Main Blue Heaven – School of Arts and Sciences

Wing Commander Rachel McCarthy is the highest-ranking cadet in DET 590, aka Blue Heaven, however the senior’s path to ROTC wasn’t a conventional one.

 

This story, initially revealed on Nov. 8, 2022, has been republished on our entrance web page in honor of Veteran’s Day 2025 to acknowledge the extraordinary contributions of Carolina veterans and military-affiliated Tar Heels.

Carolina was not a part of senior Rachel McCarthy’s authentic plan.

The Rochester, New York, native grew up together with her eyes on the United States Naval Academy, the place her dad and brothers graduated. But as school software deadlines neared, she determined she needed a extra balanced school expertise. With the encouragement of her mother, a UNC alumna, she utilized to UNC.

It was a dreary, wet day when she toured the campus. It didn’t matter. “After visiting and being around the students –– seeing how much pride they took in the school –– I knew that I wanted to come here,” McCarthy stated.

During her first 12 months, she took a global relations class that was cross-listed as a peace, struggle and protection course. It shortly grew to become her favourite class of the semester, and he or she determined to pursue the main.

“I was talking to my parents about it. And they said, ‘You kind of need a plan because peace, war and defense is a very unique major,’” she stated. “And that’s when my dad suggested that I should at least try out ROTC.”

She took her dad’s recommendation and joined UNC’s Air Force ROTC detachment 590, though she didn’t anticipate it to stay.

“I went in thinking, ‘OK, I just need to prove to myself that the military isn’t what I want to do,’” McCarthy stated. “And then I ended up really liking it and being good at it.”

As a sophomore, McCarthy labored to suit the primary two years of the navy course curriculum into one 12 months to catch up, and he or she additionally needed to navigate the difficulties of enrolling through the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. But her best problem got here between her sophomore and junior 12 months throughout subject coaching in Mississippi, the place she was evaluated on what she had realized in her early navy programs.

“I actually didn’t do very well at field training. I was ranked low,” stated McCarthy. Although the bodily health evaluation and management response programs proved difficult, she nonetheless handed and channeled her discouragement right into a renewed fervor to be even higher, each as a cadet and as a frontrunner in command of coaching youthful cadets.

“I thought, ‘All right, that wasn’t my greatest moment,’” stated McCarthy, reflecting on her subject coaching rating, “‘but I can train my cadets to be better than me.’”

She did that and extra.

During her first semester again, the cadets she was accountable for received awards for the highest educational efficiency and finest bodily coaching efficiency.

And McCarthy wasn’t achieved. She, together with each member of her class, ran for the very best management place: wing commander. The solely girl in her class, she was excited concerning the prospect to steer, but it surely was as much as her fellow officers to decide on.

They selected her.

This 12 months McCarthy has a full schedule. In addition to her duties as wing commander, she additionally works for Carolina Housing within the bundle heart on campus, and he or she hopes to soak in all of the traditions of being a senior. Her most anticipated merchandise on her to-do checklist? Creating a time capsule crammed with notes of encouragement to new cadets.

After commencement, McCarthy will serve within the Air Force for a minimum of 4 years as a part of her dedication to ROTC. She was chosen by the Air Force to function an intelligence officer, her first-choice place, and can full her preliminary abilities coaching at Goodfellow Air Force Base in San Angelo, Texas, in 2023.

Her parting recommendation to any Tar Heel who’s interested by a pathway to a navy profession?

“Just show up, try it out. Because you might end up really liking it. You just might end up being the wing commander.”

By Jess Abel ’19