I am a senior in college graduating with a b.s. Psychology degree minoring in spanish. I am thinking about joining the air force as an officer. Do you think it is worth it?? What is the process? How long does it take? Is the test hard? Can i pick my base? What is the pay like? I need advice on anything you guys may know about this.
Reported for possible forum change.
Welcome to the board, ashtweety2010. I’ve moved your thread to the In My Humble Opinion forum from General Questions.
ok thank you.
If you don’t have any job prospects in the offing after graduation, the military can be an option. If you have the mind-set for it. The ASVAB is very simple, your local recruiter can tell you the process, and after they swear you in you don’t get to choose jack-shit for the rest of your enlistment.
I was told I would take the Officer test and not the ASVAB.
Ask a recruiter. But just a piece of advice, if they start saying “It will be easier to put you in enlisted and then you can become an officer”, run. Unless thats what you want to do.
Here is the current paychart. You would start at $2876 per month. With that you would also get either free onbase housing or a housing allowance. The allowance changes depending on where you are stationed.
My father tried to do that in the 1950s after graduating with a BS in biochemistry. After he’d signed all the paperwork they decided he wasn’t really officer material. Unexpectedly, he found himself on the hook for another (two-year?) stint as an NCO, which is what he’d been before going to college. Maybe the rules have changed since then, but I’d be very careful.
It has been a while since I did it, but you will be seeking a commission in the Air Force. Very different than enlisting. Since you are doing this after graduating from college, you will be competing (yes, competing with a lot of other people around the country) for a slot at Officer Training School (OTS).
The test referenced is the AFOQT (Air Force Officer Qualifying Test). Study guides are available for the test. You will also take the PFT (Physical Fitness Test). I don’t know what the requirements are now, but back in my day they included pull-ups, push-ups, sit-ups, a broad jump and a 600-yard run. A separate 1.5-mile run was also required. You will also undergo a commissioning physical to make sure you are physically qualified for service and if you are world-wide deployable.
Where you are based is largely determined by what specialty you are in. I don’t really know what a psychology degree with a minor in Spanish would get steered into. Talk to a recruiter about that. If you can select a field that interests you, good. As far as selecting your base - good luck. Get used to the “Needs of the Air Force”.
Pay is easily determined with a simple search. Look for officer pay rates and go in at the “O-1 under 2 years” or whatever the bottom left figure is. That will be your monthly pay.
A normal commitment for OTS is 4 years, but they may have changed that. Bottom line, research Air Force OTS and go from there. Good luck.
What Do You Want To Do In The Military?
What Has You Looking At Air Force In Particular? I Ask Because I Have Here With Me Theman Who Is Widely Regarded As “The One” For Navy Officer Programs. If You Have Questions, ask.
You forgot to capitalize “ask”.
Things are a lot different now. The Air Force has no problems meeting enlistment quotas. They have been kicking people out. Same with all the other branches but the AF and the Navy have been tight for several years. They have no need to trick anyone into joining. But it is of course a good idea to understand 100% what you are getting into before you sign anything.
From the USAF website: How to join the Air Force as an officer.
In addition to the qualifying test and physical screening, you have to go through a selection board. It’s a competitive interview process, like you would have for most civilian jobs. You can’t just show up and be an officer.
Some earlier threads that might be of interest:
Doesn’t the USAF hire a lot of civilian employees/contractors? You could look into that.