AFROTC Rated Slots/CRO Selection

Hi all!
I am an incoming 200 with a quick question, so without further ado...

I, personally, want to be a Combat Rescue Officer. I realize these are bold words, but that is besides the point. My real question is, can I, and should I, apply for a Rated Slot for Field Training next Summer? Here's my thinking-

If by some chance I am NOT picked up for a CRO spot, can I fall back on a rated slot? Or, if I receive a rated slot, will I be glued to that commitment and not be allowed to chase a CRO selection board? This is where it gets tricky- I am a technical major as well, so just applying as a tech major is appealing as well.

Any help would be awesome!! Thank you so much.
God Bless!

For you, I would recommend to go with a Tech major slot if you can. The acceptance rate was the highest compared to the other categories, it doesn't bind you to getting a rated slot and it gives you options for CRO. I received a rated field training slot this year and I had to sign a memo confirming that I will commit to a rated slot if I get through FT. Now, you cant just commit to a rated FT slot and not apply for rated because you want to be a CRO they will most likely disenroll you from the program. The question still remains, what happens to us cadets who got a rated FT slot but don't actually get a rated slot....

Hope this helps!

Ryan.Dotay said:

Hi all!
I am an incoming 200 with a quick question, so without further ado...

I, personally, want to be a Combat Rescue Officer. I realize these are bold words, but that is besides the point. My real question is, can I, and should I, apply for a Rated Slot for Field Training next Summer? Here's my thinking-

If by some chance I am NOT picked up for a CRO spot, can I fall back on a rated slot? Or, if I receive a rated slot, will I be glued to that commitment and not be allowed to chase a CRO selection board? This is where it gets tricky- I am a technical major as well, so just applying as a tech major is appealing as well.

Any help would be awesome!! Thank you so much.
God Bless!

Click to expand...

I think you should apply as a Tech major, don't bund yourself to rated if you want to go CRO. Be sure to apply to the CRO PDT when you go up for an EA if they're doing it again next year (it's a week or so long training session for cadets interested in CRO that takes place after Max 1). Applying for a rated slot later allows you to drop the rated slot and still stay in the AF if you get CRO also.

Thank you!

Non Ducor has something changed with the tech aspect?

I thought the way it went was tech/rated, tech/non-rated, than there is non-tech/rated and non-tech/non-rated.

We do not know by their post, unless my eyes and brain weren't talking (which is possible) that they are a tech degree. If he is non-tech and must choose like I thought than his selection rate would be really low. 14%.

MPO, I would go onto some other sites, such as baseops.net CRO is a very small community, it is very competitive for selection, plus to graduate from. I would also post a simple question on the AFA forums.
~ How hard is it to get a CRO slot out of the AFA?

We all know that for pilot selection it is basically guaranteed out of the AFA. If they say it is not near a guarantee like pilot, than you need to realize it is probably going to be much harder for you to be selected, especially due to the fact you have to be selected for SFT, and if your major is non-tech/non-rated and your cgpa is hovering at 3.0 it could be the end of the road as a 200.

It is not an easy decision, but with advice from different sources, including your cadre you should be able to determine by the submission time frame what to do.

Plus, for all we know HQ might say that the process last year for selection was a mistake and change it again. They did that one year when they took it to 5 Maxs with 2300 cadets from 6, the following year it was back to 6.

Don't know much about the specifics but I do know 1 individual at my son's det (a 400 I believe) was just selected for either CCO or CRO after having been slated for some other career field prior to this - he was non-tech and had been trying to transfer to CRO for a while now. Due to the sheer physical and psychological requirements of these fields - CCT, STS WX, CRO and ALO and the fact they are always facing manning shortages due to almost constant combat deployments over the last 2 decades (let's face it - they are direct ground combat career fields with VERY dangerous missions), AFMPC may have some slack built in for youngsters who are shooting for these fields and more importantly - show good prospects for actually passing the qualification courses and continuing on to the career fields...

JMHO.

V/R

Romad

Pima said:

Non Ducor has something changed with the tech aspect?

I thought the way it went was tech/rated, tech/non-rated, than there is non-tech/rated and non-tech/non-rated.

We do not know by their post, unless my eyes and brain weren't talking (which is possible) that they are a tech degree. If he is non-tech and must choose like I thought than his selection rate would be really low. 14%.

MPO, I would go onto some other sites, such as baseops.net CRO is a very small community, it is very competitive for selection, plus to graduate from. I would also post a simple question on the AFA forums.
~ How hard is it to get a CRO slot out of the AFA?

We all know that for pilot selection it is basically guaranteed out of the AFA. If they say it is not near a guarantee like pilot, than you need to realize it is probably going to be much harder for you to be selected, especially due to the fact you have to be selected for SFT, and if your major is non-tech/non-rated and your cgpa is hovering at 3.0 it could be the end of the road as a 200.

It is not an easy decision, but with advice from different sources, including your cadre you should be able to determine by the submission time frame what to do.

Plus, for all we know HQ might say that the process last year for selection was a mistake and change it again. They did that one year when they took it to 5 Maxs with 2300 cadets from 6, the following year it was back to 6.

Click to expand...

The OP said in his initial post that he was a Tech Major.

