waiting, Air Force Nurse Corps

carolinapooh, BSN, RN · Apr 5, 2010

The current drawdown for officers is for the line side of the Air Force, not the medical side, so the numbers don't really have anything to do with us. Our numbers and manning requirements adhere to different formulas and are monitored and regulated in different ways and by different instructions than those for the line side. Line slots affect BOT, not COT; the reason COT is filling up is because, as you pointed out, the economy sucks right now.

Unfortunately there's no magic date for all this, and you're being introduced to the LOVELY game the military plays, known as "hurry up and wait"...

You'll get there - my advice is to find something else to occupy your time, like Mid said. I put in my package in February of 2009, and didn't hear until May. I went to COT in October.

Hang in there....

Bella86 · Apr 8, 2010

Waiting... don't worry - if we haven't been there or done that already, we're going through it right now. I turned my application into the January Boards, heard that I got selected mid-February :) and signed my acceptance letter the week after. I graduate from a BSN program in about a month and still don't have a COT date. I highly doubt that I'll be headed to COT in August or October after reading some of your posts... but I wish I just knew! So I'm still waiting too...

Should I e-mail/call my recruiter if he knows anything yet? Last I heard, I should be able to find out in late spring, early summer. I would just like to know! lol :bugeyes:

P.S. I'm so excited for all those who got accepted and are on their way!! :)

larry v · Apr 8, 2010

Here's my timeline thus far (USAFR Flight Nurse applicant)

Touched base with recruiter end of November.

Got all the paperwork filled out and turned in early January.

Interviewed mid January.

MEPS 3/22.

Recruiter still waiting for official MEPS paperwork.

Still have a Class III Flight Physical to do (waiting to be scheduled) and paperwork to go to the board.

But from what I told this is a heckuva lot faster than previous applicants (I'm told this is their first attempt at streamlining the Reserve Flight Nurse process).

I can't wait to get started!

HNELLA · Apr 8, 2010

My timeline..

March 2009 - initial contact with recruiter

May 2009 - Submit the beginning of a whole lot of paperwork

August 2009 - finally meet the weight requirement MEPS look out

Sept. 2009 _ MEPS date..oops..reschedule

November 2009 - MEPS - FAILED

December 2009 - go see med consults to resolve the quack MEPS findings

Jan 2010 - all info submitted from consultants giving me a super clean bill of health

Feb 2010 - CN interview - Yikes!!

Feb 2010 _ MEPS part II - a big cluster@@@@

Feb 2010 - submitted even more info from consultants with promise MEPS would sign off within 72 hours.

March 2010 - MEPS comes back and state I need waiver from SG

March 2010 - Nurse Consultant interview

April 2010 - SG waiver came back.

April 2010 - Application with errors. Drive to recruiters office for the 12th time.

April 2010 - Signed the application, but now waiting for new pay computation which should be completed by next week

Probably submit everything next week, but I lost faith with the process long long ago..

midinphx, BSN · Apr 8, 2010

Hnella, that is so funny!(though I know you are frustrated). Haven't we all had similar experiences? Sheesh. I'm accepted and waiting to commission. It was supposed to happen last week. I did not write that in ink in my appt book. Good thing, cuz it didn't happen yet. Keep filling out the forms! :)

shapely · Apr 9, 2010

This is funny :) I'm amazed that we all share the same common problems with the application process. I'll share my timeline too. I wish I would have known that what I was experiencing was the norm when I was going through it. I called the recruiter July 09, met personally with the recruiter in Aug 09, Meps Sep 09, 2 interviews Oct 09, application submitted Nov 09, continued to fill out a form here and a form there from Nov 09 till Feb 10, accepted March 10, COT Aug 10. It really takes a good year from start to finish. But now I'm so excited and can't wait :yeah:

Wac44 · Apr 9, 2010

Waiting... don't worry - if we haven't been there or done that already, we're going through it right now. I turned my application into the January Boards, heard that I got selected mid-February :) and signed my acceptance letter the week after. I graduate from a BSN program in about a month and still don't have a COT date. I highly doubt that I'll be headed to COT in August or October after reading some of your posts... but I wish I just knew! So I'm still waiting too...
Should I e-mail/call my recruiter if he knows anything yet? Last I heard, I should be able to find out in late spring, early summer. I would just like to know! lol
P.S. I'm so excited for all those who got accepted and are on their way!! :)

I am just impressed that you actually got an acceptance letter so soon after you found out that you were selected. But I don't think AFPC has worked out all the COT dates yet and that is the hold up with the whole system. Can't hurt to email your recruiter every two weeks or so just to check in and get an update on the process. Your recruiter is probably just as ready to see you go as your are to go. I guess we all just have to hang in there. :smokin:

shapely · Apr 10, 2010

The acceptance letter is the only quick part about this. It is sent via email the next day. I think for the rest of our military careers, we should expect the old sayin "hurry up and wait." :)

AF Nur · Apr 10, 2010

Just so you know, I applied fully qualified on October 28, 2009. I got my acceptance and COT/first assignment on March 15th, 2010. I had expected to hear in Dec and go in January.
Hang in there! It will happen! I totally know feel your frustration. Now, I'm readying to go in May. It's exciting, nerve-wracking, and life changing. Try to stay busy and positive.
Good luck. :)

Hi, I had also expected to leave in Jan. but now I am leaving in May also. yay! I am happy that I have found someone that is going there the same time as I am. I am sure you don't have to go to NTP. I do. Well I am looking for someone that has gone through COT to explain to me what and what is required and what to expect. I am excited and nervous.

midinphx, BSN · Apr 11, 2010

Yeah! Congrats to you. It is getting kindof exciting now that I'm prepping my house and it feels a bit real. I still haven't commissioned. I'm not sure when we get our military ID. It may not be until we're at Maxwell? I don't know. I figure it will all work out.

carolinapooh, BSN, RN · Apr 11, 2010

You are eligible for a CAC card as soon as you get orders. Technically you are also eligible for Tricare coverage (member only, not any dependents). I had to show up with a copy of the reg to get a CAC; you can get a blue Reservist ID card with no trouble.

Don't bother with an ID card unless you live really close to a base. I went on ahead and got a new ID before I left and got my husband a dependent ID just to make it easier for him. Once my status changed in the system to Active, he went down and got an active dependent ID card. We only lived about an hour from a base, though, and he really used it quite a bit.

midinphx, BSN · Apr 11, 2010

My son is going to be left here in Phoenix. How do I get his card? Luke AFB is 30 minutes from my house. It would have been so easy if I could have been stationed here! No critical care here though.