�鶹�ƽ�� Sycamore Hill welcomes ROTC students, adult learners

Student Experience

�鶹�ƽ�� Sycamore Hill welcomes ROTC students, adult learners

Air Force ROTC cadets from the University of Virginia and James Madison University performed a leadership exercise last week as an introduction to Sycamore Hill, the recently acquired facility they will share with �鶹�ƽ�� School of Continuing and Professional Studies.

The exercise was the first occasion for the cadets to explore the 13-acre facility, formerly the Federal Executive Institute on Emmet Street, adjacent to the north wing of the Barracks Road Shopping Center.

“The objective for Detachment 890 is always the same: to build leaders of character who will lead in the world’s greatest air force,” said Cadet Col. William McGee, the cadet wing commander who led the exercises. “We cannot train for every specific scenario or specific operations. Instead, we build cadets to be confident, capable leaders with the core foundations needed to address any situation they may face.”

Candid of U.S. Air Force Col. Cary D. Mittelmark talking to the cadets

U.S. Air Force Col. Cary D. Mittelmark, commander of Detachment 890, Air Force ROTC, addresses the cadets during a leadership exercise at Sycamore Hill. (Photo by Lathan Goumas, University Communications)

Approximately 140 first- and second-year cadets participated in the exercises. Both groups, the first-year cadets in blue polo shirts and the second-year cadets in battle dress uniforms, started the exercise with instruction in basic military protocol, drill and ceremonial skills, including how to address an officer and close-order marching drills.

Then they separated to their assigned tasks. First-year cadets filled a classroom in the main building, where they were to select the best route for a military convoy through hostile territory.

The second-year cadets started their exercise by receiving reports of a downed pilot, then heading “into the field” to rescue the flier. They took over a room in the gymnasium, clustering around a table to examine diagrams and maps. A group of cadets left the building with a stretcher to “rescue” the pilot. The cadets returned in a few minutes with a plastic dummy on the stretcher.

The Air Force cadets standing at attention at Sycamore Hill

Air Force cadets from UVA and James Madison University stand at attention during a leadership exercise at Sycamore Hill. (Photo by Lathan Goumas, University Communications.)

“These (exercises) vary in subject matter and scope, but generally assess cadet leadership, followership and composure under pressure,” McGee said. “Along the way, they must rapidly adjust to potential threats and other unknowns that may disrupt their initial planning. That ability to adapt under pressure is critical.”

ROTC students will use Sycamore Hill for training. The revamped facility includes a new, dedicated indoor athletic facility and classroom space to supplement the ROTC classrooms on Grounds. The Army and Air Force programs are already using their classrooms at Sycamore Hill, and the Navy is scheduled to join them next year.

“Beginning in fall of 2026, there will be single-room housing for 16 upper-class ROTC cadets at Sycamore Hill, with a shared kitchen,” said Louis Nelson, �鶹�ƽ�� vice provost for academic outreach, who oversees the ROTC program. “This dedicated housing will help foster a sense of community among students enrolled in �鶹�ƽ�� ROTC programs. Sycamore Hill will complement space used by ROTC units on Central Grounds, and cadets will train in both locations.”

Plans eventually call for 36 rooms for fourth-year cadets and midshipmen, which Nelson said will make �鶹�ƽ�� ROTC program very competitive with the service academies and Ivy League schools.

Nelson, who attended the exercise, noted the Rivanna Trail runs past the property and could provide cadets and midshipmen with an opportunity for physical training.

The Sycamore Hill property, with its several large buildings of white-painted brick, will also enable the School of Continuing and Professional Studies, anchored by its Center for Public Safety and Justice, to expand access to degrees, certificates and professional programs, providing education experiences for adults and other learners outside the traditional student community.

Air Force cadets in a marching exercise at Sycamore Hill

Second-year Air Force ROTC cadets begin their assignment of finding a “downed pilot” during a leadership exercise at Sycamore Hill. (Photo by Lathan Goumas, University Communications)

The school’s programs include short-term classes, intensive courses and flexible learning experiences for students in liberal arts, government, business, health care, technology and public safety. The facility will help the school enhance academic innovation, leadership development and community engagement. The school will be able to provide residential experiences for its students utilizing the 49 guest rooms.

“Sycamore Hill will be the home of our Center for Public Safety and Justice, and we expect to use the facility heavily for public safety programs,” Susannah Fuller, the marketing and communications director for the school, said. “Our professional programs will also consistently be in the space and, beyond that, we expect to find opportunities for many of our programs, both current and those to come, to use the space.”

“Sycamore Hill will advance our school’s mission of transforming lives through education by bringing the Jeffersonian, living-learning experience to our students, faculty, staff and community,” said Melissa Lubin, School of Continuing and Professional Studies dean.

Sycamore Hill includes the former Jefferson Hotel, built in the 1950s and later converted into the Federal Executive Institute in the 1970s. It was recently turned over to the University by the federal government.

Air Force cadets carrying a first aid training dummy on a stretcher

Second-year ROTC Air Force cadets carry a “rescued pilot,” in the form of a plastic mannequin, on a stretcher during leadership exercises at Sycamore Hill. (Photo by Lathan Goumas, University Communications)