I'm a PJT and i'm thinking about trying to get a commision. Has anyone heard of anyone going to OTS while still in the pipeline? Or will i have to wait?

1. Well considering the badges you are displaying in your profile—I question you being in the pipeline claim unless the Department of Air Force has very recently changed a policy.

2. If you are in the pipeline the AF has already invested lots of money in you and has you on the books as an enlisted asset.

3. The Air Force has no obligation to offer you a commission.

4. If commissioned the Air Force has no obligation to make you a CRO.

5. The Air Force has to many commissioned officers and is still trying to get rid of the surplus, it is going to give limited commissioned appointment to AF Academy cadet and AF ROTC cadets before giving it up to be filed by OTS.

6. The Air Force is spending a lot of time and effort to train you to be an enlisted PJ—why should it throw away this invested training money and salary money by giving you a commission?

7. If you had baccalaureate now, you must have had one before you enlisted—the question is why didn’t the Air Force bring you in with a commission to begin with?

I believe you also have to be at your first duty station for a year before you can apply for a commission. We have a loadmaster here who is waiting his time out to apply as we speak. I agree with johca...it won't make you a CRO if you get a commision. In fact I would imagine the PJ's training you and those in the community would make it very hard for you to get selected as a CRO if they felt they wasted their time training you as a PJ when you had a hidden agenda all along.

There is always Army OCS. I had a guy that claimed to be a former PJ start in my class, (I have doubts about him since he recycled on day 2 for failing the PT test) and he was released from the AF to go to OCS. He said had been doing it for a few years though.

It is possible to do I went from a chronic critical field to Army OCS.

quote:

Originally posted by nspreitler:
It is possible to do I went from a chronic critical field to Army OCS.

It is possible, but I challenge you to find somebody getting picked up to go to OTS while in BMT or immediately after BMT while in training for award of AFSC during first enlistment.

The Air Force has made an enlisted training investment and it would be difficult to demonstrate why acceptance into a commissioning program should happen before AFSC of being qualified to do the job at the entry level is awarded.

CRO is also a unique career accession as the officer is selected through a several phase selection process. The emphasis is on potential to be an exceptional leader and other commissioned qualifications. Consequently first he would need to be accepted into a commissioning program, get the commission and then apply for CRO and hope to make it through that selection process. Considering he also got into PJ training through a GTEP contract (presuming active duty-no prior service) he also needs to convince the Air Force to break or change that contract.

quote:

Originally posted by nspreitler:
There is always Army OCS. I had a guy that claimed to be a former PJ start in my class, (I have doubts about him since he recycled on day 2 for failing the PT test) and he was released from the AF to go to OCS. He said had been doing it for a few years though.

It would require release from enlistment in the Air Force.

Regarding the former PJ claim—had been doing it for a few years is a strange response as the annual mission ready fitness certification required to retain PJ AFSC and to perform Pararescue duties is more than the simple AF fitness test. Perhaps he meant he hadn’t been a PJ for a number of years. Regardless, there is a data base from 1947 to present and confirmation can be easily provided.

I don't know much about OTS selection, I never applied. However, for OCS the process would be getting a conditional release from immediate commander (this allows one to apply for OCS) and then a release from the separation authority (usually wing commander, in my case it was the NAF commander). The process isn't terribly hard it is just having the right people supporting you. I was fortunate in that my chain of command was less concerned about their manning and wanted me to be able to get my commission. I was in the middle of a three month qualifying school and had only been at my unit for a few months when I first told my CC of my plans and he still signed my conditional release. I was also a TSgt in a chronic critical field that was only manned about 65% for E-6s and I was still able to get the release to not only pursue a commission but also in another service.

The original poster may have to wait a little while, but it is possible.

quote:

The process isn't terribly hard it is just having the right people supporting you.

Bingo and it is unlikely to happen, but he can go speak to the school commandant the commander the School commandant works for and HQ AETC and others at the school anytime as to whether that support would be given while he is a student.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: johca,

Like I said earlier. He has to wait on year at his first duty station to apply for OTS.

I shall wait then. Thanks everyone