I was awarded a rated EA since I indicated a rated interest when I went up for selection. Before then, I was told that if I got a rated EA, applied for a battlefield airman job like ALO or CRO, and made it past Phase II, then I could get that rated service commitment waived to take the battlefield job. However, I am now being told that I'm not able to do that. I was wondering what the truth was behind this.
AFROTC: Rated EA and Battlefield Airmen
- Thread starter AmnSnuffy
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Did you talk to your det CC? Rated slots can be turned down at any time, however they could investigate you for disenrollment (worst case). STO/CRO are pretty selective and I've seen others do the same (try for spec ops). Best to speak with your chain with the new "rated" Ea.
Our Det is pretty big, so 200s rarely ever speak to the CC. I've spoken to the OFC, my AES instructor, as well as POC cadets who have tried for spec ops jobs prior to this year's EA selection. I mostly wanted to see if others are in the same boat as me or know anything about it, but I'll also see if I can also have that clarified from up the chain.
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Zero, you can turn down rated slots if you just go up for the board. But AmnSnuffy applied for a rated EA, something that only began with my year group last year. It means that you are committed to going before the rated board. If you get a rated slot and turn it down you'll be disenrolled. A rated EA is essentially a commitment that if you get an EA, you WILL go before the boards, and (if you get a slot) you WILL commission with a rated AFSC. As explained to us, you can only get out of it if you're medically disqualified from flying, don't receive a slot, or decide to leave. There may be exceptions for if you get a STO/CRO slot.
I applied for a non-rated EA, so I could go up for the rated boards, get a slot, and then decide to decline it without huge repercussions. That's the difference here.
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Pima
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I agree with Non Ducor Duco. They signed paperwork stating they will apply for rated, it basically pigeon holed them.
Bullet was an ALO with the 82nd. I find it interesting that it is now a career path. When Bullet did it, he did it to not only transition over into the Strike, but a medical hardship tour (My Dad was battling cancer and it would get us closer to home). The joke was as a flier that why would you purposely jump out of a perfectly good airplane?
Every ALO in his unit took the job as a way to get into a different airframe or their joint assignment. It was not a permanent career option. ALO assignments were as short as 1 yr. Our jump was 2 years and we had a follow on already in the pocket within 6-9 months of arriving. The ALOs in SKorea had their follow ons before they stepped foot in South Korea since that was considered a remote.
Bullet was an ALO with the 82nd. I find it interesting that it is now a career path. When Bullet did it, he did it to not only transition over into the Strike, but a medical hardship tour (My Dad was battling cancer and it would get us closer to home). The joke was as a flier that why would you purposely jump out of a perfectly good airplane?
Every ALO in his unit took the job as a way to get into a different airframe or their joint assignment. It was not a permanent career option. ALO assignments were as short as 1 yr. Our jump was 2 years and we had a follow on already in the pocket within 6-9 months of arriving. The ALOs in SKorea had their follow ons before they stepped foot in South Korea since that was considered a remote.
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Here's the other thing: they explained this weird thing to my class where basically instead of going up for a rated EA, you can note that you would be interested in getting a rated job. So for example I am a Russian major. I originally went up for a Foreign Language EA, but I said I would be interested in Rated. What they told me is that they would compete me for a Foreign Language EA, and if I didnt get that, I would "flow into" competing for a Rated EA. Apparently thats not how it worked though because they're now telling me that I went up for Rated to begin with.
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Officers can't be linguists anyways, there are a few jobs where you can use your language, but that's mainly an Enlisted career path. Foreign Language, Tech, Non-tech EA slots are all the same in that they just have you competing against your peers for however many slots the AF wants to give competitive people in those majors. Those all fall under non-rated and don't lock you into any AFSC. The 2 types of EA's you can compete for are non-rated and rated, your major just helps determine how competitive you are. It sounds like either Amn Snuffy wasn't competitive enough to go up as a FL major and was subsequently put into the rated EA board, or there was a miscommunication and they were only put up for a rated EA in the first place.
If the OP signed anything dealing with this, it was likely they signed the form committing to going up for a rated EA slot.
If the OP signed anything dealing with this, it was likely they signed the form committing to going up for a rated EA slot.
I had very high stats when I went up for the EA boards. I'll clarify what happened with the cadre, because they could have mixed it up and just put me up for rated.
Ok so regardless, it sounds like I'm locked into rated, no opting out even if I am physically able to make ALO. Can anything like this be waived? For example, apparently a couple years back a cadet at our detachment was awarded a type 2 scholarship as a sophmore on the basis that he must meet the rated boards. However, as a junior he also applied for ALO, got it after Phase II, and also got a pilot slot. He was then given the choice between going rated or ALO, despite his contractual obligation. Of course I'll speak with the appropriate cadre about this, but the current staff don't have any experience with such a situation and know very little about the ALO career field.
