LN75

So sorry jessa! But like e others said, just keep applying...you'll make it next time! This was my 3rd thine applying for a commission in e AF! My first time as an RN, but still...being in the AF is a pretty big privilege and so dang competitive. You'll get there though! Sent from my iPad using allnurses.com

Congrats Laura!!!!! Sent from my iPad using allnurses.com

WOOOOO HOOOOO I GOT SELECTED!!!!!! My recruiter just called! She said she just got notified and is still on the road so she doesn't know any of my dates or assignment cuz she's not at her computer. Her boss called her to tell her about me. She said she will let me know all that first thing in the am. **** I'm so fn excited!!! I can't wait to start hearing which of u guys got picked!!! My recruiter wouldn't give me any other names or even numbers sorry!!!! . But hang in there it's comin any minute!!!!!! Keep your phones close! My recruiter called my from a "blocked" number FYI so don't screen out any calls tonight!!!!! Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

You should be able to find an AF Health Services Recruiter using the AF website and putting in your zip code I think. Be prepared to have lots of patience! The recruiter will probably tell you to keep in touch, get good grades, and check in every couple months. Until you get within a year of graduation there will probably not be much to be gained by meeting with a recruiter in person. They have lots of other applicants they're working with for current selection boards. They work with applicants for NTP boards, as well as boards for RNs applying for a commission through the fully-qualified boards...so they're constantly busy all the time. Also, keep in mind that most people in the AF move every 3-4 years, so it's very possible that whoever is the recruiter in your area right now will have been replaced in another couple years when you're ready to really get serious with the paperwork. That happened to me...the first one I talked to pretty much just got my info and told me to be patient and that his replacement would contact me in a few months :). Soooo...yeah...get ready to exercise a whole lotta patience! Hope that helps Sent from my iPad using allnurses.com

Yes, you'll go in as a 2Lt. At the 2 year mark from the date you got your commission, you'll pin on 1Lt. 2 years later you'll pin on Captain. So if you were accepted fall of summer 2014 after you graduate, fall of 2018 you'll be an O-3. From there, you'll meet promotion "boards" to advance. The first 3 ranks are just given to you based on time in service, as long as you are progressing in training and dont get in trouble. Not hard for most folks. After that, there are more requirements that will be expected of you than just years of time in service. More secondary education...minimum skills in your career field...etc. Most officers stay at the rank of Captain for about 4-5 years before being promoted to Major, but it's possible for it to take more or less time than that. From Major to LtCol is usually another few years, and so on. If you're motivated, aggressive and try hard, you can usually promote well in the USAF and its comparable or even better than the rate at which you'll promote in a similar civilian career. Here's another suggestion...write all your questions down on a big list, and when you get in contact with a recruiter, ask him or her to help you get in contact with an AF nurse and ask them all the questions you can think of. Hope that helps :) Sent from my iPad using allnurses.com

Welcome to our thread jm976711! Hbaum gave you good advice...good luck with everything and get good grades! :) Sent from my iPad using allnurses.com

yeah...when i enlisted it took like 7 months for them to complete my first security clearance. my first duty assignment was to Aviano AB, Italy. there were a few of my classmates who were in training with me who got their security clearances earlier than i did...if your first assignment will be in the CONUS your security paperwork won't take as long as it will for those who go overseas. and not that any of you have anything to hide, but try to list good credible witnesses, bc the investigators actually WILL go through and call your references. and one other thing...save records of your old phone numbers and address where you lived and friends names who knew you there, bc every 10 years you have to renew your security clearance and you'll need all that info again...every 5 years if you get a Top Secret, 10 years for Secret. man you guys really make me smile with all your excited talk about getting your new uniforms and never taking them off and all that! :) i kinda forgot how exciting it was to get your first uniform and wear it around and check yourself out in mirrors and all that haha! not much longer now...breathe everybody...just breathe Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

Just a couple days...I'm sure we'll see ya on there soon :) Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

Thanks longboarder...I'm starting to settle down a bit now that a couple more days have passed :). Have you found the Facebook group that many of us are on? It's called Air Force Nurse Corps or something like that...many of us on here have also been asking questions on there. How did your interview go? Did you end up having it after you turned in your application? Sent from my iPad using allnurses.com

