Graduated cot on friday!!!

Specialties Government

Published

YAY! I made it - I graduated from COT yesterday and am now on my way to my first duty station, Lackland AFB/Wilford Hall Medical Center in San Antonio, TX!

I was going to post a nice "column", if you would, on my experience, and I still might - but feel free to post any questions you have here and I'll answer what I can.

It's not so bad (but remember, I'm prior enlisted), but I won't say it's easy. Compared to BOT (the regular officer's training that lasts 13 weeks) and compared to what the Army does to get the same direct commission, it's a cakewalk - but it's not "knife and fork" school, so don't let your recruiter fool you. Some of the civilians experienced a bit of culture shock - but trust me when I say it was nothing like BMT.

So if you have any questions, post away.

Specializes in Med-Surg, ED, Education, FNP.

I love the sock bun! Someone asked me what one was about a month ago and now I know! I was wondering if your husband and kids (if you have any) traveled with you to Lackland, ahead of time, or if they are still to follow? Was anyone in your class duel active? My husband is active duty Air Force (enlisted) and I was wondering how that might affect us as far as duty station and PCS is concerned. Luckily he is Comm so his job is available most places. Congratulations on graduation...the information you are providing is wonderful. Be sure to keep us updated as to how things are going there at Lackland. I was wondering how the whole merger and closure of things over there is going to end up working out.

Oh and for whoever was headed to the marine base...you might check out the clothing sales there just in case. Here at Tinker we have all of the branches stuff in BX clothing sales place. The selection is more limited but you can even get the rank, insignia, and ribbons for the others.

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is a regular old ponytail not allowed?

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Specializes in Anesthesia.
Oh, yeah - get your rank SEWN on your ABU cap. (Officers had to use the pin on stuff when I was enlisted; I'd never heard of sewn on rank on caps until COT. The studs on the pin on stuff dug into some folks' heads!) Don't use the pin-on stuff at ALL if you get your uniforms ahead of time; my flightmates had a time remembering to put rank back on after they washed them and they're a pain to place besides.

Silk tape over the frogs inside the hat will help quite bit from them digging into your forehead.

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Specializes in Flight/ICU/CCU/ED/Trauma.

The tape will help, but it's worth sewing them on just to have them in place all the time, IMO. Don't have to keep up with them in the field if they fall off, either.

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Specializes in Anesthesia.
The tape will help, but it's worth sewing them on just to have them in place all the time, IMO. Don't have to keep up with them in the field if they fall off, either.

Yep, but depending on where you get stationed some of your bases will require you to have the "shiney" rank on instead of the subdued. I couldn't wear the subdued at Sheppard or Kessler when I was there. Just FYI....for what it is worth.

It is usually the AETC bases that won't let you wear the subdued rank.

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Specializes in Orthopedics.

Congrats! Thanks for sharing your experience, I'm living vicariously through your posts :) I am prior enlisted AF and I wanted to go back after nursing school but now I have two kids and a husband who said NO WAY after following me around when I was enlisted. I can't wait to hear how things go at Lackland!

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Yep, but depending on where you get stationed some of your bases will require you to have the "shiney" rank on instead of the subdued. I couldn't wear the subdued at Sheppard or Kessler when I was there. Just FYI....for what it is worth.

It is usually the AETC bases that won't let you wear the subdued rank.

I'm at an AETC base (nearly the mother of all of them, actually), and there's no shiny rank here on ABUs. Neither was there at Maxwell. Ninety percent of Maxwell had sewn on rank on ABU hats, the rest of course had subdued pin on. As far as I know, per reg (since they're using the BDU reg with a few changes) it's not shiny rank on ABUs. I've even seen the message regarding that.

ETA: Actually, here's the quote from the message itself:

8. ABU RANK AND BADGES, NAME AND US AIR FORCE TAPES CAN BE PURCHASED AT MILITARY CLOTHING SALES STORES. NAME AND "U.S. AIR FORCE" TAPES CAN BE ORDERED AND PURCHASED. THREAD COLOR FOR SEWING ON RANK AND INSIGNIA SHOULD BE IN THE SAME SHADE RANGE AS THE ABU FABRICS. RANK PLACEMENT ON ABU IDENTICAL TO BDU/DCU. SUBDUED METAL RANK ONLY AUTHORIZED FOR OFFICERS ON ABU, INCLUDING HATS AND APECS OUTERGARMENTS. SEWN ON CLOTH RANK AUTHORIZED FOR ALL.

So if someone at an AETC base (and I can't imagine which one, since I know Altus, Randolph, Lackland, Keesler, and Maxwell-Gunter are all wearing subdued, and there are only four or five more) is telling people they're to wear shiny rank on ABUs, they're in complete violation of AF policy.

And I'm a policy nut.

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is a regular old ponytail not allowed?

It depends on how long your hair is. It can't touch the bottom of your collar.

I was actually surprised to read the changes to the reg because when I was in, ponytails of any length were verboten unless you were doing PT.

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Thanks for the picture and information on the sock bun. I never knew a sock could make a great hair piece lol! I noticed in your picture you are speaking into a microphone - did you have to do a lot of public speaking at COT?

It's not a strong skill for me!

Thanks again!

You will have to do a briefing for a grade in front of your flight. I was picked by our squadron commander (not a student) to be the Madame Vice President for our class Dining Out. So I did a lot of talking that night!

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Specializes in Anesthesia.
I'm at an AETC base (nearly the mother of all of them, actually), and there's no shiny rank here on ABUs. Neither was there at Maxwell. Ninety percent of Maxwell had sewn on rank on ABU hats, the rest of course had subdued pin on. As far as I know, per reg (since they're using the BDU reg with a few changes) it's not shiny rank on ABUs. I've even seen the message regarding that.

ETA: Actually, here's the quote from the message itself:

8. ABU RANK AND BADGES, NAME AND US AIR FORCE TAPES CAN BE PURCHASED AT MILITARY CLOTHING SALES STORES. NAME AND "U.S. AIR FORCE" TAPES CAN BE ORDERED AND PURCHASED. THREAD COLOR FOR SEWING ON RANK AND INSIGNIA SHOULD BE IN THE SAME SHADE RANGE AS THE ABU FABRICS. RANK PLACEMENT ON ABU IDENTICAL TO BDU/DCU. SUBDUED METAL RANK ONLY AUTHORIZED FOR OFFICERS ON ABU, INCLUDING HATS AND APECS OUTERGARMENTS. SEWN ON CLOTH RANK AUTHORIZED FOR ALL.

So if someone at an AETC base (and I can't imagine which one, since I know Altus, Randolph, Lackland, Keesler, and Maxwell-Gunter are all wearing subdued, and there are only four or five more) is telling people they're to wear shiny rank on ABUs, they're in complete violation of AF policy.

And I'm a policy nut.

Might be because of the ABUs, but I have worn shiny rank at Sheppard, Keesler, and USUHS.....I don't have to buy ABUs for another year...lol

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Anyone ever been to langley? That's where I'm going...

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Specializes in Certified Pediatric Nurse.
Anyone ever been to langley? That's where I'm going...

Did you just find out today? When will you be leaving for COT?

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