Air Force Nursing Bonus, Student Loan Repayment

[missmiss]

I am considering joining the air force as a nurse and I have been told that all slots are full for student loan repayment for this fiscal year (2009). But that the bonus is still available.

I know the new fiscal year starts October of this year. However, my recruiter says that he has heard that there will be no bonus or student loan repayment because of the economy and that they over-did the amt of nurses that they accepted last year. Does any of that sound accurate?

I am also told that I need to give a definitive yes or no on whether I want to join the Air Force before he will even enter my application into the system. He says if I go through the process of getting accepted and then turn it down, then I wasted 4 AFB's time and money.

I am uncomfortable with giving a yes to this before I even get the opportunity to find out about student loan repayment & bonuses for the next fiscal year and before I even find out if I am accepted.

He says if I want to wait to hear about that, it will be December before he knows anything about student loan repayment and then he can enter my app.

Does any of this sound accurate?? Just curious b/c I have no other sources.

Thanks.

[carolinapooh, BSN, RN]

Yep - the new budget will go into effect 1 October 2010 - the Pentagon's fiscal year is 1 Oct - 30 Sept. Sorry - I misread your post and I wanted to be sure folks got correct information. :)

[Spencer2002]

I have started reading the COT Manual and I have to fill out an Officer Performance feedback worksheet. At the top of the form it is asking me for my.......

Gaining unit commander (Rank and Full name)

Your Squadron Commander

His/her Direct Switch Network number

I'm not familiar with these terms. Is this a person at COT or at Mt. Home AFB.

PLEASE HELP ANYONE :)

[The Little Greek]

I have started reading the COT Manual and I have to fill out an Officer Performance feedback worksheet. At the top of the form it is asking me for my.......

Gaining unit commander (Rank and Full name)

Your Squadron Commander

His/her Direct Switch Network number

I'm not familiar with these terms. Is this a person at COT or at Mt. Home AFB.

PLEASE HELP ANYONE :)

Your sponsor should get in touch with you before you leave for COT. They can give you all that info.

[bds165]

"I have started reading the COT Manual and I have to fill out an Officer Performance feedback worksheet. At the top of the form it is asking me for my.......

Gaining unit commander (Rank and Full name)

Your Squadron Commander

His/her Direct Switch Network number

I'm not familiar with these terms. Is this a person at COT or at Mt. Home AFB.

PLEASE HELP ANYONE :)"

Gaining unit commander will be your squadron commander when you reach Mt. Home (I'm assuming that's where you're headed after COT graduation)

I believe your squadron commander NOW is simply the commander of COT (not quite sure about that one).

The Direct Switch Network number (or DSN) is just the base-specific phone number for Mt. Home and is considered your "work number". It's part of a base wide (and DoD wide) phone network. You can probably look up the base online to find the DSN or contact your gaining squadron orderly room (if that's what their calling them now).

Hope this helps.

[carolinapooh, BSN, RN]

"I have started reading the COT Manual and I have to fill out an Officer Performance feedback worksheet. At the top of the form it is asking me for my.......

Gaining unit commander (Rank and Full name)

Your Squadron Commander

His/her Direct Switch Network number

I'm not familiar with these terms. Is this a person at COT or at Mt. Home AFB.

PLEASE HELP ANYONE :)"

Gaining unit commander will be your squadron commander when you reach Mt. Home (I'm assuming that's where you're headed after COT graduation)

I believe your squadron commander NOW is simply the commander of COT (not quite sure about that one).

The Direct Switch Network number (or DSN) is just the base-specific phone number for Mt. Home and is considered your "work number". It's part of a base wide (and DoD wide) phone network. You can probably look up the base online to find the DSN or contact your gaining squadron orderly room (if that's what their calling them now).

Hope this helps.

The squadron commander that form is looking for is the gaining squadron and he'll have all that when his orders come.

[Spencer2002]

I can't remember where I heard or read this........if you don't pass your PT and COT then you don't get your sign-on bonus. Is there any truth to that?

[rghbsn, BSN, RN]

If you don't graduate COT, you don't stay in the AF...which means you don't get any kind of bonus.

[wtbcrna, MSN, DNP, CRNA]

If you don't graduate COT, you don't stay in the AF...which means you don't get any kind of bonus.

I don't know if that is exactly true. When I was in COT we had a couple that didn't graduate and they were just recycled through the next class. One of them was actually just put to work at Maxwell in the clinic until they could figure out what to do with them. My understanding was that since you are already a commissioned officer, not like BOT/OTS, that COT is more of a preliminary step. Maybe things have changed since I was at COT......

[rghbsn, BSN, RN]

Well, I know they'll be recycled...they will give them a few opportunities to graduate. But I don't know how they can keep them in as an officer of the AF if they can't pass officer training. I would think that they'd be separated from service as failure to adapt or unfit for service. They would still use the warm body with the degree to do some work, though, while the paperwork was being done. At least that's how the Marines used recruits that couldn't pass.

[kimora2009]

thats what recruiter do they will tell you anything just to make there number for that month do your research and call around first before you force into something

[anmorgan32]

So I have lots of questions for you lovely ladies (and gentlemen). I am in my senior year of nursing school and will be graduating in May 2010 with my BSN. I have recently began to consider joining the nursing corps in the military (specifically the Air Force or Army) as an option for many reasons. The sign on bonus' and loan repayment options sound mighty appealing, the job market is poor-even for nurses right now, and I grew up an Army brat so I have experience with the military lifestyle. My question is...when can I start this process? Do I contact a recruiter and start now? Can I do this before I graduate? I have been hesitant to contact a recruiter because I know how ruthless they can be and I didn't want that pressure while I was still trying to figure out if this is what I want to do. I have decided to bring my Dad along (the Army retiree) when I do meet with a recruiter just so that I don't get duped into signing something I don't want.

Now I also have questions for those of you who are already nurses in the Air Force (or those of you who know the answers). What are the odds of getting deployed overseas? ( if this is even able to be estimated), what kind of say do you have in where you are stationed and what nursing specialty you get placed in?, and as a nurse in the Air Force, is the focus still on patient care and patient advocacy, or is it more about competition to make rank?

I know I threw a lot of questions out there. Any advice you could offer would be greatly appreciated!! :)

[Miss Mab]

Hi Anmorgan--

I see you are new to the forum and have asked some pretty important questions. There's lots of good info here and I would suggest searching through many of the posts as I think you'll find relevant answers(and lots more) from there.

The one thing I would say is that it is almost never too early to begin your recruiter/info gathering process. Particularly for the AF if that should remain an interest.

I wish you luck and welcome!!