VALDOSTA – Valdosta State University Air Force ROTC Detachment 172 unveiled its flight simulation room.

Monday, VSU leadership toured and participated in the completed flight simulation room.

The room was built for VSU cadets to enhance their training as they prepare for graduation and careers in the Air Force, university officials said.

The total cost of the completed flight simulation room was approximately $53,000. The funds came from the university budget and VSU’s Stuart Parker Endowment.

Bobby Mitchell, cadet wing commander, Detachment 172, said, “Many cadets join Detachment 172 in hopes of becoming a military aviator upon graduating and commissioning. The virtual reality simulators give our cadets a competitive edge when competing for rated jobs — pilots, combat air system operators, remotely piloted aircraft pilots and air battle managers — within the Air Force by allowing them to learn aviation knowledge through Air Ground School and practice flying without needing to pay for flight lessons.”

In fall 2019, the AFROTC unveiled a $1.7 million renovation project that included the renovation of Barrow Hall and a vacant facility on north campus.

The project updated academic spaces for the cadets and provided them with a second facility for workouts, studying, team building, etc.

“The simulation has been in the works for quite a while and now we want leadership to know how appreciative we are for this investment in our program,” Major Stephen Ott, commander of AFROTC Detachment 172, said. “Eleven out of 14 of the current senior class were selected for aviation programs. We want to produce a certain amount of aviation officers since we are a flying institution. This is going to significantly increase interest in aviation.”

The graduating class had a 100% selection rate on the Fiscal Year 2022 rated board, with five pilot selects, two combat system operators, three remotely piloted aircraft pilots and one air battle manager, Mitchell said.

Ott and Mitchell said no other detachment has the equipment that is currently being used for VSU AFROTC Detachment 172.

The spring/summer 2022 cadet class will be VSU’s largest since 2019.

Graduating cadets, commissions this spring:

Bobby R. Mitchell, pilot (92T0), Sheppard AFB, Texas. 

Noah D. Atkinson, pilot (92T0), Vance AFB, Oklahoma.

John C. Ellis, pilot (92T0), Laughlin AFB, Texas.

Josh C. Grayson, pilot (92T0), Vance AFB, Oklahoma.

William A. Rowland, combat systems officer (92T1), Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Florida.

James E. Sillence, Combat Systems Officer (92T1), Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Florida. 

David C. Hanners, remotely piloted aircraft pilot (92T3), Cannon AFB, New Mexico.

John J. Lesly, remotely piloted aircraft pilot (92T3), Creech AFB, Nevada.

Cyndle A. Rice, air battle manager (92T2), Tyndall AFB, Florida.

Mitch L. Baxter, space operations (13S-Space Force), Vandenburg SFB, California. 

Ebony N. Williams, operations research analyst (15A), TBD.

Hannah S. Delaney, intelligence officer (14N), Goodfellow AFB, Texas.

Andrew T. Harris, cyberspace operations (17D1), Keesler AFB, Mississippi.

Sandor D. Westlund, cyberspace operations (17D1), Keesler AFB, Mississippi. 

Summer graduates, commissions:

Charles S. Moye, remotely piloted aircraft pilot (92T3), Creech AFB, Nevada.

Benjamin C. West, physicist/nuclear engineer (61D), TBD.