Extracurriculars

Summer Internships & Programs

In addition to your regular college coursework and Air Force ROTC leadership classes, Air Force ROTC offers various Officer Development Trainings (ODTs) that consist of specialized classes and opportunities in a variety of Air Force and Space Force fields.

ODTs are designed to educate cadets on the wide range of activities and missions that the Air Force and Space Force accomplish. Air Force ROTC cadets compete for slots in ODTs, and they typically occur during summer breaks when school is not in session.

Some opportunities include:

Flying / Aviation

• Air Force Academy Basic Freefall Parachuting Course— 12-day parachute training with free-fall jumps from ~4,500 ft
• Air Force Academy Soaring (SOAR) — 15-day glider training program teaching unpowered flight fundamentals
• Civil Air Patrol Flight Orientation Program (FOP) — Orientation flights with CAP, front-seat and observer roles
• Fly NATO — Flying ops exposure at ENJJPT and Europe visits to NATO HQ and AWACS ops
• You Can Fly / You Can Certify Scholarships — The You can Fly (YCF) and You Can Certify (YCC) programs are Department of the Air Force (DAF) initiatives to increase rated manning through early flight exposure and education. In the case of both, new ROTC cadets are chosen by detachment faculty and will receive funds, either $5,000 (YCF) or $20,000 (YCC). They can then use the assigned funds at a FAA-certified flight school of their choice. These opportunities allow ROTC cadets to experience the wonders of flight and, at the same time, offsets the substantial financial burden that can come with private flight lessons.

Cyber / Tech / Engineering

• AFIT Advanced Cyber Education (ACE) — Cyber leadership program covering warfare, cryptography, network security
• Cyber Camp — Shadowing and assisting developers in cyber mission force tasks at the 90th COS (San Antonio)
• AFRL Scholars Program — Paid 8–12 week summer research internship with AFRL scientists and engineers
• Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) SIP — Summer research in computing, materials, intelligence, etc.
• National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) SIP — 6-week STEM internship with reconnaissance operations exposure
• 45th Launch Control Group Space Cadet Intern Program (SCIP) — Space launch and mission assurance internship

Civil Engineering / Infrastructure

• Field Engineering & Readiness Laboratory (FERL) — 3-week hands-on program in construction, infrastructure, and base design

Operations / Immersion

• Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) SIP — 2–3 week immersion in command operations, maintenance, and base support
• Field Training MACHs — 1-2 week immersion at a military base following Field Training, exposing cadets to operational Air Force units and culture
• Azimuth — 3-week USSF experience at USAFA with rockets, scuba, and parabolic flights

Leadership / Character Development

• Gathering of Eagles (GOE) — Observe/assist in speaker series on air/space/cyber heritage and leadership at ACSC
• National Character & Leadership Symposium (NCLS) — Four-day USAFA symposium with leaders, scholars, and executives
• National Conference on Ethics in America (NCEA) — Hosted at the United States Military Academy (USMA), West Point. Military and civilian speakers discuss essential leadership skills and the importance of values, ethics, and character development.

Language / Culture

• Project Global Officer (GO) — Intensive language and cultural immersion in strategic languages (U.S. & abroad)
• ROTC Flagship Scholarships – Provides full funding for contracted ROTC cadets and midshipmen to attend Flagship-approved summer and Capstone year programs. DLNSEO coordinates with Army, Air Force, and Navy ROTC.

Special Warfare / Elite Training

• Combat Rescue Officer (CRO) Program — Training/evaluation path for CRO career field
• Special Tactics Officer (STO) Program — Application and assessment toward STO field, including Phase II evaluation

Cadet Support / Training Roles

• Cadet Training Assistant (CTA) — POC cadets assist FTOs during Field Training
• USAFA BMT CTA — Support leadership and training at USAFA Prep School Basic Military Training
• USAFA Cadet Exchange Program — Semester exchange at USAFA with academics, leadership, and athletics