Founded on June 30, 1989 at the Pentagon, the Air Force Cadet Officer Mentor Action Program (AFCOMAP) owes its origins to the United States Army organization called ROCKS, a non-profit organization founded in 1966 to provide a continuing means of career development and enlightenment to minority officers. In 1982, ROCKS initiated an Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) visitation program, providing career information to Army ROTC cadets that would permit them to hit the ground running upon entering active duty. In 1983, ROCKS invited the Air Force to join their visitation program. Five African-American officers, Brigadier General Russell C. Davis, Colonel Paul G. Patton, Colonel James C. Crump, Colonel Wade Gattling, and Major Thomas L. Bain accepted the ROCKS’ invitation to join them in the mission of inspiring and motivating eager cadets at historically black colleges and universities to become the best officers possible. However, it wasn’t until 1985 that this group of officers began visiting Air Force ROTC detachments under the sponsorship of Lieutenant General Winston D. Powers.

Motivated by the ever-increasing requests for visits, the group expanded to 12 members in 1986 and became informally known as the Air Force "ROCKS" Briefing Team, since the ROCKS organization provided funding for school travel. General Bernard P. Randolph, Commander of Air Force Systems Command, became the team’s new sponsor following General Powers’ retirement. In his September 12, 1988 letter to Lieutenant General Thomas J. Hickey, Deputy Chief of Staff, Personnel, General Randolph requested that General Hickey investigate officially sponsoring the briefing team through Air Force personnel channels. On January 23, 1989, General Hickey officially endorsed the efforts of the Air Force "ROCKS" Briefing Team and solicited strong support of all ROTC personnel. Following this great news, the team changed its name and founded AFCOMAP on June 30, 1989 under the leadership of Lieutenant Colonel Donald W. Newton. Colonel Paul G. Patton became AFCOMAP’s first president. Captain Alphronzo Moseley, an original founding member, gave the organization its name. (See "Origin of the AFCOMAP Name" below.)

With a new name and charter, the members once again petitioned General Hickey but this time for official sanctioning of the new AFCOMAP organization. Following official sanctioning on June 1, 1990, AFCOMAP expanded its ROTC visitation program beyond historically black colleges and universities to include all AFROTC detachments, and it also included within the scope of its mission fellowship luncheons and junior officer professional leadership development seminars. In concert with this renewed vision, the organization developed a strategic plan to expand its mentoring reach by activating chapters at key Air Force bases nationwide.

Between 1990 and 1995, AFCOMAP chartered chapters at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH, McClellan AFB, CA, Maxwell AFB, AL, Los Angeles AFB, CA, and Langley AFB, VA. On November 19, 1994, the Secretary of the Air Force (The Honorable Sheila E. Widnall) and Chief of Staff of the Air Force (General Ronald R. Fogleman) renewed the AFCOMAP charter and further expanded its mission to include recruitment and retention of cadets and junior officers, and the establishment of chapters at Air Force bases throughout the world.

Today, AFCOMAP continues to prove its worth and need. In addition to its renounced external mentoring of cadets through the Air Force ROTC visitation program, AFCOMAP has employed a formal “internal” mentoring program of active duty officers, where one-on-one mentoring is its cornerstone. This program accents the benefits of professional leadership development seminars and fellowship activities. Since its early years as the Air Force “ROCKS” Briefing Team, AFCOMAP has become the mother of Air Force mentoring initiatives by institutionalizing mentoring throughout the Air Force and by actively supporting other mentoring organizations among its sister Services and around the world.

Moreover, because of its unique heritage, AFCOMAP enjoys a special relationship with the acclaimed Tuskegee Airmen, the first African-American Air Force pioneers of manned flight who amassed record successes during World War II. The Tuskegee Airmen Youth Flying/Mentoring Program engenders this uniqueness by cultivating AFCOMAP’s mission and fully demonstrating the organization’s ultimate goal, as so stated by its motto, "Strengthening Future Air Force Leaders Through Mentorship." The Air Force Cadet Officer Mentor Action Program continues to provide the leadership so essential in making a positive difference and its motto a living reality.

Origin of the AFCOMAP Name

Captain Alphronzo Moseley, an original founding member, gave the organization its name. The name is significant for three reasons. First, the seven letters in AFCOMAP symbolize the seven promotion steps in the Air Force officer corps beginning with the grade of 0-1 and progressing to the grade of 0-7. It is believed that cadets who receive active mentoring before commissioning as Second Lieutenants can potentially become general officers during their Air Force career.

Second, each of the seven letters has a unique significance. The letters "A" and "F" symbolize the “Air Force’s” official endorsement; the letters “C” and “O” represent the mentoring process between Cadets and Officers whereas the result is cross fertilization; the “M” in “Mentor” represents a trusted counselor or teacher, which is so essential in the lives of cadets and junior officers if they are to reach a level of maturity and upward mobility that are expected of them as professional officers; “A” in “Action” reminds the organization that it must always be actively engaged in developing future leaders, ensuring they reach their maximum potential in the Air Force; and the letter “P” in “Program” means that AFCOMAP encompasses a spectrum of activities all toward achieving the mission of mentorship.

Third and finally, the number seven is not only prevalent in the AFCOMAP name, as described by its letters, it is also prevalent in its motto as well, “Strengthening Future Air Force Leaders Through Mentorship.” Inseparable, the name and motto together completely describe the unique mission of the organization and provide a vivid reminder to its membership of its commitment to the cause of mentoring.