What worries me most is that it looks to me like the AF is in need of STEM majors with high GPA's for CSO slots and that is why he didn't get pilot. And now they are dangling a carrot in front of him, telling him that he is high up (because of his high scores) on the alternate list for pilot as long as he doesn't decline CSO. But why would they allow him to take an alternate pilot slot down the road if they were trying to fill CSO positions with engineering majors? It doesn't seem to me like he has any real chance of getting an alternate slot.
What is his major? I know for several years they allowed only 5% of EEs to go rated since they were deemed critical manning. NOTE I said rated, not just pilot.
~ IOWS, it might be that his score was high enough to go rated, but because they only take so many percentage wise he moved down to the CSO.
The last I knew was that alternate is OML, which means his major has no impact, it is a line number. IOWS if he is number 15, and 15 do not pass the FAA physical or fail school, etc he will move from CSO to Pilot. It is not unusual for 15, 20, 25% of UPT selects to not pass the FAA FC1.
~ When DS went to WPAFB for his FC1, he was in a group that did not pass the EKG. There were 20-25 of them out of 100 doing the exams. They sent them the next day for an EEG. He passed, but 5 did not. There was a cadet at his det that did Lasik and his eyes still were no good for UPT.
~ Bullet went for his and they said his scoliosis was DQ for rated. His folks took him to a renown scoliosis specialist at Cedars Sinai, and the AF accepted it and gave him a waiver, but that paperwork did not come down until Jan/Feb his sr. yr. Had they not waived it, somebody else on the alt. list would have been given his slot.
I think you are confusing the alternate board with being a CSO AND an alternate pilot on this list.
Just saying you would be surprised how often people move off that alternate list before they commission. I am not saying take that CSO, but as the CoC stated if he does not sign the paperwork, than it is over for him.
I am not sure CSO is a good fit for him. I mean this with the utmost kindness, but I think he has what fliers call single seat mentality. He sees it as a 2nd class citizen, and not a peer. If not that it is his follow on career which everyone in the AF flying world calls being a bus driver in the sky (SWA, United, Delta, etc)
~ F15Es cannot do their mission with just the pilot, which is why the pilots respect the WSO.
I think he needs to really see the bigger picture. As I stated before Bullet is the only AF GS selected to go to National Defense University (Eisenhower School) out of the entire Pentagon. He is the go to guy for any fighter/bomber regarding procurement and requirements, including the 15, 16, 22 and 35 all single seats.
~ He will be doing his last TDY in his position prior to starting NDU in May. He is going to Australia because they also purchased the 35. He has gone there every other yr. He has gone to Israel, they too will have the 35. He has gone to Germany. He just returned from TX.
~~ Just saying his 2nd career is not as exciting as flying an F15E in Alaska, but he still has that connection.
His peer out of England (F111 WSO) originally started flying a desk (engineer) got a nav slot and took it as a young Captain. Since he was an engineer major he applied for test school, and got it. He eventually applied and got NASA
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_T._Good
I do get the angst, truly I do. If he truly will hate being a CSO, than decline the position.