Frequently Asked Questions
No you do not. In fact, only a portion of our Cadet Wing attends CSUSB. We are a very diverse group in regards to school attendance with many of our freshman and sophomore cadets going to California Community Colleges before transferring to a 4 year university for their second 2 years in the program. Our 4 year program cadets attend numerous universities within the Inland Empire including CSUSB, Cal Poly Pomona, UCR, UCI, Cal Baptist and more. For a complete list of Det 002 cross-town schools, refer to the crosstown school list found within our About Us here.
The AFROTC program is designed to be completed in four years. Therefore, the simplest and most straightforward path through the program is to start AFROTC when you start your freshman year of college and to complete both the AFROTC requirements and your undergraduate degree together four years later. But there is an exception for those that would like to join after their freshman year. The most important information that we'll need to know is when you anticipate finishing the requirements for your undergraduate degree and what year you will graduate. Typically, if you have at least 3 years (6 semesters) remaining before you graduate, there's still time to do AFROTC. The 3 year program requires you to take your freshman and sophomore classes together that first year in the program. That being said, it is on a yearly basis that the requirements for Air Force ROTC are generated and many years it can be very competitive to be selected to commission into the Air Force as an officer. Participation in the ROTC program, doesn't guarantee selection, and therefore the 4 year program will offer a more robust experience and competitive package for selection. If you're unsure, please reach out to us here and we can discuss your specific situation.
To be eligible, you must be enrolled as a full-time student (12 credit hours) at CSUSB or one of our cross-town campuses. To join, you must provide proof of your full-time student status and you must follow the application steps on our website here. You can also contact us via the form on our website, or you are always welcome to walk in to our office after calling to make an appointment. We will be happy to help get you started on the ROTC journey!
The AFROTC program at Det 002 follows the CSUSB calendar, (found here) which is a semester schedule that follows the CSU school system. The program requires participation in physical training (PT) sessions, AFROTC Aerospace Studies academic courses, and Leadership Laboratory (LLAB). These all take place at the CSUSB campus. As the majority of our Cadet Wing commutes in order to participate, we have tried to accommodate this by limiting the amount of days needed to travel to CSUSB. As a result, academic courses, LLAB, and a PT session are conducted every week on Fridays (usually 0800 - 1730). We also offer a morning PT session at CSUSB (0600-0730) on Tuesdays and Wednesdays; you will also need to attend one of these additional PT sessions every week. If you plan to sign up for the AFROTC program, be sure to deconflict your undergrad required courses from our schedule.
The cost depends, but is usually minimal. If you attend one of our cross-town schools, it can cost as little as $10 to as much as $150 a semester credit hour. But the class materials, textbooks, and uniforms are free! We do not provide transportation or provide funds to help pay for transportation, carpooling with cadets at your campus is always recommended.
AFROTC cadets participate in a two-week training program in at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama during the summer between their sophomore and junior years in AFROTC. “Field Training” is the AFROTC equivalent of boot camp. While you are at Field Training, you will receive career orientation, survival training, weapons familiarization, physical training, and familiarization with the organization and function of an Air Force base. Cadets spend their first two years in the AFROTC program learning the skills to be successful at Field Training. Depending on the year, selection to participate in Field Training can be relatively easy or very competitive. If you are selected for participation in Field Training, upon completion you will be contracted as a cadet, and will be slotted for a commission upon your college graduation.
No, not to join AFROTC. You will sign a contract at some point during your AFROTC career, which will obligate you to spend four years as an active duty Air Force officer. If you are a high school scholarship winner, you will have the first year of AFROTC to try it out and decide if it’s something that you want to continue to do. You can leave the AFROTC program (and end your scholarship benefits) any time during the first year of the program. If you leave before the start of your second year, you will not owe the Air Force anything. If you are not a high school scholarship winner, you have the first two years of your AFROTC career to decide if the Air Force is a path you’d like to pursue for a career. If during your first two years in the program, you decide not to continue with AFROTC you can leave with no obligation to the Air Force. However, once you return from Field Training and begin your third year in the program, you will sign a contract that obligates you to spend four years as an active duty Air Force officer. If you receive an in-college scholarship, you will sign a contract that obligates you to a four year active duty commitment when you accept the scholarship.
Maybe! Most scholarships are awarded through the High School Scholarship Program, but it is possible to be awarded a scholarship after you join ROTC in college. For the most up to date information about the AFROTC scholarship program, click here. If you have specific questions about the scholarship program not address on the ROTC website, feel free to contact our office.
To become a fully qualified cadet and be contracted, you must take and pass a DoDMERB (Department of Defense Medical Examination Review Board) physical. This exam will be provided to you at no cost within your first semester of participating in AFROTC. All medical qualification decisions are made by a team of medical professionals on a case-by-case basis. Students who are concerned about something in their medical history are encouraged to discuss the issue with the AFROTC detachment staff; however, we do not have the expertise or authority to make final judgments about your qualifications for the program. Long story short: there are medical conditions that are disqualifying, but do not be discouraged from applying as your circumstance will get an individual consideration by a team of medical professionals.
We have a monthly Prospective Applicant Briefing that takes about an hour. The cadre will brief an overview of the ROTC program at Det 002, the entry requirements, how to join, and the typical cadet ROTC schedule. If you would like to attend this briefing, please see our prospective applicant briefing page here.