National Honor for Future Heroes

Baylor’s Air Force and Space Force Reserve Officer Training Corp (AFROTC), Detachment 810, has added another milestone to its distinguished history as one of the nation’s oldest AFROTC units. Detachment 810 has been ranked the No. 1 Medium Detachment in the country, outperforming 49 other detachments nationwide to claim the top honor. 

Lt. Col. Kenneth Sterling, the detachment’s commander, accepted the AFROTC Detachment Right of Line award at the AFROTC’s Detachment Commander symposium. 

“This award validates the value of thinking outside the box, building a great team and harnessing the creative power of 80-plus cadets,” Sterling said. “Baylor’s support of this program is second to none and in line with the school’s longstanding commitment to supporting the military.”

The award considers multiple criteria, including production, education, recruiting and retention, university and public relations, cadet activities, Arnold Air Society activities and notable achievements.

Established in 1948 only 10 months after the creation of the Air Force as a separate military unit, Baylor’s Detachment 810 is one of the first ROTC programs in the nation.

AFROTC is an educational program giving men and women the opportunity to become Air Force or Space Force officers while completing their degrees. The Fall 2024 semester saw Baylor AFROTC’s largest cadet cohort in a decade. 

Sterling is leaving Baylor this summer for his next assignment, leaving a legacy to be continued by Lt. Col. Kimber Nettis, B.A. ’07, who will become the program’s first female commander.