Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps Mission 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 The Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps staff includes 59 headquarters personnel and more than 1,600 retired Air Force officer and enlisted military instructors. The program is mandated to sustain 870 AFJROTC units with approximately 90,000 cadets in high schools across the United States, Guam and selected Department of Defense Dependent Schools in Europe and the Pacific. Organization AFJROTC provides citizenship 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 co-curricular activities. The program explores the historic and scientific aspects of aerospace technology and teaches high school students self-reliance, self-discipline and other leadership characteristics. Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics concepts are also an important part of this world class program. The AFJROTC program is open to 8th-12th grade students. By Title 10 United States Code, the program is a citizenship program and not chartered as a recruiting program for the military services. Those students who participate in AFJROTC do not incur any military obligation. AFJROTC objectives are to educate and train high school cadets in citizenship and life skills, promote community service, instill a sense of responsibility and develop character, leadership and self-discipline through education and instruction in air and space fundamentals and the Air Force’s core values of Integrity First, Service Before Self and Excellence In All We Do. Curriculum The AFJROTC curriculum is comprised of Aerospace Science, Leadership Education and Health and Wellness studies. Students who successfully complete the classes are granted credit toward graduation. Aerospace Science includes the heritage of flight, principles of aircraft flight and navigation, human requirements of flight, development of aerospace power, aerospace vehicles, rocketry, space and technology programs, aerospace industry, cultural studies of major world regions and cyber technology. STEM curriculum is introduced to help students better understand science and math related curriculum, improve critical thinking skills and prepare cadets to be more competitive in the 21st century. Leadership Education introduces students to military customs and courtesies, character education, citizenship in the United States, first aid, wellness, health and fitness, basic drill and ceremonies, effective communications, management, human relations and college and career readiness. AFJROTC units complement the curriculum through the cooperation and resources of organizations such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Civil Air Patrol. Leadership Development Requirements To reinforce the curriculum, cadets are encouraged to participate in activities outside the classroom called Leadership Development Requirements. Common LDRs include Drill and Color Guard teams, Raiders (Fitness) Competitions, Unmanned Aircraft Systems, CyberPatriot, StellarXplorers, Rocketry, Robotics, Academic Bowl, Marksmanship as well as locally developed programs to address community needs. Through these LDRs, cadets continue to refine their leadership and followership skills while bringing credit to their self, unit, school and community. Instructors AFJROTC instructors maintain Air Force standards and are trained through the AFJROTC Junior Instructor Certification Course. They are full-time faculty members of the participating high school and are employed by the local school district to teach AFJROTC classes. Currently all AFJROTC instructors are retired Air Force commissioned and non-commissioned officers. However, the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act created eligibility for currently serving members of the National Guard and Reserve as well as qualified Air Force veterans, to serve as JROTC instructors, pending publication of associated pay tables. There are more than 1,600 AFJROTC instructors serving 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. Each year, AFJROTC cadets do more than 1.6 million hours of community service. Projects range from working with national organizations like the March of Dimes, Muscular Dystrophy, the National Red Ribbon Campaign, and Special Olympics, to participating in local community projects such as cleaning and refurbishing cemeteries and parks. Post-High School Scholarships and Other Benefits Cadets who choose to continue their education after high school have multiple options available. For instance, the J-100 AFJROTC Character-in-Leadership Scholarship provides eligible AFJROTC senior cadets a four-year scholarship with benefits for those interested in an Air Force commission. The Chief of Staff of the Air Force Flight Academy Scholarship Program allows eligible cadets to pursue an interest in aviation by affording the opportunity to earn a private pilot’s certificate. The Cyber Academy Scholarship Program provides interested cadets college-level cyber credit to increase interest in the cyber industry. Moreover, 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 their associate college degree. Students electing to enter other military service branches may be eligible to do so at one or two pay grades above other enlistees. AFJROTC Support to US Space Force - Space Force JROTC Unit Cohort With the standup of the U.S. Space Force in December 2019, ten AFJROTC units were selected and approved to be in the inaugural cohort of high school Space Force JROTC units. This initial group of USSF units converted from Air Force to Space Force JROTC units during the 2021-2022 academic year and will continue to be administered by AFJROTC. For More Information For more information on the AFJROTC program, contact AFJROTC Headquarters, 60 West Maxwell Boulevard, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, 36112-6501. Phone: 1-334-953-7513 or, visit the AFJROTC website link at http://www.airuniversity.af.mil/Holm-Center/AFJROTC/. (Current as of September 2023)