AFROTC Nursing Major?

AdP

5-Year Member
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Apr 5, 2013
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17
Hey everyone,

I'm new to this forum so I apologize if this has already been posted. I searched but couldn't find anything to answer my question. I'm currently a junior at my university seriously considering AFROTC. I saw on the AFROTC site that if you accepted a scholarship in high school with a nursing major listed that you weren't guaranteed that job upon commissioning.

As I stated, I'm two years into clinicals and my BSN program (My university's AFROTC is a two-year program). I am very passionate about nursing, so my question is, what is the likelihood that I would commission as a nurse in the AF? Are the chances/positioning different since I'd be potentially accepting a scholarship in college instead of high school? (I'm passionate about the military as well, just trying to see if there are ways I don't have to give up both)

Thanks for any input/advice that you have!
 
At this point I think direct commissioning would be your best option. This means when you get your RN/BSN you just enter the AF automatically as a 2LT. To be honest this path is very very hard though because I am pretty sure the AF is over strength on nurses and would rather get new grads out of ROTC than off the street via direct commission.
 
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I'm confident Aglahad is correct. Nevertheless I would recommend talking to the cadre at the AFROTC unit at your school and/or a local recruiter about your best path forward to commissioning at this point. If you're not absolutely set on AF you might consider the same conversation with NROTC and AROTC and their recruiters. If nothing else these conversations would give you a chance to get into details and perhaps start any necessary balls rolling.
 
At this point I think direct commissioning would be your best option. This means when you get your RN/BSN you just enter the AF automatically as a 2LT. To be honest this path is very very hard though because I am pretty sure the AF is over strength on nurses and would rather get new grads out of ROTC than off the street via direct commission.

I'm confident Aglahad is correct. Nevertheless I would recommend talking to the cadre at the AFROTC unit at your school and/or a local recruiter about your best path forward to commissioning at this point. If you're not absolutely set on AF you might consider the same conversation with NROTC and AROTC and their recruiters. If nothing else these conversations would give you a chance to get into details and perhaps start any necessary balls rolling.

Thanks for the input! I've spoken to the cadre at my school and he informed me that the Air Force was in need for nurses. He actually came to our school of nursing to try and recruit us. Is that just normal strategy, or do you think the AF actually is in need in medical areas? He was telling us that AFROTC was an "easier" way to get into the Air Force straight out of college because with direct commission you have to compete with nurses that already have experience. I had the same response when I spoke to the Navy health recruiter. I'm confused on what I should do because I get various answers from everywhere! I'm pretty set on the Air Force but I do find the Navy Nurse Corps interesting as well.
 
aglahad said:
To be honest this path is very very hard though because I am pretty sure the AF is over strength on nurses and would rather get new grads out of ROTC than off the street via direct commission.

Not trying to start a firestorm, but please link me why you are pretty sure the AF is over strength.

I have not seen anything in the AF world to support that.

I don't have a bone in the fight. I just want to understand your position.

Let's be honest. When an Army member gets injured in the sandbox do they fly them out to an Army post, or do they fly them to an AF base in Germany before sending them back stateside?

Ramstein is huge in the AF world, just like Walter Reed. I respect the Army, but your position that the the AF doesn't need nurses is incorrect in my opinion.
 
Not trying to start a firestorm, but please link me why you are pretty sure the AF is over strength.

I have not seen anything in the AF world to support that.

I don't have a bone in the fight. I just want to understand your position.

Let's be honest. When an Army member gets injured in the sandbox do they fly them out to an Army post, or do they fly them to an AF base in Germany before sending them back stateside?

Ramstein is huge in the AF world, just like Walter Reed. I respect the Army, but your position that the the AF doesn't need nurses is incorrect in my opinion.


Not to interrupt your conversation, but thanks for the extra input! I was told the AF definitely needed nurses, so it's good to hear someone agree as well! Now if I could just figure out which route is best for me, I would be so relieved!
 
Not trying to start a firestorm, but please link me why you are pretty sure the AF is over strength.

I have not seen anything in the AF world to support that.

I don't have a bone in the fight. I just want to understand your position.

Let's be honest. When an Army member gets injured in the sandbox do they fly them out to an Army post, or do they fly them to an AF base in Germany before sending them back stateside?

Ramstein is huge in the AF world, just like Walter Reed. I respect the Army, but your position that the the AF doesn't need nurses is incorrect in my opinion.

I am not 100% sure. I just have nursing colleagues in all of the branches who feed me info. The Army has the biggest nursing Corps and if we are essentially "full" at this moment it wouldn't be farfetched to assume the smaller services are as well (especially coupled with my peers' feedback).