For selection priority it goes Tech, Rated, Critical Language, Nursing, and then Non-Tech. There's still the normal gpa boost for tech majors within the rated board, but a techie going for rated with a 2.9 still won't get picked over a nontech with a 3.4 also going for rated. There was a lot of confusion when they first introduced the rated EA board so ppl weren't sure exactly how everything worked, but I was told that If you applied tech, you got a tech EA, if you applied rated you got a rated EA. If you went up in the Tech board and weren't selected there, you didn't get moved to another board, that was the end of the road. With Non-tech/non-rated having the lowest priority there weren't many slots left over for them, but they didn't complete with all the tech, rated, language, and nursing majors that didn't make their boards. You have one shot at this so it's best to put yourself up for the board you have the best chance at. For the OP that'll be Tech. If you're Tech and know for sure you only want to go rated, going for the rated EA board is a better gamble. But since the OP is really interested in CRO he really shouldn't apply for a Rated EA because if he get's one, he will have to apply for a rated slot the next year, and if he also get's that there is no going back. If you have get a Rated EA and then get picked up for a slot you can't drop it without being kicked out. But if you get a regular EA, apply for rated during the regular boards, and then decide you want to do something else you can drop that.

Best to keep your options open if you're undecided.

Non Ducor,

As I stated I just didn't see it in the post regarding they are a tech major.

I agree with you in that case he is best to go tech for CRO, but I still say to take this time and investigate the career field so that there is no doubt this is the path they want no matter what.

Example:

Pilots/CSO

So many enter with the dream of fighters like the 22 or 35, yet realistically out of every pilot going through UPT, maybe 18 out of 1000+ at UPT right now will get a 22, and nobody will get a 35. There will be dozens upon dozens though that will get T1 FAIP or E8s and trust me drop night at Del Rio those were the ones crying in their beers.

The point is the illusion created in their mind as a 300 did not match the reality in their lives as an O1.

ADAF life is stressful enough, it becomes more stressful when the illusion and reality do not intersect.

JMPO, and with $2.09 you can a cup of black coffee at Starbucks.

Go for the dream, but use sites like base ops to talk to those already in the field before you pigeon hole yourself into any path.

Also, JMPO, but from an anecdotal perspective on this site, I am betting there will be many that opted rated for SFT this year will not get rated next year. If you look at the numbers they just don't have that amount of slots available, at least for PILOT...which goes back to illusion and reality intersecting. Rated board has changed you must apply for all 4 types, and very few will place ABM/CSO/RPA as their number one option.
~ There will be many cadets next year trying to find out how to get out of RPA or ABM like there was this year. Answer: That loophole is closed, turn it down and you will be permanently on the no fly list.

IOWS it is a crap shoot for those that pigeon holed themselves into rated.

Pima said:

Non Ducor,

As I stated I just didn't see it in the post regarding they are a tech major.

I agree with you in that case he is best to go tech for CRO, but I still say to take this time and investigate the career field so that there is no doubt this is the path they want no matter what.

Example:

Pilots/CSO

So many enter with the dream of fighters like the 22 or 35, yet realistically out of every pilot going through UPT, maybe 18 out of 1000+ at UPT right now will get a 22, and nobody will get a 35. There will be dozens upon dozens though that will get T1 FAIP or E8s and trust me drop night at Del Rio those were the ones crying in their beers.

The point is the illusion created in their mind as a 300 did not match the reality in their lives as an O1.

ADAF life is stressful enough, it becomes more stressful when the illusion and reality do not intersect.

JMPO, and with $2.09 you can a cup of black coffee at Starbucks.

Go for the dream, but use sites like base ops to talk to those already in the field before you pigeon hole yourself into any path.

Also, JMPO, but from an anecdotal perspective on this site, I am betting there will be many that opted rated for SFT this year will not get rated next year. If you look at the numbers they just don't have that amount of slots available, at least for PILOT...which goes back to illusion and reality intersecting. Rated board has changed you must apply for all 4 types, and very few will place ABM/CSO/RPA as their number one option.
~ There will be many cadets next year trying to find out how to get out of RPA or ABM like there was this year. Answer: That loophole is closed, turn it down and you will be permanently on the no fly list.

IOWS it is a crap shoot for those that pigeon holed themselves into rated.

Click to expand...

It really is. It'll be interesting to see how they handle this next year when all the cadets who got rated EAs apply along with the other ppl applying the regular way. Whether there will be selection priority for cadets who opted for rated EAs vs the ones that didn't. And what they'll do with all the ones with rated EAs that don't get picked up for a rated job. Guessing they'll just allow them to apply for the regular AFSC boards since it is my understanding that the only requirement is to apply for rated and accept it if selected. I agree the OP should definitely do more research into it, I just think going for the tech board will probably be a better option for someone who wants to keep their options open for both rated and CRO.

I normally would say talk to your cadre about the best plan, and you still should, but with changes to the system being so recent they might not be able to give a good estimate on your chances of getting a rated slot if you don't get CRO.

Non Ducor I agree with you that talking to the cadre about selection for rated is probably not going to help at all because this year is the first year they did it and will not know the fallout for the rated board until AFTER the SFT paperwork will be submitted.

I was suggesting talking to them from their experience perspective as not only from a cadre member, but an ADAF member. The CRO world is incredibly small, the likelihood they have any ADAF anecdotal info is low, but they will not know unless they ask.

They may have their best bud flying a desk at MPC and can answer questions like manning power needed for 16 regarding CRO.

Additionally, since many members of the cadre may have been there for years they may have had a cadet that tried this path. They may have succeeded in getting a slot, to may not have, and that can help them from a PFT/CGPA perspective. I don't believe they stated whether they were scholarship or not, either way though they will need a DoDMERB exam. Just my guesstimate, but I would assume it is as intense, if not more than the FC1 given to rated. FC1s get an EKG done, and a higher level for color deficiency. Waivers are no longer handed out like candy at Halloween. Just because they passed the DoDMERB exam in HS does not equate to passing it for their career field. I know three that found out after getting a rated slot they were a no-go for an FC1. 1 was AFA, 2 were AFROTC scholarship. 2 of them are posters on this site.

This is why I was saying talk to them, be proactive and use the networking system they have available to them to navigate this path.