Air Force ROTC is typically a three- or four-year program, depending on how many years you have until graduation. Some majors require five years, and cadets can go into "extended status" for their final year of college. For most of you, it will be the full four years. The following chart shows essentially how AFROTC works:
During your freshman and sophomore years, you will be part of the General Military Course (GMC). After your sophomore year, you will attend Field Training (FT) during the summer. FT is a 3-4 week training that tests your ability to lead, ultimately determining whether you can move on to the Professional Officer Course (POC). As a POC cadet, you assume much more responsibility. In fact, ROTC is basically a cadet-run program, designed to be a sort of microcosm of active duty. The GMC cadets are trained principally by the POC cadets.
This structure gives cadets a chance to learn--among other things--military discipline, order, and proactivity as a GMC, followed by mentorship, effective training skills, and leadership as a POC.
Despite much criticism, I truly believe in the ROTC program. I have grown immensely as I've gone through it. If you put your heart into it, you will be amazed at the person you will become. You will become a true student of leadership--and as a future officer, that must be your main objective.
In the next post, I will talk about how to be a successful GMC. I'll go into more details about your first big milestone: getting selected for Field Training.
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