Air Force ROTC Detachment 085

What Air Force ROTC Detachment 085 does

Air Force ROTC Detachment 085 is a U.S. Air Force commissioning unit stationed at the University of California, Berkeley, operating as part of the university's Department of Military Affairs under Air University and the Holm Center. The detachment delivers a four-year undergraduate program combining 16 academic credits in leadership, management, history, and Air Force/Space Force operations with a weekly Leadership Laboratory, physical fitness training, and a three-week Field Training course conducted after the sophomore year. It serves UC Berkeley students as the host population plus cadets drawn from 26 cross-town partner institutions across the San Francisco Bay Area, including Cal State Maritime Academy, San Francisco State University, Cal State East Bay, City College of San Francisco, Diablo Valley College, and Contra Costa College. Three scholarship pathways (High School Scholarship Program, In-College Scholarship Program, and Charles McGee Leadership Award) and monthly stipends for contracted cadets are the principal economic instruments used to attract and retain participants.

The unit commissions officers into both the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Space Force following a competitive selection process, with service commitments ranging from 4 to 10 years depending on the career field selected. Cadre consists of approximately 6-7 active-duty Air Force personnel — including a Detachment Commander (also Chair of the Department of Aerospace Studies), a Director of Operations, an Operations Flight Commander, a dedicated Recruiting Officer, an Officer Accessions Instructor, and a Non-Commissioned Officer-in-Charge of Administration — plus enlisted support staff (firmographics list total headcount at 24). The program has been continuously operating since reestablishment in 1951 and traces its lineage to a 1920 Air ROTC unit at Berkeley, earning the designation "America's First Air Force ROTC."

Funding flows entirely through Department of Defense military appropriations administered by Air University; the program does not generate commercial revenue, students participate at no cost until they contract or accept a scholarship, and contracted cadets receive monthly stipends and book payments as appropriated benefits. The entity operates solely within the United States, has no equity ownership, no subsidiaries, no patents, no funding rounds, and no M&A history.

Name

Air Force ROTC Detachment 085

Legal name

Air Force ROTC Detachment 085

Website

https://airforcerotc.berkeley.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1951

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Air Force ROTC Detachment 085 is a U.S. Air Force unit at UC Berkeley training cadets from Berkeley and 26 Bay Area partner schools to become officers in the U.S. Air Force and Space Force via leadership training and scholarships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Military Officer Training Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) & Officer Candidate Schools (OCS/OTS) (EDAHAOAJ)

Keywords

• Military officer training
• Air Force ROTC program
• Leadership education
• Defense commissioning
• Military scholarship program

Headquarters

HQ city

Berkeley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Government-Funded Military Training Program: AFROTC is a U.S. Department of Defense program funded through military appropriations. Students receive free leadership training and academic credits. Contracted cadets receive monthly stipends and book payments. The program does not generate commercial revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Air Force ROTC Detachment 085 operates a four-year U.S. Air Force and Space Force officer commissioning program at UC Berkeley. The program consists of 16 academic credits covering leadership, management, history, current events, and Air Force operations, paired with weekly Leadership Laboratory sessions, fitness training, and three-week Field Training after the sophomore year. Students may compete for Type 1, Type 2, and Type 7 scholarships, and contracted cadets receive monthly stipends and book payments while working toward commissioning as Air Force or Space Force officers.

