AFROTC is bouncing out sophomores with straight A's from field training for this summer and gone from the program entirely. Straight A's at top schools and they are being bounced out anyway due to a lack of retirements and cost savings. Sad for those that committed two years of their life to lose their scholarships with good participation. This is the new norm I guess. But why would you try if they do this?
AF decisions
- Thread starter mtnwing
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Because the Air Force has a limited budget and can only keep so many people at one time. Their leaders manage their personnel just like everyone else and sometime events dictate tough choices. My son is one of those pesky non-retiring O-4 pilots who dedicated 4 years at USAFA, 10 years on active duty, and has thousands of hours in the jet. Would it be a better decision to cut him loose so that a college student with two years of participation can stay?
Your continued bashing of the Air Force process is tiring.
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gibsontrio
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This reminds me of the Officer Separation Boards (OSB) that happened in the Army in 2013. So many really good officers, friends and peers of my husband, were handed their marching papers. It felt like no one was safe at that point.
Stealth- Do you see these numbers being the new norm for awhile, affecting the next few years , or do you think this was a one year thing to slow things down.
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My DS has an AFROTC Type 2, NROTC National 4 year, and ROTC National 3 year (possible 4 yr upgrade). What are your thoughts? Which direction would you advise him to go? He is leaning toward AF, so this is a bit concerning.
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I had heard, unofficially, that there was a reduction in AFROTC scholarships given out this cycle as well. USAFA even dropped its class size for c/o 2025 by 35-50 cadets. For the past few years, USAFA incoming classes were ~1150-1165. This year they had a goal of ~1115. I have not heard anything about c/o 2026 goals to date.
I am not aware of any reductions from NROTC or ROTC, but I will defer to others who may be more informed.
I am not aware of any reductions from NROTC or ROTC, but I will defer to others who may be more informed.
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My personal opinion after talking to current pilots is that it will be a short blip. When the airlines shut down hiring many pilots who were planning on leaving the AF put the brakes on that plan. However, most of them did not take the retention bonus so they can quickly restart the separation plan and leave. Because airlines really like military pilots and they were only 20-30% of the airlines hiring before covid, I think you’ll see the AF pilots jump into airline seats fairly quickly once travel picks up (it already has). A few bold souls actually took the opportunity to put in Palace Chase paperwork and will be the first out the door. I think the pilot slots will return sooner rather than later. However, if I really had a crystal ball and knew the answer I’d be selling my services to AFPC.
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jaglvr
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The Commander at the school my DD will be attending in the fall said that it looks like this year and next are what they are planning on. So current sophomores and freshman will/may be affected at this point.
emptynest2021
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What is it about grades with you? Yes, the AF had to cut the number of scholarships and EA slots this year. Am I going to say that the process is flawed if I find out my son didn’t get an EA? No! Grades, PFT, Commander’s Ranking all go into this process.
A cadet can have stellar grades and suck at leadership. A cadet can also have stellar grades, PFT, and top 1/3 ranking and still not be selected. It is what it is and my son has a plan B if not selected. Yes, he loses his scholarship, but damn it he’s going to finish his degree at the school where he is.
A cadet can have stellar grades and suck at leadership. A cadet can also have stellar grades, PFT, and top 1/3 ranking and still not be selected. It is what it is and my son has a plan B if not selected. Yes, he loses his scholarship, but damn it he’s going to finish his degree at the school where he is.
fullspeedahead
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It might be wiser to go to USAFA as a more "surefire" way of getting a commission, but no one can truly know which path would be better. If you end up choosing USAFA over Duke because of that certainty you might end up not enjoying your time in Colorado Springs. Just a thought to ponder, but you have time to make a decision.
Well at least they got two years of free college that they don’t have to recoup.
gibsontrio
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Yes this !!
My ds and I had this discussion so he understands what is happening and what the risk is. His reaction..
So if I don’t get picked up then I lose my scholarship but still finish college with an awesome Aero Engineering degree with minimal debt
There’s no certainty in the military, gotta roll with the punches
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I think USAFA, but that's just one man's opinion.
This is one man's agreement with one man's opinion.
Given the state of the world, now...and recent actions taken by USAF ROTC...it seems to me that USAFA would be the better shot at 4 full years of schooling, and a commission at the tail end of it.
I would add there are trade-offs in any decision. And new doors open as others are shut. You need to decide how you want to spend the next four years. Duke is a very different experience than USAFA - whether it's better or not is a personal call.
Yes this !!
My ds and I had this discussion so he understands what is happening and what the risk is. His reaction..
So if I don’t get picked up then I lose my scholarship but still finish college with an awesome Aero Engineering degree with minimal debt
There’s no certainty in the military, gotta roll with the punches
Yes, that is true, but it really is quite a blow. Luckily my son has a full tuition scholarship at his university in addition to his type 2. He wasn't selected after 2 years of hard work. So now, besides the work he put in (which one could say he got paid for), he lost his future plans, his financial independence, and his "fraternity" all on one day. Sure, it is not a complete loss, but it is really, really brutal.
Before even waiting to hear from the Commander, I would contact the Admissions Department and Financial Aid Office and explain the situation. If your megastar DS/DD is all that, there could very well be merit and/or need based scholarships available. It is in the interest of the school to have the greatest number of graduates from each incoming Freshman class.
Duke is absolutely one of those schools where virtually no one other than very wealthy students and the US military pay full freight.
Duke is absolutely one of those schools where virtually no one other than very wealthy students and the US military pay full freight.
Boy howdy!
He can always apply for OTS if he still wishes to be an Air Force Officer.
My son was in a similar position and he chose AFROTC because he wanted a more normal college experience. He ultimately did not get selected for Field Training (neither did most of his detachment) but he will be able to finish his degree without the scholarship. He does not regret choosing ROTC over the Academy and would do it again. I feel the Academy would just about guarantee a commission and the ROTC route is a bit more risky (depends on field training selection and number of slots available which vary year to year). Good luck to you and I do not believe either are bad choices.
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