Over 100 Years of ROTC Tradition
1917
The U.S. War Department creates an eight-week ground school at Georgia Tech to train military pilots for the U.S. Army’s Aviation Section, Signal Corps — the direct ancestor of today’s Air Force
1920
An “Air ROTC” unit is established at Georgia Tech — one of the first six to be established at universities in the United States
1946
General Dwight D. Eisenhower signs General Order No. 124, expanding Air ROTC to 77 universities
1947
The National Security Act of 1947 creates the U.S. Department of Defense and separates the U.S. Army Air Forces into its own service, the United States Air Force
1950
Air Force ROTC is established at Georgia Tech as a distinct unit from Army ROTC
1952
Detachment 165 becomes one of the first detachments in the nation to allow women to attend military training and earn a commission
1965
The Georgia Tech administration elects to drop mandatory ROTC enrollment
1990
Detachment 165 moves to the ground floor of the D.M. Smith Building which still bears the Air Force Seal and the Air Force Core Values
2006
Detachment 165 moves to its current home on the second floor of the O’Keefe Building alongside Army ROTC and Naval ROTC
2020
Just under a year after the U.S. Space Force is established, Detachment 165 commissions its first officer into the nation’s newest military branch
“I got involved because I wanted to be a part of something bigger than myself—a bigger family—and I got exactly that. Being a part of Honor guard, the mentor/mentee program, and taking on different positions in the detachment helped me feel more confident in my abilities, develop time management skills, and most of all enhance teamwork experiences. I love how this program challenges you to be the best you can be in every aspect of your life. I learn something every day from everyone in our detachment, whether that be my peers, POC, or cadre. I never forget my “why,” and my detachment constantly inspires me.“
– Sonia Thakur, AE 2025
Georgia Tech is Home to 11 Crosstown Schools
