COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. — Airmen from the 14th Flying Training Wing participated in the University of Mississippi Air Force Reserve Officers’ Training Corps career day, Feb. 6, 2025, at the University of Mississippi.

Ole Miss AFROTC Detachment 430 cadets met with CAFB representatives to learn about their specific career fields and educational opportunities within the Air Force.

“During junior year for cadets they are tasked with the difficult decision of what career fields they are prioritizing,” said Maj. Bradley Jantz, Ole Miss AFROTC education and recruiting officer. “An event like this is great exposure for them and helps steer the focus for filling out the dream-sheet of potential jobs.”

The mission of Air Force ROTC is to develop leaders of tomorrow by preparing students to become officers in the U.S. Air Force or Space Force while earning a college degree. Cadets learn the principles of leadership in the classroom, but also outside of the classroom through hands-on management experience and the application of being a military leader.

“We didn’t have anything like this when I was an underclassman,” said Robert Harrison, Ole Miss AFROTC cadet wing commander. “Our Cadre were all rated officers; this is beneficial for everyone getting to see what other jobs are out there.”

As a premier pilot training base CAFB’s primary focus is to train world class pilots, the 14 FTW flies around 260 sorties each day effectively preparing students to operate aircraft in support of the U.S. Air Force’s global mission. However, the base is also supported by a variety of officers from various career fields, including logistics, legal, cybersecurity, contracting and medical services.

Showcasing rated and non-rated positions gives cadets firsthand knowledge of broad career opportunities available in the service. This exposure helps them make informed decisions about their career paths while also fostering mentorship relationships between current Air Force officers and future leaders.

“At the end of the day there are 145 detachments nationwide, ROTC programs commission the most officers,” said Jantz. “We instill leadership and officer principles and then worry about the career field they are going into; our job is to make and mold the next generations of Air Force officers.”