Haha you guys are hilarious...I love it!!!!! I've been dreamin about it too!!! Isn't that funny?!?! Omg we all need a big dose of sanity after this it's so funny what all this waiting is doin to our brains! :). I think my top stateside were Lackland, Travis, Keesler, Eglin and Wright-Patt...in that order. I volunteered for overseas, and my choices were Landstuhl, Hickam, Anderson, Aviano and I can't remember what was fifth. I don't know how my recruiter will do notifications. Last she told me right before the board started she was only submitting like 7 applicants, and 1 or 2 of those was still working on a medical clearance or somethin. My last name is at the end of the stupid alphabet, so if she does it that way I'll prob be on the bottom of the list, but she's actually been really good about texting me if there was anything she needed. I'm thinking that as soon as she knows anything and is allowed to disclose it she will be able to let all her applicants know in less than an hour. I feel bad for those ppl who's recruiter put in like 30-some applicants! Sent from my iPad using allnurses.com

Dang you have quite the story! Thanks for sharing all that though :). If you're on Facebook you should check out the group called Air Force Nurse Corps or something like that. Most of us here on allnurses are also on that group. Lots of different nurses from all over he AF are members of the group and they've provided good advice and answers to questions we've posted on there. Well...seriously good luck and I hope you get selected. Sounds like you're very passionate about it all. And way to not give up! Who knows...in a few short months you could be on your way to a joint spouse assignment at Spang with your hub! Sent from my iPad using allnurses.com

ok peeps...little update from my end in idaho... so yesterday, i get this text from my recruiter at about 10am saying i need to check my email. i'm on night shift this month, so of course i was sound asleep, but i've been keeping my phone turned on and sleeping right next to it for just such a reason :). well, naturally about crapped my pants and broke every bone in my legs tripping over stuff trying to jump outta bed and run out to my computer! :redlight: i get there and i have this email from my recruiter saying she needs to know what kind of "continuing education" credits i have, and whether or not i have ACLS. i thought that was kinda weird, cuz i was pretty sure she already knew i'm ACLS certified...i gave her a copy of my certificate with everything else in my application. ok, whatever...but the continuing education part...i was never asked to include any of that before. so i called the hospital where i work and got a current record of all the CE credits i have (which is barely anything cuz i've only been an RN since january) and scanned it and emailed it back to my recruiter, along with another copy of my ACLS card. then i texted her back and told her all that, and she said she'd call me tomorrow, that she was down in Portland doing some recruiting work and wouldn't be back to her office in Tacoma till late. so this morning we talked, and she just confirmed that she got my email and the attachments, but THATS IT! she doesn't know any more about release dates, or how many applicants applied, or WHY IN THE WORLD THE PROGRAM MANAGER WANTS TO KNOW ABOUT MY CE AND ACLS...or anything else. sooooo...as if this whole process and all this waiting wasn't already nerve-wracking enough, now i get to spend the next 10-20-some days wondering why the board requested that extra info, and what it means, and all of that!!!! I'M GONNA GO OUT OF MY MIND!!!!!!!!! thank god tonight is my last night shift for a month, cuz i'm really not gonna get any sleep the next few weeks during the day cuz i'll be busy waiting and checking my phone and email about every 17 seconds for any news or requests from my recruiter. holy crap...i can't wait for this to be over! has anyone else been asked for anything like that? extra info or anything?

Welcome to the thread and thanks for joining us! Tell us about yourself...when do you graduate...what kind of experience do you have...why did you choose the AF...stuff like that. Good luck and hopefully we will see each other in the near future :) Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

Hey JB396 welcome to the thread! I graduated in December and got licensed in January so I really couldn't afford to turn down any jobs...had to start payin the bills. I worked at a hospital as a CNA thru nursing school and they offered me a small scholarship that also came with a job after I got licensed along with a 18 month commitment. I'm not gonna feel great about breaking the contract early if I get selected by the AF, but it IS allowed...not like it's illegal or anything. At my hospital, you have to pay back half of the scholarship money they gave you, but that sort of "buys" your way out of the 18 month commitment. In the long run, I'll be making much more from the AF given my prior service time, so it's financially worth it. Also, since getting off active duty I've been in the AF Reserve and I've spent a weekend each month and several weeks each summer doing Reserve duty...the hospital has always been understanding and supportive about me being on orders for the AF and I bet most companies feel similar. My hospital has all kinds of paperwork to do and special policies that apply to military orders...so if a REALLY good job comes your way, I think I'd take it, and see if they have some sort of military clause that applies to getting out of the contract early. Just my thoughts... :) Sent from my iPad using allnurses.com

Holy crap I go like 3 days without checking this thread and come back to find like 5 more pages since I last logged on! You guys are all great it sure is fun read everybody's stressed out comments and know I'm not alone haha! I hope SN2013s recruiter is tellin the truth and those numbers are correct....46 spots for 110 applicants is actually really good odds as far as commissioning boards go! At least in my experience... Sent from my iPad using allnurses.com