EA Board Results Release Date

I understand your position.

The reality is I know in the AFs perspective this is the path that they have decided is best for their manpower planning, but I wonder how many are like you that have decided it is the best path to get an EA slot, hence increasing the chance of commissioning.
~ just like some may have signed up for the ABM or Missileer scholarship to pay for college and basically be guaranteed SFT.
~~ no flaming me, I get it, I truly do.

The question for me that has not been discussed/determined yet is to see if the 24% that were not selected for rated, will any of them be disenrolled? If so, would they regret signing if they were able to jump to AROTC as a 200?

In the end I am saying will they feel differently in hindsight?

Let's be honest, all of these boards are important, AF careers can end before they even start. However, as a parent that watched her DS go through the board process as an AFROTC nontech cadet, and later on through UPT, I am not sure cadets truly understand the stress of that path if they signed just to increase their EA chances.

~ No PPL = attending IFS prior to UPT.
~~ IFS avgs @20%+ wash out rate. DSs class had a washout within 5 days. Busted the 1st Bold test, busted it again 2 days later. His class had 28 students 21 passed.
~~~ DSs friend and ROTC classmate busted 1st flight (8 days there), busted the 2nd (88 ride) and busted the 89. They were sent back to Columbus. Waited 3 months to meet the board to see if she would be converted to nonrated. She was picked up, but mentally and emotionally it was stressful to her.
~~~ Her earliest get out date is now 2017/18. She is a 2012 grad. She went casual status Aug until IFS Mar. 2013 The reason why is because of her being converted to Intel, and that training she did not get to her operational base until March 2014, and it is suppose to be at least a 3 year assignment.
~~~~ Had she been like Nick4060, her separation date would be @ 12-18 months earlier, AND never had to live the stress of an FEB (Flight Evaluation Board)

~ UPT has a wash out rate of @25%.
~~ DSs class mate in ROTC(2012) and at UPT (Laughlin) washed out after tracking T1s. Dec. 2013. He too waited three months before finding out if he would be handed walking papers or converted to nonrated. He was sent to Cyber. He graduated fall 2014. PCSd to his first ops base and the same is true for him. He is in for at least 5+ years.
~~~ Same as above for the friend that busted IFS.

Just saying, impo if you go this route for an EA, beware that this is also your future if selected for rated. DS had 11 go UPT and he told me that only 7 winged. Historical stats that makes sense. 11 x 80% = 9. 9 x .75% = 6 or 7.
~ It only gets more stressful!
~~ Parents joke that they get a 10 minute call every weekend when their child is at UPT. That is kind of true. Many times you get the midweek phone call and you steel yourself for that one. Usually it is their check rides. Did they pass or bust is what you think when you see the caller ID show up. Is this going to be a great call or telling them to brush it off? As a parent that has endured this for 18 months+, trust me it doesn't get easier, especially for them. They are watching other students that were in their UPT class one day, on the schedule to fly and show up the next day seeing their name removed completely.

If you want this, than be smart. Get some flight hours to increase your PCSM score for the rated board. Plus, it will help for IFS. A few hours will help alot for the score. Learn how to study the BOLD. A missed comma, colon, period is considered wrong.

Off my soapbox. I hope that for those that are going to sign, they get rated. I hope they also take the time to read Raimius blog and understand that this is a very long road to hoe.
~ DS commissioned May 2012. IFS Feb. 2013. UPT winging April 2014. C130 Schoolhouse July 2014 - Jan. 2015. 1st operational flight 2/18/15.

He is the norm. For you and your peers, if selected for EA and get rated the pressure cooker will most likely end in 2020. If you wing it would probably be 2019.
~ Commission 2017
~ Start UPT 2018
~ Wing 2019
~ Operational 2020.

The 9 year pilot clock starts at winging. 2028 is when your year.

I am not trying to be Debbie Downer. Trying to say do due diligence and ask are you willing to hang for 13 more years just to get a higher chance of SFT?

What is your post military career goals? Bullet, my DH was also AFROTC. He flew fighters as a WSO for 20 years and I was with him as a cadet....college sweethearts. He didn't know his post military career, but at your age all he wanted to do was fly. Hence, my question do you know why your post military career is?
~ I get it if you don't. You are young, but again if you are given a rated slot, pilot or CSO you are looking down the barrel for at least a decade.
 
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Great post Pima! I have done plenty of looking as to what the rated life is like. Like you said there are pilots who washout at both schools. I've looked at and planned out my alternate routes for many steps along the way. I've looked at where I want to be and how to get there in both the AF and my career. You also pointed out the time commitment and I am completely aware of it. I am young but I feel like I've made an educated decision on where I want to go in the future.

P.S. There was no Debbie Downer attitude in there. It's a realistic view on what to expect when making a major decision. If it was easy wouldn't everyone be a fighter pilot? :biglaugh:
 
Great post Pima! I have done plenty of looking as to what the rated life is like. Like you said there are pilots who washout at both schools. I've looked at and planned out my alternate routes for many steps along the way. I've looked at where I want to be and how to get there in both the AF and my career. You also pointed out the time commitment and I am completely aware of it. I am young but I feel like I've made an educated decision on where I want to go in the future.

P.S. There was no Debbie Downer attitude in there. It's a realistic view on what to expect when making a major decision. If it was easy wouldn't everyone be a fighter pilot? :biglaugh:
LMAO!

Don't most HS students applying for scholarships state their dream is to fly a 22 or35? Nobody that I know that wants rated says I want an E8! Yet,somebody in your year group will get an airframe never thought of as a 17 year old!
 
Great post Pima! I have done plenty of looking as to what the rated life is like. Like you said there are pilots who washout at both schools. I've looked at and planned out my alternate routes for many steps along the way. I've looked at where I want to be and how to get there in both the AF and my career. You also pointed out the time commitment and I am completely aware of it. I am young but I feel like I've made an educated decision on where I want to go in the future.

P.S. There was no Debbie Downer attitude in there. It's a realistic view on what to expect when making a major decision. If it was easy wouldn't everyone be a fighter pilot? :biglaugh:
LMAO!

Don't most HS students applying for scholarships state their dream is to fly a 22 or35? Nobody that I know that wants rated says I want an E8! Yet,somebody in your year group will get an airframe never thought of as a 17 year old!
Oh, I want a KC-10....or a F15, F16, A10, CV22, T38, T1 heck give me anything!
 
LMAO...I will remind you of that when you get FAIP T1 out of Laughlin!
 
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