Celebrating 75 Years of Air Force ROTC

For the past 75 years, NC State’s Air Force ROTC program has molded future leaders within the United States Air Force, commissioning countless officers who have gone on to distinguished military careers. 

This November, the program will honor that rich history with a celebratory weekend that includes a military ball, football tailgate and more. 

“Detachment 595 is very excited to welcome back our alumni on this special occasion of our 75th Anniversary,” said Lt. Col. Sarah Bergkamp, Detachment 595’s commanding officer. “Our program’s graduates have commissioned and served all over the world as Air Force officers in a myriad of roles. Each of them has a unique story to share about their Air Force experience and their adventures. Celebrations like this weekend provide fantastic opportunities for alumni to return to where it all began and to reconnect with each other as well as provide perspective and inspiration to our cadets on where their Air Force service could take them.”

As a land grant institution established under the Morrill Act of 1862, NC State was required to teach military tactics, and, until 1965, the university required all male students to complete at least two years of military training. 

The history of NC State’s Air Force ROTC program starts on Sept. 20, 1946, when 78 Air ROTC units under the United States Army but managed by Army Air Force officers and airmen were established at 78 colleges around the United States, including NC State. A year later, the United States Air Force was officially established as an independent branch of service and separated from the United States Army.

At the start of July 1949, the Air ROTC program became the Air Force ROTC program and was independently administered and controlled by Air Force Officers. This marked the official establishment of an Air Force ROTC program at NC State, and is the 75th anniversary that present and past members of the program will celebrate this fall. 

NC State’s Air Force ROTC program is known nationally as Detachment 595, a moniker it received in 1952 when the Air Force ROTC program was moved under the control of Air University and Air Force ROTC Detachments were officially established.

Air Force ROTC programs are a way for college students to receive commission as an Air Force officer upon graduation, and NC State’s Detachment 595 has commissioned over 1,500 officers, with Air Force officers from NC State serving in every major conflict since World War II.

While at NC State, those future leaders receive numerous opportunities beyond their time on campus in Raleigh to grow their skills for their future military careers through summer programs at various military installations around the country. 

NC State has consistently outperformed peer institutions with selection rates for summer programs, averaging a 92% selection rate, which is about 25% higher than the national average.

Those extra programs, coupled with the education future officers receive in Raleigh, consistently pays off, as, for the last 10 years, NC State has averaged a 98% selection rate for highly competitive rated positions such as pilots, combat systems officers, air battle managers and remote piloted aircraft, which is about 22% higher than the national average.

NC State Detachment 595 has produced 14 officers that have achieved the rank of Brigadier General or higher. Those ranks include Brigadier General Joseph Stepp, the current Assistant Adjutant General for Air and Commander of the North Carolina Air National Guard.

Members of Detachment 595 are known as Wolfpack Warriors, and the detachment’s motto is “Starve Alone, Feast Together” which embodies the unit’s culture of leadership, service, and teamwork.

The weekend of Nov. 8-9, 2024, past, present and future Air Force officers who have lived that motto over the past several decades are invited to NC State’s celebration of 75 years of Air Force ROTC. 

The weekend will begin with an open house event where prospective cadets, alumni, and the public can explore the program, meet current cadets, and learn about the ROTC experience at NC State while seeing how the program has changed over the years.

Friday will also feature an alumni panel, featuring Air Force ROTC alumni spanning the program’s history. Panel members will participate in a moderated Q&A to help educate current cadets and other alumni in attendance about how the US Air Force has evolved and share their career experiences and leadership lessons learned.  

Friday’s events will conclude with the 75th Anniversary Military Ball held at the Park Alumni Center in the evening. This formal event will feature NC State Air Force ROTC alumnus and United States Strategic Command Commander General Anthony J. Cotton, a distinguished speaker and leader, addressing the attendees. This event will provide an opportunity for informal networking and celebration.

Saturday, the celebration continues with a tailgate before the NC State vs. Duke football game to coincide with the Military Appreciation Day-themed game where current cadets and veterans from all services will be honored. The tailgate events will be sponsored by NC State’s Jeffrey Wright Military and Veterans Services Center. 

Registration details for the celebration will be available by mid-August.