Question for anyone in the Airforce??

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If you enter the Airforce as a Nurse (Officer) are you required to complete basic training? Also are you able to choose where you live or are you completely at their mercy? Thank you for any info. :confused::confused:

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You will be required to go to Commissioned Officer Training (COT) at Maxwell AFB in Alabama which is for 5 weeks.

In terms of bases, you will be assigned where you/your specialty are most needed, so it is pretty much at their mercy. That being said, you have a decent chance of getting stationed at a place on your dream sheet.

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Specializes in ICU/CCU.

I was under the impression COT was 21 days. Also, I was informed that once you choose your top 5 preferred bases, chances are decent that you will get one of your top three. However, this could be that I am an ICU/CCU nurse and there are only 8 bases for me to go, haha.

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Specializes in Anesthesia.
I was under the impression COT was 21 days. Also, I was informed that once you choose your top 5 preferred bases, chances are decent that you will get one of your top three. However, this could be that I am an ICU/CCU nurse and there are only 8 bases for me to go, haha.

Reserve COT is 21 days/3wks. The active duty COT is approximately 4.5 wks. Most of the time you can get one of the bases on your list. AFPC/assignments should call/email you if your AD or your recruiter will notify you if it is your initial assignment when and if one of your choices isn't available.

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Specializes in OR, Clinic, Med-Surg.

:twocents: I just graduated COT with the 10-06 class. For my class we were to report no later than 1600 on 23 AUG 10 and we graduated 24 SEP 2010. It ended up being 5 wks minus 1 weekend.

If you just graduated (and have less than 6mos experience as an RN, I think) you will also be required to attend a Nurse Transition Program (10 wks). It is like an orientation program with a preceptor for new nurses.

Just as an example:

I was told that as a new nurse, it would be very unlikely that I would go overseas for my 1st duty assignment. However, I was selected to go to Elmendorf AFB, Anchorage, AK. This was my 4th choice on my overseas portion of my "dream sheet." (Yes, Alaska is considered to be overseas)

Therefore, you will likely get an assignment at a base on your "dream sheet." But don't count on it being your 1st choice. The AF's needs come 1st. As long as you are open minded to it all, you could do just fine. :)

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Specializes in ICU, ER, OR, FNP.
If you enter the Airforce as a Nurse (Officer)...

All USAF nurses are officers. I take care of Army troops frequently and always ask my patients what kind of work they do (helps with many decisons).

What I have found, is that many Army troops will say they are a "nurse"when they are indeed an enlisted Med-Tech. To the contrary, when I ask Air Force troops whet they do, they state that they are a Med-Tech - I never see USAF enlisted folks saying that they are a nurse.

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Specializes in Anesthesia.
All USAF nurses are officers. I take care of Army troops frequently and always ask my patients what kind of work they do (helps with many decisons).

What I have found, is that many Army troops will say they are a "nurse"when they are indeed an enlisted Med-Tech. To the contrary, when I ask Air Force troops whet they do, they state that they are a Med-Tech - I never see USAF enlisted folks saying that they are a nurse.

The Army has enlisted LVN/LPNs. Could that be the discrepancy? I have worked with Army, AF, Navy, and Coast Guard "med techs" and I haven't known any of them to say they were a nurse when they were not.

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