AF Nurse Accession Bonus & BLS question

DrCOVID, DNP · Oct 11, 2009

I didn't even notice, I saw exactly what you meant when I read it lol

hopeful_army_NP · Oct 12, 2009

The American Heart Association has an online provider BLS, when you pass the test you go to an pproved center to pass the hands on portion. I signed up today as my BLS has experied as well, I figured I should get it done priot to going to OBLC. The cost was $17.50.

Here is the link http://www.onlineaha.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=main.courseCatalog

DrCOVID, DNP · Oct 13, 2009

Thanks for that link!

Is it true that officer uniforms cost 2 grand?

http://www.au.af.mil/au/holmcenter/OTS/COT-RCOT/additionalinfo.asp#a2

No wonder the signing bonuses are so big... and the majority of it goes back to the people handing it out!!!

allnurses Guide · Oct 13, 2009

Thanks for that link!
Is it true that officer uniforms cost 2 grand?
http://www.au.af.mil/au/holmcenter/OTS/COT-RCOT/additionalinfo.asp#a2
No wonder the signing bonuses are so big... and the majority of it goes back to the people handing it out!!!

Yep, officer uniforms will cost you about 2K for the basic issue. After COT you will find that you spend even more because you will probably want more sets of ABUs or Blues depending on where you work, amount of deployment exercises you have (it comes in real handy to have a pre made exercise bag with uniforms already in there) etc.

Yeah, my sign on bonus 8yrs ago was 5K about 3K after taxes within 6mo after that bonuses went up to 10k and have been on the rise ever since.

carolinapooh, BSN, RN · Oct 13, 2009

I bought six sets of ABUs, extra blues (I just realized the other day I have a stupid number of blues shirts!), the mess dress, PT gear, both kinds of shoes, the service dress coat, I have everything sewn on - the only thing I'm missing is the lightweight blues jacket and a few odds and ends (I want an extra rack of ribbons, I need two more function badges, and I need three more sets of bars - for some stupid reason I only bought ONE), and I've spent about $2200. It's completely hideous.

OH - and I just had to put tires on my car (another $500 - and that was the cheapest!!). I owe American Express and Visa my LIFE...

DrCOVID, DNP · Oct 13, 2009

I bought six sets of ABUs, extra blues (I just realized the other day I have a stupid number of blues shirts!), the mess dress, PT gear, both kinds of shoes, the service dress coat, I have everything sewn on - the only thing I'm missing is the lightweight blues jacket and a few odds and ends (I want an extra rack of ribbons, I need two more function badges, and I need three more sets of bars - for some stupid reason I only bought ONE), and I've spent about $2200. It's completely hideous.
OH - and I just had to put tires on my car (another $500 - and that was the cheapest!!). I owe American Express and Visa my LIFE...

I am confused, you got all that for 2.2k? It's so vague on that COT website, this 'uniform' better be made of gold silk!

Just hope I don't discover something later that makes the "bonus" more of a debt than anything else... guess the AF is still better than my plan B though. Enough of my gripes.

carolinapooh, BSN, RN · Oct 14, 2009

It might be more like $2500. The most expensive thing has been the mess dress, which is about $450 with all the accoutrements on it.

The tires have just been the straw that's broken the camel's back - and I just realized I haven't bought the school supply-type stuff I need for COT - or printer ink!! AARRGGH - I just keep thinking that when I stop for the night in Atlanta that part will finally be over....

allnurses Guide · Oct 14, 2009

It might be more like $2500. The most expensive thing has been the mess dress, which is about $450 with all the accoutrements on it.
The tires have just been the straw that's broken the camel's back - and I just realized I haven't bought the school supply-type stuff I need for COT - or printer ink!! AARRGGH - I just keep thinking that when I stop for the night in Atlanta that part will finally be over....

Unless things have changed we were able to get advanced pay once we got to COT. By the way there are places that rent the Mess Dress.....one of my classmates rented their mess dress while at COT. I don't know where though. It was somewhere around Maxwell AFB.

I have now officially worn my mess dress twice in 8yrs of being in the AF. Here is uniform site that some of you might not have seen. I got my last mess dress jacket on here for $50.00 http://www.militaryuniformexchange.com/exchange/viewscat.asp?id=10004

Good Luck at COT!

DrCOVID, DNP · Oct 14, 2009

Unless things have changed we were able to get advanced pay once we got to COT. By the way there are places that rent the Mess Dress.....one of my classmates rented their mess dress while at COT. I don't know where though. It was somewhere around Maxwell AFB.
I have now officially worn my mess dress twice in 8yrs of being in the AF. Here is uniform site that some of you might not have seen. I got my last mess dress jacket on here for $50.00 http://www.militaryuniformexchange.com/exchange/viewscat.asp?id=10004
Good Luck at COT!

Yea that might be a problem, because I don't have 2500 to blow some damn clothes... this is really ******* me off. :angryfire

Does living on base for NTP depend on what base you are at? I don't have a car and I don't have any money!

BTW Are OTS and COT the same thing?

allnurses Guide · Oct 14, 2009

Yea that might be a problem, because I don't have 2500 to blow some damn clothes... this is really ******* me off. :angryfire I am starting to feel that being rejected by the magical selection board might be for the better.
I am going to die if I can't live on base for COT/NTP. I don't have a car and hate public transportation!

COT and NTP are considered TDYs you will be able to stay on base for both. As far as clothing goes buy a little bit at a time...look on the site I provided, look on ebay, the internet etc. You can find good deals on the internet. Also if you get your sponsor before you goto COT and they are close enough ask if you can borrow their mess dress for COT or if they know someone your size that you can borrow their mess dress for COT.

DrCOVID, DNP · Oct 14, 2009

COT and NTP are considered TDYs you will be able to stay on base for both. As far as clothing goes buy a little bit at a time...look on the site I provided, look on ebay, the internet etc. You can find good deals on the internet. Also if you get your sponsor before you goto COT and they are close enough ask if you can borrow their mess dress for COT or if they know someone your size that you can borrow their mess dress for COT.

Yea I guess if I can find someone to borrow them from, I would. I would think they want you to own your own pair of everything though. The mess dress concept is new to me and I am not exactly sure what it is used for, but sounds like a waste of money if you have only used it 2 times in 8 years.

I will hopefully hear about this sponsor thing soon, cause I haven't heard anything about a sponsor from my recruiter yet! What is the sponsor responsible for anyway?

allnurses Guide · Oct 14, 2009

Yea I guess if I can find someone to borrow them from, I would. I would think they want you to own your own pair of everything though. The mess dress concept is new to me and I am not exactly sure what it is used for, but sounds like a waste of money if you have only used it 2 times in 8 years.
I will hopefully hear about this sponsor thing soon, cause I haven't heard anything about a sponsor from my recruiter yet! What is the sponsor responsible for anyway?

Yes, the AF does want you to own your Mess dress, but the there is rarely anything that you will be required to goto that you will need your mess dress for. No one is ever going to come by and say let me inspect your mess dress...

By the time I needed my mess dress again I had outgrown the jacket and had to buy a new one. You can usually find a used mess dress online, but you really have to plan ahead and start looking early to get your size.