Off to COT

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Well I am in my last weekend as a civillian! I leave for COT on Tuesday morning. Any advice for me from those who came in comissioned officers? After COT I will be at Travis AFB in California. People keep asking me if I am nervous, and I am not about Air Force issues, I am more nervous about getting to my new home and getting everything settled. I am married and have an 8 year old child, so we all have to get set together.

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Specializes in pacu, icu, med aesthetics, massause.
Well I am in my last weekend as a civillian! I leave for COT on Tuesday morning. Any advice for me from those who came in comissioned officers? After COT I will be at Travis AFB in California. People keep asking me if I am nervous, and I am not about Air Force issues, I am more nervous about getting to my new home and getting everything settled. I am married and have an 8 year old child, so we all have to get set together.

BLESS YOU ! May God be with you and your family don't stress, giving into stress makes you weak. I myself am not in the military, however have worked with many military wives and officers..... time is precious and family/friends are irreplaceable ..... enjoy- experience - and DO not waste time on worry! You will be taken care of and all will fall into place. Thank you for your caring ----many though not heard or voiced thank you too.

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Shellek, thank you for your kind words and good advice, I will try my best. I usually do pretty good with stress. New adventure for sure.

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Specializes in Ortho, Med surg and L&D.
Well I am in my last weekend as a civillian! I leave for COT on Tuesday morning. Any advice for me from those who came in comissioned officers? After COT I will be at Travis AFB in California. People keep asking me if I am nervous, and I am not about Air Force issues, I am more nervous about getting to my new home and getting everything settled. I am married and have an 8 year old child, so we all have to get set together.

Hello, congratulations and good luck!

I share your concerns about relocation and moving d/t integrating into military! I don't go til the end of summer and am single with three cats.

Hopefully your husband will be able to help support and stabalize everything while you transition in.

Look forward to reading you in the near future!!

Gen

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Specializes in Psychiatric RN.

Don't be nervous, I went through COT 10 yrs ago. Lots of fun. Its like being back in school. Lots of book work about military history, etc. Then you learn how to march, do team building execises, such as planning how to get over a wall with only rope and wood. Stuff like that, but it can be fun. You will have your own room, like a small hotel like room and share a bath with person next door. As far as going to your first duty station, the AF will assign you a sponsor, if they haven't done so by now. This will be a fellow nurse, who will contact you probably in COT, they will get an idea of what type of housing you are looking for, age of kids, potential schools, etc. You won't be left out there alone. Once you get to your duty station, you will get some days off to house hunt and get setteled in. When I first came into AF, I found it to be much more relaxed, respectful and nurturing than any civilian job I had. I hope you have a good experience.

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Specializes in Anesthesia.

Good Luck!!! Don't sweat COT...just do you work, study, etc and let the time pass. Word of advice get the little AF uniform book available in the uniform shop it has a small ruler and everything you need to know in order place all your ribbons and uniform devices in the correct position.

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thank you to everyone for your replies, it helps a lot to hear advice from people who have been there and done it. I have a possibly stupid question though. As far as uniforms go, I know they said they have laundry facilities available for our use in COT, but how do you get your uniforms ironed and looking nice, is that provided there also? Need to know if I need to bring one. Thank you. My sponsor has sent me an e-mail, we will be talking. Good news for me, because of my civillian time as a nurse I get promoted to 1st Lieutenant in 4 months. I am also coming in with critical care nurse as my identifier. My only issue with that is that I am cardiac specialized currently, so I will need some training for all other specialties--although many things blend into each other. Keep the advice coming though, I appreciate it.

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Specializes in Anesthesia.

You will be a general ICU nurse at Travis....Don't sweat orientation it will probably be more than you will ever want...lol. You should have an iron in your room, but you might want to bring one anyways. The best thing to do with uniforms is to buy them ahead of time and take them to the cleaners and have them pressed with heavy starch/names tapes sewn on etc.

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I have my summer BDU's with the name tapes sewn all already, but I will be getting all the other uniforms there at COT. Kirtland AFB, where I am close to now is pretty bad for uniforms, they are out of everything. How much civillian clothes do I need at COT? Sorry for the dumb questions

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Specializes in Anesthesia.

Just a few civilian outfits will do you. You should get some free time after your 1st weekend where can go out and in civilian clothes, eat, etc.

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