air force academy job assignments

After Graduation FAQ

Will i have an opportunity to become a pilot or combat systems officer (cso).

Yes. While at the Academy, cadets obtain a solid background in all phases of aviation. All cadets who meet the physical and medical qualifications are considered for flying training and may be selected to fill available openings. Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training (conducted after graduation at several U.S. bases) prepares qualified graduates for flying careers in airlift, bomber, fighter, multi-role, special operations or transport aircraft.

Do graduates have a chance to obtain an advanced degree?

A few graduates will receive scholarships to attend military or civilian graduate schools immediately after graduation. Additionally, many graduates are funded for postgraduate programs if they meet two important criteria: they must perform well as officers and the Air Force or Space Force must need people from the degree program they wish to pursue. These graduates are generally eligible for attendance after three years on active duty. In addition, many Academy graduates attend one or more of the armed forces Developmental Education courses during their careers. For more information on postgraduate education and scholarship opportunities, please visit the Academic Success Center page at USAFA.EDU. 

Can graduates enter medical school?

At the moment, up to 18 people in each graduating class can attend medical school.

Can graduates enter law school?

Beginning in 2012, the Academy has the authority to select one U.S. Air Force Academy graduate a year to send to law school immediately following graduation in an excess leave status. Eligible candidates include legal studies majors or mock trial team members with competitive grade point averages. If selected, candidates must apply and be accepted into law school. While in law school, participants will be in an unpaid excess leave status and will not receive government funding for law school. Upon successful completion of law school and passage of a state bar, that U.S. Air Force Academy graduate will become a member of the USAF JAG Corps.

What are some of the benefits of an Air Force career?

The pay and allowances of a new officer compare favorably with starting salaries in comparable civilian positions. An officer advances in rank according to the needs of the Air Force or Space Force and professional performance. The Air Force and Space Force put a high premium on leaders with vision, dedication and ability. They offer a stimulating challenge and an interesting future in a wide spectrum of fields. There are opportunities for advanced education, and all officers are eligible to apply for further education at civilian colleges and universities. Some programs even allow selected officers to attend on a full-time basis, receive pay and allowances, have their tuition and fixed fees paid, and receive some reimbursement for books and thesis expenses. During each move, reimbursement for certain transportation costs, an extra allowance for incidental expenses of moving and free shipment of household goods are provided. Additional benefits include medical and hospital expenses, commissary and base exchange privileges, club privileges, VA and FHA mortgage loan insurance, group life insurance and 30 days of vacation with pay each year. The current law enables an officer to retire after completing 20 years of active service.

What is the salary of a second lieutenant after graduation?

The typical base pay per month is more than $3,100. Your salary is based on not only your rank, but also your time in the Air Force or Space Force. In addition to base pay, military members also receive two allowances: Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) and Basic Allowance for Sustenance (BAS). Military members who are authorized to reside off base at government expense are entitled to receive a monthly tax-free housing allowance, known as BAH. The amount of the allowance is based on the member’s rank, duty, location and whether or not they have dependents (family members residing with them). BAS is simply a monthly monetary food allowance for members of the military. Members who attend flight training will also receive flight pay. For more information, please visit the United States Air Force website.

Can you explain the rank structure at the Academy or in the Air Force?

The military is organized into an officer corps and an enlisted corps. Commissioned officers outrank all enlisted personnel. Enlisted personnel are required to salute all commissioned officers, and commissioned officers are required to salute superior commissioned officers. Responsibility and accountability increase commensurate with rank. The Air Force rank insignia system is broken down into two major categories: officer ranks and enlisted ranks. The enlisted ranks are further divided into Airmen and NCO (noncommissioned officer) ranks. There are four Airman ranks and five NCO ranks. Additionally, there is one special NCO rank (Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force). Officers progress from second lieutenant to first lieutenant, then captain, major, lieutenant colonel, colonel and finally, four general officer ranks. As a commissioned officer in the Air Force, immediately upon graduation, you will enter the Air Force as an O-1, which is a second lieutenant. You will work your way up as O-2, O-3, etc. Each rank has a pay grade that begins with a letter “O” for officers and “E” for enlisted. For more information, please visit the  United States Air Force website .

