Blue skies ahead: CMU/MSU partnership allows Air Force ROTC on campus

Chris Bacarella

Ashley Mitchell sometimes gets funny looks when she walks through Finch Fieldhouse.

That’s because instead of the usual green fatigues most Central Michigan University Reserve Officer Training Corps cadets wear, the Trenton sophomore wears Air Force blue.

Mitchell is the only student enrolled in the Air Force ROTC program at CMU.

“I’m sort of the odd-ball-out because I’m always wearing the Air Force blue uniform, so people might look at me funny, but I’ve always known I wanted this career, so I was glad that I could do it at CMU,” she said.

There is no fully established Air Force ROTC program at CMU because of a lack of participants, so CMU has been working alongside Michigan State University to create an opportunity for those who want to pursue the Air Force while on campus, said MSU instructor, Capt. Todd Jagodzinski.

“Due to a lack of advertisement, only one cadet from CMU is currently enrolled in the program, but this is our first push this year to get the word out about the new ‘cross-town’ agreement that allows students to participate from different campuses,” Jagodzinski said.

Mitchell does some of her training at CMU and takes her Air Force ROTC courses in East Lansing.

“I am able to do my physical training at Central, but then I drive to MSU once a week for all of my AFROTC classes” which last from 1 to 10:30 p.m. she said.

Lt. Col. Aaron Kalloch, chairman of CMU’s military science department, said it is unlikely CMU will get the support to begin an independent Air Force ROTC unit.

“I don’t foresee CMU ever having enough cadets to justify having their own Air Force program, but I do think what we have now is a good opportunity for students who desperately want to pursue something other than the Army,” he said.

Jagodzinksi said any CMU student interested can enroll in the Air Force ROTC program.

“Even though it may not be cost efficient for CMU to have their own program now, it only requires a trip to MSU once a week to be a part of our program.”

Schools like Western Michigan and Lansing Community College also are part of the agreement and send cadets to MSU to be a part of the larger Air Force ROTC program, Jagodzinski said.

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