Newnan Cadet Earns Rare Air Force Academy Exchange Opportunity

Cameron Todhunter didn’t hesitate when a competitive Air Force ROTC opportunity crossed his desk. The Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University cadet recently completed a semester at the U.S. Air Force Academy, earning one of only seven exchange positions awarded nationwide.

Todhunter, a Newnan native and aerospace engineering major at Embry-Riddle’s Prescott, Arizona campus, spent the fall semester in Colorado Springs as part of a selective exchange program designed to expose top ROTC cadets to academy-level training and academics.

“I hadn’t realized how many amazing opportunities they could provide,” Todhunter said of Air Force ROTC. “When I saw the application for the Academy exchange, I started working on it with the officers at my detachment, and ended up getting it.”

Bridging ROTC and the Academy

The exchange program is designed as a form of cultural cross-pollination, allowing ROTC cadets to experience academy life while bringing lessons back to their home detachments.

“I bring my knowledge from ROTC to the Air Force Academy, and then bring back what I learn at the Academy to Air Force ROTC,” Todhunter said. “It’s about understanding both environments.”

While at the Academy, Todhunter made a deliberate choice to broaden his officer training beyond engineering. In addition to his technical coursework, he enrolled in military strategy and leadership-focused classes that do not directly apply to his Embry-Riddle degree but are central to Air Force officer development.

“I took strategy classes that wouldn’t transfer back,” he said. “I wanted to take advantage of being there and increase my experience — not just academically, but in how the military thinks and operates.”

Elite Training Opportunities

One of the most distinctive parts of the semester came through an Air Force Academy training opportunity.

“I got to do the famous airmanship 490 freefall jump course,” Todhunter said. “That’s freefall parachuting — jumping out of airplanes.”

The experience stood out even among the Academy’s demanding schedule.

“It was genuinely the most fun thing I’ve ever done,” he said.

A Competitive Path to the Cockpit

Todhunter joined Air Force ROTC with a clear goal: earning a pilot slot. That path, he said, is competitive and dependent on performance across multiple areas.

“It’s based on GPA, fitness scores, and the needs of the Air Force,” he said. “Those are the same things that made me competitive for the Academy exchange.”

He has already signed a contract committing him to serve as a commissioned Air Force officer after graduation, with an extended service obligation if selected for pilot training.

If awarded a pilot slot, Todhunter hopes to pursue Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training, a multinational program that trains pilots from allied nations in the United States.

“They send pilots from coalition partners to train together,” he said. “I’d really like to be part of that.”

Preparation That Started Early

A graduate of Trinity Christian School in Sharpsburg, Todhunter said both academics and athletics prepared him well for the demands of ROTC and engineering.

“One physics class taught me how to problem solve at a high level,” he said. “That directly contributed to my success in engineering.”

Running cross country proved equally formative.

“I worried I wouldn’t be able to do all the push-ups,” Todhunter said. “They told me it’s much easier to eat and learn how to do push-ups than it is to learn how to run. I had already done the hard part.”

He now participates in military marathons and maintains high fitness standards.

Local Roots

Todhunter’s family lives in Newnan. His parents, Vanessa and Joe Todhunter, are part of the local community, and Joe Todhunter works at Yamaha, which also awarded Cameron a college scholarship. Cameron also has two younger sisters, one in seventh grade and one in 11th grade.

Looking Ahead

Financially, Todhunter receives partial tuition support through ROTC and has been nominated for external scholarships, including one from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

Long term, his goals extend well beyond his first assignment.

“I subscribe to ‘shoot for the moon and you’ll land among the stars,’” Todhunter said. “My long-term goal is to become an astronaut — or at least to have a career strong enough to apply.”

That vision includes career military service, advanced training, and leadership roles.

“I’ve always wanted to serve and do the best I can with what God has given me,” he said. “The best application of that for me is being a pilot.”