Skip to main content
Cornell AFROTCDetachment 520Ever Upward
A line of newly commissioned officers in service dress celebrates with champagne outside Barton Hall.

Detachment 520Cornell University

Det 520 Community

Alumni

Detachment 520's place in Cornell's military history, and the ways alumni stay connected: the Dispatch newsletter, the alumni database, and the detachment's contact information.

Explore Cornell ROTC History

A Detachment 520 legacy at Cornell

Cornell traces military instruction to 1868, the establishment of a formal ROTC unit to 1917, and the transition of its Air Sciences and Tactics Division into Air Force ROTC Detachment 520 in 1950. Barton Hall, built from 1914 to 1917 as an armory and drill hall, remains home to Cornell's ROTC community.

  • 1868

    Military instruction begins

    Cornell traces its military-instruction tradition to 1868.

  • 1917

    Formal ROTC unit established

    Cornell records the establishment of a formal ROTC unit in 1917.

  • 1950

    Detachment 520 takes shape

    Cornell's Air Sciences and Tactics Division transitioned into Air Force ROTC Detachment 520.

Stay connected

Read the detachment's monthly newsletter, add yourself to the alumni database, or reach the detachment directly.