AFOQT Change?

aglages

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During my daughter's AFROTC orientation today she was told (along with the other freshmen) that they would not be required to take the AFOQT this year or during their sophomore year. The first time that they will be allowed to take the test will be as juniors. Good thing most pass it. Anyone know why they changed the process?
 
Hi Aglages - we heard the same thing with my freshman D's orientation and the cadre didn't seem to know the details. They apparently just got the email from "above." My senior D who is now a 400 (can't believe it!) thinks its all part of the budget cuts. With the increase of cadet enrollments, it didn't make sense to spend all the time and paperwork for all the 100s to take it, when many of them will not stay or even make it to field training. She said the test is pretty much a no brainer...pretty much all memorizing and info you need to know as an AF cadet. So why not give it to those who are already contracted at the 300 level (junior year).
 
I agree with new dawn in on the fact that many 100's drop out of the program, thus it is a waste of money to give it within the 1st month/6 weeks of ROTC. Few 100's are contracted.

Additionally, if you look at it from the SAT equivalent, you would expect that the student who took their 1st SAT as a freshman would do much better as a JR because of the knowledge that they obtain over the course of those yrs.

I am betting that because the AFOQT includes many things, such as perception (flying), they are now doing it as a jr. to determine the career path of the cadet. Not every ROTC cadet who desires to fly has ever taken ppl lessons, but as they go up the ROTC ladder some of this will be taught to them. Thus, it equals out the playing field.

Cadet 300's actually find out their career path before the SA's do. Giving the AFOQT in the fall of their C300 yr allows the board to see the most up to date military testing from a national level. The C300 traditionally learns their track in Feb/Mar, whereas, SA learn in Mar/April. The reason for this is they are 2 different boards. ROTC board meets at a different time then SA boards. They don't meet simultaneously and divvy out that way. ROTC knows how many slots they have been awarded/assigned per field and the SA knows how many they have to divvy up. Although the board meets and assigns earlier than SA boards, it is also important to realize the 1st ones to report to duty will be SA grads. An ROTC grad could wait 9 - 15 months before reporting to active duty..but I digress.


Finally, the other reason could be C300 is the break yr. GMC's are the first 2 yrs. POC's are the last 2 yrs. Our DS arrived home Sat. from summer training, out of his group 6 DOR (Dropped on Request), 1 from his own det. Without a doubt, their AF career is officially over. Taking that AFOQT was a waste of AF dollars since they no longer are a viable officer for AF purposes.

DS said one of the most important things he learned was the adage "work smarter, not harder". By changing when they administer the AFOQT they are working smarter and not harder.

The downside that I perceive from this is when cadets meet the summer training board, in the end there will be 2 cadets with equal scores for 1 spot. How do they determine which one goes? The AFOQT is like the SAT, it is not subjective, now the determining factor could be subjective, i.e. written recs from their commanders.
 
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Our DS arrived home Sat. from summer training, out of his group 6 DOR (Dropped on Request), 1 from his own det. Without a doubt, their AF career is officially over.
I had no idea that they COULD DOR after their sophomore year. Aren't they already contracted and committed to owing either money or service for their education at this point or were these non-scholarship cadets?

And how about those cadets that weren't given an opportunity to attend Summer Training? Their careers are effectively over also. I'm sure they would have been appreciative of at least the opportunity to attend Summer training in place of the 6 that DORd.
 
Short answer, YES they owe.

However, that doesn't mean they can't call the ball at summer training and say I am out of here.

Additionally, remember, some cadets only contract as a C200, that means they received the funds for 1 yr...which could be about 20K if you include their stipend.

Honestly, I don't get it, but I am glad as a military parent that they did it. I don' want someone who bails out of summer training because they couldn't hack it to go to combat with my child.

I find it insane that mentally they could not get the mind set, NOBODY DIES at summer training. Yes, it is difficult, but if you walk in and say, life sucks for the next 6 weeks, but after 6 weeks I will still be alive than you can make it. Summer training is nothing compared to SERES.

Honestly, the military is better off without them, the sad part is this yr was a low selection rate, and a cadet who could have made it through now has a missing square/box filled because they didn't go, while this person dropped.

Several other cadets also failed the PFA and were released. This summer was incredibly hot. Cadets took their PFA with a 118 degree heat index. 120 is Black flag.

For AFROTC cadets, summer training is held at Maxwell AFB in Alabama...August weather there is not pretty due to heat and humidity!
DS ran every other day in NoVA all summer long (90 degree heat). He was able to do a 11:00 1 1/2 mile run. He did the whole PFA according to the AF. In Alabama it dropped by 2 minutes because sucking in hot humid air is not easy.

He even stated that as they stood in formation at the end of the day it took everything in their will power to ignore the sweat coming down their face or the feeling of the ABU gluing itself to their body.

Our DS gave the best description I ever heard regarding summer training...It is the best vacation that I never want to take again:shake:

Off topic...my proudest moment in his AFROTC career was he got his prop wings. As a child of an AF military member he could have received gold. He took silver. To him, this is his career, he loves and respects his Dad, but he earned these wings on his own and I admire the fact that he opted for silver based on his performance. He's right IMHO the prop is more important than the metal color it is made of. Getting a gold prop plays homage to the cadets legacy, but has no importance in their ability. He earned the prop by himself, his father had nothing to do with that factor.

Like I said, that was my proudest moment, even if I wasn't there, because he washed away all of our fears that he was doing this for the wrong reasons(dad), he proved to us that this was about him, and him alone. In one swift move he just said I am ME, I am here for my own personal reasons and I will succeed/fail on my own two feet. My AF is career has nothing to do with my folks or legacy, it is all about me and what I do, thus I will wear silver.

That is when you know they transitioned from a college ROTC student to a future officer that is a college student.
 
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Thanks Pima for the responses and
Congratulations to you and your son! :thumb:
It is easy to understand why you're so proud.
 
Thanks, and in a yr or so you too will see that the child you drop off for summer training at the airport will come back as a different individual.

They will not only mature as a person, but their perspective as what is required from military leaders will change too. In those few short weeks they grow up very fast.
 
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