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• Service Academy Discussion
• Air Force Academy - USAFA

Job Assignments After Graduation?

• Thread starter crackerjack
• Start date May 17, 2018
• Tags battlefield airman career cro jobs usafa

crackerjack

• May 17, 2018

Hello all! I'm a soon-to-be senior in high school, and I've started my application to USAFA. However, I'm a bit fuzzy on how cadets get their job assignments following graduation. How much say do cadets have in what their career will be? I've heard that it is based on class rank and, of course, the needs of the Air Force, but I haven't had this confirmed. FYI, I'm an aspiring CRO, in case that changes anything.  

Velocity2012

I found this thread which may be helpful relating to the competitiveness of CRO positions: https://www.serviceacademyforums.com/index.php?threads/combat-rescue-officer.56073/ Class rank certainly plays a role, but there are other aspects - activities that you undertake during your 4 years, roles within squad. My DD is completing her first year, and I am certainly no expert, but it seems as if you are tested from the day that you start at the Academy until the day you hang up your boots years later. Good luck on your application.  

Keep in mind that the needs of the service always have priority. So if you're interested in job A, but they don't need any new Lts for job A, then you won't get job A. Make sure there are alternative jobs you are willing to live with. If you're after a pilot slot then your airframe won't be assigned until some time late during pilot training.  

Let me add a couple things. While the NEEDS of the military do come first, there are many jobs that have pseudo prerequisites. E.g. don’t expect to get a job as an engineer, if your major was in history, and you got a “C” in the couple of engineering classes required by all students. Not saying it’s not possible..... just much more difficult and unlikely. Also, some jobs, like the CRO you are interested in, as well as STO, and others in the Special Ops community, go way beyond the military needs or what you want. There’s a screening process that is quite extensive. My son is a STO. Many individuals applied for this job. Of all of them, they only select about 25-28 to even TRY OUT. If you put in for this, you’ll have a chance to apply and POSSIBLY Try Out, your senior year at the academy. Of the 25-28 who are selected to try out, only about 10-12 make it through the try outs and don’t quit. Of those 10 or so, only about 5 are actually selected to enter the pipe line to become a STO. Then there’s about 2 1/2 years of multiple stages of training, where many people get cut or quit. If you don’t make the first cut of 5 or so out of the 25-28 offered a chance to try out, chances are that you’ll be given a different job on your “Dream Sheet” at the academy. It’s rare to get a second chance to try out. My son didn’t make it his first try, but he was in graduate school after the academy, so being he was still in training, and not learning a JOB yet, they allowed he to try again. He did make it the 2nd time around. Anyway, I was elaborating on the special ops jobs, because that’s what you’re interested in. While my son is in fact a STO, and the Air Force definitely wants people in that job, there’s LESS than 100 STOs in the Air Force. The requirements are to demanding to just fill slots. There are some jobs, where your degree has no impact. Basically, your class rank at the academy has no impact. Certain jobs like a Pilot. Basically, if you want pilot, graduate, qualify physically, and aren’t a screwup, you can pretty much guarantee a pilot slots. However, once at UPT, how you perform there will determine if you keep a pilot slot, and whether you’ll fly fighters, cargo, refuelers, choppers, etc. Best of luck Mike  

Prior E, USAFA Preppie, Grad & ALO

The AFSC selections take place in the fall of your senior year at the Academy and are split up into two categories. The first is for cadets desiring a RATED AFSC and the second is for NON-RATED. The rated AFSCs include Pilot, RPA, Combat Systems and Air Battle Manager. If a cadet wants to go rated then they obviously must be medically qualified. They can input preferences for a particular rated career field but could be chosen for ANY of the four based on the needs of the Air Force. It's an all in policy but there is a disproportionate amount of Pilot slots, which is naturally the most sought rated AFSC. I have the numbers but I'm not sure if I can publish them. Let's just say that there are 10 times more Pilot slots than any other rated AFSC. Roughly half of a given class year will go rated (500/1000 Academy cadets) If you want to go non-rated, then you give your AFSC preferences for no less than 6 jobs (preferably more). It's pretty much a dream sheet. You can add comments to this preference sheet (if you speak a different language) as rationale for why you should be picked for that job. There are also a number of jobs which require specific degrees such as Civil Engineering, Developmental Engineering, Scientist, and Finance (which only requires specific accounting courses) and are reviewed by the respective academic department heads to make sure the cadet is actually qualified and not just a C student. Once all the preferences are in, an algorithm is run at AFPC to optimize the selection. It is a combined model, so Academy and ROTC cadets are thrown into the same mix. The selection model runs off of a list of priorities: 1) Meet Air Force TARGETS for all AFSCs 2) Maximize number of DESIRED degree-AFSC matches 3) Balance AFSCs to reflect AF priorities 4) Maximize Cadet PREFERENCES Lastly are the boarded AFSCs which include OSI, Medical Service Corp, Biomedical Science Corps, Special Tactics Officer, Combat Rescue officer and Air Liaison Officer. You apply to these outside of the preference sheet and are notified of selection. But you will have been selected for a rated or non-rated AFSC by this time from which you must request release to pursue a boarded AFSC (mostly granted). There are also slots for cadets to continue to graduate school immediately following USAFA.  

