brawneyez

I am a current Air Force ROTC cadet and will graduate in December. I actually took my AFOQT during the summer of my freshman year because I needed to apply for an age waiver. The test was somewhat like the SAT's but with different sections. There are several websites that offer study materials. Regardless on what career field you go into, the AFOQT is the same for everyone. You have 2 chances to take an pass it. I was nervous taking it, but scored pretty well. Good luck and let me know if you have any other questions. I too am the only nursing cadet to commission from my detachment in a while, and my cadre is taking it step by step, because this is the first time that they are going through this process. I recently got my NTP location, but have no idea where my first duty station will be.

I am currently an Air Force ROTC cadet. I graduate with my BSN this December, and will commission into the Air Force next May. I really do not know much about the Navy ROTC program, but I can give you information on the Air Force. The Air Force ROTC program can be a 4 year or 3 year program. On top of your nursing courses you will also attend 2 weekly PT sessions, 1 weekly Aerospace class, and 1 weekly Aerospace lab. You can have 2 GMC years (freshman and sophomore) or you can consolidate them into 1 year (compressor). After your sophomore year you go to Field Training in Alabama for 4 weeks during the summer after your sophomore year. Once you graduate Field Training, you become contracted and finish up your final 2 years. Once you graduate from nursing school and pass your NCLEX you commission into the Air Force as a 2nd Lt. After you graduate you will have to go to NTP (Nurse Transitional Program), which can be 9-11 weeks of Air Force clinical. After NTP you will go on to your first duty station. An NTP slot is guaranteed to all Air Force ROTC cadets. The current facilities that offer NTP are Lackland, TX, Scottsdale, AZ, Cincinnati, OH, and I believe Tampa, FL. You do not have a choice on where you go, but they do allow you to choose your top 5 Air Force bases. These bases are limited to (CONUS Hospitals) > Lackland AFB, TX > Eglin AFB, FL > Keesler AFB, MS > Nellis AFB, NV > Travis AFB, CA > Wright Patterson AFB, OH > Mountain Home AFB, ID > Langley AFB, VA > > Overseas Hospital > Elmendorf, AK > Lakenheath, UK (limited opportunity) > Landstuhl, GE (limited opportunity) I hope this helps.

AFhopeful, I graduate in December, but will not commission until May 2014, does that mean that I may know what NTP I will go to by this October? When did she know about her first duty station?

Thanks so much Capt. Carolina. I guess that it is a good thing that I am currently scheduled to commission 6 months after I graduate because I have to make up that extra semester of my ROTC class. With the nursing school that I am going to, I will be able to take my NCLEX before I graduate, and graduate as an RN instead of a graduate nurse, this is all depending on it I pass my predictor test. If I pass the predictor test the Kansas State Board will allow me to take the NCLEX early. Is it possible for you to tell me on who is the Functional Manager of nurses in the Air Force?

AFhopeful, where are you doing your NTP? Do you know if they still offer the NTP at Andrews or Elgin? Did you have a choice on which one you went to?

Before field training you will need to get your DOMERB complete, this is ROTC version of the MEPS, During the DOBMERB you will register to a site once let you know when and provide you with the information. You will need to set up an appoint with the closet contracting doctor near your facility to go there and do your physical. You will also need to schedule an appoint to get your eyes examined. When they tell you that you are ready to do this process, please do not procrastinate. I've seen a lot of cadets have to postpone their EA slots because their paperwork was not back in time. So instead of going that summer they end up going the following summer, which put them a year behind their original commissioning date. This is my first time hearing about the extended Field training unit, my detachment always compressed cadets and had them cover the freshman and sophomore year together.

Capt. Carolina, Can you ask the nurse how long was her wait from her commissioning ceremony to her going to NTP, and how long was the wait from NTP to her first duty station? Even though I graduate in December 2013, I do not commission until May 2014 (I need an extra semester of ROTC since I went to Field Training after my first semester of nursing school, the rule is 4 semesters after field training). I was thinking about working at Irwin Community Hospital Fort Riley to get some experience under my belt, but I was not sure if I will go away right after I commission, or if there will be a big delay between me commissioning and going to NTP. I am reading a lot of information about people stating that they are on the alternate list, and have been waiting a long time to be selected. I am not sure if this will apply to me as well. FYI, I will be taking my NCLEX before I graduate in December 2013.

Capt. Carolina, I did pretty well on the AFOQT, but really struggled on the verbal sections. I am so happy that I did not have to retake it again.

