My son is very interested in joining AF only for a specific special weapons program. He knows his vision may be an issue. I just preface this by saying we do not want him to enlist. He is a high stats kid who was rejected to his top schools. He has several great school options. He wears contacts for farsighted condition. He also has seasonal allergies and uses 3 otc meds 7 months a year including eye drops. He has not scheduled a physical/vision test yet. He did commit to a school as a back up in case AF doesn’t work out. This has all come out of left Field after almost perfect SAT score and GPA. I am doubting military will spend $ on physical etc without my son signing a contract. Any thoughts? Also re eye exam and allergies. Thank you.
DodMerb question
- Thread starter MEM527
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I am confused. Does he have an appointment to USAFA?
Gravity
Prior Service LEAD Class 27' USAFA Appointee
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I'm noticing a few red flags.
Red flag #1: He wants to join the Air Force for a very specific program. Air Force life unfortunately isn't as flexible as he'd want it to be. Regardless of which route he takes, the needs of the Air Force come first over what he wants, so if he decides he wants to join he has to accept that, even if it means he becomes the exact opposite of what he was desiring.
Red Flag #2: You don't want him to enlist. Last time I checked, it's about what he wants, not what you or other parties desire. It is his life. Your role is simply to advise, but you have to let him make a choice for himself. I enlisted, even after my parents advised against it, and I ended up being set on a really good path that I am happy I took.
Red Flag #3: I don't think you have a complete understanding on how commissioning programs work. Some of the things you're saying contradict. If Air Force is the route he has decided on, it does not matter which school he commits to, as almost any school will either have an AFROTC detachment or will have a crosstown agreement with a school that does. USAFA is a non starter for next academic year, unless he has already applied and is waiting on a decision, and given you're saying he doesn't have a physical done I doubt he has. If he is serious about the Air Force, he simply needs to talk to his counselor and add AFROTC classes to his schedule. If he wants a scholarship from them, I believe that has closed out for the next academic year and he'd have to apply for the following year.
All this being said, if he goes to AFROTC and meets/exceeds the requirements, with high attendance, he can probably land a spot in a thing called Field Training. If he does, they will then send him for physicals through DODMERB before he can go. Any OTC Medication, health, and vision concerns can be addressed during that process. If he is interested in USAFA, he will have to apply for the Class of 28'. I would not advise on the OTS commissioning route as it has a bad accession rate and it doesn't look like it's getting better any time soon.
Red flag #1: He wants to join the Air Force for a very specific program. Air Force life unfortunately isn't as flexible as he'd want it to be. Regardless of which route he takes, the needs of the Air Force come first over what he wants, so if he decides he wants to join he has to accept that, even if it means he becomes the exact opposite of what he was desiring.
Red Flag #2: You don't want him to enlist. Last time I checked, it's about what he wants, not what you or other parties desire. It is his life. Your role is simply to advise, but you have to let him make a choice for himself. I enlisted, even after my parents advised against it, and I ended up being set on a really good path that I am happy I took.
Red Flag #3: I don't think you have a complete understanding on how commissioning programs work. Some of the things you're saying contradict. If Air Force is the route he has decided on, it does not matter which school he commits to, as almost any school will either have an AFROTC detachment or will have a crosstown agreement with a school that does. USAFA is a non starter for next academic year, unless he has already applied and is waiting on a decision, and given you're saying he doesn't have a physical done I doubt he has. If he is serious about the Air Force, he simply needs to talk to his counselor and add AFROTC classes to his schedule. If he wants a scholarship from them, I believe that has closed out for the next academic year and he'd have to apply for the following year.
All this being said, if he goes to AFROTC and meets/exceeds the requirements, with high attendance, he can probably land a spot in a thing called Field Training. If he does, they will then send him for physicals through DODMERB before he can go. Any OTC Medication, health, and vision concerns can be addressed during that process. If he is interested in USAFA, he will have to apply for the Class of 28'. I would not advise on the OTS commissioning route as it has a bad accession rate and it doesn't look like it's getting better any time soon.
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Don’t forget federal civil service work in these program areas too, and you have a lot more control over where you go, and a lot less concern about the physical exam challenges of military service. DoD is hungry for STEM-smart college students and grads. It’s just another way of serving.
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SMART Scholarship Program | DoD STEM
DoD STEM seeks to attract, inspire, and develop exceptional STEM talent across the education continuum and advance the current DoD STEM workforce to meet future defense technological challenges.
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