Today I swore in at MEPS. I was there all day (5am-4pm), and most of it was spent waiting. Got my body, height and weight checked (in my underwear, again). Waited for about 2 hours, ate lunch (a sub sandwich that was provided), waited 2 more hours, got my fingerprints done, and then said the oath and swore in. Today was a "Ship Out" day so there were LOTS of enlisted folks with bags headed out to basic. Not much of an exciting day. Next stop is the flight physical.
Congratulations! I just started to read everything you have in this page, a lot of useful information Thank you very much and Congratulations again
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind words. As you can see I am just starting down my journey of being a pilot. Hopefully, I can help answer some questions that others may have about the process. Thank you for reading this blog and I wish you the best in your ROTC journey and beyond.
ReplyDeleteThis blog has been the best source of information with regards to becoming an Air Force pilot. I am a college junior and I hope to take the same journey you are on. I am a business major, working on my private pilot, and plan on taking the AFOQT next year. Should I focus my efforts on studying for that test? Or focus elsewhere? Your description of the process is extremely helpful, however I am curious to know the best way to approach it.
ReplyDeleteThank you, good luck on your journey!
I'm glad it's helping you get an idea about what to expect. If I were you I would, first off, join airforceots.com and read the hundreds of pages of information there to acclimate yourself with the process and to get an idea of what an air force officer's life entails. Secondly, I would make sure to finish college with as close to a 4.0 as possible; from the statistics I've seen GPA seems to be taken pretty seriously. You have time for everything else like studying for the AFOQT and getting your PPL (just make sure to stay in good shape). Also, maybe ROTC is still available to you. It's worth checking out because ROTC is the group that makes up the majority of selected officers for any given year.
ReplyDeleteAwesome, thank you for the info. One more thing I cannot figure out though, once you are selected as an officer, do you sign up before knowing whether you will be a pilot, navigator, or air battle manager? I can imagine many people who wanted to be pilots but get assigned something else and feel stuck there for years.
ReplyDeleteBefore you submit your package you must decided whether you want to become a rated or non-rated officer. Rated is one of the following positions: Pilot, Nav., ABM, or RPA Pilot. Non-rated is everything else (finance, space and missile, etc...). Looks like you want to go rated.
DeleteAfter that you fill out a AF56, which is the official application document used by the Air Force. You will list your preferred positions in order of preference. Yes, you can only put pilot (or whatever other combination you choose), and you "theoretically" won't get into a situation where you are selected in a position you don't want. However, during the board I was selected on I heard of many people who were offered a position they didn't apply for. This puts them in a sticky situation. If you refuse the commission you must state that fact on your next application. If you take a job you don't want, well, that's not good for anyone.
Hope that answers it.
Congratulations on your journey. I am a Staff Sergeant (E-5) in the Air Force currently and have always considered going officer especially since I have my 4 yr degree now. I was looking for where I could take the AFOQT when I came across your blog. Now I know you can take it at MEPS. Did a local recruiter set you up to take it?
ReplyDeleteYes, I was schedule to take the AFOQT by my officer recruiter. I'm not completely sure, but I think AD guys work through your BESO to take the AFOQT. I have also read about civilians scheduling their own AFOQT through a local guard unit.
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