Kilbourne Hall was buzzing with Aviation Excitement this past week when three brand-new flight simulators were unveiled by VMI’s ROTC programs! The Air Force, Navy, and Army ROTC departments have been working around the clock with VMI to develop these joint ROTC flight training assets.

General John P. Jumper, VMI Class of 1966, had been Chief of Staff of the Air Force for less than a week on 9/11. He helped adapt the Air Force to its new mission in the War on Terror after that fateful day. It was an honor for a handful of cadets, including myself, to meet with him.

Two Air Force ROTC cadets have been recognized by the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME). SAME, which focuses on building leaders to address national security infrastructure challenges, honored Eric Munro '21 and Leon Thomas ’22 with a Southeast Region ROTC Award.

On September 10th, 2020, VMI welcomed the Vice President of the United States Michael R. Pence with Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy ’96 and U.S. Rep. Michael Waltz ’96. Air Force ROTC cadets were able to hear from the Vice President when he flew in on Thursday.

Air Force ROTC Detachment 880 has worked hard to adjust its training activities to meet the unprecedented demands of a world struck by the coronavirus pandemic. Every area of the AFROTC program has evolved to adhere to mask usage, social distancing, and other COVID guidelines.

Cadets commissioned into the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force during VMI’s joint commissioning ceremony held in Cameron Hall May 15.

Every year, AFROTC cadets have the chance to meet U.S. Air Force of all ranks and test out the newest technology at an annual conference. This past year, cadets met with a special guest: U.S. Vice President Mike Pence.

At VMI, current AFROTC cadets and interested cadets test their skills in a safe environment with a new flight simulator.