Just got back from Field Training NOGAF warning
 

I just graduated from AFROTC Field Training the other day. I spent 3 weeks In Garrison at Maxwell AFB in Alabama, and then we had a 2 week mock deployment for some AEF training at the Joint Forces Training Center at Camp Shelby in Mississippi. I think it was one of the most rewarding things I've ever done and now I'm over a major hurdle towards becoming a 2d Lt. Just two more years until I get my butterbars and my Z! I know that there's a good number of USAF people on the forum, so does anyone have any advice for a brand new POC?

Make sure you let the people know who's boss once you get to your duty station, especially the Chief.




j/k

Hahaha it's good to see there are butterball jokes across the service.

Haha, nice try, my dad is a retired CMSgt, so I'm well aware of how SNCOs feel about Lts that try to take over on day one. Not a good idea to piss of the people who will be your mentors lol.

Wooo....Chair Force!!!

(sorry, had to!! - I work for the Navy heehee)

Wow, they have FTX at Maxwell now?? I went to Lackland back and it was for 6 hellish weeks in hot summer...and I was a prior lol. My advices are:

- Listen to your SNCOs and enlisted. Please do not have this I am an "O" and u need to obey me even though I have no experience in this field attitude. They will make or break u!
- Find your Flt CC or higher and learn about your organization from the top down, (big picture to your role)
- Be proactive, don't wait for your boss to find you something to do.
- Take a chance to do Exec...I know it blows..but....you do an outstanding job (at GP/WG level and above) you will have a Col/BG pull.
- Play GOLF!
- Be friendly to your enlisted..but understand, but know when you need to be stern. <--especially hard for me being a prior!

There are a lot of more, but I'd rather not fill up long pages of advices. You have any questions, feel free to ask me or PM :)

Congrats! I went to Hellsworth.

What det are you at and what Career Field are you going for?

Thanks guys! Ellsworth, Lackland, and Tyndall FTUs were all scrapped and now Maxwell is the only base that has Field Training. Luckily the weather in AL and LA is pretty much the same so my PFA score actually went up. I'm shooting for a pilot slot, but I'll be happy with anything rated, Maintenance, or Communications. I'm from Det 305 LA Tech University "Dogfighters"

I would stay the hell away from being a maintenance officer. They're one of the most miserable people I came across during my service.

That's about how I felt, too. I got nav my junior year, put on the pilot wait list, kind of gave up hope, and then got bumped up my senior year. So just work hard and anything can happen.

I was at Det 002 in San Bernardino, maybe we saw one another at the one of the SoCal Field Days. Anyways good luck. Hit me up if you have any questions I might be able to answer.

USAF from 1993-98. Went to tech school at Keesler then Holloman and then Yokota. Treat the enlisted with a little respect and they will respect you too.

Well, my grandpa was KC-135 maintenance and my dad worked on E-3s and B-52s. I don't think that they are miserable people and I like fixing things so I figured I would keep my options open.

That makes me feel a lot better about my chances then. I got a 91 on my PFA, so I think I can get it up to 95 or higher by the end of the year. My commanders ranking might be tough though since we have a lot of good people here. It seems like my Det is pretty good at producing pilots though compared to what my friends tell me about their Dets.

Oh dude - I'm retarded... I thought you were talking about Los Angeles. Should have looked at your side bar info. I was thinking "LA whether is nothing like Alabama weather," lol.

Yeah, hammer that PFT man. It's the easiest way to help your chances. If you work hard and eat right (everyday) there's no reason why you shouldn't smash it.

About the Commanders Ranking, that's usually the way it is. But again, work hard, do the best you can at your job (whatever it is), attend all the extra curricular events you can, do more than the minimum PT (that will help with your score anyway) - and your commander will notice. Not to mention the harder you try, the better you'll be able to sleep at night leading up to and after the drop, especially if you don't make it.

As said before, Listen to your enlisted folks, they will know alot more (about the specific job) than you at first, and will respect you alot more if you come more asking questions than barking (mis-)directions.

Don't get bogged down by the fact as a 2nd Lt. you have to salute EVERYBODY... 2 yrs and you'll be a blue bar. No worries.

If you don't mind me asking, why ROTC, did you apply(or consider) the academy? Prior enlisted at all?

and of course... What was your Signing bonus? Or have you not gotten it yet?

(Fellow AF so don't mind the squids lol.) :p

I chose ROTC because I wanted to go to a regular school rather than USAFA. As a contracted cadet, we don't have a signing bonus yet, but I am on stipend until I graduate. Its $400 a month this year, and $450 next year, so that's nice especially since I don't particularly need the money. We do get a our LT Loan, but I'm just going to use it to pay off school loans. The interest rate is way lower than what I have now.