Job Selection - USAFA or AFROTC

[HudK9]

Apologies if there is an existing thread on this topic - I searched but did not find one really on point.

I am seeking input regarding how specific job assignments (AFSCs) are handled for both USAFA and AFROTC. At what point does a USAFA cadet find out which AFSC they will be assigned and do they have any input in the decision, other than perhaps a Wish List? What factors contribute to the decision?

For AFROTC students, same general questions - how is their job selection determined?

I understand that every year, the "needs of the Air Force" is the ultimate factor. What I am seeking is the reality of how USAFA or AFROTC students actually get their specific jobs assigned. Thanks in advance.

 

[CGA applicant 2024]

Apologies if there is an existing thread on this topic - I searched but did not find one really on point.

I am seeking input regarding how specific job assignments (AFSCs) are handled for both USAFA and AFROTC. At what point does a USAFA cadet find out which AFSC they will be assigned and do they have any input in the decision, other than perhaps a Wish List? What factors contribute to the decision?

For AFROTC students, same general questions - how is their job selection determined?

I understand that every year, the "needs of the Air Force" is the ultimate factor. What I am seeking is the reality of how USAFA or AFROTC students actually get their specific jobs assigned. Thanks in advance.

i know that for pilot slots Air Force Academy gets what they need and the rest are split up between everyone else, AFROTC is essentially more competitive of a pilot slot. I can’t speak to any other specific jobs

 

[raimius]

Each year, Air Force Personnel Center determines a list of job positions. USAFA has each 2nd class cadet make a "dream sheet" of their preferred AFSCs. USAFA also ranks each cadet in Order of Merit. Then, the dream sheets and Order of Merit are matched up against AFPCs "needs of the AF" job openings. There is a bit more statistical tinkering to make sure the top and bottom of the order of merit don't all get the same AFSC (as having a career field being full of the bottom scoring officers would be bad). There may also be some other checks I don't remember. Overall, the goal is to match as many cadets with their desired AFSC, reward the top ranked cadets with their desired choices, and (most of all) provide the AF with the appropriate mix of officers in needed career fields.

AFROTC is similar, but I don't know the details.

 

[raimius]

i know that for pilot slots Air Force Academy gets what they need and the rest are split up between everyone else, AFROTC is essentially more competitive of a pilot slot. I can’t speak to any other specific jobs

Generally, the AF will give about 40% of it's UPT slots to USAFA, 40% to AFROTC, and 20% to OTS. That said, the increase in UPT slots may weight that a little more towards ROTC and OTS (bigger pool of cadets), as USAFA's numbers don't change that much year to year.

 

[AFrpaso]

Apologies if there is an existing thread on this topic - I searched but did not find one really on point.

I am seeking input regarding how specific job assignments (AFSCs) are handled for both USAFA and AFROTC. At what point does a USAFA cadet find out which AFSC they will be assigned and do they have any input in the decision, other than perhaps a Wish List? What factors contribute to the decision?

For AFROTC students, same general questions - how is their job selection determined?

I understand that every year, the "needs of the Air Force" is the ultimate factor. What I am seeking is the reality of how USAFA or AFROTC students actually get their specific jobs assigned. Thanks in advance.

For my class, rated (pilot, CSO, ABM, RPA) jobs were released in September and non-rated jobs were released in November of the year preceding graduation. I think they've since moved that announcement, though.

I do not know exactly how rated selection works.

For non-rated, job assignments are handled through a linear optimization algorithm which is the hallmark of a particular branch of applied mathematics known as operations research. The cadets (both ROTC and USAFA) list and weight their job preferences on a percentage scale. I think I remember listing up to 8 jobs, but again this might be different now. You could rate all jobs as 100%, meaning that you would be equally satisfied with any of the eight. Or you could choose some other weights. These preferences are just one piece of a "composite" score that is assigned to each cadet-job pair. The composite score will include other factors such as the cadet's class ranking or various Air Force institutional factors (which are not publicly released) for how they want to balance the force.

Behind the scenes, each cadet has a composite score for every job. The optimization tries to find a matching of cadets to jobs such that the sum of all the composite scores is maximized. There are some constraints. A cadet can only be assigned to one job. A job might only have so many slots. Only cadets with engineering degrees can be assigned developmental engineering. And so forth. The exact list of constraints is not released but some have to do with controlling the force structure.

I'm sure a team quality-checks the results of the optimization before assignments are finalized and makes any necessary tweaks.

 

[camo-it]

Does anyone know if USAFA publishes anything like I've seen for USMA where the class rank (Overall Performance Average for USAFA) and the AFSC (branches for USMA) are charted. Just curious how high (and low) some of the career fields go. Thanks.

 

[Humey]

From what i read in previous years, if you want to be a pilot and you are in the USAFA, you will get a pilot spot if you are medically qualified. The same cant be said of Rotc. Having said that when my son graduated college and commissioned in 2018, it wasnt that hard to get it through ROTC. Lets put it this way, my son's best friend at UPT hard originally been given RPA and when he was about to go it Initial Flight Training (possibly when he was there) they bumped him up to a pilot spot. I dont think that is happening today however.

 

[BuckeyeDad20]

A side effect along the same vein is that USAFA folks tend to know more about the system and the opportunities available. I was AFROTC, two family members were USAFA. They were much more in tune with lining themselves up for jobs, graduate school opportunities and how to work the system than I was. I got the exact job I wanted, but to be honest, I was less aware of different opportunities. Could be heavily affected by your Detachment Cadre at AFROTC so some units may do a much better job than mine did. Not a huge deal, but I consider it a benefit career wise to have that knowledge coming out of USAFA.

 

[raimius]

True. The sheer number of AF officers you interact with as a USAFA cadet provides more opportunities to hear about different career paths. It also skews your view of rank (which is a double edged sword). As a cadet, it wasn't unusual to talk with O-5s and O-6s...which is then odd when you go to a normal base and you realize there are only 3 O-6s on base (Wing commander, MSG commander, and MDG commander).