Okay-
I booked my Open Apptitude Area for Basic. "Open Mechanical" However, my recruiter told me he is going to work extra hard to find me a cancellation or something to that effect and if anything comes up he would call me. So I would like to first say that the 333rd Recruiting Squadron of the USAF has been very good to me- nothing but a positive exp. for me.

Now, assuming I have to go to BMT with my Open App. Area, will I be able to put job choices down from other Apptitude Areas while at BMT?

Secondly, If I dont get a Job that cancels, I will be leaving 1 Oct. - How does TECH School work during Christmas? Will I be able to come home? Is it counted against my leave time if I do? What is life like on base if I decide to not use my leave time?

Finally- Do you accumulate leave time during BMT?

Thanks for your help in advance.

First, if you ship out with Open Mech, at BMT you will most likely only get to pick from that apptitude area.

Second, your tech school most likely "shuts down" during the holiday season in december. meaning, for that week or so, there will be no classes and all personnel will be HEAVILY encouraged to leave for home. if you don't haev enough leave accumulated, it doesn't matter, as they will just put you in the negatives. i'm not sure what happens if you don't leave..I can imagine you doing medial boring tasks, if anything.

I do not believe you get leave during BMT, but i'm not 100% sure.

RobertS,

Once/if you leave for BMT under "Open Mech", I do not believe you will have any more say in your job - at least that's what my buddies said in basic...they went in Open Admin and came out with whatever job they were assigned.

Tech school during Christmas: As mentioned above, your tech school will basically shut down. You will be encouraged to take leave, and you will be approved for "Advanced Leave" in order to go home. If you DO NOT decide to go home, you will be doing details around base or within the squadron. Looking back at my tech school, I sincerly wish I did not take that Advanced Leave...I had just seen my parents after BMT and ended up using 14 days of leave that I wish I had later on in my career.

And yes, you do accumulate leave during BMT. You begin accumulating leave because you are Active Duty, even in basic.

I would take leave anyway. Even if you just got to tech school, coming home will be a good refresher and will help prepare you mentally for the road ahead. The amount of leave you take is up to you, so if you don't want to be too far in the negative you can shorten your vacation. I highly recommend taking SOME time off, because nobody wants to be emptying garbages or scrubbing toilets on Christmas Eve.

And doogle is correct, your date of rank and when you began accumulating leave starts when you enter basic, not the day you graduate, so everything is retroactive to then.

I went in open mechanical, you get to pick from all the mechanical jobs. I think it was the first week or the third week. I think you get 5 to 8 choices. You find out in your sixth week I think.

quote:

Originally posted by doogleUSAF:
Once/if you leave for BMT under "Open Mech", I do not believe you will have any more say in your job - at least that's what my buddies said in basic...they went in Open Admin and came out with whatever job they were assigned.

This is not really accurate. If you leave Open aptitude, at BMT in about the 3 WOT you will be given a list of available jobs. You will be required to list 5? of those jobs and the chances of you getting one of the 5 jobs you listed is extremely high. Just understand that if the Air Force gives you a job that you listed, they consider that to be a success. Do not list a job you do not want.

Ya but can you pick jobs outside your Open App area???

quote:

Originally posted by RobertS_USAF:
Ya but can you pick jobs outside your Open App area???

No.

quote:

Originally posted by Calcas:

quote:

Originally posted by RobertS_USAF:
Ya but can you pick jobs outside your Open App area???

No.

Wrong. Yes. I had some Electrical jobs picked and my open area was general. I ended up getting programmer which is general.

quote:

Originally posted by BlackMagix:

quote:

Originally posted by Calcas:

quote:

Originally posted by RobertS_USAF:
Ya but can you pick jobs outside your Open App area???

No.

Wrong. Yes. I had some Electrical jobs picked and my open area was general. I ended up getting programmer which is general.

The question was at BMT can you list/get a job that is outside of the Open aptitude that you shipped out with. The answer is no you can not. Even if that is the case, I don't see how your scenario is a violation of what was just stated. You listed Open General as your aptitude and got a job in the General aptitude. Am I missing something?

Roberts_USAF, if you ship as Open Mechanical, you will be required to list only Mechanical jobs and will only be given a job in the Mechanical aptitude.

quote:

Originally posted by BlackMagix:

quote:

Originally posted by Calcas:

quote:

Originally posted by RobertS_USAF:
Ya but can you pick jobs outside your Open App area???

No.

Wrong. Yes. I had some Electrical jobs picked and my open area was general. I ended up getting programmer which is general.

First, your scenario in no way violates what was stated. You listed General as your aptitude and were given a job in the General aptitude.

Second, the OP is talking about at BMT, not at MEPS. Are you trying to say that you listed some Electrical jobs at BMT even though your booked aptitude was General? If so, you still got a General job which means your scenario really has no bearing on the conversation. Unless you have an example of where someone shipped Open General and was given a Mechanical job or something, then I fail to see how Calcas was incorrect.