Polls

Loading ...

Polls Archive

Sahuaro

8

Walden Grove

51

Oct 6 / Football
Sahuaro

1

Canyon del Oro

3

Oct 5 / Girls Volleyball

University Of Arizona Air Force ROTC Named Best In The Country

Sarah Bol, Editor-In-Chief

February 20, 2026

Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Another achievement for Arizona, the University of Arizona Air Force ROTC was named best in the nation. On January 15th, a large group of Air Force ROTC cadets walked into a South Hall conference room expecting a normal meeting. Little did they know, they were about to receive the best reward in the nation.

Col. Eugene Moore III, the Air Force ROTC headquarters commander, congratulated the cadets via a large television screen for being recognized as the best large detachment among 145 Air Force ROTC units nationwide. According to the University of Arizona, “Known as the Right of Line Award, the recognition is based on cadet performance in basic training and group competitions, community service, officer production, recruiting, and scholarship rates.”

The Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, commonly referred to as ROTC, is a program affiliated with colleges that prepares individuals to become commissioned officers in the United States military. The University of Arizona’s ROTC program includes Air Force, Army, and Navy units managed by the Dean of Students Office.

“ROTC has a rich tradition at the University of Arizona, and both our cadets and command staff are exceptional,” remarked Chrissy Lieberman, the dean of students. “We deeply appreciate the leadership and guidance shown in the program over the years. The recognition of our Wildcat Wing is well earned and a source of pride for both the Dean of Students Office and the university.”

Currently, the university’s Air Force detachment, known as the Wildcat Wing, is home to 140 cadets, with 23 set to graduate this May and receive their commission. Leading the unit is Col. Cory Christoffer, a veteran of the Air Force with 28 years of service, who takes his duty of training and sharing knowledge with his students very seriously—and he praises them for their recent achievement.

“We wouldn’t be named ‘best in the nation’ if it weren’t for the hardworking staff and cadets of this detachment… This is an amazing group of people who strive for great heights, while making sure to support each other on their journey to becoming the best new officers in the world’s greatest air force and space force.”

About the Contributor

Sarah Bol, Editor-In-Chief

Sarah Bol, a junior, has been working on The Paper Cut for three years and is now the Editor-In-Chief. In addition to The Paper Cut, Sarah is also involved in Student Government, National Honor Society, Link Crew, Marching Band, Winterguard, Robotics, and Book Club. Sarah has set her focus on getting into the University of Arizona to study journalism and become a broadcast political analyst, while also continuing music studies. Sarah’s passions include studying politics, taking photos, music, and much more. Sarah’s known to have a very busy schedule, often having to turn down hangouts because of school, clubs, or work. Because of that dedication to her craft, Sarah has won many awards – one of her most prideful being the Cougar Spirit Award that she received at the 2025 Honors and Awards night. But Sarah’s portfolio doesn’t end there; this past summer, Sarah completed a program called Camp Cronkite, a camp held at the ASU Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications. While there, Sarah learned from some of the best journalism professors in the country; they delved into many topics, including Podcast Strategy, Catchy Ledes and Headlines, and Videography. Sarah comes from a long line of artists; her grandfather was a sculptor, painter, and photographer, and her grandmother was a music teacher and photographer. Her mother was very involved in art and activism in New York, and her sister is a clarinetist. Growing up surrounded by the arts, Sarah has dipped her toes into many forms of media, her most recent being music. Sarah is in our Color Guard, where they perform with the marching band using dance and auxiliary arts. Now she’s taking it one step forward by learning the clarinet and the trumpet, in hopes of joining the jazz band in the spring.