Air reserve flight nursing

Guest374845 · Mar 11, 2017

This is copy/pasted directly from my recruiter:

1. Reserve Officer Training School/ 5 Weeks or 12 days at Maxwell AFB AL

2. SERE Training/ 19 days at Fairchild WA

3. Water survival/3 days at Fairchild WA

4. Flight School/ 5-6 weeks at Wright Patterson AFB OH

5. Initial Flight Nurse Qualification Training/ 4 weeks at Wright-Patterson AFB OH

The caveat is that you might not be able to attend each of these schools consecutively, without gaps. It may take a year to do them all with the expectation that you are on leave from your job and essentially on active duty at your assigned unit between trainings.

Is your grad school online? Even if it is, I can't honestly tell you how doable it is or isn't to keep up with assignment due dates, postings etc while on orders.

rnweeks0 · Mar 12, 2017

Hello! Thanks for your reply! My grad program is mainly online, I have to attend on campus events about once every other semester for a few days. I've been able to keep up with it so far, working about 48 hours a week at my nursing job and 5-10 hours a week at my part time job. I'm really interested in doing the air reserve flight nursing but maybe I should just wait until graduate school is over? Thanks again!!

OUxPhys, BSN, RN · Mar 12, 2017

What if you are prior enlisted? Do you still need to go through reserve officer training or is it shorter?

Editorial Team / Moderator · Mar 13, 2017

What if you are prior enlisted? Do you still need to go through reserve officer training or is it shorter?

For Army, officer basic is much different than enlisted basic, so you will have to do the same as your non-prior-service reserve counterparts. I imagine AF is similar.

Guest374845 · Mar 13, 2017

The AF has a 2-week commissioned officer training for prior service, physicians/dentists who can't afford 5 weeks away from their practice etc.

Editorial Team / Moderator · Mar 13, 2017

The AF has a 2-week commissioned officer training for prior service, physicians/dentists who can't afford 5 weeks away from their practice etc.

That isn't bad. Our Army Reservists only had to join us for a few weeks (much less than the 12 weeks for active duty), but they still had to go for a period of time, prior service or not.

Becbec1424 · Apr 3, 2017

The AF has a 2-week commissioned officer training for prior service, physicians/dentists who can't afford 5 weeks away from their practice etc.

Hi! Because I'm still new to this site, I'm unable to send PMs apparently. I tried to reply to your msg without luck so I'll just post it here. Sorry it has taken me so long to get back to you. For some reason, I just found your message.

My timeline has been (what seems like) forever long! I originally submitted paperwork in Aug. 2015 and had my interview with the Chief Nurse in Sept. 2015. The recruiter changed 3 times and they wanted me to start completely over. I submitted paperwork again in Jan. 2016 and had to do it once again (much more paperwork this time.) My original recruiter didn't tell me everything I needed to turn in the first time. I later learned that the AF isn't hurting for flight nurses so recruiters aren't very eager to gain them. My "package" was officially submitted in March 2016, this is also when I did my MEPS physical. I was scroll approved in June 2016, took my Oath in Aug, and first UTA was Nov. MAKE SURE you complete your flying class 3 physical AND have security clearance before raising your right hand. My recruiter somehow found a loophole and I didn't do my flight physical until I had already started with my (flying) unit. Huge delay. I also, just this weekend, got my security clearance to go through. Another HUGE setback. Without it you can't use the computer or go to certain briefings, etc. I sent all of the paperwork (30-ish pages) to my recruiter, somehow it didn't get put in. I did it all again and it got misplaced. So then I did it on the computer in my unit and finally got it to go through. But even then it was a 5 month delay before I had comp access. My unit said this never happened before so I hope for your sake it doesn't happen to you either.

Good luck with your process. I hope it goes smoother than mine, though I've heard plenty of other stories of "hurry up and wait". I also don't have any class dates yet; 8 months later but I attribute that to my lack of clearance. I'm learning to be very patient and just take it one (very slow) step at a time.

I hope this has helped.

Devo19, BSN, MSN, APRN · Apr 3, 2017

It is definitely a very long process...only thing is that they don't SUBMIT your clearance until you commission and for that to clear can take up to a year after you commission.

Becbec1424 · Apr 5, 2017

It is definitely a very long process...only thing is that they don't SUBMIT your clearance until you commission and for that to clear can take up to a year after you commission.

Intersting... no one has said this and acted like I'm the only one the clearance issue has affected. Now having to fill it out 3 times isn't correct, I wouldn't think. (And it was slightly different each time so I couldn't just re-submit what I had already completed). After my first UTA (3 months post commission), they looked and said there wasn't even an open case. It took filling out the long paperwork once again, but on the computer, to finally have it go through and a case be opened. I'm just glad it finally went through and I hope it's not that complicated for others.

OUxPhys, BSN, RN · Apr 7, 2017

Kind of a random question but does anyone know why the Air Force (reserves and active duty) have a demand for RNs? Is it like that with the other 2 branches (Army and Navy)?

jfratian, DNP, RN, CRNA · Apr 8, 2017

The AF has demand that's dependent on what experience you have I would say. OR experience is the most valued to he AF. That's followed by ER and ICU experience, especially those who will be willing to do flight. I have no idea about the Army or Navy.

Air reserve flight nursing

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