@Pima It's been a while since I've been on and sorry for never replying. I appreciate your thorough reply. I just wanted to give an update. My DD did go up for dis-enrollment as stated and she did get dis-enrolled during her final semester. She was not ordered to pay anything back but instead ordered to 2 years AD which is what she said she wanted. She would have only owed $7,200.00. I asked lots of questions and she basically didn't want to talk much after it all happened. Her moral was down after this and in her final semester (18 credits) she did not do her best and didn't pass a course and ended up taking a summer class and has since completed college. Since she hadn't heard from AFPC yet, she called and they explained she could go see a recruiter to speed things up. So we did. Still waiting to see what is next. The recruiters have never dealt with a case like this in their office. Since getting paperwork together, I've had the chance to see what the COC wrote. She was dis-enrolled for not meeting mandatory attendance requirements. She missed one too many PT sessions. It was explained to her that it was black and white and that's the rule and she broke it so basically dis-enrolled. I saw on her paperwork where she marked that she waived her right to an investigation. She said because she was owning what she did by missing the PT session. As a parent, it's just difficult to accept that she didn't push back harder especially after I hear of stories upon stories of people doing illegal things and still not getting dis-enrolled but what can I say. I am happy she has graduated college and now onto the next step which we do not know what that step will be. If anyone has any information on the process after being dis-enrolled and then required to AD please help me out. Will she have to do basic training even though she's completed field training? Will she have to medical again even though she's passed all dodmerb/pilot physicals at Wright AFB? She's gone through the security clearance as well. Hopefully, she will be able to file for a waiver to go to OTS after doing a couple years enlistment. She's learned a lot of lessons these past few years and hopefully this will help her continue to grow as a person and as an Airman.
I can answer a few of these questions, as a current USAF officer.
1. Yes, she will attend Basic Training and Technical Training, probably pretty soon. She should be heading to an AF recruiter soon to visit MEPS and sign up for an AFSC (Air Force Specialty Code). My advice would be to
pick one that offers an enlistment bonus-- there are quite a few lucrative bonuses out there. Fortunately, there are many very interesting enlisted career options, including opportunities to be part of aircrew (loadmaster, flight engineer, raven, flying crew chief, airborne linguist, etc.)
2. She will process her medical at MEPS-- this is built into the process and is no big deal. If she passed it for ROTC and nothing has changed, then she will be ok.
3. Already having passed her security clearance will speed things up considerably. She will not have to reaccomplish this.
4. She should receive E-3 straight out of the gate, given her college completion. Ensure this is on her enlistment contract.
5. She will be able to pursue her masters degree fairly easily at no cost, given that she will be able to access 100% tuition assistance while enlisted. This is a big plus.
6. Provided she was not marked down too heavily on her disenrollment,
she should be able to apply for OTS in a few years if she so desires. She will require a waiver, but as long as she has several years of excellent service (shouldn't be too hard for someone with ROTC and FT experience), it likely won't be an issue.
7. If she completes at least 4 years' enlisted service, she will be eligible for increased pay as a prior-enlisted officer once she completes OTS.
8. If she still wants to eventually pursue a rated position, then I suggest looking at the following career fields:
- Loadmaster,
- Aircraft Maintenance (especially Aerospace Maintenance Technician-- aka "crew chief"),
- Airborne linguist,
- In-flight refueling specialist (aka "boom operator"),
- Airborne ISR operator,
- Flight attendant
All of those will help her generate relevant experience, and/or allow her to knock out some of the common requirements (like SERE, aircraft systems knowledge, etc.)
In summary,
all is not lost. Plenty of enlisted airmen have college degrees and/or prior ROTC experience. Being an enlisted Airman is a great way to earn cash, build experience and maturity, and figure out what one wants to do long-term. Encourage her to network as much as possible, ace the PT test every year, volunteer for every extra duty she can, and jump on every overseas tour she can. If she wants to be an officer after a few years, she still has that option and her time spent as an enlisted member will only make her a stronger officer.
Plenty of reasons for optimism.
Good luck to your daughter!