• May 18, 2018

AFrpaso said: The AFSC selections take place in the fall of your senior year at the Academy and are split up into two categories. The first is for cadets desiring a RATED AFSC and the second is for NON-RATED. The rated AFSCs include Pilot, RPA, Combat Systems and Air Battle Manager. If a cadet wants to go rated then they obviously must be medically qualified. They can input preferences for a particular rated career field but could be chosen for ANY of the four based on the needs of the Air Force. It's an all in policy but there is a disproportionate amount of Pilot slots, which is naturally the most sought rated AFSC. I have the numbers but I'm not sure if I can publish them. Let's just say that there are 10 times more Pilot slots than any other rated AFSC. Roughly half of a given class year will go rated (500/1000 Academy cadets) If you want to go non-rated, then you give your AFSC preferences for no less than 6 jobs (preferably more). It's pretty much a dream sheet. You can add comments to this preference sheet (if you speak a different language) as rationale for why you should be picked for that job. There are also a number of jobs which require specific degrees such as Civil Engineering, Developmental Engineering, Scientist, and Finance (which only requires specific accounting courses) and are reviewed by the respective academic department heads to make sure the cadet is actually qualified and not just a C student. Once all the preferences are in, an algorithm is run at AFPC to optimize the selection. It is a combined model, so Academy and ROTC cadets are thrown into the same mix. The selection model runs off of a list of priorities: 1) Meet Air Force TARGETS for all AFSCs 2) Maximize number of DESIRED degree-AFSC matches 3) Balance AFSCs to reflect AF priorities 4) Maximize Cadet PREFERENCES Lastly are the boarded AFSCs which include OSI, Medical Service Corp, Biomedical Science Corps, Special Tactics Officer, Combat Rescue officer and Air Liaison Officer. You apply to these outside of the preference sheet and are notified of selection. But you will have been selected for a rated or non-rated AFSC by this time from which you must request release to pursue a boarded AFSC (mostly granted). There are also slots for cadets to continue to graduate school immediately following USAFA. Click to expand...

crackerjack said: So just to be clear - I would list a set of AFSCs on a preference sheet, but apply to be a CRO separately and see if I'm selected? Click to expand...

AF Identifies 10 Special Duty Assignments

The Air Force has identified 1,175 positions across 10 developmental special duties (DSD), or DSDs, for spring 2017. The 10 duties are: career assistance advisor, military training instructor, military training leader, Air Force Academy military training instructor, Airman and Family Readiness Center NCO, first sergeant, Air Force Honor Guard NCO, recruiter, professional military education instructor and specialty training instructors identified with a "T" prefix. Airmen can also visit the Enlisted Quarterly Assignment Listing-Plus website and review the special duty catalog . For more information, visit myPers and look under Special Duty Assignment Programs on the Active Duty: Enlisted Assignments Home Page or select 'Active Duty Enlisted' from the dropdown menu and search 'DSD.'

For more on military pay benefits, visit the Military.com Benefits section .

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Special Duty Assignments and why they made you stay or leave?

PCS orders are nonexistent, but I've been voluntold I'll be doing a special duty assignment. After being on the flighline for years, it's a needed break. I'm leaning towards Academy Training NCO, PME instructor, and Recruitor. There's : MTI, MTL, ROTC Instructor, USAF Honor Guard, but they don't have the same draw as the first 3. I know they'll put me wherever they want, but some heads up on what they entail would be nice. (I looked up the job descriptions but we all know those are fake answers)

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More of the Air Force’s toughest enlisted jobs qualify for bonus pay

The Air Force is bumping up the number of challenging jobs for which airmen and guardians can earn bonus pay in the coming year.

Enlisted airmen in 78 job specialties will be eligible for special duty assignment pay in fiscal year 2025, which starts Oct. 1, the Air Force said in a release . That’s an increase from last year, when the Air Force approved bonuses for 70 critical fields, ranging from an extra $75 to $450 a month.

