Jest,
I get what you are saying, but that brochure maybe the overall options. USAF may have created 1 brochure for every way you can commission into the AF. Are you sure that was just for USAFA grads and not for every way to commission?
If you look at the Law degree option, there should be 3 different types.
~ Chances of getting the best of the 3 options is lower than chances of getting an eNJPPT slot. If I recall, the statistical chance is @5% or less for the guaranteed JAG (best of the 3)
I don't know anyone here or even in the AF as a USAFA grad that they did not pick up the dime and pay base pay + BAH.
~ Hornet, CC's DS, Eagle, etc quickly come to mind.
~~ Hornet and CCs DS did the 3 yr fellowship at RAND (ph.d) and they got paid as an O1/O2 the entire time.
~ We have had friends as O5s that were sent to Harvard to get their ph.d, and the AF picked up the dime.
Their job was to be a student. That cost to attend runs concurrent with their ADSO.
I get when you say nursing, but than I have to ask why you would go to USAFA and not take the AFROTC scholarship to attend a college with a strong nursing degree? Plus, according to Ag (long ago poster) his DD commissioned AFROTC in 13, and when she showed up to Brooks on day 1, was told for the AF, that field is going to be converting over to more contracted than ADAF officers.
~~ I believe he said she was told that eventually it will be 1 out of every 4 will be ADAF, the other 3 will be contracted.
As fencer and I stated things change, and can change at anytime. AG's DD went AFROTC scholarship. At the time she applied as a HS senior, the AF considered that career field critical manning, and handed out scholarships for that major. They also basically guaranteed SFT selection. 4 yrs later when she commissioned Big Blue decided to go in a different direction.
~ Just like they offered one year AFROTC scholarships if you promised to go CSO or ABM, but not the next year.
Or like IFS...now called IFT.
~ Commissioned in 2011 and everyone went to IFS. 2012 if you had a PPL, you can get waived.
~ Commissioned in 14 it was called IFS. Commission now it is IFT
~~ Initial Flight Screening (IFS) had a higher wash out rate...it was a SCREENING. Now it is called Training and the wash out rate has dropped. The mission has changed...one was to weed out prior to UPT, the other is to prepare the students for UPT.
We are getting in the weeds now. In the end, I still stand by my earlier remark...it is fine to think about the options, but this is so far down the road that as an 18 year old applying for an SA, I question why?
~ My Mom had the best saying when I was young and planning/plotting my life....why are you wishing your life away?
~~ That is what anyone planning what they will do 4 years from now, besides being ADAF is doing impo.
Get the appointment, and after that work towards your commissioning. As a C3C start looking towards after commissioning.
~ I am not a betting person, but I will bet my beloved Myrtle (my dog) that 100% of every cadet that enter on I Day, enter with the belief they will at least make it through BCT and most likely commission 4 years later, however, that is not realistic.
~ Think of attending any SA like another cliche. As a sr. in HS you are the big fish in a small pond...next yr you will be the small fish in a big lake. As a C1C you will be the big fish in the lake. As a newly minted O1 you will be the small fish in an Ocean. With every step the competition pool becomes bigger, and their stats are just as stellar.
~ Almost everyone will have that same resume with stellar stats on I DAY. You are no longer the shining star! The slate is wiped clean everytime you enter the new pool of water.
~~ You are no longer a special snowflake compared to your peers. You are fighting all over again.