Aerospace Studies

The Air Force ROTC (AFROTC) program at Texas A&M University is one of the largest AFROTC programs in the United States and is designed to prepare selected students to be commissioned officers in the United States Air Force.

College Program. The institutional phase of AFROTC, called aerospace studies, is divided into two parts. The first two years constitute the General Military Course and the second two years constitute the Professional Officer Course. A student may obtain a commission through one of two distinct programs: the four-year program or the two-year program. Details on courses offered are set forth in the alphabetical departmental listing. Concurrent enrollment in more than one aerospace studies course requires the approval of the department head, also known as the professor of aerospace studies (PAS).

The General Military Course consists of the 100- and 200-level courses. These courses focus on the structure and missions of Air Force organizations; officership and professionalism; and, include an introduction to communicative skills. The General Military Course prepares the cadet, as a candidate, for the Professional Officer Course. Cadets in the General Military Course attend one hour of class plus two hours of leadership lab per week.

Students apply for enrollment in the Professional Officer Course during their sophomore year. Enrollment in the Professional Officer Course at the beginning of the junior year is limited to students of high moral character who are physically qualified, possess the necessary interest, intelligence and aptitude, have demonstrated leadership potential and are well qualified academically. Those who are accepted are enlisted in the Air Force Reserve.

The purpose of the Professional Officer Course is to develop in the cadet skills and attitudes that are vital to a career as a professional Air Force officer. Graduation and a degree are prerequisites to a commission in the Air Force. Cadets attend class three hours a week and leadership lab two hours per week during each semester of the Professional Officer Course.

Professional Officer Course Enlistment Requirements. If a student is selected for and enrolled in the Professional Officer Course, he or she must sign a contract with the government in which he or she agrees to enlist in the Air Force Reserve, complete the course and, upon graduation, accept a commission as an officer in the Air Force, if tendered. He or she also must agree to serve on active duty for not less than four years after being commissioned. Persons selected for flight training must serve ten years of active duty following completion of pilot training or six years after completion of navigator training. Flight training takes approximately one year. During their two years in the Professional Officer Course, cadets are eligible to receive monthly subsistence pay, plus added monetary incentives.

AFROTC Field Training. Before entry into the Professional Officer Course, cadets must attend AFROTC Field Training during the summer months at selected Air Force bases throughout the United States. Students in the four-year program must participate in four weeks of Field Training, usually between their sophomore and junior years. Students applying for entry into the two-year program must successfully complete five weeks of Field Training prior to enrollment in the Professional Officer Course. The major areas of study in the four-week Field Training program include junior officer training, aircraft and aircrew orientation, career orientation, survival training, base functions and Air Force environment, physical fitness training, and a culmination field training exercise. The major areas of study included in the five-week Field Training program are essentially the same as those conducted at four-week Field Training with additional instruction in the General Military Course including Leadership Laboratory.

Leadership Training. Leadership training is continuous during the student's life as an AFROTC cadet. One way this is accomplished is through Leadership Laboratory which is conducted an average of two hours per week throughout the student's enrollment in AFROTC. Instruction is conducted within the framework of an organized cadet corps with a progression of experiences designed to develop each student's leadership potential. Leadership Laboratory involves a study of Air Force customs and courtesies, drill and ceremonies, career opportunities in the Air Force, and the life and work of an Air Force junior officer. Students develop their leadership potential in a practical, supervised laboratory, which typically includes field trips to Air Force installations throughout the United States.

Scholarships. Students enrolled in the four-year program may apply and compete for two- or three-year AFROTC College Scholarships, while two-year program applicants are eligible for two-year AFROTC Scholarships. In addition to pay and travel allowance received for attending the four-week Field Training course, the U.S. Air Force pays scholarship recipients monthly subsistence pay plus the cost of tuition, books and fees.

Commissioning. Upon completion of the Professional Officer Course and graduation from the University, students are commissioned as Second Lieutenants in the United States Air Force. All instructors are active duty officers assigned to the University by the United States Air Force. Information about the Air Force ROTC program may be obtained by writing directly to the department, visiting us on the website afrotc.tamu.edu, or via email at rotc805@unix.tamu.edu.

College Program. Army ROTC is divided into two parts: The Basic and Advanced Courses. The Basic Course is taken in the freshman and sophomore years. Course work covers the areas of applied management principles; national defense and leadership development; military courtesy, discipline and customs; and map reading, marksmanship and land navigation. Uniforms and the necessary textbooks are furnished. There is no military commitment for participation in the Basic Course.

