Air Bases after C3C

Mikeandcris

Parents of 2014 Grad and F-15 Pilot
10-Year Member
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I understand most cadets between their soph and junior years spend a few weeks at an air force base. Which bases? Are there a handful of bases used each year or do the locations change? How many cadets are at a base at one time? Are all bases in the continental US or do some visit air bases in Alaska, Hawaii, and overseas? Are cadets asked if they have a preference? Do they send "west coast" cadets east, and vice versa so that cadets are visiting a part of the country far from home? Any insight is appreciated as always.
 
I understand most cadets between their soph and junior years spend a few weeks at an air force base. Which bases? Are there a handful of bases used each year or do the locations change? How many cadets are at a base at one time? Are all bases in the continental US or do some visit air bases in Alaska, Hawaii, and overseas? Are cadets asked if they have a preference? Do they send "west coast" cadets east, and vice versa so that cadets are visiting a part of the country far from home? Any insight is appreciated as always.

Can't give you any firm answer. It could be just about anywhere. Where, usually depends on what they are majoring in, and what they have shown an interest in for a job. My son has a major in behavioral science, but has also taken all the classes that are pre-requisites for med-school. e.g. anatomy, orgo, etc... As such, they knew he was interested in going to medical school. They sent him to Mildenhal England where he spent his 3 weeks shadowing doctors. He went into 4-5 actual operations. The doctors also found out that he was still interested in becoming a pilot. They called some of their O-5/O-6 friends at nearby Lakenheath England, and took my son there for a day so he could take a ride in an F-15E.

So, you never know. But they try and get you to a base that matches your interests and/or major. It can be in the USA, Europe, Asia, or wherever.
 
The assignments are completely random (randomized over OPAs as well so all the best don't go to one place and all the worst cadets to another).

The job shadowing is based on interest usually, but is not guaranteed. Some lee-way depending on the OIC at the base they go to.

Just about every major base in on the list, CONUS and OCONUS.

My first summer I went to DM in Tucson. Second summer to Yokota in Japan. Opted out the third summer for more interesting programs. Also, for us, since we had ops every year at the time, they were trying to randomize over regions (OCONUS, East CONUS, West CONUS) so I didn't want to get a random East CONUS base . :)
 
Thanks for triggering my brain hornet. I should have included; even though my son went to England in between C3C and C2C year to shadow doctors and fly, this summer going into C1C year, he went to Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio; to intern with an R&D Psych project. So as hornet said, it could be just about any place. Depends on your interests, major, OPA, etc... But the cadet has quite a bit of input.
 
Thanks for triggering my brain hornet. I should have included; even though my son went to England in between C3C and C2C year to shadow doctors and fly, this summer going into C1C year, he went to Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio; to intern with an R&D Psych project. So as hornet said, it could be just about any place. Depends on your interests, major, OPA, etc... But the cadet has quite a bit of input.

lol NO. The cadet has NO input on base assignment for OPS AIR FORCE. For summer research (CSRP) they have a ton. For what mikeandcris are asking, the cadet has no input on location. They have some input on job to shadow potentially. Usually, (if the method hasn't changed) they get one career field to shadow each week. I shadowed life support then CE then something I don't remember. Some people pulled all three weeks in one (typically medical in my experience) but that happens when the OIC at the base and the people involved don't mind.
 
When I said they have some input, I meant based on their educational/career path. I.e. My son's major helped make shadowing a doctor a better chance, than going to F.E. Warren Wyoming to shadow a Missile officer. The Cadet doesn't really have a say in the actual base, but their educational/career path can have input on the type of base they go to. Like you said, they have some say so on the type of job they are going to shadow. "But that is probably somewhat proportionate to their goals. But which base.... Definitely no say so.
 
Just so everyone understands, Ops bases are completely random unless you are a civil engineer major or have an extremely good reason for requesting a base.
 
When I said they have some input, I meant based on their educational/career path. I.e. My son's major helped make shadowing a doctor a better chance, than going to F.E. Warren Wyoming to shadow a Missile officer. The Cadet doesn't really have a say in the actual base, but their educational/career path can have input on the type of base they go to. Like you said, they have some say so on the type of job they are going to shadow. "But that is probably somewhat proportionate to their goals. But which base.... Definitely no say so.

Just so everyone understands, Ops bases are completely random unless you are a civil engineer major or have an extremely good reason for requesting a base.

Mateus is correct... For all but CE majors, you have no zero input on where you go on ops. You will fill in a bio sheet, which will help the OIC at the base match you with potential careers, but the bio sheet does factor into base selection.

For example, if I don't fly I am interested in the 61A (Scientific Analyst) career field. I indicated that on my bio sheet. However, I was sent to Dover AFB, where there are no 61s. Not much I can do about that. Same thing goes for people that perhaps indicate an interest in fighter pilot, and are sent to Dover (or any other non-fighter base) where they fly the C-5 and C-17.
 
True. They will randomly (at least to cadets) assign people to bases. They also do the same with the CICs (ask me how I know:shake:). After that, the CIC and base officer in charge of the program will try to get cadets into jobs they want to see and any other programs/tours/incentive rides.
 
All fair game or only some

Wikipedia lists 70 major air force bases in the US and 23 abroad. Assuming that is somewhat accurate, are all of them considered for assignments or is it more limited to 5, 10 or 20+ bases?
 
Wikipedia lists 70 major air force bases in the US and 23 abroad. Assuming that is somewhat accurate, are all of them considered for assignments or is it more limited to 5, 10 or 20+ bases?

Typically limited to the major ones. Not going to list them all, but it's a few dozen possibilities. Varies by year. The big ones OCONUS like yokota, misawa, lakenheath, mildenhall, aviano, hickam and elmendorf are on there usually.
 
This summer my daughter (and 12 other rising C2Cs) went to Moody Air Force Base in Valdosta, Georgia. Her room mates went to Idaho and Oklahoma. At Moody, the cadets shadowed a number of jobs -- their majors did not matter --they all shadowed all of the jobs shown to the group.
 
Assignments

Interesting discussion about random verses directed OPS assignments for rising C2C's.

My DS is a rising C2C astro eng major with an excellent GPA. He was initially given one assignment in the part of the world known as the "sandbox" that he was relatively pleased with, then subsequently got bumped to what he thought was a less desirable part of the sandbox. Reason? He was told it had to do with numbers of male and female cadets assigned to each place, needed to even them out a little. So much for weighing the needs/desires of the cadet?

Turns out he's having an great time, anyway. :thumb:
 
One of my sons was at Luke AFB, near Phoenix, in late JULY. While he loved the F16 flights, he was really not used to the 110+* heat. Cooled down to 92 at night!

His friend, from Palm Springs, CA, area, got southern Florida. 'Bout died from the humidity.

My other son was in South Dakota and had a great time!
 
My now C2C tells me the assignments for ops for Class of 2013 this summer were random assignments. Please remember that starting with the class of 2013 there was no ops the summer after their C4C year. They had to go to CST instead (prior years classes had ops after their C4C year and after their C3C year).

My cadet just returned from ops at Luke AFB and was on an F-16 live bomb drop flight. He posted, "Two years at the Academy justified by a two hour F-16 ride. Pretty freaking cool!".
 
My now C2C tells me the assignments for ops for Class of 2013 this summer were random assignments. Please remember that starting with the class of 2013 there was no ops the summer after their C4C year. They had to go to CST instead (prior years classes had ops after their C4C year and after their C3C year).

2012*
 
Thanks for correcting that. I thought I might have been a year off.
 
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