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• Service Academy Discussion
• Air Force Academy - USAFA

Job Assignments After Graduation?

• Thread starter crackerjack
• Start date May 17, 2018
• Tags battlefield airman career cro jobs usafa

crackerjack

• May 17, 2018

Hello all! I'm a soon-to-be senior in high school, and I've started my application to USAFA. However, I'm a bit fuzzy on how cadets get their job assignments following graduation. How much say do cadets have in what their career will be? I've heard that it is based on class rank and, of course, the needs of the Air Force, but I haven't had this confirmed. FYI, I'm an aspiring CRO, in case that changes anything.  

Velocity2012

I found this thread which may be helpful relating to the competitiveness of CRO positions: https://www.serviceacademyforums.com/index.php?threads/combat-rescue-officer.56073/ Class rank certainly plays a role, but there are other aspects - activities that you undertake during your 4 years, roles within squad. My DD is completing her first year, and I am certainly no expert, but it seems as if you are tested from the day that you start at the Academy until the day you hang up your boots years later. Good luck on your application.  

Keep in mind that the needs of the service always have priority. So if you're interested in job A, but they don't need any new Lts for job A, then you won't get job A. Make sure there are alternative jobs you are willing to live with. If you're after a pilot slot then your airframe won't be assigned until some time late during pilot training.  

Let me add a couple things. While the NEEDS of the military do come first, there are many jobs that have pseudo prerequisites. E.g. don’t expect to get a job as an engineer, if your major was in history, and you got a “C” in the couple of engineering classes required by all students. Not saying it’s not possible..... just much more difficult and unlikely. Also, some jobs, like the CRO you are interested in, as well as STO, and others in the Special Ops community, go way beyond the military needs or what you want. There’s a screening process that is quite extensive. My son is a STO. Many individuals applied for this job. Of all of them, they only select about 25-28 to even TRY OUT. If you put in for this, you’ll have a chance to apply and POSSIBLY Try Out, your senior year at the academy. Of the 25-28 who are selected to try out, only about 10-12 make it through the try outs and don’t quit. Of those 10 or so, only about 5 are actually selected to enter the pipe line to become a STO. Then there’s about 2 1/2 years of multiple stages of training, where many people get cut or quit. If you don’t make the first cut of 5 or so out of the 25-28 offered a chance to try out, chances are that you’ll be given a different job on your “Dream Sheet” at the academy. It’s rare to get a second chance to try out. My son didn’t make it his first try, but he was in graduate school after the academy, so being he was still in training, and not learning a JOB yet, they allowed he to try again. He did make it the 2nd time around. Anyway, I was elaborating on the special ops jobs, because that’s what you’re interested in. While my son is in fact a STO, and the Air Force definitely wants people in that job, there’s LESS than 100 STOs in the Air Force. The requirements are to demanding to just fill slots. There are some jobs, where your degree has no impact. Basically, your class rank at the academy has no impact. Certain jobs like a Pilot. Basically, if you want pilot, graduate, qualify physically, and aren’t a screwup, you can pretty much guarantee a pilot slots. However, once at UPT, how you perform there will determine if you keep a pilot slot, and whether you’ll fly fighters, cargo, refuelers, choppers, etc. Best of luck Mike  

