Detachment 040 of the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps occupies a quiet corner on the third floor of University Hall. Yet their mission speaks loudly: A graduate of the program has typically completed 4-5 years of work, earned a bachelor’s degree, and is prepared to take their place in the commissioned officer ranks as a second lieutenant.
Lt. Col. Gabriel Estrella, 40, graduated the program in Detachment 040 in 2009. He built a strong military career and was most recently a weapons systems officer assigned to the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center, Detachment 5, at Edwards Air Force Base. Tragically, Estrella was among the eight servicemen who perished June 15, 2026, when the B-52 Stratofortress they were in crashed at Edwards Air Force Base during what officials said was a routine test mission.
Estrella’s experience and career exemplify the aims and goals of the AFROTC: to develop Air and Space Force leaders of character who are expected to fight and win the nation’s wars. Detachment 040 – the Flying Lions – began in 1948 and develops and mentors officer candidates who exhibit a sense of purpose, contribute to a professional environment, make decisions and think critically, and actively develop their own and other’s leadership skills.
This past June, 11 cadets were commissioned, their families affixing the pins denoting their second lieutenant rank. Typically, 60-70 students begin the program in August that includes remote classes and weekly in-person drills. The cadets come to LMU from colleges and universities across the Los Angeles region; in fact, 75% of the AFROTC class are non-LMU students. Recruitment drives to local high schools also get the word out. The General Military Course, taken during the first and sophomore years, is an introduction to the military lifestyle. The Professional Officer Course is taken during the junior and senior years and involves a commitment to service after commissioning.
Detachment 040 has named a memorial award in honor of Lt. Col. Estrella, which will be given to the highest performing cadet in each class.
A final tribute to Estrella was held Monday, July 13, as a procession departed Ontario International Airport and traveled east on the 10 Freeway to Family Memorial Mortuary in San Bernardino. Along the route, among the many onlookers were San Bernardino County firefighters who paid tribute from a freeway overpass as the procession passed below.