Clemson University’s Air Force Reserve Officers Training Corps program, officially known as AFROTC Detachment 770, has been ranked in the top ten percent of all 145 Air Force ROTC detachments nationwide for the second year in a row. The ranking comes on the heels of a litany of other recent achievements for the program, including being in the top ten detachments for physical fitness three years in a row and being named the Outstanding ROTC Unit 2025 by South Carolina’s Air and Space Force Association.
“Being in the top ten percent is powerful, but I want to emphasize that it is not about the ranking. It is about what that ranking represents,” said Clemson President Jim Clements during his address to Det. 770 cadets at the August 28 ceremony. “Being in the top ten percent shows that you are dedicated. It shows that you are committed to excellence, both academically and in your military training. Excellence is also one of our core University values, and so is patriotism. I am very proud that you are living out those values every day.”
The Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC), as it exists today, began with President Wilson signing the National Defense Act of 1916. Although military training had been taking place in civilian colleges and universities as early as 1819, the signing of the National Defense Act brought this training under single, federally controlled entity.
Clemson’s Army ROTC, known as the “Fightin’ Tigers” or military science, was established as an integral part of Clemson’s academic curriculum beginning in 1893 with the institution’s first full-time academic year of operation.
Clemson’s Air Force ROTC, known as the “Flyin’ Tigers” or aerospace studies, has a rich history dating back to the very beginning of the Air Force. With the National Security Act of 1947 establishing the Department of the Air Force, Clemson’s Air Force ROTC Detachment was created.
Together, Clemson’s two military programs make up one of the most decorated and prestigious ROTC units in the country, with countless graduates going on to forge distinguished military careers, including hundreds who’ve deployed and become decorated combat veterans and dozens who’ve risen to the general officer ranks. In recent years, multiple U.S. Marines have also commissioned through Clemson ROTC, making it a rare three-military-branch program. Clemson’s ROTC honor guard, the Pershing Rifles Company C-4, comprised of both Air Force and Army ROTC cadets, is a 12-time national champion.
Clemson’s AFROTC program grew by 42 percent in the past year. The latest iteration includes more than 80 first-year cadets, the largest freshman class in the last 50 years.
“I don’t know if any other schools can put up those numbers,” said Clements. “It’s because people see cadets like you performing at the highest levels. They see you getting commissioned, earning your degree and entering into the Air Force or Space Force ready to lead, serve and take on the world. I am incredibly proud of each and every one of you.”
