Aerospace Studies (Air Force ROTC)
Objectives
Air Force ROTC is conducted at approximately 600 colleges and universities
throughout the United States to select and train men and women to become
commissioned officers in the U.S. Air Force. Most graduates who enter the
Air Force through Air Force ROTC are assigned to positions consistent with
their academic major. Other graduates, who wish to do so, may qualify to
become pilots and navigators. Men and women who complete graduation requirements
and the Professional Officer Course receive commissions and enter active
duty as second lieutenants. Officers who qualify may take graduate training
prior to beginning their military duties. The Lewis University program
is operated in cooperation with the Department of Aerospace Studies at
the Illinois Institute of Technology. Coursework may be taken at both Lewis
University and the Illinois Institute of Technology.
Four-Year Program
Air Force ROTC offers both four-year and two-year commissioning programs
for male and female students. The four-year program consists of the four-semester
General Military Course (GMC) and the four-semester Professional Officer
Course (POC) as listed below. Students usually start this program as first-year
freshmen but may begin in their second year by enrolling in both first
year- and second-year classes. Students who are not on scholarship may
withdraw from the GMC at any time. Participants in the POC are selected
from qualified volunteer applicants. An Air Force ROTC paid four-week field
training encampment, held at an Air Force base, is required for POC students.
This requirement typically is completed during the summer between the second
and third years. The major areas of study during field training include
junior officer training, aircraft and crew orientation, career orientation,
survival training, base functions and the Air Force environment.
Two-Year Program
The two-year program consists of a paid five-week summer field training
encampment and the four-semester Professional Officer Course. Participants
in this program are selected from qualified volunteer applicants. The program
is designed for undergraduate and graduate students with fewer than three,
but at least two, years remaining. The five-week field training is held
at an Air Force base and is a prerequisite for the POC. The major areas
of study are the same as those in the four-year program with the addition
of the General Military Course academic curriculum. Upon successful completion
of the five-week program, which includes the GMC academic curriculum, transfer
credit of three semester hours will be applied toward the completion of
the Air Force ROTC minor. Interested students should contact the Department
of Aerospace Studies during the fall term of their second year.
Program Requirements
Total Program Hours: 16
I. General Military Course (GMC).
This course of study examines the
role of U.S. military forces in the contemporary world, with particular
attention to the United States Air Force and its organization and
mission. Required
classes include:
87-101 Air Force Today I (1)
87-102 Air Force Today II (1)
87-201 The Evolution of USAF Air and Space Power I (1)
87-202 The Evolution of USAF Air and Space Power II (1)
II. Professional Officer Course (POC). This course of study provides
an examination of the broad range of U.S. civil-military relations,
the environmental context in which U.S. defense policy is formulated
and implemented, and the
principles and practices of leadership and total quality management
as they relate to the U.S. Air Force. Students may take any of
these courses without
entering the Air Force ROTC program:
87-301 Air Force Leadership Studies I (3)
87-302 87-302 Air Force Leadership Studies II (3)
87-401 National Security Affairs (3)
87-402 Preparation for Active Duty (3)
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Scholarship Opportunities
Scholarships are available to qualified graduate and undergraduate
students in both the four-year and the two-year programs. These
scholarships may pay full tuition and fees, textbook allowance and a
monthly subsistence
allowance. All members receive a subsistence allowance of $300.00
per month in their final two academic years. Scholarships are available
for four,
three- and two-year periods, depending on the student’s academic
major. Qualified students desiring operational, technical/scientific, nontechnical
(business), nursing or health-related (medicine, optometry) options should
contact the Department of Aerospace Studies.
Links:
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Military Science (Army ROTC)
Objectives
The purpose of the Army Reserve Officers Training Corps program is
to commission the future officer leadership of the United States
Army and to motivate young people to become better citizens. Students who
become cadets
simultaneously earn their baccalaureate degree and a commission
as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army, Army Reserve or Army
National Guard.
The Rolling Thunder Battalion, located at Wheaton College, is a
cooperative effort between the Army and Lewis University to provide
junior officer leadership
in the interest of national security. The Rolling Thunder Battalion
cadre provides leadership training and practical experience designed
to develop
the traits essential to achieving a high degree of success in
military, as well as civilian, pursuits. Coursework can be taken at both
Lewis
University
and Wheaton College.
