Air Force ROTC Detachment 040 Loyola Marymount University

AFSC spotlight: 12BX Bomber Combat Systems Officer (CSO) What do they do? Bomber CSOs are typically mission commanders whose primary focus is to employ weapons systems and assist aircraft navigation. A CSO and their crew are able to deploy at a moment’s notice to drop ordinances on a pinpoint anywhere in the world. They are responsible for the calibration and activation of ordinances, making precision and timeliness crucial factors to mission success.... Requirements: A prospect must attend Undergraduate Combat SystemsOfficer Training (UCT) in Pensacola, Fl., InitialFlight Training in Pueblo, Co., and complete water and combat survival training prior to their squadron assignment. Upon arrival to the squadron, a CSO will undergo 6 mo. of specialized training with respect to their selected airframe. Day in the Life: Flying days typically consist of mission briefings, aircraft walk-throughs, routine checks of weapon systems and weather conditions, execution of the mission, and debriefs. Non-flying days may consist of mission prep, training exercises, studying, and other officer duties

Happy AS 400 Friday! Today, we have none other than Cadet Miliano Mikol! AFSC: 15A - Operations Research Analyst (This was his first choice!) C/Mikol currently attends LMU as a Computer Science major... His biggest price of advice for GMC is, Decision-making in uncertain environments isn’t rocket science. It boils down to common sense and your willingness to adapt. Embrace variability. C/Mikol’s favorite Det 040 memory was going out to eat with fellow cadets after in-person training days His hobbies include Working out, playing COD with the boys, car mods, shopping, and eating His spirit animal would be an eagle because it symbolizes what I love: freedom. Does pineapple belong on pizza? 100%. That’s my favorite kind.

Congratulations to Cadet Christopher Guerra, this week’s Cadet of the Week! C/Guerra attends LMU where he is majoring in Political Science! My favorite part of AFROTC is the teamwork and wingmanship exhibited by every cadet. Being able to work with others in order to accomplish a common goal is such a rewarding experience. Cadet Guerra was outstanding this week as he was encouraging during both LLAB and PT. Before the ELP began, he gave the new cadets advice about how it... would work and how best they could help. During the ELP he asked questions that helped the leader with the task without stepping on toes. Along with regular AFROTC requirements, Cadet Guerra also puts extra effort in as GMCA, relaying GMC concerns up the Chain of Command, and helping the entire squadron any way he can. He consistently displays professionalism in appearance and customs & courtesies, and he maintains an amazingly positive attitude no matter the circumstance. -C/1stLt Flowers See more

AFSC spotlight: 16FX Foreign Area Officer WHAT DO THEY DO? The primary role of FAO is to build and maintain strong foreign relations with other international military branches and foreign leaders. They also advise senior leaders on political-military operations, provide cultural expertise to deployed units, develop and coordinate security cooperation, execute security assistance programs with host nations, and develop reports on diplomatic, information, military, and economic... activities. Up until this year, the FAO was a secondary career field. Officers had their main AFSC, and participated as a FAO on the side. It was difficult to manage the FAO’s because their priority was their core AFSC. It was announced in the Spring of 2021, the FOA will officially transition into a core career field! As of now, this is not an entry level position, but is a great career path if cadets are interested in working in international affairs. REQUIREMENTS: FAO must possess regional expertise, with political, cultural, sociological, economic, and geographic awareness, and foreign language proficiency in at least one of the dominant languages in their specified region. Most officers are eligible to transition into the FAO field after 7 years of service (but this may change in the Spring of 2021).

Happy AS 400 Friday! Our first senior spotlight goes to Cadet Shannon Esmas. AFSC: 14NX- Nurse C/Esmas’ biggest piece of advice for GMC is to know that the program is what you make of it and that you need to rely on your people and wingman. This is a tough program and you won’t get through it alone. Find people who understand your and don’t forget that there is a life outside of AFROTC so go live your best college life. ... Her favorite memory at Det 040 was being thrown into the ocean by C/Barberides after our annual beach LLAB and swimming with other cadets! C/Esmas’ hobbies include snowboarding, traveling and adventures, watching sunsets, fishing, and puzzles. Her spirit animal is a shark because they just keep swimming and that’s a cool vibe or a koala because they sleep like 22 hours a day Does pineapple belong on pizza? ABSOLUTELY!

Cadet of the Week was awarded to none other than Cadet Epps! She is a Christian Studied major at Biola University, and is also finishing her teaching certification at Saddleback College for her job as a preschool teacher. C/Epps’ favorite part about ROTC is always having the opportunity to push yourself and get better and reach goals you didn’t even know you had. Cadet Epps deserves Cadet of the Week because she continues to reflect all aspects of the core values and con...tinues to conquer each training day and PT session with courage, confidence, and wingmanship. In addition to this, she shows determination to excelling in the program, all while taking 8 classes, going to work, and most importantly, taking care of her kids. She has been known to contribute much to her flight, especially by being a great wingman to the new cadets, and she has potential in expressing her leadership skills by helping Alpha Flight succeed with her. -C/Austria, Alpha Flight Commander See more