Program is the first of its kind in the U.S.
The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), part of The University of Alabama System, announced today the official activation of its Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) operating location. UAH’s program is the first Air Force or Space Force ROTC program of its kind in the U.S.
“The University of Alabama in Huntsville is very proud to celebrate this incredible accomplishment by adding a new Air Force ROTC operating location to our campus. We know this program will be ideal for our students as they grow, learn and transition to their next phase of their lives,” said Dr. Charles L. Karr, UAH president. “We are grateful to Maxwell Air Force Base and the entire military community for selecting UAH for this one-of-a-kind program that will support the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force.”
Numerous distinguished guests from Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery attended the event. The activation ceremony included remarks by UAH leaders and distinguished guests and concluded with a “passing of the flag” ceremony and presentation of a presidential proclamation.
“Huntsville was our first choice to become a pilot program for this new concept: world-class education, a strong focus on STEM and a desire to host a military presence on the campus,” said Brig. Gen. Joseph Sheffield, Jeanne M. Holm Center for Officer Accessions and Citizen Development commander. “Two of UAH's largest programs are engineering and nursing, and these are critical needs for the Air Force and Space Force.”
As announced earlier this year, the UAH AFROTC program will commence in the fall 2024 semester. Available to freshmen and sophomores, the program will allow scholarship and non-scholarship cadets to live as regular college students while pursuing their degrees. Once they graduate, they will be commissioned in the U.S. Air Force or U.S. Space Force.
"Our mission is to build leaders and that aligns with UAH’s goal to offer a challenging hands-on curriculum that ensures graduates are prepared to become tomorrow's leaders," said Lt. Col. Joseph Johnson, Detachment 012 and UAH operating location commander. "This partnership with UAH is the cornerstone of our long-term initiative. Together, we will educate and develop students and prepare them for the challenges of a military career in the U.S. Air Force or U.S. Space Force."
UAH is working with Samford University in Birmingham and Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery to develop its AFROTC. UAH’s program will be an independent operating location that uses Samford’s existing program in an administrative sense as a “parent” AFROTC for the first couple of years while UAH’s AFROTC is being developed. For more information on the UAH AFROTC operating location and other military and veterans’ programs available at UAH, visit uah.edu/mvp
