Thank you for your generous support of our Air Force ROTC 75th Anniversary campaign!
Celebrating 75 Years
In celebration of Detachment 600's 75th anniversary, a group of 100+ cadets, active duty, retired, spouses, and guests attended the Air Force ROTC ball in Greenville on Friday, September 22nd. General (Ret.) Gary L. North ’76 was the featured speaker and inspired cadets with stories of his time as commander of the Pacific Air Forces and working alongside fellow Det. 600 Flying Pirates™ during Desert Storm tours.
Friends from near and far reconnected as they shared their love for the United States Air Force, Detachment 600, and ECU. It was an evening filled with gratitude for the ROTC program that has shaped so many leaders.
Today's cadets experience even more through their training thanks to generous donors who support activities like Leadership Reaction Training, mentoring lunches, professional development, and visits with other ROTC programs in the region. Thank you!
General (Ret.) Gary North '76 gives the keynote at the Air Force ROTC 75th Anniversary Ball
Thanks to you, we did it! Let's keep soaring to meet a challenge of $10,000!
Preparing Leaders
The Air Force ROTC program is designed to develop leaders of character and to prepare students to assume positions of increasing responsibility and importance in the modern Air Force. Detachment 600 alumni have distinguished themselves as leaders on campus and in their Air Force careers. Gen. Gary Lewis North ’76 is a retired United States Air Force four-star general whose highly-decorated career began as a cadet in Detachment 600. His service included 83 combat missions in Operations Desert Storm, Southern Watch, Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. North capped his career serving as commander of Pacific Air Forces and executive director of Pacific Air Combat Operations Staff at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, from 2009 to 2012. Support for Detachment 600 can help current cadets prepare for service and leadership. Participation in the Leadership Reaction Course provides cadets an opportunity to test their leadership skills as it relates to critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making. A gift of $22 covers the cost of one cadet to take the course and test themselves and assess their decision-making, problem-solving and team-building skills. With $880, 40 Detachment 600 cadets can participate in the course in 2023.
Source: United States Air Force; Wikipedia
A Look Back at Detachment 600's History
In both WWI (1914-1918) and WWII (1939-1945) U.S. servicemen conducted warfare from the skies, but it wasn't until 1947 that the United States Air Force was established as a separate military service. It was in the following year, 1948, that East Carolina Teachers College President, Dr. John Decatur Messick, and Lt. Col. William Brown founded Detachment 600, with Brown serving as the first commander. Seventy-six cadets were part of this first group. They formed a Cadet Club, a Rifle Team, and held the first detachment military ball that same year. Top cadets also attended a summer camp training in Florida with 500 others from 14 additional ROTC programs.
Interest in Detachment 600 increased and enrollment numbers followed suit. By 1949 nearly 300 cadets were enrolled in the program. This number continued as the average throughout the next two decades. In the late 1950s, East Carolina began offering a Flight Instruction Program that provided flying time and academic instruction. Perhaps most unique to Detachment 600, however, was its welcome of women. In 1969, only four Air Force ROTC detachments in the United States had female cadets. Ms. Martha Van Hoy was the first to join East Carolina's, making Detachment 600 the fifth.The first female ROTC cadets were part of "Angel Flight," an honorary organization comprised of more than 3,000 women from 100 schools in the U.S.
Today, there are more than 325,000 active duty members of the U.S. Air Force/Space Force and Detachment 600 has 72 cadets. They continue this proud history of training, academic excellence, and taking to the skies. One way today's cadets honor those with years of service is through mentor/mentee relationships. A gift of $20 provides a mentoring lunch for a cadet and a commissioned officer or cadre member to spend an hour together. The cadet is able to gain insight on topics like leadership, making the transition from student to officer, and important details of their chosen career path within the Air Force or Space Force.
Make an investment in our current cadets by ensuring they are ready for their future! Mentoring lunches are just one of the many ways your contribution will support Detachment 600.
Source: ECU's Joyner Library Special Collections Digital Archives
Air Force ROTC is an educational opportunity designed to prepare student cadets to become Air Force and Space Force officers while completing an undergraduate, graduate, or other professional degree program. At ECU,Air Force ROTC students have unique opportunities to participate in optional special activities including: Introductory Flight Training, Arnold Air Society, Silver Wings, Color Guard, base visits, paintball outings and other morale activities.
In celebration of Detachment 600's 75th anniversary, we are seeking support for the program and the cadets. Your gift could support scholarships, participation in the leadership reaction course, professional development training costs, mentoring lunches, and detachment enhancement. Stay tuned throughout our campaign for more details about the cadet experience. It is a proud tradition that exemplifies leadership and service!