M A R H 2 0 2 0 , V O L U M E 1 AIRMEN OF TROY O u r S t o r y | S e m e s t e r H i g h l i g h t s | C o m m a n d e r ' s R e m a r k s T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S THE TROJAN CONTINUUM OUR STORY P.1 OUR STORY TRAILBLAZERS P.2 Since 1948, Detachment 060 has produced some of the finest leaders in and out of the US Air Force. Our members include generals, CEOs, Olympians, and prominent political leaders. The BEACH TRAINING & ability to produce such an excellent cadre of alumni lay not TROJAN PRIDE P.3 necessarily in the grandeur of our campus or unlimited resources. It rests in the people. We are the Detachment of FEATURED ALUMNI P.4 Champions because excellence is a part of our DNA. There are over 4,000 colleges in the US, 145 Air Force ROTC detachments, FLYING HIGH P.5 and several avenues of commissioning as an officer in the US Air Force. Our cadets have chosen to be here for one simple reason: COMMANDER'S Any detachment can make you an officer, but only our REMARKS detachment can make you an Airman of Troy, a champion! P.6 continued on page 2 M A R C H 2 0 2 0 , V O L U M E 1 | A I R M E N O F T R O Y N E W S 2 OUR STORY CONTINUED As the Airmen of Troy, we are proud of this history and seek to bring the stories of both past and present into the light. Our mission is to serve the members of Detachment 060, past, present, and future alike. Today, our cadets continue to push the boundaries of excellence. Comprised of students from USC, Embry Riddle, Chapman, Biola, UCI, APU, University of LaVerne, Occidental College, and several Cal States, the Airmen of Troy are on a path of expansion and excellence. We began this experiment over 70 years ago. We are proud of our history, but we recognize the future must be formed by us. We continue this journey as we began, together! Alumni and future members alike, will you join us on this journey? TRAILBLAZERS The Airmen of Troy set a new precedent of cooperation with the organization of joint training with the Army ROTC program on campus. On a stellar day of hands-on training led by both Army and Air Force upperclassmen, the Airmen of Troy gained insight beyond small unit tactics and bounding techniques - they gained perspective on teamwork. continues to operate independently on Cadets from both programs campus, the Airmen of Troy aim to contributed technical knowledge and foster further collaboration, critical thinking in order to strengthening both programs through accomplish mission scenarios, forging diverse training strategies and a united a bond of partnership and respect. ROTC image on campus. The Airmen of Troy physically charge forth on the This joint training represents a larger Great Lawn of the USC Village, and intent: Trojan unity between all fearlessly break new trails in campus branches. Though each program involvement and Trojan solidarity. I N T E R E S T E D ? W W W . A I R M E N O F T R O Y . O R G M A R C H 2 0 2 0 , V O L U M E 1 | A I R M E N O F T R O Y N E W S 3 SO CAL BEACH TRAINING Every year, the Airmen of Troy embrace the epitome of the Southern California environment by training at Dockweiler Beach, less than 20 miles from campus. Beach training emphasizes fitness, team morale, and warrior spirit as cadets test their abilities against the waves and the din of low-flying, departing aircraft from LAX. It is a highlight of our dynamic training strategy, and reveals our strength as a family, standing firm against the eroding tides, pushing forward, together. TROJAN PRIDE In our journey of expanding to new heights and challenging the status quo, it is important to maintain some key legacies. Our Color Guard is one of tradition. No USC football game is complete without our women and men first presenting the colors on the field of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum alongside the Spirit of Troy marching band. Just as USC produces the finest players in the NFL, the Airmen of Troy produces the finest leaders in the Air Force and beyond! I N T E R E S T E D ? W W W . A I R M E N O F T R O Y . O R G M A R C H 2 0 2 0 , V O L U M E 1 | A I R M E N O F T R O Y N E W S 4 FEATURED ALUMNI A CADET'S FORGOTTEN TROJAN HERITAGE By: Cadet Christopher Sandoval Growing up in Southern California, I knew my uncle, Thomas Sandoval, as a typical Trojan – firm and proud of having attended USC. Despite his pride and incessant stories, he did not convey all of his fond memories, as it was only after I had joined Detachment 060 that he revealed to me that he, too, was an Airman of Troy. With incredible enthusiasm, he asked how our Detachment is doing and what had changed since his commissioning. The more we talked, the more we realized how many things had changed; however, by the end, it became clear to both of us that what made Detachment 060 his home was the same reason that it has become my own. It didn’t take long to identify the changes that have occurred. First and foremost, I discovered that he was never permitted to wear camouflage uniforms (such as the Airman Battle Uniforms). While I spend most of my time in ABUs, my uncle marched through campus in his Blues - a uniform now reserved for special events. I quickly realized our demographics have changed as well. As he described his friends, it seemed that the majority of cadets in his class had family ties to the military or USC. Today, most of our cadets are either the first Trojans in their families or the first to join the military. Even more shocking to me were the differences in training. Cadets used to train every Tuesday and march to Menlo field, near the Coliseum. This is in stark contrast to how we train on campus, exclusively on Fridays. USC students see cadets in PTUs (grey shirt and blue shorts) training at the Village Great Lawn or hear us marching past the bookstore and Tommy Trojan. After the drills and workouts are done, we all change out of our uniforms, put on something comfortable, and resume our student lives – something that has stayed consistent throughout the years. My uncle was not surprised about the base visits we attend. Luke and Edwards Air Force Base were among the most common bases we visit, then and now, to tour the cutting-edge technology employed in our domination of the skies. His class was lucky enough to receive premiere tickets to what he described as “the most influential movie to ever be witnessed by cadets”. That movie, Top Gun, was responsible for bolstering the public’s interest in military flying then and now (because who doesn’t want to be Tom Cruise in the cockpit of a jet?). While my uncle was surprised by how much had changed, he was humbled to know that Detachment 060 maintained its commitment to creating the world’s greatest officers. He applauded the lengths this Detachment has gone to introduce cadets to aviation with our flight simulators and how invested we are in establishing an Airmen of Troy Alumni association to keep the connection strong between all of us. By the end of our long conversation, I asked him what advice he would give his younger self. He responded simply: “Aim high and Fight On.” Those two phrases represent two very different instutions, but they are a battle cry to all past, current, and future Airmen of Troy. There is a reason we are called the “Detachment of Champions” and have lived up to that name from 1948, to the commissioning of my uncle and his wingmen in 1986, to now. As I begin my journey to transfer to USC (I currently attend Orange Coast College), I intend to remember the advice of my uncle and so many others before him: "Aim high and Fight On!” I N T E R E S T E D ? V I S I T W W W . A I R M E N O F T R O Y . O R G M A R C H 2 0 2 0 , V O L U M E 1 | A I R M E N O F T R O Y N E W S 5 FLYING HIGH Our cadets are soaring to new heights, receiving scholarships to begin pilot training. Our most recent recipients of a Daedalians flight training scholarship include cadets Semaetu, Rose, and Franklin (pictured). Summer opportunities at the USAF Academy are another path to the skies. Cadet Jordan attended SOAR, a glider program that instructs ground school and concludes with a solo glider flight. These individuals join cadets Bitz, Kim, and Smith who received a "You Can Fly" scholarship in conjunction with AFROTC, which awards scholarships to start flight training at local flight schools.