I took the AFOQT two years ago and I was very nervous taking it. Some sections are a lot like the SAT and the TEAS exams. I purchased two study guides which helped me out a whole bunch. Do not study with an ASVAB study guide, because the sections are totally different. Online also has a lot of study materials to help you prepare to take the exam. The hardest part for me was the verbal section. I am not much of a reader, but I passed it successfully. You get a total of 5 scores (Pilot, Nav, Academic Aptitude, Verbal, and Quantitative) and based on these scores qualifies you for certain AFSC's. Even though you are trying to join as a nurse if you score well enough you can still qualify for a rated position. At this point it will be up to you to accept the rated position (pending you pass the other exams that are required) or stick with nursing. I scored high enough to get a rated slot but because of my age I was unable to qualify (not that I wanted to anyways). My best advise for you is to study the manuals. The exam is timed and the pressure will be intense, but it is doable if you are prepared. 1. Verbal Analogies - 25 questions, 8 minutes 2. Arithmetic Reasoning - 25 questions, 29 minutes 3. Word Knowledge - 25 questions, 5 minutes 4. Math Knowledge - 25 questions, 22 minutes 5. Instrument Comprehension - 20 questions, 6 minutes 6. Block Counting - 20 questions, 3 minutes 7. Table Reading - 40 questions, 7 minutes 8. Aviation Information - 20 questions, 8 minutes 9. Rotated Blocks - 15 questions, 13 minutes 10. General Science - 20 questions, 10 minutes 11. Hidden Figures - 15 questions, 8 minutes 12. Personal Description Inventory - 220 questions, 40 minutes (Likert-type scale responses)

In the Air Force ROTC program, if you accept the scholarship and then decide that you no longer want to graduate from college. Depending on the situation, the Air Force gives you an option to enlist in the Air Force without repaying the loan, or repay the loan without enlisting.

if your school has a contract with the hospital on a base/post, see if you could be given the opportunity to complete your clinical and your Capstone at that facility.

Once you contract (accept the scholarship or graduation field training, which ever comes first) you will receive a monthly stipend that is split into two payments in which you will receive on the 1st and 15th of every month. If you accept the scholarship then you will no longer be eligible for the accession bonus.

So when do you know where your first duty station will be? Exactly how long are the days? Do you still do PT in the mornings? When do you know what nursing area you will work in when your finished with NTP, is that all depending on where the Air Force places you? Will I be able to specify what AFSC I want, or will I just be assigned the general nurse AFSC?

Capt. Carolina, I know as a line officer they pretty much move around every 2-3 years. As a nurse, will I move around that often, or will there be an opportunity for me to be stable for a while? When picking my Duty stations, should I stick to the joint bases? Will this increase the possibilities of me and my husband staying together?

Capt. Carolina, Thanks so much for the information. I look forward to hearing from you.

In order to join ROTC you must graduate and commission before you turn 31, but nurses are allowed an age waiver, which states that they must commission before the age of 34. The COT has an age waiver of I believe 43 to commission. Field Training was at Maxwell, and it was hot. It was not hard for some, but it was pretty rough for me. I am married and never had the dorm experience (living with people that I did not know). So I had a lot of adjusting to do. The overall experience was not hard, it taught me a lot about myself. Would l do it again, probably not, but am definitely thankful for the experience, LOL. In the Air Force ROTC you sign the contract, when you accept your scholarship (can be in your freshman year), or after you graduate from Field Training. Compressing your freshman and your sophomore year does not really effect your chances for going to field training. The only way it can effect you is the limited of the time that you have been at the detachment for the commander to know you. But once you apply yourself, they will see your hard work and dedication. In my class we had 4 compressors, and they all got EA slots. The Army ROTC from what I've seen and heard is quite different from the Air Force's ROTC. In the Air Force, we compete to go to field training, but in the Army every goes to their field training. In the Air Force ROTC, if you graduate from field training you can commission as an Active Duty Officer, but in the Army ROTC it depends on how you do at field training that will determine whether you go Active Duty, Reserve, or National Guard.

