AF Officer School

cjad1987 Newcomer

Hello all,

Searched the forums but did not find an answer.

Right now I'm 22 and have a BS in Meteorology. In grad school for MS now but not enjoying the school pace of life/work anymore.

Strongly considering Air Force Officer Training School. Not sure if you can do ATC through AF OTS or not. Would I get any benefit down the road in applying to the FAA if I happened to work as a weather officer for the air force or would that be as good as applying off the street?

I have heard instances of people going to AF OTS and really being pushed hard to work in a career that their college degree is in if it happens to be a large component of what the AF does, like WX. I also know quite a few people in AF weather from recruiters to enlisted to officers from interning down in FL with a group that was co-located with a WX squadron. Thinking maybe I would do better in a field where I have more contacts. It is also my area of expertise and I think I can contribute alot to it and maybe work my way up faster.

However, I dont want to stay in the military forever and my ultimate goal is still ATC. Anyone familiar with ATC options out of AF OTS? I'm not adverse to AF ATC but I would only do it if I could do it out of officer school.

So my main question, again, is would Air Force Service carry any weight with FAA if it was not directly related to ATC (ie WX). I've read something about 5 pts for veteran status or something like that? Would that apply if I worked as a WX officer and how much of an advantage (if any) would it give vs CTI?

I figure worse comes to worse, I could probably manage an online CTI certificate while in the AF. I'm just watching the civilian meteorology jobs go down the tubes in number and pay and know I can't make it with $46K in student loan debt, a $25K meteorology job that barely allows me to live while living on a wing and a prayer that I get into FAA ATC as an off the street applicant. Even if I got in off the street, the pay could be low for quite a while, I'd likely be at a lower level facility, I could wash out and I'd still have civilian living expenses vs AF largely paid for.

Sorry for the long post, hopefully someone can shed light.

Thanks!

Roddy_Piper Resident Knucklehead Vegas baby

first, welcome to the forums. glad to have you. hopefully we can help answer some of the questions you may have.

yes, it would be the same as applying off the street. the only benefit would be that you'll have veteran preference points (possibly).


my wife was enlisted AF WX. the problem with AF WX is that the officers have a very low roof of rank. it's not a job that will promote into the upper officer ranks. it's possible to become a LtCol, but Major is a more realistic roof. same with AF ATC. it would probably be much easier to get an AF commission in WX than it would be for ATC considering your degree. meteorology seems to be a hard degree to find people willing to join the AF with.

if your ultimate goal is ATC, whether it be FAA or AF, then AF WX will help either very very little or not at all. even showing 6 years of commissioned AF time to the FAA will mean nothing. if you don't have the certifications from the AF (military) then there is no avenue for you to be hired as a controller except as an off the street hire.

rumor control: be weary because in 6 years they may not even have an off the street hire program so you could be locked out.

you would have to earn your 5 pts veteran preference, since it's not guaranteed. if our country is still at war then you will most likely get it. however, a deployment to a war zone is the way to get your 5 points. or get 15% disable or something like that. been a while since i looked up qualifying for vet pref points.

if you did come out as an AF ATC officer with a CTO then your vet points wouldn't even be needed in order to give u an advantage IN HIRING over a CTI. VRA has an advantage over CTI. however, if u come out as an AF WX officer with 5 vet pref points then it would NOT give u an advantage over a CTI. to be clear a CTI would have an advantage over an OTS with 5 vet points.

Roddy_Piper Resident Knucklehead Vegas baby

here's some insight on the ways you can earn your vet pref points:

5-Point Preference

a veteran who served:

* During a war; or
* During the period April 28, 1952 through July 1, 1955; or
* For more than 180 consecutive days, other than for training, any part of which occurred after January 31, 1955, and before October 15, 1976; or
* During the Gulf War from August 2, 1990, through January 2, 1992; or
* For more than 180 consecutive days, other than for training, any part of which occurred during the period beginning September 11, 2001, and ending on the date prescribed by Presidential proclamation or by law as the last day of Operation Iraqi Freedom; or
* In a campaign or expedition for which a campaign medal has been authorized. Any Armed Forces Expeditionary medal or campaign badge, including El Salvador, Lebanon, Grenada, Panama, Southwest Asia, Somalia, and Haiti, qualifies for preference.

