USMA vs USAFA?

soccerboy97

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I have been blessed to have a pretty awesome problem. I received an appointment to USMA in January, and I got a LOA in August. I applied to USAFA and liked it a lot but a lot later than West Point. My congresswoman called me last week and told me that USAFA wants to give me an appointment, but they want to know where I stand because they knew I got into West Point already. It seems like to me that USAFA asked them to change their slate for moe, because originally I did not receive an appointment to USAFA, and my district's nominations have been decided for at least 4months now. I have to tell them my decision tommorow, and I'm still undecided. I want to do international relations after. Does anyone know about IAS officers in the air force. Also, which academy is more chill/less hoohah because I am pretty laid back(but motivated).
 
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What do you want to do while in the service?
Army and Air Force both have a lot of good career fields, but it depends on what you want to do. If you want to be a fixed-wing pilot, you should choose USAFA. If you want to be an infantry or armor officer, USMA is the place to go. If you want to go into international affairs, this is the AF program: http://www.safia.hq.af.mil/internationalaffairsspecialist/. Under the old FAO system, officers tended to alternate between their main career field and foreign area duties each assignment. That was both good and bad--they had some main career field experience and FAO experience, but they tended to be the oddball within their own career field (hard to be an expert at something when you leave the field for years at a time).

Which service do you see yourself in in 10 years?
The Air Force is the most "corporate" service, with all the good and bad that entails. We are flying and technology oriented, which enables some great capabilities, but also blinds us to some issues. The Army tends to focus on ground combat capability. If you want to go far in the army, you'll probably want to be in some sort of combat arms field. For the Air Force that "golden path" tends to be flying. Both branches suffer from the problems of big organizations--talent management and bureaucracy issues frustrate a lot of people. (Disney and Ford probably have similar issues.)
 
This sounds highly unusual. Anyone seen this situation before? Service Academies checking in when other academies have offered appointments to the same individual ?
I though academies functioned independently on appointments?
 
Why do you have to declare within days? My DD has appointments to USAFA and USNA and she has until May 1 to decide

Your MOC isn't 'in the loop' after the nomination. The SAs make offers of Appointment and though they appear to let the MOCs know, the MOC isn't in a position to make the deadline for You to accept/reject the offer of appointment

I think you are confused or this is BS

This isn't like a prom date where your friend asks her friend if you ask will she say yes.
 
This is almost exactly what happened to me... LOA to USMA on September 3, pursued that and fell in love with USMA on my overnight. Then, I got an LOA to USAFA at the end of December without receiving a nomination there because I had my LOA to USMA during all of my congressional nomination interviews in November. I got a call at the end of January that they had found me a nomination and that they wanted to offer me an appointment, I declined because USMA is the only place I can really see myself.

Pray about this decision and talk about it with your parents. At the end of the day, you will know where your heart is at. But let's be honest, both are great options, how can you go wrong either way? Best of luck in deciding!

P.S. Go Army!
 
In terms of which is more chill, first year at USAFA is probably harder than its counterparts, however after recognition life gets much easier and the USAFA cadets have more privileges than the USMA cadets.
 
In terms of which is more chill, first year at USAFA is probably harder than its counterparts, however after recognition life gets much easier and the USAFA cadets have more privileges than the USMA cadets.

Whaaaaat? "Mom, I can't have my fridge and golf clubs in my room because I'm a freshman."

USAFA is toughest said no one ever.
;)
 
Why do you have to declare within days? My DD has appointments to USAFA and USNA and she has until May 1 to decide

Your MOC isn't 'in the loop' after the nomination. The SAs make offers of Appointment and though they appear to let the MOCs know, the MOC isn't in a position to make the deadline for You to accept/reject the offer of appointment

I think you are confused or this is BS

This isn't like a prom date where your friend asks her friend if you ask will she say yes.
I'm sorry you don't believe me, but I was just asking questions that could actually help me decide.
 
If you are looking for chill and laid back none of the SA's sound like the right choice for you. You may need to reevaluate all the way around.

That being said what was your initial 1st choice of SA's? You may want to look at the websites(Majors etc.) for both and research your decision based on what you find.
 
More than likely they have 'found' you a Nom somewhere. None of us know your exact situation and Noms are a very intricate process. Make your decision, hope there is some good info here. Ultimately what do you want to do in service?
 
