Purdue Air Force ROTC program receives DOD’s prestigious ROTC and Educational Institution Partnership Excellence Award

(Purdue University/provided)

Purdue University has been awarded the U.S. Department of Defense’s prestigious ROTC and Educational Institution Partnership Excellence Award for 2022-23, citing the university as a “premier institution for military education and training” and Purdue’s Air Force ROTC program as a “beacon of excellence.”

The annual DOD award recognizes ROTC units across the country for their accomplishments in areas such as overall program performance, educational institution support and other notable achievements. Air Force ROTC Detachment 220, based in the Purdue Polytechnic Institute, is comprised of over 145 future Air Force and Space Force leaders. The detachment consistently commissions more than 15 rated positions such as pilot and combat systems officer, along with a variety of other career fields.

“AFROTC Detachment 220, in partnership with Purdue University, stands as a beacon of excellence within the AFROTC enterprise,” Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said in a letter to Col. Joseph McKenna, commander of Purdue’s Air Force ROTC Detachment 220. “We in the (Defense) Department appreciate your university, your faculty and the students who make our partnership so strong,” Austin added. “Your outstanding support is crucial to the education and training of the finest military leaders in the world.”

The Purdue Air Force ROTC Detachment 220 extends beyond the confines of military training, enriching both the cadet experience and the broader university community, Austin said, through initiatives such as the Purdue Military Research Institute, the Hypersonics and Applied Research Facility, and participation in universitywide events.

“This incredible award for Purdue and Air Force ROTC Detachment 220 speaks to this university’s commitment to our national defense in consistently producing generations of exceptional warfighting leaders since the Air Force was established as a separate service in 1947,” Col. McKenna said. “And we are grateful for the support of our university through its longstanding land-grant mandate to ensure our future air and space officers are seamlessly integrated into Purdue’s academic, national security, and innovation ecosystem.”

Through engagement efforts stretching into the Greater Lafayette community, the Purdue program fosters a joint bond with veteran service organizations and celebrates the nation’s military services, Austin said. The university’s robust infrastructure, including dedicated training facilities and access to elite athletic complexes, also empowers cadets to excel both academically and physically.

“Purdue’s unwavering commitment to AFROTC Detachment 220’s success is further epitomized

by representation within Purdue’s National Defense and Security, reinforcing Purdue’s

status as a premier institution for military education and training,” Austin said. Purdue is one of the first 14 academic institutions to participate in the U.S. Space Force University Partnership Program, which is designed to cultivate a diverse and inclusive workforce equipped with the technical expertise to advance the nation’s most sophisticated defense systems. Austin also noted that Purdue was a joint host for the inaugural U.S. Space Force Summer Academy as well as the Giant Leaps Summit: National Defense in Space in February. These activities, Austin added, provided students with a unique opportunity to engage with air and space-focused experts, further solidifying Purdue’s status as a leader in aerospace education and innovation.