McCall Retires From Air Force ROTC, Joins Veteran Resource Center on Campus

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Lt. Col. Buster McCall serving lunch at the Staff Appreciation Picnic.

Lt. Col. Buster McCall, commander and professor of aerospace studies for the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps Detachment 030 at University of Arkansas will retire on June 30, following four years of service to the University of Arkansas and more than 25 years of service to the U.S. military. McCall was imperative to the detachment achieving Best Small Detachment in the nation in 2014, also known as the High Flight Award.

McCall earned his B.S. in mathematics from the University of Arkansas and an M.A. in history from the University of Texas, San Antonio.  He is also a graduate of Squadron Office School, Air War College and Air Command and Staff College. Throughout his distinguished career McCall earned eight Meritorious Service Medals, as well as the Joint Service Commendation, the Iraq Campaign Medal and the Humanitarian Service Medal, among others.

He commissioned as a second lieutenant into the United States Air Force in August 1990 and has served in a variety of manpower, personnel, education, and training-related positions including Military Personnel Officer, Headquarters Stabilization Force (SFOR), Camp Butmir, Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Director of Manpower and Personnel, European Command Joint Assistance Team, in support of Operation Assured Delivery, and Deputy Commander, 447th Air Expeditionary Group, Sather Air Base, Iraq, supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.   

McCall joined the faculty in 2012 as a professor of Aerospace Studies, returning to his alma mater after 22 years, taking command of the very detachment he had commissioned from decades earlier. 

McCall has provided leadership and supervision of all unit operations, recruiting, and education functions as well as overseeing cadre training and professional development. McCall's support of his cadre's achievements has led to several awards including several recipients of the New Faculty Commendation for Teaching Commitment, Air Force ROTC NCO of the Year, Instructor of the Year, and Civilian of the Year.

He is also responsible for leading, recruiting, training, counseling, and evaluating highly qualified young men and women as prospective Air Force officers, growing Detachment 030 to a medium sized unit in 2015. McCall's servant leadership has produced many top graduates and national award winners from the program during his tenure.

"I appreciate Lt. Colonel McCall's commitment both to his cadets and to the University of Arkansas. He has inspired the future leaders of the Air Force, and has been an effective advocate for them and the Air Force ROTC program. While his aforementioned service will be missed, we are glad to have him continuing in his new capacity at the University," said Provost Ashok Saxena.

McCall will continue to serve his alma mater as the associate director of the Veterans Resource and Information Center beginning July 1.