Whaaaaat? "Mom, I can't have my fridge and golf clubs in my room because I'm a freshman."

USAFA is toughest said no one ever.
;)

Hey they only get leave on the weekends and they have to wait until recognition to get their civvies. That's a serious violation of their rights. Lol.
 
If you are looking for chill and laid back none of the SA's sound like the right choice for you. You may need to reevaluate all the way around.

That being said what was your initial 1st choice of SA's? You may want to look at the websites(Majors etc.) for both and research your decision based on what you find.
I apologize for my wording, service academies are my top choice. I'm not looking for an easy school. I want a challenge. However, I want to go to a school when people are not always serious all the time.
 
More than likely they have 'found' you a Nom somewhere. None of us know your exact situation and Noms are a very intricate process. Make your decision, hope there is some good info here. Ultimately what do you want to do in service?
I want to do international relationship (IAS) or aviation.
 
Well you won't get IR stuff initially out of the gate in any service. Aviation, obviously USAF has a much larger inventory of aircraft to fly than the Army. The military is a work hard play hard type of mentality. You are serious when its required and enjoy life when you can.
 
What are you doing in ten years? Picture yourself at 28. Are you flying? Sitting at a desk? a scientist? Procurement specialist? What color is your uniform?

Maybe at 28, you've already chosen to 5-n-dive?
 
I apologize for my wording, service academies are my top choice. I'm not looking for an easy school. I want a challenge. However, I want to go to a school when people are not always serious all the time.

Soccerboy... I know exactly how you feel. I too desire to attend SA for all "normal" reasons but am struggling to think of which one I would fit in at the most. I also consider myself to be quiet and laid back- not noticeably "hoohah". I do not question your desire to serve and I thinks it's pathetic that people do just because of a logical question.

I have concluded that no matter which SA I attend, I will meet people that are similar to myself. Some will be "Type A" extroverts and some will demonstrate they're HOOHAH in other ways. Wherever I go I will create friends of a lifetime and will find joy in the smaller things.

I enjoy having fun and joking around with friends, yet am aware of the requirements of SA life. Oftentimes when adversity is at its highest, it is easiest to take pleasure in simple things.

That being said, the beauty of our armed forces is that they are a cross section of America. Not every personality in uniform fits into the same mold nor should they, yet officers will be expected to lead them. Because of this, it takes officers of all different types to form the cohesive unit that is the US Military.
 
I have been blessed to have a pretty awesome problem. I received an appointment to USMA in January, and I got a LOA in August. I applied to USAFA and liked it a lot but a lot later than West Point. My congresswoman called me last week and told me that USAFA wants to give me an appointment, but they want to know where I stand because they knew I got into West Point already. It seems like to me that USAFA asked them to change their slate for moe, because originally I did not receive an appointment to USAFA, and my district's nominations have been decided for at least 4months now. I have to tell them my decision tommorow, and I'm still undecided. I want to do international relations after. Does anyone know about IAS officers in the air force. Also, which academy is more chill/less hoohah because I am pretty laid back(but motivated).
So what did you decide?
 
Trust me the hooyah thing isn't everyone. Heck I was probably the least Oorah Marine ever created. Didn't mean I wasn't motivated, dedicated or serious. There are plenty of people at SAs who are the same way.
 
..."hoohah"...[/QUOTE said:
I am a squid, but I think you mean "hooah." Standing by for correction from Army friends. Maybe there is a variant I need to learn.

Your point is valid, though - all personality types at SA and in officers corps, all services.
 
I'm sorry you don't believe me, but I was just asking questions that could actually help me decide.

I don't think your question about which SA would be best for you is invalid

I think the scenario in which you introduced it is invalid.

If you have a congressional Nomination to USAFA, USAFA will not ask your MOC to ask you if they offered you an appointment would you turn down USMA and accept their offer and do so within X days.

If you lack a nomination source to USAFA they may ask you (not your MOC) if they spent a VP or Superintendent nomination/appointment would you accept it as those bullets are few and far between

Otherwise USMA doesn't check with USAFA about who they have offered Appointments and vice versa

And I went to a pretty good source in USAFA admissions to ask the question because the scenario as described was 'unique'
 
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