Cadet Information

Congress established the Junior ROTC under the National Defense Act of 1916. Certain requirements as stipulated by Congress under U.S. Code: Title 10, Section 2031 must be satisfied in order to participate in a JROTC program.

The criteria for determining eligibility to participate in Air Force Junior ROTC are:

•  Be enrolled in and attending a regular course of instruction in grades 9 through 12 at a school hosting the unit.

•  Be selected by the Air Force Junior ROTC instructor with the approval of the school principal or his/her representative.

•  Maintain acceptable standards of academic achievement and an academic standing that warrants at least normal progression leading to graduation.

•  Maintain acceptable standards of conduct.

•  Comply with specified personal grooming standards. Common sense and good judgment apply to the attainment of these standards. Standards will not be relaxed so as to reflect disgrace on the United States Air Force.

Lieutenant Colonel Matthew E. Tipton
Director, HQ Air Force Junior ROTC
60 West Maxwell Boulevard
Maxwell AFB AL 36112-6501

Greetings, and thanks for choosing to be a part of the Air Force Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (AFJROTC)! I am Lt Col Matthew Tipton, your new AFJROTC Director. It is a privilege to serve on this exceptional team and contribute to such a significant mission.

My journey in the military began 21 years ago when I was commissioned through the ROTC program at the University of Alabama. Since then, I have had the opportunity to serve in various operational and staff roles across the globe. My career started as an EC-130H Electronic Warfare Officer, and later I took on Political and Military Advisory roles. More recently, I commanded the 362d Recruiting Squadron and served as the Deputy Director for Strategy and Concepts at The LeMay Center for Doctrine Development and Education, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama.

I am thrilled to take on the role of director for this organization, which is deeply committed to the future of our wonderful country and is home to such passionate cadets. We have an incredibly skilled team of 1,600 instructors worldwide who are dedicated to our mission of “developing citizens of character.” We also have a highly driven team of professionals at headquarters poised to guide and serve our instructors and cadets. Our team strives each day to enhance the cadet experience in AF/SF JROTC.

As an AF/SF JROTC cadet, you are part of something extraordinary! It feels like just yesterday when I was in high school, trying to navigate my way through the daily challenges and figure out what I wanted to do with my life. What did I want to achieve? What were my dreams and goals? How could I realize them? As you progress through this program, you will acquire skills that will help you answer these questions and guide you towards success, regardless of your chosen path in life. You will lead, follow, learn from your failures, and you will learn to handle success that prepare you for the many challenges in life. Along the way, you will make lifelong friends and have experiences most could never imagine. I challenge you to jump into JROTC with both feet and take advantage of everything our program has to offer.  

I am deeply grateful for this opportunity and humbled by the trust and confidence the Air Force has placed in me to continue the legacy of this remarkable organization. It’s an honor to be a part of your team.

Respectfully,

MATTHEW E. TIPTON, Lieutenant Colonel, USAF
Director, Air Force Junior ROTC

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, commonly known as STEM concepts, are taught in the Air Force Junior ROTC classroom and practiced in popular co-curricular activities.  STEM tools like Flight Simulators, Model Rockets, and Remote Controlled (RC) Aircraft have been used to enrich learning opportunities and provide immersive / experiential learning that reinforce what is taught in the classroom.

In 2014, Air Force Junior ROTC added a fun and exciting STEM-oriented activity by providing RC Multicopters to a limited number of Air Force Junior ROTC units.  These hands-on teaching and learning tools are used to not only reinforce STEM learning objectives, but to enhance the program’s Aerospace Science Curriculum.  The Air Force Junior ROTC Multicopter STEM initiative has captured the hearts and imaginations of cadets across the nation.  Cadets are now able to put the knowledge they have learned in their math and science classes, including our own academic courses, into practice as they execute the fundamentals of Aerospace Science.

Given Air Force Junior ROTC’s size and scope and because STEM is already an important component of what is taught in Air Force Junior ROTC, the partnership between Air Force Junior ROTC and the "Air Force K-12 STEM Program" aims to inspire even more youth towards these exciting career opportunities and service to the United States.

Air Force Junior ROTC is for students above the 8th grade. If your school does not have an AFJROTC program, the only way you can join is if another school nearby has a unit and will allow you to attend the class. That decision would be up to the principal and the AFJROTC instructor at the school.

Air Force Junior ROTC is located in high schools across the nation and overseas. Find a unit near you by clicking on the link below.

AFJROTC Unit Locator