Captain Carolina, I never heard of that program before. During my sophomore semester I was so nervous that I would not get an EA slot, I tried different ways to get into the service. I tried the Commission Corps, and I also spoke with the Nursing Corps recruiter from Oklahoma, whom advised me that I would have to get my BSN and then work for about 2 years before I would be able to get into the Air Force. He mentioned that the NTP program slots are limited and in order to bypass that step I would have to work and get experience first. I decided to stick with the ROTC program, and so far everything has worked out for me. Captain Carolina, I also sent you a post in another thread asking you about the accession bonus. Please look for it, I'll be looking our for your response. I believe that it is under the Air Force Nursing Corps thread that was actually started by a recruiter. Thanks in advance

Normally a ROTC cadet will take one lecture class, one lab, and their weekly physical training every semester. As a compressor you will take two lecture classes (freshman, and sophomore), one lab and your weekly PT just for your sophomore semester. You are pretty much making up your freshman semester that you missed. The ROTC people work through the summer and still continue to do recruiting for the upcoming semesters, so someone should be there. In order to go to commission into the Air Force through ROTC you must attend and pass the summer Field Training at Maxwell. In order to attend Field Training, your ROTC commander will submit your packet to headquarters for you to enroll in the field training (Enrollment Allocation). Once you get an EA slot, this means that you qualify and you have been selected to attend field training. You will know if you have an EA slot by the middle of your Spring Sophomore semester, and your detachment will help prepare you mentally and physically for your summer training. You will then go to Field Training during that summer, upon completion of Field Training you will become a POC, which is a step closer to commissioning. An EA slot is just for Field Training. As a nurse, you will commission as a nurse. I have not been told what type of nurse I will commission as of yet, I believe that I will get this information next semester when I return to school. I believe that I will be placed under general nursing, and work under that until I can request for other opportunities, and receive additional training. Field Training is not the PT test part even though you do have to take a PT test there during your first week. Field Training is a training environment where you will be placed in different scenarios to be able to think on your feet. You receive weapons training, you learn combatives, you learn to work within a flight setting, you learn the chain of command, and you learn how to work in different leadership positions. In regards to the PT test, you will have to take a PT test every semester. The scholarship is not automatic. I did not get a scholarship because I was disqualified because I needed an age waiver. Once you are in nursing school your commander will put you up for the nursing scholarship which has a pretty much 100% pick rate. I am not sure if the budget cuts have changed this, but I do not think that it has. There are cadets in my detachment that are still being awarded scholarships.

Captain Carolina, I am an Air Force ROTC cadet that is scheduled to graduate with my BSN in December, but will not commission until May 2014. Because of my age I had to get an age waiver, which disqualified me from receiving a scholarship. My question to you is, can I still receive the sign on bonus, or loan repayment once I commission? Based on the paperwork that I have read, I should qualify, but my ROTC detachment is not sure on how this works. It has been a while since a nursing cadet has commissioned from this detachment.

Garethaus, I am nervous about being deployed, but at the same time, comfortable with the training that I will receive from the Air Force. As an Army wife, I see first hand how our service members are sometimes being treated. As a nurse, I would like to provide them with quality care, and if I have to sacrifice my life to do that, then I will do it with no hesitations. Why? because, they are sacrificing their lives for us. Just paying it forward!!!

If you start as a Sophomore you will have to compress, which means taking your freshman and sophomore classes at the same time during your sophomore semester. The summer field training program is when you to Maxwell AFB to do additional leadership training. You will do different scenarios and get to meet other cadets from around the country. It teaches you how to work together as a team, and also teaches you how to march and call commands. It is for only 4 weeks, and it was an amazing experience. Once you join the ROTC, they automatically take care of you NTP application for you and your slot is guaranteed when you graduate and commission. As a nursing cadet, your packet will get reviewed by the board and they are the ones to accept your application and classify you as a nurse. But you must graduate from nursing school and pass your NCLEX first. Once those two things are you will be given your date to report to your assigned NTP station. There are currently three ways to become a nurse in the Air Force. The ROTC, Air Force Academy, and COT. The COT portion is when you have already completed your nursing degree and are already an RN. But they are not accepting many applicants through this method (I looked into this method, because I was not sure that I would get a slot into the summer training program), and the recruiter told me that the slots were limited. Well anyway, I go and Enrollment Allocation to go to Field Training last summer, which means that I am guaranteed an NTP slot through ROTC. I forgot to tell you, it is a competition to get a slot for Field Training, since every cadet wants to go up to the next level. GPA, physical training score, and cadet ranking plays a big role on your acceptance. The good thing is nursing cadets have a 99% pick rate, so it is pretty much a given that you will get a slot, but you still need to have good scores. Feel free to ask me as many questions as you can. I am here to help out.

