By Hazel Scott
The Air Force ROTC Detachment 019 at Alabama State University held its annual “Dining Out” event in the Dunn-Oliver Acadome.
Cadets donned their best uniform or formal attire and witnessed Air Force traditions.
“Cadets solemnly recognized Prisoners of War and (those) Missing in Action, conducted a semester-in-review (slide show), and did their very first call-sign naming ceremony,” said Lt. Col. Lisa C. Boyer, Commander, Air Force ROTC Detachment 019.
During the call-sign ceremony, Boyer noted, the cadets receive nicknames from their peers. She said possibly the most familiar call-signs known to the movie-going public are “Maverick,” “Iceman” and “Goose,” which were nicknames for pilots in the movie “Top Gun.”
“Just like in the movies, fighter pilots in real life have call signs, too,” Boyer said. “This was the first time we (AFROTC) did it. In the Air Force, the tradition continues within many communities, each of which have their own customary ceremony.”
As part of the ceremony, several toasts were made to recognize the President of the United States and Air Force leadership.
Representatives of the Air Force, Army, Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps attended the ceremony.
The evening also included the presentation of awards.
Award winners included Cadet Justin Detamphayvanh, who received the Commander’s Semester Award, and Cadet Amin Buchanan, who received the Recruiting Award.
Detachment 019’s Color Guard received several recognitions. ASU recognized the Color Guard’s participation in its Veterans’ Day Ceremony, St. James School presented the Color Guard with a Letter of Appreciation for its Military Appreciation Game Day, and the team received the Alabama Investigator’s Conference Certificate of Appreciation.