disability Rates
  • Jobs
    • Veteran Friendly Employers
    • Military Spouse Employment Preference
    • Veterans Employment and Training Service (VETS)
    • Security Clearance Jobs After the Military
  • Education
    • Veteran Friendly Colleges
    • Online Colleges with Military Discounts
    • Veteran Friendly Colleges Guide
    • Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts (MyCAA)
    • Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) for the GI Bill
    • Forever GI Bill
  • Resources
    • How to Get a Veterans ID Card
    • Veterans ID on Driver’s License or ID Card by State
    • Military ID Cards
    • Military Calendar
    • State Veteran’s Benefits
Zero Down Home Loan Eligibility

Home » Air Force ROTC Requirements

Air Force ROTC Requirements

by MilitaryBenefits

Air Force ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) is a program offered during college for those aspiring to join the military after completing their bachelor’s degree. ROTC is a great way to attend the college of your choice while beginning the journey to pursue a career in the military. Anyone who is enrolled at a college with an ROTC program (or crosstown agreement), is in good physical shape and has good moral character 14 years or older. Those committed to attend both the ROTC class and leadership laboratory are welcome to join. Air Force ROTC also offers scholarships, which have several different requirements and are competitive. Students on scholarship are required to serve in the military upon graduation for four years and must maintain a 2.5 cumulative grade point average to maintain their scholarship. So if you are interested in joining, here is what you can expect.

Air Force ROTC Recruit
Photo by Airman 1st Class Randall Burlingame
104th Fighter Wing/Public Affairs

The ROTC program is designed to correlate with a bachelor’s degree program. Every fall and spring semester, you will have some commitment to the ROTC program. Freshman and sophomore years, you will be enrolled in the general military course (GMC). This requires a 1 credit hour class and a 1 to 2 hour leadership laboratory (lead lab) per week. The 1 hour class mainly discusses topics like military history and military basics. Lead lab is the opportunity to learn military uniform standards and marching. It is also a great time to meet others in the program. You will be required to wear a military uniform on these days. Most units also have an established physical fitness program, which may occur outside of lead lab or the classroom. Generally, students on scholarship are required to attend and those not on scholarship are highly encouraged to attend. Keep in mind you can still obtain a scholarship through ROTC even if you are not on scholarship your first year. After completing sophomore year, you would be required to attend a 13 day field training at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama.

To continue to the Professional Officer Course (POC), you must complete the 13 day training and be a US citizen, be of legal age to join the military, be in good academic standing, pass the Air Force Physical Fitness Test, be able to pass a military physical exam, and meet all age requirements. Once you are in the POC program, you will be required to enroll in a 3 credit hour class and attend all leadership labs every semester. While in POC, you will act as the cadet leadership for your detachment and mentor the GMC cadets. Being a POC is a great opportunity to learn about leadership skills and mentorship. Your POC classes will focus more on doctrine and leadership and prepare you to commission as an officer into the Air Force as a 2nd Lieutenant. If you are interested in being a Pilot, Combat System Officer or Air Battle Manager, you will compete for that training while you are a POC.

Air Force ROTC (or any ROTC program) is a great way to determine if you want to pursue a career in the military after college. It also allows you to still select the college you would like to attend and have a fairly typical college experience. If you are currently looking to attend college and are interested in ROTC, definitely make visiting the ROTC detachment at your college of choice part of your campus tour. The staff at your local detachment can give you more specifics on what a typical week is like at their detachment. They can further assist with questions about commitment, scholarship opportunities, and general questions. Some colleges also offer anyone on ROTC scholarships to receive additional scholarships to help offset any additional expenses. Asking about these during a campus tour is a great opportunity to learn more. Each ROTC detachment offers a variety of extracurricular activities, which allow you to get involved and further your interest and experience. While there is no commitment to ROTC during the summer, ROTC also offers summer programs. ROTC offers a variety of ways to get involved and prepare for a future career as an Air Force officer. It is an excellent way to decide if a career in the military is for you and will prepare you for that future.


About The AuthorDave Blankenstein served in the US Air Force for 12 years as a C-17 pilot. He was stationed at MacDill AFB, FL, Vance AFB, OK, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA, Joint Base Charleston, SC and Altus AFB, OK. Dave attended undergraduate pilot training at Vance, then went to C-17 initial training and ultimately spent the reminder of his time in the military as a C-17 pilot. His military career culminated as a C-17 evaluator at the only C-17 formal training unit in the world. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering and a master’s degree in Aeronautical Science with a concentration in Aviation Safety Science.

» MORE: Veterans Can Buy a Home with $0 Down


Related Articles
Military Fitness Tests ROTC Scholarships
How to Apply to a Military Service Academy Joining ROTC In College
Military Enlistment Age Limits VSO High School Leadership Programs

Filed Under: Resources

Comments

Military + Veteran Discounts

Want 30+ Mil/Vet discounts to use today? Enter your email for updates and we'll send it!
Name(Required)

VA Home Loans

Popular Articles

2022 VA Disability Rates

2022 Military Pay

Military Pay Calculator

VA Loan Calculator

2022 BAH Rates

Search Veteran.com

Military Benefits Logo

Company

  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Add a Discount
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Disclosure
  • Unsubscribe

Quick Links

  • Home
  • Military Discounts
  • Benefits
  • Housing & Ownership
  • Money & Finance
  • Employment
  • Education
  • Resources

Connect With Us

  • facebook
  • instagram
  • pinterest
  • twitter
  • youtube
Copyright © 2022 Three Creeks Media, LLC

Veteran.com is a property of Three Creeks Media. Neither Veteran.com nor Three Creeks Media are associated with or endorsed by the U.S. Departments of Defense or Veterans Affairs. The content on Veteran.com is produced by Three Creeks Media, its partners, affiliates and contractors, any opinions or statements on Veteran.com should not be attributed to the Dept. of Veterans Affairs , the Dept. of Defense or any governmental entity. If you have questions about Veteran programs offered through or by the Dept. of Veterans Affairs, please visit their website at va.gov. The content offered on Veteran.com is for general informational purposes only and may not be relevant to any consumer’s specific situation, this content should not be construed as legal or financial advice. If you have questions of a specific nature consider consulting a financial professional, accountant or attorney to discuss. References to third-party products, rates and offers may change without notice.

Advertising Notice: Veteran.com and Three Creeks Media, its parent and affiliate companies, may receive compensation through advertising placements on Veteran.com; For any rankings or lists on this site, Veteran.com may receive compensation from the companies being ranked and this compensation may affect how, where and in what order products and companies appear in the rankings and lists. If a ranking or list has a company noted to be a “partner” the indicated company is a corporate affiliate of Veteran.com. No tables, rankings or lists are fully comprehensive and do not include all companies or available products.

Editorial Disclosure: Editorial content on Veteran.com may include opinions. Any opinions are those of the author alone, and not those of an advertiser to the site nor of Veteran.com.