The Advanced Course is taken in the final two years of college and includes the National Advanced Leadership Camp (NALC) taken during the summer of either the junior or senior year. Instruction includes advanced leadership development, organization ethics and professionalism, management, small unit tactics, administration, and military law. NALC permits the cadet to put into practice in the field the principles and theories acquired in the classroom. All cadets in the Advanced Course receive a tiered subsistence allowance of up to $400 per month and are paid approximately $700 for attending the Advanced Camp. Selected cadets may attend special schools such as Airborne, Air Assault, Northern Warfare, and Mountain Warfare. Additionally, qualified students may join the Simultaneous Membership Program (SMP) of the Army National Guard or Army Reserve, which will earn them approximately $250 per month. The total dollar amount for those students can reach $600 per month during their junior and senior years in ROTC. A tuition assistance program also is available through the Army Reserves and Texas National Guard, which pay between 75 to 100% tuition costs.

Commissioning. Army ROTC cadets receiving commissions may serve as officers in either of two ways. At Texas A&M, the cadet may request to go on to active duty with the U.S. Army following graduation or to pursue a civilian career upon completion of the officer's basic schooling while remaining affiliated with the Army Reserve or National Guard.

Scholarships. The Army ROTC Scholarship program awards four-year and three-year advance designee scholarships, on a competitive basis, to students entering ROTC as college freshmen. Two-year and three-year scholarships also are available for college students already enrolled in ROTC. These scholarships pay the cost of tuition, required fees and a flat rate textbook allowance for the duration of the award. They also provide a tiered subsistence allowance of up to $400 per month. In all, a four-year scholarship is worth over $38,000 at Texas A&M. The U.S. Army Health Profession Scholarship Program offers a unique opportunity for financial support to cadets who desire to continue their education beyond their undergraduate work by enrolling in a program leading to a professional degree in medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine.

Transfer Students and Veterans. Army ROTC has both two-year and three-year programs that are designed for transfer students and other students who have not taken Army ROTC during their first two years. Students can take advantage of the two-year program by successfully completing a six-week Leadership Training Course (LTC) after their sophomore year. The three-year program (for students starting as sophomores) can be completed by compressing basic course classes. Qualified veterans may enroll directly into the ROTC Advanced Course. Veterans in the Advanced Program receive a tiered subsistence allowance of up to $400 per month in addition to their veterans benefits.

University Involvement. Army ROTC members are leaders in a wide variety of University activities. Rudder's Rangers, the Fightin' Texas Aggie Band, Student Government, campus athletics, the Ross Volunteer Company, Parsons Mounted Calvary, and the Society of American Military Engineers are but a few of the many activities in which Army cadets are involved.

Enlisted Commissioning Program. The "Aggie Warrior Battalion" Army ROTC program provides the opportunity to receive an officer's commission and college degree simultaneously. The military science faculty and staff are dedicated to providing well-educated commissioned officers and to ensuring that the Aggie ROTC graduate continues to be recognized as an outstanding member of the U.S. Army Officer Corps.

For more information on Army ROTC programs, contact the Military Science Department at (979) 845-2814.

Scholarships. The Naval ROTC program provides numerous scholarship opportunities for qualified individuals who are seeking a commission upon graduation as an officer in either the United States Navy or United States Marine Corps. The four-year Naval ROTC scholarship program is a nationally competitive program. High school students seeking a four-year Navy or Marine Corps Option Naval ROTC scholarship may apply as early as the spring of their junior year in high school, and should apply no later than December of their senior year in high school. The Naval ROTC scholarship pays for all tuition, most university fees, uniform fees, and provides the student with a stipend of $250 per month during the freshman year, $300 per month in the sophomore year, $350 per month during the junior year and $400 per month during the senior year. Naval ROTC scholarship recipients also receive a book allowance of $300 per semester while on scholarship. Three- and two-year scholarships are available for qualifying students who apply while enrolled as NROTC students at Texas A&M.

College Program. Most students in their freshman and sophomore years at Texas A&M without NROTC scholarships initially participate in Naval ROTC as Naval Science Students. Those meeting established prerequisites may be enrolled as Basic College Program Students. Those prerequisites include: motivation to serve as a commissioned officer in either the United States Navy or United States Marine Corps, meet the physical requirements for commissioned service, maintain a minimum of 2.00 cumulative GPR, and possess the aptitude for commissioned service. The Basic College Program exists to provide students the opportunity to learn about the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps and provide an alternate means for a commission for those not on scholarship. Basic College Program students are also reimbursed for the cost of their cadet uniforms. Basic College Program students can apply for a two-year or three-year Navy or Marine Corps Option Naval ROTC scholarship. These scholarships provide the same benefits as the four-year scholarship covering all tuition, most university fees, uniform fees, and provide the student with the same stipend rates and book allowance. Students who do not qualify for a scholarship but still desire a commission can apply for acceptance into the College Program (Advanced Standing). The College Program (Advanced Standing) begins during the junior year and pays the stipend rates of $350 per month during the junior year and $400 per month during the senior year. All NROTC students are provided Naval Science textbooks at no cost.

