Also, would having one of my majors as a critical language improve my chances of receiving a scholarship?
They do offer a foreign language scholarship for AFROTC.
It is important to understand a couple of aspects for AFROTC, and the scholarships.
1. If offered a foreign language scholarship and once in college you decide you don't want that major, you will be required to get HQ AFROTCs approval to change your major.
~ Typically the chances are slim to none to get that approval. You can still stay in AFROTC, but not on scholarship.
~~ This is something to think about if you need the scholarship to attend your dream school.
2. You MUST be selected to attend Summer Field Training (SFT) as a rising junior (in college). The selection board does not take into consideration if you are or are not on scholarship. They do care about if your tech or non-tech and going rated or non-rated.
~ Here is the problem I see with the Govt and Politics major, even with an International Relations dual major and a minor in foreign language as a non-rated.
~~ The lowest number selected for SFT is and has always been non-tech/non-rated which you would be a part of that group. As I stated my DS did your degree, but, he went rated. The high to low selection rate goes: Tech/rated, Tech/non-rated, non-tech/rated (almost tied with tech/non--rated) and than non-tech/non-rated. Non-tech cgpa has always hovered @3.3/3.4 for rated. I would assume non-tech/non-rated would probably be closer to 3.5+
~ I believe foreign language majors get a bump in scoring for SFT, just like tech majors.
~ NO SFT = high likelihood of AFROTC disenrollment. High = close to 90%+. Disenrollment = loss of scholarship. Loss of scholarship = how do you pay for your final 2 yrs? What is your career chances with that major in a traditional job market?
If your heartfelt goal is to commission as an intelligence officer, the Army pond is much larger and may offer more slots. Even so, your first years would probably be spent in a different Army Branch, like Infantry, before doing intelligence work
That is not how it works for the AF. They will immediately go to Intel school as an O-1. I believe it still at Goodfellow AFB in TX.
There is no spending it in a different branch, such as, for the AF as rated, Comm, Mission Support, maintenance, etc. Granted, if they go maintenance and later want to go Intel, they can apply for a slot. However, upon commissioning they will go straight to Intel.
I am not sure I agree that the pond is much bigger in the Army if we are talking percentage. Of course from a number aspect it is because the AF is much smaller, but statistically I am not sure there is a higher chance. I would suggest that
@MobileRelief investigate if statistically they have a higher chance, especially when you look at AFROTC requires SFT.
Every AFB has Intel officers. Every AF squadron has Intel officers. An AF squadron is much smaller than a brigade, probably for a fighter squadron, their unit averages about 100-125 personnel. Heavies have larger units.
~ An Army officer will have a platoon of the same size at what an O2? For an AF officer that would occur much, much, much later, probably O4, as non rated. Rated, it would be 05. Remember a big AFB base is 5K.
~~ DH(fighter) did a tour with the 82nd as an AF ALO and CGSC at Leavenworth. It is a total different life. We loved both tours, but the mission is different along with the life style. DS gives rides to the Army personnel a lot (heavies pilot). I have seen it now from a spouse and a Mom regarding each side for the AF. DS is an O3. Just like his Dad, there is no way he will be in charge of 100+ until he is up for O5.
~AF fliers have a 2nd job, after flying, they are things, such as, scheduling officer, life support, training, weapons, etc. They may fly 2 or days a week, but the remaining work days they are CHAIR FLYING in those jobs that I have mentioned. One job rated officers do not do in the AF as a 2nd job is the INTEL officer. Hence, why as an O-1 they immediately go into Intel.
~ Intel impo is the number 1 or 2 requested field for non-rated....intel/cyberspace are the popular AFSC requests. Key word my opinion.
~~ There has never been 100% winging out of pilot training for AF. Many that "wash out" of the rated programs request 1 of those 2 career fields to finish out their commitment.
~ Heck to even go deeper for every AFB they also have Intel officers at the Wing level, such as at OSS. A wing for an AFB, is @5K. You can make it to flag level as an Intel officer from start to finish (0-1----?)
Either way the Security Clearance bar is raised a notch for intel, so the invasiveness of the background check increases by several orders of magnitude. No way around it.
I agree, but again, for AF, the Intel officers are tied to the AF mission, which is flying, be it a plane, drone or chair. I am just not sure what the point was here. A security clearance will occur for all military members. Intel, may need a TS (not sure...DH and DS were/are fliers), but any and all officers in the AF must have a clearance. It is just a longer and more in depth process for a TS, yet, nothing I would freak out about. If anything that is a selling point to have that TS clearance. A TS clearance lasts 5 yr. ROTC commitment is 4. Defense contractors and GS jobs like job candidates to have that TS clearance since a TS clearance costs thousands of dollars. It gives them edge for a post military career.
Study what you love, not what you think the military wants.
1 million + in agreement.
For AFROTC it becomes even more important impo than going AROTC. See above regarding SFT selection. AROTC does not have that make or break aspect in college.
Don't chase the scholarship, chase your love for your major first because if you chase the scholarship and your gpa is low, than you will have a problem later on. See above regarding Intel being 1 of the top non-rated choices. You might get an SFT slot, but if it is low later on when they drop AFSCs, you could get Finance and Accounting because they filled all of their Intel slots.
My best hopes, wishes and thoughts go to you
@MobileRelief . Thank you for wanting to defend this amazing country.