MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala -- The leaders of Air Force, Army and Navy ROTC met at Maxwell to discuss the strategic and operational directions of their officer accession programs., April 5, 2023.
The conference objective was to encourage dialogue and collaboration among the three branches’ ROTC programs to ensure that they continue to provide high-quality leadership, training and opportunities to America’s future leaders. The conference host rotates annually between the services.
The senior ROTC leaders at the conference were Space Force Col. Corey M. Ramsby, commander, Air Force ROTC; Army Col. Lee Evans, chief, operations analysis division at Army Cadet Command; and Navy Capt. Chris Adams, director of officer development. Lt. Col. Julie A. Rudy, assistant director of accessions policy at the office of the secretary of defense, was a guest speaker. The leaders shared their vision for the future of ROTC and the importance of discovering, recruiting and developing talented young people from all corners of the country who aspire to lead in the profession of arms.
"It’s imperative that we continue to develop these students who want to be future leaders in our profession and whom we expect to fight and wins our nation’s wars," said Ramsby. "Our success is when opportunity meets talent and preparation. We’re doing everything we can to provide those opportunities, such as through our scholarships, and connecting them with our training and leadership development. We have a responsibility to expose the talent in these young people. Once exposed, we showcase that talent and literally watch these men and women grow into the leaders our nation will depend on to lead our Airmen and Guardians."
To that end, the meeting spent time on how to ensure the opportunities of ROTC are known throughout the universities and colleges across the nation. Leaders recognized that all young people, regardless of their socioeconomic status, deserve a chance to access the leadership development and educational opportunities provided by ROTC, according to Ramsby. They discussed partnering with schools, communities and organizations in underserved areas to provide the resources and support of ROTC programs.
The leaders agreed to take concrete steps to implement the visions discussed and to continue to collaborate on future initiatives.