All Scholarship and College Program (Advanced Standing) NROTC students are also members of the Texas A&M Midshipman Battalion, an organization providing distinct training and leadership opportunities for students pursuing Navy and Marine Corps commissions.

Academic Requirements. Academic requirements vary by program. All freshman Naval ROTC students must take Naval Science 101 and 102. All sophomore Naval ROTC students must take Naval Science 203 and Naval Science 202. These courses provide a basic understanding of the Navy and Marine Corps organization and mission; address the concepts of leadership, ethics and management; cover the basics of naval engineering; and provide a basic understanding of the history of American sea power. All Scholarship and College Program (Advanced Standing) students continue to take Naval Science courses during their junior and senior year. These courses cover navigation, weapons systems, evolution of warfare, amphibious warfare and leadership and ethics for the junior officer.

Navy Option ROTC Scholarship students are not restricted on their choice of major but are required to take two calculus courses and two courses in calculus-based physics, choosing from Mathematics 151 and 152 or Mathematics 171 and 172, and Physics 218 and 219 or Physics 218 and 208. Four-year Navy Option Scholarship students must complete the required calculus courses by the end of their sophomore year and the required physics courses by the end of their junior year. Completion time requirements vary for the three- and two-year Navy Option Naval ROTC scholarship awardees. Marine Option Naval ROTC Scholarship students may major in any field that satisfies University requirements for a baccalaureate degree. There are no additional academic requirements for Marine Option NROTC Scholarship students or Navy Option College Program (Advanced Standing) students.

Enlisted Commissioning Programs. There are two primary programs which provide enlisted sailors and marines an opportunity to pursue a commission. They are the Navy's Seaman to Admiral-21 Program (STA-21), and the Marine Corps' Marine Enlisted Commissioning Education Program (MECEP). Students assigned to the Naval ROTC Unit under these programs are active duty personnel who attend their regular college classes while receiving full pay, benefits and are eligible for promotion. Selection for these programs are made by the Chief of Naval Education and Training and Headquarters Marine Corps, respectively. Active duty personnel desiring to apply for these programs must do so via their parent command.

Summer Cruise. Scholarship students receive four to six weeks of additional training every summer with operational Navy and Marine Corps units around the world. Between the freshman and sophomore years, students receive orientation training with naval aviation, surface combatant, submarine and Marine Corps units. Between the sophomore and junior years, Navy Option students experience the life of enlisted sailors aboard ships and submarines and Marine Option students experience the life of enlisted marines with Marine units in the field. For the final training session between the junior and senior years, all Scholarship and College Program (Advanced Standing) students receive service specific training in final preparation for commissioning. Navy Option students are assigned to aviation units, surface combatants or submarines depending upon their qualifications and desires and receive hands-on training working closely with qualified junior officers. Marine Option students attend Officer Candidate School at Quantico, VA where they are screened, trained and evaluated in an intense, competitive environment alongside other Marine Option students from around the country. Students participating in summer cruises are provided government travel, medical and dental care, commissary and exchange privileges, and are paid approximately $735 per month for the duration of the training.

Commissioning. Upon graduation, qualified Naval ROTC Navy and Marine Option Scholarship students receive commissions as Ensigns in the United States Navy Reserve or as 2nd Lieutenants in the United States Marine Corps Reserve and serve a minimum of four years of active duty. Qualified Naval ROTC College Program (Ad-vanced Standing) Navy Option students receive commissions as Ensigns in the United States Navy Reserve and serve a mini-mum of three years of active duty. Qualified Naval ROTC College Program (Advanced Standing) Marine Option students receive commissions as 2nd Lieutenants in the United States Marine Corps Reserve and serve a minimum of three and a half years of active duty. Those Navy Option graduates who are academically qualified and accepted to graduate school in certain disciplines may apply for active duty deferments to complete their postgraduate education.

NROTC Staff. The active duty staff of the Texas A&M NROTC Unit sponsor the First Regiment of the Corps of Cadets and act as military advisors to units within the Regiment. The staff of the Naval Science Department is dedicated to producing officers of the highest quality for the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps. All instructors are active duty Navy or Marine Corps officers and senior enlisted personnel assigned to the University by the United States Navy or United States Marine Corps. This group of highly trained professionals places specific emphasis on the academic and professional development of every student assigned. Additional information about the Naval ROTC program at Texas A&M University can be obtained by calling the department at (979) 845-1775, or by visiting the Texas A&M Naval ROTC website at nrotc.tamu.edu.