Air Force not accepting applications for OTS.

[GreenLantern330]

Anyone have any idea of when OCS accessions will go up again or how long these cuts will last?

 

[OUSOONER]

I don't even think the guys making the decisions could give an answer...so no. Whenever demand exceeds supply again, I guess.

 

[HackerF15E]

I don't think a force made up almost entirely of Academy and ROTC grads would be a good thing, and it would have certain tendencies a force with a bit more mixed of a background wouldn't

Example?

What is it exactly that USAFA and AFROTC grads lack, in your opinion, that OTS grads apparently do? What evidence do you have that such characteristics are missing, and what is the impact of this?

IMHO your statement a gross over-generalization of the characteristics of graduates of all three commissioning sources. The only thing it is accurate to say is that there is NOT one "typical" type from each of those sources. Even making the statement is based on false logic.

 

[GreenLantern330]

I guess it's correlated with the unemployment rate or more so the probability of being hired right out of college. Hopefully that changes in the near future.

Do you think this would affect BDCP too, or just DA to OCS?

 

[GreenLantern330]

What is it exactly that USAFA and AFROTC grads lack, in your opinion, that OTS grads apparently do?

I think there's just the possibility that some people that apply for OTS have already been out of college for a few years and have been working for large firms or at least better jobs than BK. My assumption is that most OTS/OCS applicants are right out of college, but there's always a few here and there that have been in the workforce for a while and realized that it might not be what they want to do and then find the military officer route. Just a guess.

 

[Flash]

Although, most of the worst officers I know come from the Citadel.

Forget what I said about Academy guys being no different, they are all unfunny morons.

......without cuts in the Academy and ROTC classes it seems as if OTS/OCS accesions are going to be low to non existent for the foreseeable future. I understand that's how its suppose to work, but I guess in the long run I don't think it's a good thing.

Anyone have any idea of when OCS accessions will go up again or how long these cuts will last?

Hold on a second here, we are talking about USAF OTS, not Navy OCS.

 

[GreenLantern330]

Yeah, but other people are saying that Navy OCS is starting to do the same... People could be mistaken I guess, but I would believe it if the Navy is cutting back on OCS too.

 

[mmx1]

Example?

What is it exactly that USAFA and AFROTC grads lack, in your opinion, that OTS grads apparently do? What evidence do you have that such characteristics are missing, and what is the impact of this?

IMHO your statement a gross over-generalization of the characteristics of graduates of all three commissioning sources. The only thing it is accurate to say is that there is NOT one "typical" type from each of those sources. Even making the statement is based on false logic.

Actually, an Army study based on OER's (their version of the fitrep) and selection rates for Battalion and Brigade command skewed in favor of the Academy and 4-year ROTC grads. And FYI, OCS grads skew high initially for the Army because their OCS is recruited from the enlisted ranks, not Joe Schmoe off the street.

and a caveat from the authors:

To avoid any misinterpretation of Figure 3, we make two clarifying points. First, these rates represent populations. There are equally talented individual officers from each source of commission, but on average they sort along the screen-vet-cull continuum in Figure 2.6 Second, this is not an argument about the merits of each commissioning source—they each have merit. We are simply pointing out the correlation between performance and Army resourcing—the higher the investment (West Point and ROTC 3 and 4-year scholarship officers), the greater the mean performance.

Source:
http://www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pubs/display.cfm?pubID=972

 

[Flash]

Yeah, but other people are saying that Navy OCS is starting to do the same... People could be mistaken I guess, but I would believe it if the Navy is cutting back on OCS too.

No need to start rumors if you don't have the facts.

 

[PhrogLoop]

In my experience (15 years on AD in the USAF), it's been impossible to tell an officer's commissioning source by observation of his officership/leadership abilities or off-duty social/recreational behavior.

While I agree in principle with this statement, I will say this: In 4 years of flying with 4 different Air Force squadrons, I would say the vast majority of the ascot wearing, Jeremiah Weed drinking, Dos Gringos quoting, T-38 days bragging FAIPs were from Colorado Springs.

 

[Lawman]

And FYI, OCS grads skew high initially for the Army because their OCS is recruited from the enlisted ranks, not Joe Schmoe off the street.

No they arent. You might be just a bit confused on the way we send our OCS officers through training as they attend BCT with regular enlisted soldiers and then remain for the additional OCS phase at Ft Benning. You can be an Army Officer fresh off the street. Basically you just put a packet together the same as I did for my warrant spot, do a board of review with 3 officers who rate you overall and then either approve or disapprove your application. Your accepted right at the battalion level usually by an O4 based on his current requirements and the strength of your packet against your peers.


As for the Air Force man power requirements, if its any help I remember talking to a recruiter back in 06 and him telling me at that point in time there were 15 slots nationally for Pilots. Thats not to say there werent other needs but it was kinda shocking to see such a low number over such a large pool. Plus with the Air Force going through its ever constant "force shaping" with the current O1-O3 crowd it doesnt seem like they need to run the in feed at max capacity.

 

[GreenLantern330]

No need to start rumors if you don't have the facts.

You're right about that. I was just curious.

 

[mmx1]

No they arent.

You're right; I was under the impression that the Army relied much more heavily on in-service for OCS than the other branches, is that correct? In any case the OCS pool for that particular study was in-service only.

 

[Lawman]

You're right; I was under the impression that the Army relied much more heavily on in-service for OCS than the other branches, is that correct? In any case the OCS pool for that particular study was in-service only.

Couldnt tell you or at least couldnt give you any kind of real qualitative information on it.

I can tell you that out of my time in Flight School the vast majority (like 80%) of the RLOs Ive met are Academy with the rest of it being eatin up but ROTC. Ive only met one OCS guy but the problem with that comes from the fact that if you go to OCS without a good flight physical they wont branch you aviation, and by the same token your recruiter wont send you to get one because your not branched aviation.

 

[HackerF15E]

While I agree in principle with this statement, I will say this: In 4 years of flying with 4 different Air Force squadrons, I would say the vast majority of the ascot wearing, Jeremiah Weed drinking, Dos Gringos quoting, T-38 days bragging FAIPs were from Colorado Springs.

...and of course you realize what a razor thin representation of the USAF officer population this is?

And, seriously...ascots?