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1. Scholarships are impossible to get and are the only way to join ROTC
WRONG! The last AFROTC "In-College-Scholarship" board selected over 200 candidates for 2 and 3 year scholarships for a net selection rate of more than 30%. (This does not include the 40 Illinois State Scholarships available to selected AFROTC students!). If you do not receive a scholarship you may still join AFROTC by signing up for the freshman Aerospace Studies (AS101) course at Harris Stowe, McKendree, SLU, SIUE, SWIC, UMSL, WashU, and Webster.
2. The Air Force is only interested in engineers
INCORRECT! Over half our ROTC students are in non-technical majors.
3. The only way to be a pilot is to go to the Air Force Academy
THINK AGAIN! The Air Force selected many of the students, in ROTC, who chose to compete for pilot slots. Equally important, the number of pilot slots is growing--we need students interested in being pilots. For pilot/navigator physical prerequistis click here.
4. You owe your life and first born when you join ROTC
FALLACY! First--there is no commitment to the Air Force by a college student until their junior year or when a scholarship is utilized. Second--the ROTC commitment is just 4 years service-short by many standards. Students successfully completing flight school (a 2 year active duty program) and achieving an aeronautical rating do incur an 8 year commitment. When you consider the world-class training, and the opportunity to fly ... 8 years is a drop in the bucket (especially given the significant training investment the Air Force has afforded you). With the exception of pilots, navigators, and some medical career fields, most ROTC graduates incur an active duty service commitment of ONLY 4 years.
5. The pay is nowhere near as high as civilian jobs
ERRONEOUS! The starting salary for an ROTC graduate will be near $33,000 and will increase to over $50,000 (not including flight pay!) in just 4 years. A large portion of this salary is tax free (not a big deal now, but later on you'll see!) Active duty and their families have an excellent medical program for pennies. ***Please note everyone receives at least the above income (if not more if living in a high cost area or receiving flight pay) whether they are a psychologist, engineer, teacher, nurse, or pilot.
6. ROTC requires a tremendous amount of time
NOT! 1st and 2nd year ROTC cadets take only one ROTC class (1 hour a week) plus a hands-on leadership lab (2 hours a week). 3rd and 4th year cadets meet once a week for 3 hours plus the leadership lab. Finally, physical training takse two to three hours a week. The average cadet spends six to eight hours a week on ROTC, but this includes work out time and classes for college credit.
7. There are no scholarship opportunities for students already in college
NOPE! College students can compete each year for scholarships. Those who already have a scholarship can compete for In-College scholarship upgrades. Click here for the full details.
8. The ROTC program is for military fanatics who love to do pushups
NOT TRUE! Each University's ROTC program is run by a Colonel, or Lieutenant Colonel, and is specifically designed to limit antics like hazing and unprofessional treatment. True, there are some physical requirements, but these are not the sole focus of a cadet's training -- we just focus on a healthy lifestyle.
9. Only students who want to be pilots join the ROTC
NO! Let us put it this way--there are more people working to design, build, supply, support, and maintain a plane than there are those who fly the friendly skies. Jobs in the Air Force range from technical engineering to clinical psychology.
10. Cadets always have to wear a uniform and have a crew cut
BUSTED! While cadets must remain within Air Force Dress and Appearance Standards, it is not all about shaving your head. In addition, the uniform, which is worn with a great deal of pride, is only wore on days of leaderships labs (once a week) and during a cadets respective AS Class
Still having doubts? Check out the AFROTC.com "myths" page, or refer to our Freqently Asked Questions for more information.
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POC for this page:
Donovan Obray, Maj, USAF
AFROTC Det 207/UAO
Phone: 314-977-8227
Email: afrotc@slu.edu