Top honors for UH Air Force ROTC Detachment 175

UH Manoa‘s Air Force ROTC Detachment 175 will be up for national honors in a few weeks, after winning the High Flight Award in the Southwest Region. The UH unit beat out more than a dozen other medium-sized units in the region for the prestigious award that recognizes the unit with the highest level of excellence in a number of leadership categories.

In announcing the award, AFROTC Southwest Region Commander, Col. Charles M. Dodd, III, expressed his "great confidence in the quality of training we are providing to our future leaders."

Lt. Col. Bibiana R. Laborte, UH Professor of Aerospace Studies and Air Force ROTC Detachment Commander, acknowledged "the relentless commitment and dedication of the UH Air Force ROTC cadre that helped them earn this prestigious recognition."

The leadership training program the UH detachment has operated for the last two years includes such things as early morning physical training, community volunteer events, Air Force inspections, and even cadet orientation flights provided by the Hawaii Air National Guard. "Our achievements in the classroom, in the community and in our training operations were all part of the winning formula," Laborte said.

Detachment 175‘s admissions officer, Captain Mario Perez, was selected for individual recognition as the Southwest Region‘s Admissions Officer of the Year. The UH program has experienced a 35 percent increase in enrollment — to a total of 164 cadets in the school year just ended — as a result of several recruiting initiatives implemented by Captain Perez.

Both the Detachment and Captain Perez will go on to compete at the national level for top Air Force ROTC awards in late October/early November at the National Commander‘s Conference.