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Cornell AFROTCDetachment 520Ever Upward
The Joint Service Color Guard posted with the national colors and service flags at a formal event.

Detachment 520Cornell University

Det 520 Cadet Life

Cadet Organizations

Cadets take part in two joint organizations drawing participants from across Cornell's Army, Naval, and Air Force ROTC programs, and in the national i5 Space organization.

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Joint organizations at Cornell

Cornell's Scabbard and Blade chapter and the Joint Service Color Guard.

  • Joint Cornell ROTC organization

    Scabbard and Blade

    Cornell's chapter of the national military honor society — Charlie Company, First Regiment, described as the third company formed, founded in 1906. It honors members of the three commissioning programs who best exemplify academic strength, service to community, and outstanding ethical and moral character.

  • Volunteer joint organization

    Joint Service Color Guard

    A volunteer color guard of cadets and midshipmen from Cornell's Army, Naval, and Air Force ROTC programs, presenting the nation's colors at Cornell sporting events and other engagements across the Finger Lakes region.

National organization

i5 Space

Detachment 520 is one of the host detachments of i5 Space, a national student organization that operates in conjunction with the Space Force's Space Training and Readiness Command. Its stated mission is to produce educated and inspired leaders who are prepared to define the character of warfighting in space.

The organization began at the U.S. Air Force Academy in 2021 as the Institute for Applied Space Policy in Strategy and was rebranded i5 Space a year later. It has since grown past 1,000 members across roughly 70 host detachments, including the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Military Academy, Cornell, Harvard, Yale, and MIT. Membership is not limited to cadets — civilian students take part and hold leadership roles.

Its work is organized around five pillars: innovate, inform, influence, impact, and inspire. Programs include a four-course educational curriculum, cyber training exercises and wargaming, officer mentorship, and the summer Azimuth Space Program, in which Army and Navy cadets join AFROTC and Academy students for joint space education and training. i5 Space also maintains research partnerships with the Space Force and NATO.

Visit i5 Space
An Air Force Academy cadet gestures toward a United States Space Force recruiting slide while briefing ROTC cadets on i5 Space.
U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Michael Ward. The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense imagery does not imply endorsement.

The Color Guard in practice

Color guard members prepare, form, and post the colors at formal university and community events.

  • Color guard members adjust their gloves and belts while preparing to post the colors.
  • Two color guard members in service dress carry sabers through a doorway at a formal event.
  • The color guard stands with the national and service colors posted at a formal event.

Status and participation

Organization status, membership requirements, and participation opportunities change from year to year. Contact Detachment 520 to confirm current details before planning around either organization.

Detachment 520 contact information

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