UTSA ROTC members honored for unit performance, commitment to community

MARCH 16, 2023 — Air University has awarded UTSA’s Air Force ROTC Detachment 842 several honors for its achievements throughout 2022. The leading agent in professional Air Force education, Air University recognizes the top detachments in the nation each year.

The UTSA organization earned the Holm Center Team of the Year award, the AFROTC University Employee of the Year award (southwest region) and the AFROTC Volunteer of the Year award (southwest region). The awards represent the detachment’s ongoing commitment to promoting student success and producing exceptional leaders.

UTSA’s detachment was selected for the Holm Center Team of the Year award—which recognizes excellence in unit performance—after competing at the regional and national levels and beating hundreds of other AFROTC and junior ROTC programs from around the country. It is the highest award that a team can earn from Air University.

“Being selected to receive this award out of so many ROTC detachments across the nation is proof of the outstanding work our students and staff are doing.”

“Being selected to receive this award out of so many ROTC detachments across the nation is proof of the outstanding work our students and staff are doing,” said USAF Lt. Col. Kirk Hoffman, commander of UTSA’s AFROTC Detachment 842 and department chair of aerospace studies. “I’m incredibly proud of the remarkable team we’ve created here at UTSA, and the future leaders we’re building in our program.”

Members of UTSA’s AFROTC were also recognized at the regional level for their individual contributions to the detachment’s success over the past year. These awards recognize excellence in the southwest region, which is made up of 36 AFROTC units at universities and colleges spanning from Mississippi to Hawaii. 

Agustin Llano, who serves as program manager for Detachment 842, received the AFROTC University Employee of the Year award for the southwest region. Although Llano himself is often behind the scenes, his work has a visible effect on the success of the program. Llano led a small team that orchestrated virtual training sessions for all 36 detachments to improve efficiency in cadet record keeping and to reduce input errors. Llano also arranged the unit’s inaugural Detachment Alumni Giving Day fundraiser, which immediately impacted students by funding team-building events for cadets.

The detachment’s Staff Sgt. Rashaad Taylor, a non-commissioned officer in charge (NCOIC), received the AFROTC Volunteer of the Year award for the southwest region. After volunteering at a local branch of the San Antonio library, Taylor took the initiative to develop a schedule promoting monthly volunteer opportunities for cadets, so they could participate in similar experiences. Taylor also spent time supporting the UTSA Whataburger Resource Room food pantry, AFROTC recruiting events, and the university’s Veterans’ Day program during the past year.

UTSA’s AFROTC is the fourth largest detachment in the southwest region—boasting 164 cadets from around the country. 

Additional accomplishments of the team include:

• Collaborating with the 19^th Air Force at Randolph Air Force Base to acquire state-of-the-art flight simulators and virtual reality headsets to build a new flight simulation room and promote flying interest in cadets;
• Finalizing a new Multidisciplinary Studies degree focused on strategic defense leadership for UTSA ROTC undergraduate students; and
• Organizing 49 recruiting events, 20 college fairs and multiple detachment tours and open houses, resulting in the largest registration class in three years, with over 100 new cadets

In addition to their most recent accolades, Detachment 842 was also a two-time recipient of both the High Flight Award, which signifies the best large detachment in their region, and the prestigious Right of Line Best Large Detachment Award, a national honor based on performance measurements such as officer production, scholarships, recruiting and retention efforts, and community service.

UTSA’s Air Force ROTC program is part of the University College, which is also home to the Army ROTC and the Academic Inquiry and Scholarship, dual credit, multidisciplinary studies and the writing programs.

The AFROTC provides students the opportunity to combine military science and aerospace studies with practical leadership training, all while receiving a first-rate college education. The award-winning team works with 11 crosstown colleges and universities to build the next generation of Air Force and Space Force officers, scholars and community leaders.

UTSA is known for its commitment to supporting military-affiliated students, which make up nearly 16% of the student population. The university was most recently recognized as a 2022-23 Gold Military Friendly School and ranked among the nation’s top colleges that best serve military service members and veterans according to Military Times’ 2022 “Best for Vets” list.

— Chloe Johnson