Ok so regardless, it sounds like I'm locked into rated, no opting out even if I am physically able to make ALO. Can anything like this be waived? For example, apparently a couple years back a cadet at our detachment was awarded a type 2 scholarship as a sophmore on the basis that he must meet the rated boards. However, as a junior he also applied for ALO, got it after Phase II, and also got a pilot slot. He was then given the choice between going rated or ALO, despite his contractual obligation. Of course I'll speak with the appropriate cadre about this, but the current staff don't have any experience with such a situation and know very little about the ALO career field.
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Just ask the cadre about exceptions for ALO/CRO/STO. Normally if you get that it trumps a rated slot. I'm sure they can find the answer for you.
They don't automatically disenroll and there are exceptions, it's begins a investigation to do so, big difference. Every cadet that got a rated EA last year wasn't thrown away if they didn't get a slot, he'd be in the same category. Not every rated EA cadet will get rated, and it'd be a whole new thing if they all did get disenrolled, which is why this year nobody knows as it's been changing year to year.
Talk to your det CC. He or she is the one that can make things happen.
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That is not what I said. I said that if you have a rated EA AND get a rated slot AND then decline it then you will be disenrolled. It is already understood that if you have a rated EA, but don't get picked up for a rated slot then you will just go before the non-rated boards. Rated EA's obligate you to go before the rated board, it doesn't mean that you will get a rated slot but we were told that if you do get one you are committed to keeping it. Unlike if you had a regular EA and then went for a rated slot, you could still decline that if you wanted to. That was the big dilemma for cadets interested in rated careers last year, go for rated and have a better chance at an EA but be totally locked into it or go for a regular EA and take your chances, but retain the ability to decline a slot later if you wanted to.
It sounds like the OP is seriously questioning going rated since his 1st choice is really ALO. With the way things have been going lately, it's likely he will get picked up for a rated slot. If he does he can't just decline it and continue with AFROTC. But I find it doubtful that rated EA's would trump ALO/CRO/STO selection so what he really needs to do is talk to his cadre to clear this up: If you have a rated EA, then get a rated slot, and then want to go for ALO/CRO/STO will they release you from your rated obligation?
Frassy16
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I have been following this thread with some interest as my DS signed to take a rated EA, but is also interested in STO. My DS has been working closely with his Cadre and Det Leadership on his AFROTC path. According to my DS, for STO (I don't know if ALO/CRO is the same) Cadets should submit a Phase I package before they are classified in another AFSC, ideally, at least 12-18 months before forecasted commissioning date. ROTC cadets must have successfully completed Field Training before applying. (This also comes directly from the STO application) Phase II is conducted twice per year, usually in spring and fall. So, if my DS applies after SFT, and he makes it through Phase 1, he would attend Phase II in spring or fall of his Junior year. This would occur prior to him going before the rated board. If he is selected from Phase II and he accepts, then, his understanding is that he is placed directly into the STO pipeline. If he is not selected, then he goes before the rated board, as planned, and must accept a rated position, if offered. According to my DS, if he did not apply to STO timely, went before the rated board and was selected for a rated position, he would need special permission to then apply for STO.
Pima
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Frassy,
It sounds like your DS is going to be an amazing AF officer no matter where he lands. (no pun intended...okay maybe a little!)
He has already learned two of the biggest lessons to succeed in the AF.
1. Take proactive steps with regards to your own career.
2. Timelines matter!
~~ If step 1 is not completed in time, than step 2 is most likely going to be a no go. Drop dates exist for a reason, and the AF does not believe everyone serving is a special little snow flake, especially when they have yet to commission.
Good luck to him.
It sounds like your DS is going to be an amazing AF officer no matter where he lands. (no pun intended...okay maybe a little!)
He has already learned two of the biggest lessons to succeed in the AF.
1. Take proactive steps with regards to your own career.
2. Timelines matter!
~~ If step 1 is not completed in time, than step 2 is most likely going to be a no go. Drop dates exist for a reason, and the AF does not believe everyone serving is a special little snow flake, especially when they have yet to commission.
Good luck to him.
Frassy precisely my point! Special permissions and exceptions are usually always out there. If he missed the window, get permission. If you don't want rated then talk to the det cc. Plenty will and always will deny or fail upt, they all don't get kicked out. There are loopholes, especially if your a strong cadet, commanders have immense powers to keep cadets if they want to.
My advice is talk to your upper chain, get options of what your DET can make happen for you.
My advice is talk to your upper chain, get options of what your DET can make happen for you.