The NTP is a Nursing Transitional Program, it is pretty much clinical that are done at a military hospital to get you familiar with the policies of the military hospitals. The Air Force ROTC program consists of lecture classes, labs, and physical training. Every school is different with their schedules, but for me as a freshman I started out as a GMC (General Military Course). As a GMC I attended one lecture class a week, 2 physical training sessions, and one weekly lab (the lab is time that is set aside to go over marching practices, uniform wear, presentations, etc). After my sophomore year I attended field training at Maxwell Air Force Base, which is a 4 week summer training program. Upon completion of the training program I transitioned from a GMC to a POC (Professional Officer Course). As a POC the schedule is the same as a GMC, except the lecture class is 3 credit hours instead of 1 credit hour. As an Air Force ROTC cadet you can qualify for an in college scholarship, which you will get the scholarship and a monthly stipend. If you except the scholarship, you will then become contracted. Being contracted pretty much means that you have signed the contract with the Air Force to join after you complete school. Some cadets receive scholarship and some do not. If you do not receive a scholarship, you can still receive the monthly stipend upon your completion of the summer field training program at Maxwell. After you are classified for the job that you will go into the Air Force with, the will give you a selection of Bases in which you are able to choose from. You are allowed to choose I believe your top 5 choices. These choices are submitted and the Air Force will do their best to place you based on your selections in the ranking order. If none of the locations are available for you then the Air Force will send you where you are more needed. I regards to the Accession Bonus, I am still working on finding out that information with my Detachment. I am the only nursing cadet at my detachment, and it has been a while since they have had a nursing cadet. They are unable to tell me whether I qualify for the nursing accession bonus. But if you accept the scholarship, then you are not eligible for the sign on bonus. I did not receive a scholarship because I had to submit an age waiver, so it is still possible that I may be able to receive the bonus. I hope I have answered your questions, please let me know if you have any additional questions

Hey KsKaggs126 Civilian Corps (Commission Corp) is still a military affiliation. They are considered fall under the DoD, but still go off of the same rank and pay system as the other 4 main branches (Marines, AF, Army, Navy). I researched it when I was thinking about joining, if I did not get a slot in the Air Force ROTC. They do get deployed, but their deployments are mostly stateside (Katrina, 911, etc.). A majority of their nurses are assigned to Indian Reservations or the Federal Prison. They do wear military uniform (I believe that it is the Navy's brown uniform). They also get BAH (housing allowance). If you are currently in school, you will apply during your junior year. Your packet will go up to a board and a company will select your packet to sponsor you. If you agree to go with that company (example, Indian reservation, or federal prison), this company will pay for your senior year of school, pay for your relocation, but you will have to contract with them for 2 years. After that two years you can sign another contract with them, or apply to go somewhere else. That new company will them pay for your relocation and you will sign another 2 year contract with them. I hope this helps. I did not end up going this route because I got the Air Force slot that I wanted.

I am currently an Air Force ROTC cadet and will graduate in December with my BSN. My husband is currently enlisted in the Army. When I made the decision to go back to school and join the ROTC program, my husband would not allow me to join the Army. I am not a premadonna or a girlie girl, but the Army training is pretty rough. The Air Force ROTC and the Army ROTC share the same building at K-State. Our Cadet Lounges are right across the hall from each other. I swear that they are always running around campus hiding in the bushes doing different training in the dark hours in the morning. And they are pretty much in the fields every weekend training. I am sorry, but I am really not built for all of the GI Jane training. Joining the military and commissioning as an officer, I know that I am a leader first and a nurse second. I would rather spend the majority of my time learning how to be a leader and how to be a nurse versus playing laser tag and hide-and-seek in the bushes (just my opinion).

Hey RayJordan I am a current Air Force ROTC cadet at Kansas State. I am currently a senior and will graduate with my BSN in December. With the Air Force ROTC program, when you graduate and commission you go on Active Duty. The Air Force ROTC program is different from the Army ROTC program in that you are guaranteed to go Active Duty. I joined the Air Force ROTC program during my freshman year, but you have up until your sophomore year to join. At the end of your sophomore year, you go to field training for 4 weeks during the summer. And the summer field training is considered your training. Once you graduate you then do to a 10-11 week NTP training. This is the program that the recruiters are telling people that they are not excepting anyone. But ROTC guarantees you a slot. After your NTP (Air Force clinical) you are then sent to your first duty station. Air Force ROTC does offer nursing scholarships, but you have to go to a nursing school that offers the ROTC program. Kansas State University has an Air Force ROTC detachment, but does not offer nursing. But their detachment is affiliated with Washburn University, which has the nursing program. I took my pre-nursing classes at K-State, and am currently taking my nursing classes at Washburn. Juggling the two is time consuming, but it is not impossible to handle. Washburn is an hour away from where I live and I commute everyday. I still have to take my ROTC classes at K-State, but I do the physical training on my own time. I am juggling both, and am still maintaining a 4.0 GPA and will graduate in December, this shows that it is doable, as long as you can manage your time. Please let me know if you have any other questions.