Product overview

Air Force ROTC Detachment 085 offers a comprehensive four-year commissioning program consisting of 16 academic credits focused on leadership, management, history, current events, and Air Force operations. The program includes weekly Leadership Laboratory sessions, Field Training after the sophomore year, and pathways to scholarships through the High School Scholarship Program, In-College Scholarship Program, and Charles McGee Leadership Award. Contracted cadets receive monthly stipends and book payments. The program prepares students to become officers in the United States Air Force and Space Force, with service commitments varying by career field (4-10 years depending on specialization).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Air Force ROTC Program A four-year program consisting of 16 academic credits centered around leadership, management, history, current events, and Air Force operations, including preparation for commissioning as an officer in the United States Air Force or Space Force.
• Leadership Laboratory Weekly leadership development component of the ROTC program where cadets practice and develop leadership skills through hands-on training exercises.
• High School Scholarship Program Scholarship program for high school students applying to the Air Force ROTC program, with a typical December 1 application deadline.
• In-College Scholarship Program Scholarships awarded to students who have academically excelled during their first few semesters in college.
• Charles McGee Leadership Award Award offered to all cadets who successfully complete field training and are not already on scholarship; may be converted into a housing benefit (Type 2 scholarship).
• Monthly Cadet Stipend and Book Payment Monthly monetary allowance provided to contracted cadets during each academic term, along with book payments.
• Field Training Three-week intensive training program conducted after the sophomore year as part of progression in Air Force ROTC.
• Space Force Selection Process Specialized training and selection process available during the sophomore year for cadets interested in serving in the United States Space Force.

Quantifiable outcome

• Graduates become commissioned officers in the U.S. Air Force or Space Force

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• UC BerkeleycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDetachment 085's host university. AFROTC is part of the Department of Military Affairs at UC Berkeley. Provides academic credit for AFROTC courses and administrative support through the university.
• Cal State Maritime AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormal academic agreement allowing Maritime Academy students to enroll in AFROTC at UC Berkeley and receive UC Berkeley academic credit.
• City College of San FranciscocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCross-town school agreement allowing CC SF students to participate in AFROTC program at UC Berkeley while pursuing their degree.
• Diablo Valley CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCross-town school agreement for DVC students to enroll in AFROTC at UC Berkeley with academic credit transfer.
• San Francisco State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCross-town partner allowing SFSU students to participate in AFROTC program at UC Berkeley.
• Contra Costa CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCross-town school agreement for CCC students to enroll in AFROTC at UC Berkeley.
• United States Air ForcecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent military service. AFROTC is a Department of Defense program administered by the Air Force. Detachment 085 commissions officers into the USAF and USSF.
• United States Space ForcecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpace Force included in AFROTC program with selection process during sophomore year and specialized training for cadets pursuing Space Force careers.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Army ROTC (UC Berkeley): Parallel sister ROTC program operating from the same UC Berkeley host campus. Uses the same cross-town model and competes for the same student-athlete and leadership-oriented candidate pool at UC Berkeley and partner schools.
• AFROTC Detachment 105 (Texas A&M): One of the largest AFROTC detachments in the country. Comparable commissioning mission but operates at far greater scale in a defense-friendly regional recruiting environment.
• AFROTC Detachment 770 (Stanford): Nearby AFROTC detachment at Stanford. Operates in the same Bay Area recruiting geography and competes for the same cross-town and high-credential candidate pool.
• Naval ROTC (UC Berkeley / NROTC Berkeley): Third sister commissioning program at UC Berkeley, recruiting Navy and Marine Corps officers using shared cross-town enrollment infrastructure. Direct co-located competitor for engineering and STEM cadets.
• AFROTC Detachment 025 (MIT): Fellow AFROTC detachment at a top engineering university. Most directly comparable as a high-academic-pedigree commissioning source serving the same Air Force and Space Force pipeline.

Broad incumbents

• Air Force Officer Training School (OTS): Alternative AF commissioning pathway for college graduates who did not complete ROTC. Competes with Detachment 085 for the same overall Air Force officer accession pool, particularly among enlisted members seeking commission.
• U.S. Air Force Academy: The federal service academy that commissions Air Force and Space Force officers as its primary mission. A non-ROTC officer accession source operating at much larger scale with full four-year residential military education.

Others

• Maritime Academy / Cal Maritime (cross-town partner): One of Detachment 085's 26 listed cross-town academic partners, enabling Maritime Academy students to enroll in AFROTC. Ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/air-force-rotc-detachment-085

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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