Prior E, USAFA Preppie, Grad & ALO

The AFSC selections take place in the fall of your senior year at the Academy and are split up into two categories. The first is for cadets desiring a RATED AFSC and the second is for NON-RATED. The rated AFSCs include Pilot, RPA, Combat Systems and Air Battle Manager. If a cadet wants to go rated then they obviously must be medically qualified. They can input preferences for a particular rated career field but could be chosen for ANY of the four based on the needs of the Air Force. It's an all in policy but there is a disproportionate amount of Pilot slots, which is naturally the most sought rated AFSC. I have the numbers but I'm not sure if I can publish them. Let's just say that there are 10 times more Pilot slots than any other rated AFSC. Roughly half of a given class year will go rated (500/1000 Academy cadets) If you want to go non-rated, then you give your AFSC preferences for no less than 6 jobs (preferably more). It's pretty much a dream sheet. You can add comments to this preference sheet (if you speak a different language) as rationale for why you should be picked for that job. There are also a number of jobs which require specific degrees such as Civil Engineering, Developmental Engineering, Scientist, and Finance (which only requires specific accounting courses) and are reviewed by the respective academic department heads to make sure the cadet is actually qualified and not just a C student. Once all the preferences are in, an algorithm is run at AFPC to optimize the selection. It is a combined model, so Academy and ROTC cadets are thrown into the same mix. The selection model runs off of a list of priorities: 1) Meet Air Force TARGETS for all AFSCs 2) Maximize number of DESIRED degree-AFSC matches 3) Balance AFSCs to reflect AF priorities 4) Maximize Cadet PREFERENCES Lastly are the boarded AFSCs which include OSI, Medical Service Corp, Biomedical Science Corps, Special Tactics Officer, Combat Rescue officer and Air Liaison Officer. You apply to these outside of the preference sheet and are notified of selection. But you will have been selected for a rated or non-rated AFSC by this time from which you must request release to pursue a boarded AFSC (mostly granted). There are also slots for cadets to continue to graduate school immediately following USAFA.  

• May 18, 2018

AFrpaso said: The AFSC selections take place in the fall of your senior year at the Academy and are split up into two categories. The first is for cadets desiring a RATED AFSC and the second is for NON-RATED. The rated AFSCs include Pilot, RPA, Combat Systems and Air Battle Manager. If a cadet wants to go rated then they obviously must be medically qualified. They can input preferences for a particular rated career field but could be chosen for ANY of the four based on the needs of the Air Force. It's an all in policy but there is a disproportionate amount of Pilot slots, which is naturally the most sought rated AFSC. I have the numbers but I'm not sure if I can publish them. Let's just say that there are 10 times more Pilot slots than any other rated AFSC. Roughly half of a given class year will go rated (500/1000 Academy cadets) If you want to go non-rated, then you give your AFSC preferences for no less than 6 jobs (preferably more). It's pretty much a dream sheet. You can add comments to this preference sheet (if you speak a different language) as rationale for why you should be picked for that job. There are also a number of jobs which require specific degrees such as Civil Engineering, Developmental Engineering, Scientist, and Finance (which only requires specific accounting courses) and are reviewed by the respective academic department heads to make sure the cadet is actually qualified and not just a C student. Once all the preferences are in, an algorithm is run at AFPC to optimize the selection. It is a combined model, so Academy and ROTC cadets are thrown into the same mix. The selection model runs off of a list of priorities: 1) Meet Air Force TARGETS for all AFSCs 2) Maximize number of DESIRED degree-AFSC matches 3) Balance AFSCs to reflect AF priorities 4) Maximize Cadet PREFERENCES Lastly are the boarded AFSCs which include OSI, Medical Service Corp, Biomedical Science Corps, Special Tactics Officer, Combat Rescue officer and Air Liaison Officer. You apply to these outside of the preference sheet and are notified of selection. But you will have been selected for a rated or non-rated AFSC by this time from which you must request release to pursue a boarded AFSC (mostly granted). There are also slots for cadets to continue to graduate school immediately following USAFA. Click to expand...

crackerjack said: So just to be clear - I would list a set of AFSCs on a preference sheet, but apply to be a CRO separately and see if I'm selected? Click to expand...

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Geerdes continues air force career.

ABOVE: Tyson Geerdes, son of Scott and Stephani Geerdes, will graduate from the United States Air Force Academy on March 30. From there, he will advance further into the United States Air Force branch.

FAIRMONT — Tyson Geerdes has completed his four years as a student and cadet at the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA), located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Geerdes majored in Cyber Security.

He’s a Fairmont native, having graduated from Fairmont High School in 2020. Geerdes remarked that he had a long interest in the Air Force, finding an elder relative as inspiration to enter into the field. Thousands of students apply to study and train at the USAFA. Geerdes had over 1,000 individuals in his class.

