• UNM Catalog 2019-2020
• >Colleges
• >Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Studies
• >Military Studies
• >Air Force ROTC

Air Force ROTC

Neal B. Kleinschmidt, Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Air Force, Commander
AFROTC Detachment 510
(Aerospace Studies Building 159)
MSC02 1650
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001
(505) 277-4502
www.afrotc.com
http://afrotc.unm.edu/

Professor
Neal B. Kleinschmidt, Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Air Force; M.S., Air Force Institute of Technology; M.S., University of North Dakota; B.S., Northern Arizona University

Assistant Professors
Casey Creel, Major, U.S. Air Force; B.U.S., University of New Mexico
Cherilyn Watler-Speight, Captain (SA), U.S. Air Force; M.S., Saint Leo University; B.S., Wayland Baptist University

Instructor
Brian Vineyard, M.P.A., B.S., University of New Mexico

The mission of Air Force ROTC is to provide instruction and experience to all cadets in a diversified college or university environment, so they can graduate with the knowledge, character, and motivation essential to becoming leaders in the United States Air Force. The Air Force ROTC approach to education encourages inquiry, analysis, critical thinking, imagination, judgment, and individual participation on the part of each student.

Minor Study Requirements

• Minor in Military Studies

The minor in Military Studies (Air Force Option) is available to all students.

The minor requires 22 credit hours, including 16 credit hours in Aerospace Studies and 6 credit hours of 200/200+ level courses offered by the History and Political Science departments. 

Students satisfy the required 16 credit hours in Aerospace Studies by completing: AFAS 120, 121, 250, 251, 300, 301, 400, 401.

Air Force ROTC Program

The AFROTC program is structured in three phases:

The General Military Course: The General Military Course (GMC) is an introduction to U.S. military forces and to the development of air and space power. The course of study is designed to prepare cadets for entry into the studies normally offered to freshman and sophomores. The GMC totals approximately 180 course hours, consisting of 60 course hours of academics and 120 course hours of leadership laboratory over two years. Four courses are required to complete the GMC: First year; AFAS 120 (Fall semester), AFAS 121 (Spring semester), Second year; AFAS 250 (Fall semester), AFAS 251 (Spring semester). Sophomores may dual enroll in AFAS 120/121 and AFAS 250/251 to accomplish these requirements in two semesters instead of four.

The Professional Officer Course: The Professional Officer Course (POC) subject matter includes theoretical and applied leadership, management, communication skills and national security and defense policy. The POC prepares cadets for active duty as commissioned officers. It is normally for juniors and seniors. The POC totals approximately 300 hours, with 180 hours of academics and 120 hours of leadership laboratory over two years.

NOTE: Leadership Laboratory is a corequisite each semester throughout the four-year program. Leadership laboratory provides a variety of practical leadership experiences by rotating cadet corps positions and responsibilities among students enrolled in the GMC and POC. Cadets may receive credit for the Physical Fitness by taking a portion of Leadership Laboratory AFAS 329 per UNM policy.

Field Training: Field training is a four week encampment at Maxwell AFB in Montgomery, AL, which is designed to evaluate the student while challenging them both mentally and physically. Upon successful completion of Field Training, the student is allowed to enter the POC.

General Military Courses

Professional Officer Courses

Air Force ROTC Commissioning Program

The Air Force ROTC commissioning program is open to qualified students in all academic majors. The program is divided into a general military course (GMC) and a professional officer course (POC). The latter is the final commissioning phase for those students who qualify and desire a commission in the USAF. Both the GMC and POC programs require students to enroll in an Aerospace Science Leadership Laboratory each semester.

This department is administered by personnel of the United States Air Force under rules promulgated by the Department of the Air Force and the University of New Mexico.

Students may enter Air Force ROTC from any high school, college or university. Transfer students with a ROTC background can receive credit for previous ROTC experience.

Following successful completion of the Air Force ROTC program, each individual is commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Air Force. Full pay and benefits begin upon initial assignment to active duty.

Requirements

Qualified students may enroll in aerospace studies classes following normal college registration procedures. The student enrolls in the General Military Course (GMC) for the first two years. Prior to enrolling in the last two years of the program, the Professional Officer Course (POC), the student must meet Air Force ROTC qualification standards and requirements. In addition, all Air Force ROTC participants must complete a four-week summer field training course prior to entering the POC, normally between the sophomore and junior years. It is possible to compress the two GMC years to one through dual enrollment into the academic courses. The POC portion must last two years.