Fewer airmen could receive bonuses for tough jobs in 2025

The air force's fiscal year 2025 budget includes plan to cut $4 million and more than 700 airmen from the special duty assignment pay program..

Space Force guardians working in 22 fields will also be eligible for the bonuses, up from 14 last year.

The service estimated in its fiscal year 2025 budget request, released in March, that around 30,000 troops would receive special duty pay totaling $91.3 million.

In the past, airmen ranging from recruiters and boot camp instructors to pararescuemen, flying crew chiefs and more have reaped special duty pay. Not all troops in a given field may qualify for a bonus, depending on where they work and whether they perform duties that others in their role do not. The Air Force declined to provide Air Force Times with the current list of jobs that qualify for the bonuses in FY25.

Of the 78 Air Force specialties approved to receive the bonuses, 10 are new and 61 were approved at their current rate. Another four will see higher bonuses than in the past, while extra pay for three will decline. One specialty was removed and 18 requests to join the list were denied, the service said.

Air Force to phase out bonuses for airmen in 33 tough jobs

Seventy career fields will be eligible for bonuses ranging from $75 to $450 a month; another 33 will receive half-pay for a year before they are cut..

For the Space Force, nine of last year’s 14 specialties that earned special duty pay will remain unchanged, plus eight new ones.

All specialties approved for the upcoming cycle can expect to receive bonuses through Sept. 30, 2028, with no changes; those coming off the list will be phased out by receiving half of their original bonus through Sept. 30, 2025. Specialties that didn’t make the list for FY25 can reapply for bonuses after two years.

The Air Force and Space Force routinely offer bonuses in some of their most demanding jobs to bolster retention.

In a shift, the Air Force said it would no longer convene an annual board to consider SDAP changes, and instead will do so every four years. The service said the change would bring predictability to airmen and guardians’ personal budgets, as well as its own. It will, however, consider allowing annual reviews as necessary, like when new jobs are added to the workforce.

This year’s board focused on “identifying personnel in extremely demanding positions with unusually challenging responsibilities,” the Air Force said in a news release.

Airmen and guardians can check MyFSS to view the full list of approved specialties for FY25.

Courtney Mabeus-Brown is the senior reporter at Air Force Times. She is an award-winning journalist who previously covered the military for Navy Times and The Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk, Va., where she first set foot on an aircraft carrier. Her work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Foreign Policy and more.

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Naval and Air Force Academies welcome class of 2028 with ‘I-Day,’ plenty of yelling

By Matt White

Posted on Jun 27, 2024 5:58 PM EDT

3 minute read

There is one experience at the core of every military career, and it is that first day — even that first hour and minute — when your civilian life crashes to an end as you run straight into the reality of basic, Day-1 military training.

It’s loud, fast and bewildering, as it has been for generations before you and everyone who has come since. It’s also, when viewed from calmer later days, hilarious to watch others suffer through.

Two military academies held that day Wednesday for their newest rising freshmen, an annual tradition known at both the U.S. Naval Academy and Air Force Academy as “I-Day” — though perhaps predictably for the rival campuses, the “I” stands for different words: “Induction Day” at USNA, “In-processing” at USAFA. New classes at the other three service academies will get their high-volume welcomes next week. The U.S. Military Academy at West Point holds “R-Day” — for “Reception” — July 1, the same day as the Coast Guard Academy’s “Day One.” The Merchant Marine Academy’s “Zero Day” is July 5.

The admissions department of both schools released images and videos on social media Thursday of the intake process which will look familiar to any veteran of any military basic training: teenagers in civilian clothes being hounded, yelled at and pursued by yelling instructors.

They look scared. They look shook-up. They look just like everybody else who’s been in the same spot.

Initial training for all first-year students at all military academies runs for close to two months, with rituals and routines that any veteran of any boot camp would recognize — shaved heads, marching, standing at attention, group fitness, learning rules and never, ever getting anything right. Unlike the campaign-hatted training NCOs who oversee enlisted training, academy students are trained mostly by upperclassmen at the school.

But while being yelled at by fellow students may sound like an easier path than traditional boot camp, all three military schools maintain a small cadre of fully-qualified training NCO — Army Drill Sergeants at West Point, Marine Drill Instructors at the Naval Academy, Air Force Military Training Instructors, or MTIs, at Air Force — to join in the fun-, err, maintain standards during summer training.

Click here for more pictures of future officers getting yelled at in their first hours at the Air Force Academy and others at the Naval Academy , also known as Annapolis .

Correction, June 27, 2004 : This story has been corrected to indicate that summer training at all three military academies includes a cadre of traditional NCO drill instructors.

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