Colorado lawmakers call for Air Force ROTC at UCCS
Parker Seibold
Colorado lawmakers want to see aspiring Air Force officers commissioned through the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs.
Currently, Air Force cadets attending UCCS, Colorado College and other southern Colorado schools must drive to the University of Colorado, Boulder to participate in ROTC classes, a joint letter from lawmakers states. The 100-mile drive is “a deterrent and a burden” and violates an Air Force rule that limits commutes to 90 minutes, it states.
Eight Colorado lawmakers, including Rep. Doug Lamborn, and Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper, signed the letter asking the Department of Defense to establish an Air Force ROTC detachment and assuring military leaders it would be popular.
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They noted the community is home to numerous Space and Air Force installations and that drives interest in military services. A popular local program could also help meet the service’s recruitment goals, they said.
“A stand alone detachment at UCCS could become one of the strongest units in the country and provide diversity to the officer corps,” the letter states.
The military as a whole fell short of its recruitment goals by 41,000 people in 2023, after ratcheting down its aspirations, according to testimony before the House Armed Services Committee.
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UCCS Chancellor Jennifer Sobanet said an earlier satellite ROTC program for Air Force cadets at the school of 11,000 students saw success.
During the 2019-2020 academic school year, UCCS hosted a satellite Air Force ROTC program through CU Boulder and drew 100 cadets. The program had to be ended because Boulder could not provide enough staff for it, she said.
If granted an ROTC detachment, UCCS could host students from other schools and maintain an enrollment of 100 to 120 cadets, the letter states. Federal law requires an ROTC program to serve at least 40 students.
Currently, 39 students commute to Boulder to participate in the program, said Sobanet, in a written statement.
“We feel strongly that Colorado Springs and southern Colorado would be well served by an Air Force ROTC detachment at UCCS,” she said.
UCCS hosts an Army ROTC program that commissioned 39 cadets this spring, according to a news release.
The Air Force, Army and Navy have all struggled with recruitment in recent years. During the 2023 fiscal year, the Air Force missed its recruiting goals for the active duty by just under 11%, Brig. Gen. Christopher Amrhein said, in written testimony to Congress.
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The Air Force has adopted several changes to help meet recruitment goals, such as a college loan repayment program, a waiver program for those who test positive for THC during the enlistment process and changes to its body composition requirements. In addition, the service now allows small tattoos on the back of the neck and hands.
The changes to the body composition rules saw the most success, allowing 1,265 people to join the Air Force, with only one person failing for fitness at basic training, Amrhein said in his congressional testimony.
The Air Force is a little bit ahead on recruiting so far this fiscal year. The branch has enlisted 20,651 ahead of its goal to date of 20,558. The service has recruited 1,187 officers with a goal to date of 1,215, said Leslie Brown, a spokeswoman for the Air Force recruiting.
The Air Force is aiming to enlist 27,100 airmen and 1,501 officers by the end of September, the end of the fiscal year. The officer goal does not include those commissioning from the Air Force Academy or ROTC programs, she said.
Colorado lawmakers call for Air Force ROTC at UCCS
Colorado lawmakers want to see aspiring Air Force officers commissioned through the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs.
Currently, Air Force cadets attending UCCS, Colorado College and other southern Colorado schools must drive to the University of Colorado, Boulder to participate in ROTC classes, a joint letter from lawmakers states. The 100-mile drive is “a deterrent and a burden” and violates an Air Force rule that limits commutes to 90 minutes, it states.
Eight Colorado lawmakers, including Rep. Doug Lamborn, and Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper, signed the letter asking the Department of Defense to establish an Air Force ROTC detachment and assuring military leaders it would be popular.
They noted the community is home to numerous Space and Air Force installations and that drives interest in military services. A popular local program could also help meet the service’s recruitment goals, they said.
“A stand alone detachment at UCCS could become one of the strongest units in the country and provide diversity to the officer corps,” the letter states.
The military as a whole fell short of its recruitment goals by 41,000 people in 2023, after ratcheting down its aspirations, according to testimony before the House Armed Services Committee.
UCCS Chancellor Jennifer Sobanet said an earlier satellite ROTC program for Air Force cadets at the school of 11,000 students saw success.
During the 2019-2020 academic school year, UCCS hosted a satellite Air Force ROTC program through CU Boulder and drew 100 cadets. The program had to be ended because Boulder could not provide enough staff for it, she said.