10-Point Preference

* A veteran who served any time and who (1) has a present service-connected disability or (2) is receiving compensation, disability retirement benefits, or pension from the military or the Department of Veterans Affairs. Individuals who received a Purple Heart qualify as disabled veterans.
* An unmarried spouse of certain deceased veterans, a spouse of a veteran unable to work because of a service-connected disability, and
* A mother of a veteran who died in service or who is permanently and totally disabled.

cjad1987 Newcomer

Wow, thanks for digging up all the info! Much appreciated!

Kind of confirmed my suspicions about it not helping all that much.

Since my main issue now frankly is money it would see logical to do AF WX (if thats all they let me do through OTS). I know what you mean about the rank ceiling as compared to other specialties but looking at the pay scales, it would be more than enough for me. Living expenses are low. I'm single and have nobody to support. It would allow me to pay loans and save money vs breaking even in any job I could land in civilian meteorology now (if any). The way I spend money (very conservatively) I think I could save enough to pull a cheap CTI without involving loans as I refuse to borrow any money ever again beyond buying a house and maybe my first "nice" vehicle.

We shall see how it goes, my decisions change constantly. 2 weeks ago I was all about off the street ATC, now I'm beyond hopeless. Still gonna try PUBNAT 9 and see what happens but not optimistic. Studying for dispatcher test as well, just for the heck of it.

I like the Glock avatar Roddy_Piper, I love my G27!

Roddy_Piper Resident Knucklehead Vegas baby

The military has some smoking deals on schooling while your active duty. When I got out in 2004, it was 100% tuition assistance. That could help you a lot while pursuing an online CTI when your active duty. I'm not sure about officers but the GI Bill is another smoking deal. Especially the new and improved Post-911 GI Bill.

my G30 is my favorite favorite, but have many Glock favorites.

GeorgeM Trusted Member CO

NOAA (National Weather Service) has some meteorologist openings right now. Check USAJOBS - The Federal Government's Official Jobs Site

cjad1987 Newcomer

Thanks, yea I snoop around at the NWS jobs from time to time; the WX service jobs come up now and then. Without prior experience, you can only get hired for "intern" positions even though you might meet the basic qualifications for a slightly higher position. They are hard to get! I know of an office in a fairly undesirable location that received over 250 applications for one intern position last year. Good luck without a MS and some luck. Then the pay to living expenses ratio flat out sucks! Then you have private industry which is akin to slave labor. Your talking 5yr/ $25Kper yr contracts and if you find something better, you have to buy it out. Don't believe me, contact any TV station that hires mets or accuweather.

In a perfect world Id tough it out and finish the MS but I'm not getting any younger, my real career goal is ATC for many reasons. The loans are not getting paid on a head above water graduate salary and full tuition waiver as nice as it sounds. Cost of living means I break even.

I have to look into all of this and talk to the recruiters I know. Would they really pay for a program at a private university that did not relate to my job in the AF? Sounds too good to be true but I do believe you.

ATC cutoff age is 30 or 31 right? Or is it 29? Too lazy to look it up right now. I have heard something about being able to subtract years in the military off your effective age for ATC but don't know if its true or would only apply to people with VRA status which I may or may not have after getting out.

Roddy_Piper Resident Knucklehead Vegas baby

cut off age is 31. about the AF paying for your tuition...i know FOR SURE they will pay it 100% for enlisted. i'm not sure about for officers though.

Radium Epic Member SoCal Tracon

roddy's correct, and to go further in depth;

its 100% tuituon assistance up to a certain $ sign per year (my shot in the dark guess is like 8k from reading it off a slide at one point in the AF). And it CAN and most certainly should be in whatever you want. The norm is some management degree.