Program
The Military Science curriculum consists of two 2-year courses. The
Basic Course consists of eight (8) semester hours taken during the first
and second years of college. Students who are unable to complete the on-campus
Basic Course may instead attend the Army’s Leader Training Course,
an intensive 28-day summer camp between their first and second years in
college. The professor of Military Science may also waive all or part of
the Basic Course requirement based on prior military experience or Junior
ROTC experience.
Once students have satisfactorily completed the Basic Course, they
may apply for enrollment in the Advanced Course. If selected for
the Advanced Course, students sign a contract with the United States Government
in whereby
they agree to complete the course of instruction, attend the advanced
summer camp and accept a commission in the reserve or active components
of the U.S.
Army for a period as specified by the Secretary of the Army. The
Advanced Course requires four complete semester courses, as well as attendance
at
the National Advanced Leadership Course, a 32-day training camp at
Fort Lewis, Washington, during the summer following the junior year. Students
must also
satisfactorily complete an approved military history course. Students
must be U.S. citizens to contract into the Advanced Course.
While consisting
of four distinct semesters, the Advanced Course is structured as a two-phased
program leading to commissioning. The
principle lessons of operations and tactics, coupled with leadership,
are progressive.
Phase One
Phase one focuses on enhanced tactics at the small unit level in preparation
for National Advanced Leadership Camp (NALC). By the end of phase one,
the cadet is prepared for all aspects of the campus evaluation process
and able to lead small unit tactical operations. The culminating event
of phase one is the cadet ’s successful completion of NALC.
Phase Two
Phase two focuses on final preparation for commissioning. In addition
to military skills, cadets continue leadership exercises to synthesize
and integrate the principles of leadership previously learned in the Basic
Course. By the end of phase two, cadets will have confidence in their abilities
to lead, make decisions and motivate subordinates within their organization.
The semesters are designed to maximize cadet participation, inspire intellectual
curiosity and stimulate self-directed study. Completion of the Advanced
Course prepares the cadet for the physical, emotional and intellectual
challenges of leadership in the evolving Army in the 21st Century.
If selected for the Advanced Course, students sign a contract with
the United States Government whereby they agree to complete the course
of instruction, attend the advanced summer camp and accept a commission
in the
reserve or active components of the U.S. Army for a period as specified
by the Secretary of the Army.
Scholarship Opportunities
Army ROTC offers two-, three- and four-year scholarships that may pay
part of or all college tuition and fees. Students can apply at any time
from their senior year in high school to the second semester of their second
college year. All scholarship students also earn a monthly stipend while
in school, as well as an annual allowance for books and miscellaneous fees.
In addition, qualified non-scholarship cadets are eligible for a tuition
reduction if participating in ROTC. Courses taken for credit in Military
Science are considered as a subject field concentration and count as electives
applied to Lewis University graduation requirements. For this reason, the
three summer training programs- Leader’s Training Course (LTC) (86-225),
National Advanced Leadership Camp (NALC) (86-335), and/or Nurse Summer
Training Program (NSTOP) (86-336)-may be taken for college credit with
prior coordination.
Program Requirements
Total Program Hours: 27
I. Basic Courses (8)
86-121 Introduction to Leadership (2)
86-122 Leadership and Decision Making (2)
86-123 Military Science Leadership Lab (0)
86-221 Leadership and Problem Solving (2)
86-222 Small Unit Leadership and Tactics (2)
(co-requisite for each of the Basic Course classes)
Note: Leader’s Training Course (LTC) (86-225) may be taken between the
sophomore and junior years in lieu of the on-campus program with permission
of the professor of Military Science.
II. Advanced Courses (19)
Phase I
86-331 Tactical Leadership Development I (4)
86-332 Tactical Leadership Development II (4)
Phase II
86-441 Junior Officer Leadership I (4)
86-442 86-442 Junior Officer Leadership II (4)
86-123 Military Science Leadership Lab (0)
(co-requisite for each of the Advanced Course classes in both phases)
Note: A History of the U.S. Military (09-331) (3) is also a course requirement
for commissioning. Prerequisite: Contracted cadet with sophomore, junior
or senior standing. Please see the listing under the Department of History
for the course description.
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