MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps leadership discussed the future of the program and answered questions during a virtual town hall, June 18, 2020, live on Air University’s Facebook.
The town hall’s primary focus was to address questions and concerns regarding this summer’s ROTC field training and the upcoming fall semester amidst the current COVID-19 pandemic.
“Over the last few months, we’ve continued to shape this process we call field training,” said Col. Fernando Martinez, AFROTC director of operations. “Our aim continues to be our commander’s intent of creating a safe, healthy and COVID-19 free training environment to the greatest extent possible.”
AFROTC field training cadres arrived at Maxwell earlier in the week to receive COVID-19 tests and begin preparing for the arrival of cadets towards the end of June.
“We looked at every single facet of field training from travel, to lodging, to dining, to how we actually conduct the training, and we had some really good role models to follow,” said Col. Christopher Bennett, AFROTC commander. “When we put all of that together, we wire-brushed it, we murder-boarded it, we red-teamed every single component … at the end of it all, we teed up a decision brief with Lt. Gen. Hecker, the Air University commander, and we laid out to him a comprehensive plan [of action].”
In addition to field training, some of the other noteworthy topics discussed were preparations for the upcoming fall semester, a new academic evaluation system and ways cadets may be able to accomplish objectives virtually.
Click here to watch the full replay of the town hall.