My post isn't reflecting a definite stance for the AF just saying there is a trend for declining nurse direct commissions in all services because traditionally DC was used when ROTC was not fulfilling the nurse mission and to get EXPERIENCED nurses into the force (not brand new RNs).

I am just saying don't be surprised if you area new RN/BSN and subsequently turned away for a DC in any of the branches within the near future. ROTC is the best way to ensure a slot obviously but I think the OP is too far along in the program for a scholarship. I am not an expert on AFROTC but for the Army she would be too late.

I hear the Army "needs" nurses tagline all the time but when I look at positions available and set allocations that just isn't true especially for junior officers. Many of my reserve friends are trying to go AD and getting turned down right and left. Last year we over produced by a sizeable amount so I can only assume the DC folks are seeing more difficulty in getting slots. If you check out allnurses.com military section you can see the myriad of people trying to get into AF/Army/Navy nursing.

I am not speaking from an official government position but it just isn't easy like it used to be. As a recruiter I do a ton of recruiting for nursing and line scholarship does that mean we need people or have an abundance of scholarships? Nope not really, a statement many on these forums already know too well.
 
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Thanks for the input! I've spoken to the cadre at my school and he informed me that the Air Force was in need for nurses. He actually came to our school of nursing to try and recruit us. Is that just normal strategy, or do you think the AF actually is in need in medical areas? He was telling us that AFROTC was an "easier" way to get into the Air Force straight out of college because with direct commission you have to compete with nurses that already have experience. I had the same response when I spoke to the Navy health recruiter. I'm confused on what I should do because I get various answers from everywhere! I'm pretty set on the Air Force but I do find the Navy Nurse Corps interesting as well.

I don't mean this in a bad way, but it sounds like a group of you had a meeting with the cadre officer. You need to sit down with them individually to discuss how you should best proceed. In one post you mentioned you were a junior. In another you said a sophomore. That's a big difference, believe it or not, in how we, or the cadre, might guide you. Sit down with someone personally and make it happen.... soon. Definitely before the end of the semester as it's not out of the question that they might send you off to a school over the summer to catch up with where folks would be in a 4 year program.
 
I'm pretty sure you have to be in AFROTC for at least three years in order to commission. There's someone in my detachment that joined as a senior (why, I do not know) and had to first be a 200, then 300, then 400.
 
I don't mean this in a bad way, but it sounds like a group of you had a meeting with the cadre officer. You need to sit down with them individually to discuss how you should best proceed. In one post you mentioned you were a junior. In another you said a sophomore. That's a big difference, believe it or not, in how we, or the cadre, might guide you. Sit down with someone personally and make it happen.... soon. Definitely before the end of the semester as it's not out of the question that they might send you off to a school over the summer to catch up with where folks would be in a 4 year program.

My apologies on the confusion. I am a sophomore (rising junior). Our ROTC program is only two years and we can only enter as juniors. I spoke with them individually and he seems to think my chances are great at a scholarship based on my academic record. He said he was 99% sure I'd go in as a nurse after graduation, but I was just seeking feedback on others thoughts. Instead of going to field training during the summer after sophomore year, they go between junior and senior year!
 
My apologies on the confusion. I am a sophomore (rising junior). Our ROTC program is only two years and we can only enter as juniors. I spoke with them individually and he seems to think my chances are great at a scholarship based on my academic record. He said he was 99% sure I'd go in as a nurse after graduation, but I was just seeking feedback on others thoughts. Instead of going to field training during the summer after sophomore year, they go between junior and senior year!

It seems to me if you get in and pass the nursing exams when you complete college, then you would definitely go in as a nurse. If you don't pass the nursing exams that's a horse of a different color, but you would also face the same obstacle outside of the military anyway. I'd say go for it.
 
It seems to me if you get in and pass the nursing exams when you complete college, then you would definitely go in as a nurse. If you don't pass the nursing exams that's a horse of a different color, but you would also face the same obstacle outside of the military anyway. I'd say go for it.

Yeah I was thinking the same thing! The cadre instructor felt confident but didn't want to tell me definitely 100% in case something happened and it didn't work out of course! I'll keep researching, but I guess if I don't get to be a nurse, I'll still get to serve for 4 years. Also a positive to look at.
 
He said he was 99% sure I'd go in as a nurse after graduation, but I was just seeking feedback on others thoughts. Instead of going to field training during the summer after sophomore year, they go between junior and senior year!
Sent you a PM.
If you are selected for SFT then I would say you are "almost" guaranteed a nursing AFSC after you graduate and pass the NCLEX. Of course all military jobs in all branches come down to the needs of the military...so there are no absolute guarantees.
Good luck!:thumb:
 
Thanks aglages! I'll make sure I ask him about SFT when I go to his office! Thanks for the help everyone :)
 
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