RIT Air Force ROTC Program Named Best in Northeast Region

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Air Force ROTC Detachment

The Air Force ROTC Detachment 538 was recognized as the top medium-sized program in the Northeast for its educational programs and participation within the local community, such as co-hosting the 13th Annual Rochester River Challenge Outrigger Canoe Sprint Races last fall.

The Air Force ROTC Detachment at Rochester Institute of Technology was recently recognized as the top medium-sized detachment, winning the 2010 Northeast Region “High Flight” Award. This was the second time the detachment was recognized for its exceptional educational programming, cadet activities and quality of cadets commissioned as officers for the U.S. Air Force.

“The cadre, staff and cadets worked extremely hard for this award and are very proud of this accomplishment,” says Lt. Col. Mark Avery, commanding officer of RIT’s Air Force ROTC Detachment 538. “It’s a great honor and speaks volumes about the outstanding quality and dedication of our team.”

The northeast region includes 34 detachments from Maine to Michigan representing 200 colleges. Each detachment is judged on the production of officers for the Air Force, the quality of education provided, community relations and involvement and cadet activities.

Over the past two years, 17 cadets, with a combined 3.2 GPA, graduated from the RIT program and were commissioned as second lieutenants in the U.S. Air Force, including six pilot candidates and five critically needed engineers, Avery says. Specific to military programming, the detachment was recognized for developing innovative winter survival and small unit tactics leadership training.

Detachment 538 cadets also were recognized for a variety of community activities including providing color guards for numerous Rochester-area events, sponsoring a blood drive at RIT and participating in Boys State, the national leadership and citizenship summer camp for teens; the Boy Scouts “Gathering of Eagles”; and the Wounded Warrior Regatta.

“We also could not have achieved this without the great support that RIT provides the detachment and all its students. We simply could not be prouder,” Avery adds.