If granted an ROTC detachment, UCCS could host students from other schools and maintain an enrollment of 100 to 120 cadets, the letter states. Federal law requires an ROTC program to serve at least 40 students.
Currently, 39 students commute to Boulder to participate in the program, said Sobanet, in a written statement.
“We feel strongly that Colorado Springs and southern Colorado would be well served by an Air Force ROTC detachment at UCCS,” she said.
UCCS hosts an Army ROTC program that commissioned 39 cadets this spring, according to a news release.
The Air Force, Army and Navy have all struggled with recruitment in recent years. During the 2023 fiscal year, the Air Force missed its recruiting goals for the active duty by just under 11%, Brig. Gen. Christopher Amrhein said, in written testimony to Congress.
The Air Force has adopted several changes to help meet recruitment goals, such as a college loan repayment program, a waiver program for those who test positive for THC during the enlistment process and changes to its body composition requirements. In addition, the service now allows small tattoos on the back of the neck and hands.
The changes to the body composition rules saw the most success, allowing 1,265 people to join the Air Force, with only one person failing for fitness at basic training, Amrhein said in his congressional testimony.
The Air Force is a little bit ahead on recruiting so far this fiscal year. The branch has enlisted 20,651 ahead of its goal to date of 20,558. The service has recruited 1,187 officers with a goal to date of 1,215, said Leslie Brown, a spokeswoman for the Air Force recruiting.
The Air Force is aiming to enlist 27,100 airmen and 1,501 officers by the end of September, the end of the fiscal year. The officer goal does not include those commissioning from the Air Force Academy or ROTC programs, she said.
Colorado lawmakers call for Air Force ROTC at UCCS
Colorado lawmakers want to see aspiring Air Force officers commissioned through the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs.
Currently, Air Force cadets attending UCCS, Colorado College and other southern Colorado schools must drive to the University of Colorado, Boulder to participate in ROTC classes, a joint letter from lawmakers states. The 100-mile drive is “a deterrent and a burden” and violates an Air Force rule that limits commutes to 90 minutes, it states.
Eight Colorado lawmakers, including Rep. Doug Lamborn, and Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper, signed the letter asking the Department of Defense to establish an Air Force ROTC detachment and assuring military leaders it would be popular.
They noted the community is home to numerous Space and Air Force installations and that drives interest in military services. A popular local program could also help meet the service’s recruitment goals, they said.
“A stand alone detachment at UCCS could become one of the strongest units in the country and provide diversity to the officer corps,” the letter states.
The military as a whole fell short of its recruitment goals by 41,000 people in 2023, after ratcheting down its aspirations, according to testimony before the House Armed Services Committee.
UCCS Chancellor Jennifer Sobanet said an earlier satellite ROTC program for Air Force cadets at the school of 11,000 students saw success.
A few years ago, UCCS hosted a satellite Air Force ROTC program through CU Boulder and drew 100 cadets. The program had to be ended because the Boulder program could not provide enough staff for it, she said.
If granted an ROTC detachment, UCCS could host students from other schools and maintain an enrollment of 100 to 120 cadets, the letter states. Federal law requires an ROTC program to serve at least 40 students.
Currently, 39 students commute to Boulder to participate in the program, said Sobanet, in a written statement.
“We feel strongly that Colorado Springs and southern Colorado would be well served by an Air Force ROTC detachment at UCCS,” she said.
UCCS hosts an Army ROTC program that commissioned 39 cadets this spring, according to a news release.
The Air Force, Army and Navy have all struggled with recruitment in recent years. During the 2023 fiscal year, the Air Force missed its recruiting goals for the active duty by just under 11%, Brig. Gen. Christopher Amrhein said, in written testimony to Congress.
The Air Force has adopted several changes to help meet recruitment goals, such as a college loan repayment program, a waiver program for those who test positive for THC during the enlistment process and changes to its body composition requirements. In addition, the service now allows small tattoos on the back of the neck and hands.
The changes to the body composition rules saw the most success, allowing 1,265 people to join the Air Force, with only one person failing for fitness at basic training, Amrhein said in his congressional testimony.
The Air Force is a little bit ahead on recruiting so far this fiscal year. The branch has enlisted 20,651 ahead of its goal to date of 20,558. The service has recruited 1,187 officers with a goal to date of 1,215, said Leslie Brown, a spokeswoman for the Air Force recruiting.
The Air Force is aiming to enlist 27,100 airmen and 1,501 officers by the end of September, the end of the fiscal year. The officer goal does not include those commissioning from the Air Force Academy or ROTC programs, she said.