Following his graduation on May 30, Geerdes explained his plan to have a block of leave to recuperate after the four years spent at the academy. On August 3, he will report to Wright-Patterson Air Force base in Dayton, Ohio. There Geerdes will take a 12-month accelerated Masters Program in Applied Systems Engineering. After he graduates with a masters degree in September 2025, he will advance to pilot training at Vance Air Force Base in Enid, Oklahoma. Geerdes will transition from cadet to officer for the United States Air Force, receiving the honorable position of second lieutenant, a testament to his hard-work that led him to his path going forward.

“The academy is a very rigorous program throughout all four years,” Geerdes explained. “It’s a great feeling to be on the cusp of its ending,” he added.

The academy grades and assesses individuals on academic, athletic and military curriculum and responsibilities. Geerdes also served as a Bugle Corp Drum Major, which represented the culture and significance of the armed forces, especially to leave an impression of the field to citizens.

While recalling his time at the academy, Geerdes expressed a little bittersweetness with his graduation date nearing close.

“There’s things I’m not ready to be done with,” he said with a laugh. Because the academy is so tough, it really lends itself to the adage that the toughest times make the best of friends. And because we go through a really, really rigorous program for four years, you embrace the difficulty and embrace the people around you.”

Recalling about his interest in the field, Geerdes’ desire to join the Air Force has been strong for years.

“I wouldn’t change it for the world,” Geerdes beamed, reflecting on his fulfilling decision. “Everything we do is a learning opportunity. Everything we do, see… They enable us to make more leadership decisions.”

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When you transfer into the Air Force Reserve through the Palace Chase program you will continue to grow valuable career skills and benefits.

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Airmen approaching the halfway point of their first enlistment, or Officers near two-thirds of their commitment can apply. If accepted, the term of enlistment with the Guard depends on the amount of time left on the initial active-duty contract.

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What reservist programs are available.

The following selected and individual Reserve programs are available:

Individual Mobilization Augmentees (IMA) Reservists serve as backfill support on contingencies and deployments throughout the Air Force, Department of Defense and other government agencies.

Active Guard Reserve (AGR)   Reservists serve full time on active-duty assignments and receive active-duty benefits for the duration of their contract. 

Air Reserve Technician (ART) Reservists serve in a dual-status position. They’ll work full time as a civilian employee one weekend a month and perform at least 14 days of annual training per year.

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Learn more about Reservists programs.

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To join the Air Force Reserve, you must be between the ages of 17 and have not reached your 42nd birthday, a current U.S. citizen, and have obtained either a high school diploma or GED. Applicants can’t have any serious law violations or drug use or serious health problems. 

Additionally, you must pass the Armed Services Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) and a physical. The ASVAB covers four critical areas: arithmetic reasoning, mathematics, word knowledge and paragraph comprehension. This is used to determine whether you’re a good fit for the Air Force Reserve and the best career field to place you in.

Can I work a full-time job with the Air Force Reserve?

How many years will i have to serve, how often does the air force reserve deploy.

Deployment depends on your AFSC (Air Force Specialty Code), your assigned unit and the needs of the Air Force at any given time. In general, there’s no set deployment schedule for Reservists. 

Most Reservist missions will be for logistics and support, but some specialties such as the Security Forces are more combat-oriented. While it’s not unusual to not deploy at all, all Reservists have to deploy when the circumstances require.

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Warren senior headed to Air Force Academy

Photo from Congressman Glenn Thompson Aidan Zdarko, a senior at Warren Area High School, has accepted a fully qualified appointment to the U.S. Air Force Academy.

Warren Area High School senior Aidan Zdarko has accepted an appointment to the U.S. Air Force Academy.

Congressman Glenn Thompson highlighted the appointment in his most recent newsletter.

“I had the pleasure of nominating Aidan Zdarko to the United States Air Force Academy Class of 2028,” Thompson said.

He added that Zdarko accepted the fully qualified appointment to the Academy, located in Colorado Springs, Co.

“Aidan’s commitment to service is an inspiration to us all. His leadership in the classroom, on the baseball field and in his community will set him up for success at the Air Force Academy,” Thompson said. “I wish him the best of luck.”

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