ALO interview question

I think it is great that he wants the AFA for the best educational opportunities available combined with his desire to serve.

I do know an AFA officer who got his stars and never flew a day in his life. It happens!

The real roller coaster is different than the hugging and screaming "what the Hades?"

You will feel elated one moment when they get the nom., and then feel anxiety ridden, when you read someone else got an LOA, while he didn't. You will feel elated when the next nom comes in and anxiety ridden to see that the "Official Class of 15" list is up and some kids from your state have been apptd. while you wait to hear. Anxiety ridden because you have been hit with applying for a Dodmerb waiver, and elated when you get the waiver. It becomes even more nerve racking if you have to wait to the mass mailing in mid-march. Then, just when you think the roller coaster ride is over, they go out and play a sport which they get injured in 4 weeks before I-Day. If that wasn't enough, the emotions go rampant when it is the day you kiss them goodbye knowing that it will be silent for days on end, wondering how are they doing. Happy that they are getting their dream, sad because you know it is the end of an important chapter in your life.

This yr is not a sprint it is a marathon. You will cover every emotion, and then some you didn't think you had.

For you as parents, if you imbibe, buy your favorite liquor and have it in your house at all times, because you will need that and this site more than you ever thought humanly possible.

If you have yet to notice, many, many posters are parents that went through the process yrs ago and have never left. CC, Luigi, Fencersmother, flygirl, and myself all started at the exact same time, our children now are passed the halfway marker. Our DS was the odd man out, he personally selected ROTC over attending the AFA, thus I am the odd duck too.

Like I said before there is no silly question, and this forum has probably seen or heard every possible scenario that exists.
 
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If ROTC becomes an option, are the chances of being called up while in school about the same as if he is in the AFA?? I realize it it a theoretical option from any SA but highly unlikely.
 
Our DD ALO would like to Skype with her instead of meeting in person, in all fairness we live 8+ hours away. Should we suggest to meet closer? Halfway? Or should he make the trip to meet her?
 
If the ALO suggested Skype then it should be fine. Our son never met any of his three ALOs in person, it was all phone interviews.

Stealth_81
 
It may be just me but to our OP, I don't think your experience was all that "awful." So what if it took a volunteer three weeks to get back to you? Maybe he was looking to see your child's reaction to what HE might believe is nonsense (there is a lot of that in the military). And, as you can see, "family" interviews are not at all uncommon.

OK, from our experience with twins, two ALOs:

TwinA and my DH and I meet at local restaurant on a hot day in August, six weeks after our initial contact. Retired colonel interviews mom & dad, asks us all about homeschooling, with which he was not at all familiar, for about an hour. Then, he asked us to step away and interviewed son for about 1-1/2 hours. Son got LOA on his birthday in October. :)

TwinB decides late he wants USAFA, too. He makes contact and is interviewed by his ALO, also retired colonel, three days later. Again, we met at local restaurant. Again, lots of questions about homeschooling. Lots of questions about fencing.

Both retired colonels sent congratulatory notes to sons when they graduated USAFA (neither colonel was USAFA grad, both AFROTC; one a dentist, one a civilian pilot).
 
Sounds like a "typical" ALO meeting!

Steve
USAFA ALO
USAFA '83
 
Reading all these ALO stories makes me want to share ours. My DDs ALO contacted her and arranged to meet us as a family. It was mainly a meet and greet to get to know us and answer any questions. My DD had a list and the ALO was very patient and very informative. He kept asking if I had any questions and I had none because I have been glued to this forum for the past six months and all my questions have been answered by most of you fine folks! :shake: I can't thank you enough!
 
Each alo and area is different. The one thing I've like about where I live is the small town environment where everyone knows each other. I can't go to target, Walmart, etc without running into one of my applicants and their family. I know all the teachers at the various schools as well as the principals. My son's alo, obviously it couldn't be me, was a retired colonel who happened to have been my commanding officer when I was on active duty. One of my applicants was the son of one of the other ALO's.

Many of my interviews were in places like the food court at the mall. I'd do 5-6 interviews back to back while the families were in town and went shopping. I did a phone interview for one who was enlisted in the Air Force but was deployed to the Middle East. I did one a couple years back who was in town for a swim meet against another school and we interviewed before she got back on the bus to head home.

Each alo is different. I, and many of the small town ALO's also do a lot of mentoring. I spend about a half hour after the interview giving them pointers on how to attend their moc interviews. I tell them how to dress. How to speak. Hand gestures and eye contact. Fwiw. I don't allow the applicants I'm interviewing to come dressed up. I tell them I want them in jeans, sneakers or boots, (lot of cowboys here), and casual. I want them totally relaxed and themselves. My interview is different than the moc's. I'm trying to really know who this kid is. I'm trying to separate the individual and their thoughts from the thoughts and opinions of their families and communities.

But again, each alo and situation is different. My method probably wouldn't work in many cities. Sometimes, if I have a lot of applicants, I can't give as much mentoring help to them. Sometimes I get an applicant who is a brat, (military kid), and everything about their application is perfect and there's nothing they need help with or any questions. So, whatever style your alo does, just go with it. There's very few right and wrongs in how we work with the applicants and do interviews.
 
One of my twins was interested in USNA, too, and was interviewed in our home by the B&G. He talked to all of us in the living room, and I had put out a spread of baked goods (cookies, brownie, etc) with iced tea, etc. This nice man kindly explained that he could not accept food from us, but could I please give him a nice tall glass of ice water! Just something to remember if your ALO is coming to your home.
 
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