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Can anyone tell me about Air Force TMO/leaving for COT?



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Sep 23, 2009 05:22 PM

Can anyone tell me about Air Force TMO/leaving for COT?


Hey all,
I would love to know what needs to happen/does happen in the final couple weeks leading up to leaving for COT. My recruiter, from what I can gather from his cryptic and oft incorrect emails, says that I will have a TMO briefing, need to "get my orders done" and get travel arrangements taken care of in the last four days before I leave. Now, I don't know much, but that seems really, really wrong to me... Shouldn't travel, TMO, and orders be taken care of long before that?

The reason I ask is that my sister and I are trying to go on one last vacation before I take off for four years doing the Air force thing, and the best time to go is that couple weeks before I leave. Am I crazy to try to schedule a big trip during that time - do I really need to be here, or shouldn't everything be taken care of well before two weeks out????

Any help in telling me what the real deal is here would be much appreciated. I don't really trust much of what my recruiter says since it's always incredibly vague and almost certainly not completely true. Like that I'd be leaving in "late" January for COT (I discovered the actual Jan 11th date on my own... gah!)
Anyway, thanks in advance!

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11 Comments
No. 1
from The Little Greek
Old Sep 23, 2009, 09:09 PM

Default Re: Can anyone tell me about Air Force TMO/leaving for COT?
Let me be the first to introduce you to your new way of life! I don't in any way mean that to be negative, I just mean that things happen in their own time in the AF and it usually isn't as fast as I like things to happen. You sound a lot like me--an organized pre-planner. I had to learn to let go of that in COT.

I don't think I got my orders until a week prior to leaving for COT. Unfortunately you can't arrange anything with TMO until you have your orders. See the catch-22 starting?

Try not to be too hard on your recruiter. It may seem to you like they are being vague, but things really do change quickly in the AF. They might be afraid to give you a solid answer on anything for fear of deadlines not being met, etc. You wouldn't believe how many people have to sign off on what might seem to be the smallest detail in paperwork. Heaven forbid that paperwork gets lost and the process starts all over....you get the idea.

My best advice to you is to get things together the best you can now. Once the ball gets rolling everything happens very quickly!
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No. 2
from NurseJessi
Old Sep 23, 2009, 10:52 PM

Default Re: Can anyone tell me about Air Force TMO/leaving for COT?
Thanks, that really does help. Can you tell me more about TMO? And once you get your orders, what all needs to be done? Obviously travel arrangements, but isn't that up to the recruiter? Worst case scenario, if I was out of the country when I got my orders, a week before my COT date, how screwed would I be even if all my stuff was already packed up and ready to go? lol!

I understand what you're saying about the recruiter. He's already lost a set of my transcripts though. Almost two, but he magically found the second set when I told him I had a dated receipt. It's telling when the people at MEPS see your paperwork and say, "who is your recruiter?" and then roll their eyes and shake their heads knowingly when they are told his name. I'm doing my best to be patient and proactive though. I'll be relieved to get selected (hopefully!) and finally make it through to COT, whenever it happens!
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No. 3
from carolinapooh
Old Sep 24, 2009, 12:17 AM

Default Re: Can anyone tell me about Air Force TMO/leaving for COT?
On the back of your orders (I got mine about ten days ago and I leave for COT in October) there are instructions for both handling your travel arrangements and how to contact TMO. TMO will then help you work out the how/when/where of the movers coming to pack up your stuff for shipment. (I say "help" - what actually happens is TMO will tell you when they can come - none of the dates will be convenient or one you really want - and you'll take one because you have to.)

Not trying to be negative - it just seems that that is what always happens.

If TMO can only come on X day, and that day is when you want to make your plans, you'll have to do the TMO thing and work out another arrangement with your sister. It sucks but as Greek said - welcome to the wonderful world of the Feds...
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No. 4
from jenhasredhair
Old Sep 29, 2009, 04:56 PM

Default Re: Can anyone tell me about Air Force TMO/leaving for COT?
I'm now all of a sudden very thankful for all the stuff my parents had to put up with every time we PCSed while I was growing up! Do people ever move into base housing before COT? I'm guessing I already know the answer to this question, but thought I'd ask anyways. I'm a planner too...I know that's going to have to change!!
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No. 5
from carolinapooh
Old Sep 30, 2009, 09:08 AM

Default Re: Can anyone tell me about Air Force TMO/leaving for COT?
No, you won't move into base housing before COT, but you can contact your base and get on the waiting list (if there is one). I'm not going to live on base at Lackland, but I know someone who's going to be in our COT class who's already contacted his base about housing, so I know you can go ahead and do that if you're married and plan to live on base.

And I know how you feel - I was raised military and I've been AD before, but I've never really moved (I think moving with dependents is different than when you're moving yourself), and it really is a pain - even when you're not responsible for the actual move!
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No. 6
from Spencer2002
Old Sep 30, 2009, 12:42 PM

Default Re: Can anyone tell me about Air Force TMO/leaving for COT?
My dad worked in IT in the Air Force, underground, top secret and we only moved once. I never lived on base and went to public school but I spent almost every summer at the officer’s pool
I swore in last week Monday and I'm still waiting for my official orders. How long will that take. I still have not been contacted by my sponsor???
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No. 7
from The Little Greek
Old Sep 30, 2009, 01:14 PM

Default Re: Can anyone tell me about Air Force TMO/leaving for COT?
Originally Posted by Spencer2002 View Post
My dad worked in IT in the Air Force, underground, top secret and we only moved once. I never lived on base and went to public school but I spent almost every summer at the officer’s pool
I swore in last week Monday and I'm still waiting for my official orders. How long will that take. I still have not been contacted by my sponsor???
I didn't get my orders until about a week (maybe less) before I left for COT. Additionally, I didn't hear from my sponsor until the day before I left for COT. I hope you have a better experience.

I will say that now I am on the other side, meaning I am now serving as a sponsor, please go easy on your sponsor! It is not always his/her fault that it takes forever for him/her to contact you. When I get an email telling me that I am the sponsor for "so-and-so" I will try to get in touch with them immediately. When I do, they are usually on their way to, or already at COT. I asked my nurse manager about this and she said that the Orderly Room assigns sponsors. Then those names are sent to my Flight C/C who then forwards them to my Element Leader (nurse manager). By the time the sponsor gets the email it's been almost three weeks of being passed around. It's not the most efficient system and it makes the sponsor look bad. Not sure if other bases handle sponsors this way but that's how it goes with us.
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No. 8
from jenhasredhair
Old Sep 30, 2009, 02:09 PM

Default Re: Can anyone tell me about Air Force TMO/leaving for COT?
Congrats on swearing in Spencer!!

The military pays for a full service move, right? Other than taking pictures and collecting receipts for valuables, what do we need to do to prepare for moving day? I want to try to make things as easy as possible for my hubby and kids while I'm at COT. We've moved around quite a bit in the last few years, so the thought of someone else packing all of our stuff is kind of cool!! We still have stuff in boxes from the last move, but I was told to go ahead and unpack since the movers won't insure stuff they don't pack.

Do I have to have orders in hand before I can contact the base for housing?
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No. 9
from Spencer2002
Old Sep 30, 2009, 05:40 PM

Default Re: Can anyone tell me about Air Force TMO/leaving for COT?
Thank you Jenhasredhair
I'm unsure on the all the rules for moving? I believe that you’re allowed a certain weight according to your rank. Then you have to pay for the rest. I would email or call your recruiter for details. We are staying in our house and I'm driving Mt. Home AFB, about one hour away from us.
I got my first base choice but I wonder if it is possible that once I'm working the AF will move us somewhere else?
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