waiting, Air Force Nurse Corps

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Hello all, I am new to this forum, but have been reading from it for some time. I am curious. Who is still waiting for the fully qualified selection status from Jan boards? It seems that AFPC is busy with other matters for the immediate future. I am waiting patiently....well not so patiently!

Really,

At one point the Air Force was really in need of nurses, about three years ago. They had monthly boards but since then recruiting restructured and one recruiter has several zones or states to take care of. There have been a huge amount of applicants because of the economy. The shear amount of applicants is unprecedented. I think that the recruiters are understaffed, overwhelmed and backlogged. Board results are slow and the wait will drive an applicant crazy. I was told that the wait was slow upfront but I still became quite irritated during the process. So for those of you still waiting, believe me I understand because my family and I went through the same. But the Air Force is in a state of flux as with all other branches. And even though recruiters, like all other airmen, are replaceable when someone who is ahead of a program goes on leave or decides to retire it can cause temporary delays and does. That said, it is my impression that the Air Force will not turn down a fully qualified nurse but the wait may be excruiating. Hang in there. I am now waiting for commissioning. From my understanding it will happen in May (I will not hold my breath). Hope everyone hears something soon, because being in limbo is maddening.

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Specializes in ED. ICU, PICU, infection prevention, aeromedical e.

The excrutiating wait never ends.

I have commissioned. I go to COT in 17 days. I have no orders. I can not make travel arrangements. I can not move my household.

Yes. I'm frustrated. I am actually horribly concerned about getting my household packed before I leave. Yes, I know someone else can be here when they move my house with power of attn papers. I'm single and wholely responsible for everything. I have no adult family here. I have a hard time allowing having a friend take responsiblity for moving my household and cleaning up my house after I'm gone and in COT where they can't reach me.

Some things are just out of my control and I guess that is the life I need to get used to. I keep telling myself that, but it isn't helping. Trying to keep smiling.... :)

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What??!!!

I would be freaking out how can they not know your assignment?

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Specializes in MED/SURG.

How odd, I was told you will have your base assignment before COT. I am sure though the location will be forth coming. If you explain the situation to your CO he/she will probably empathize with you and grant you more time to take care of your personal matters. Maybe even no cost leave, who knows!

I have heard that the AF has had a large volume of applicants requesting to be admitted to the Nursing Corp and I think its great, but with that said it is the AF's fault too to be caught not being able to handle the flux. As for me I am older ( yes a grandma....young thought....lol!) and I have many years experience in the field. I do not need to be trained how to be a nurse (NTP) nor do I need the basic military protocol's as I lived it as a spouse for yrs. I had several friends who taught te Navy's OCS, but I do need to know the Air Forces way. I did read from cover to cover the Commisioned Officers book several times. When the time comes I want to be fully prepared.

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Specializes in ED. ICU, PICU, infection prevention, aeromedical e.

I know where I'm going and when. That you get when you get acceptance/offer.

I'm calmer now. I have help to evaluate options. Please be forwarned that this is not a nice smooth transition. Expect stress and last minute scrambling even if you are the best planner and organizer!

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Not being able to pack before Cot! Yuck! Very difficult situation and yes very much like the Air Force. I was in for 14 years. Can you just keep your place with the stuff in it until you get through COT? Wish they would get better at this! Sometimes, or many times, just like the real world the Air Force does not have alot of extra personnel to pick up the extra slack. They have been cutting back too, but not on nurses. Wish us all the best of luck. Mindinphx I hope you get it worked out. I have known others that had friends pack them and it was not the best situation. Congrats on commission and when you get through all this stress it will be worth it. I had heard that orders were slow but doesn't give you much planning time and sometimes TMO needs 30 days to schedule. Wish I had some better idea of how to help.

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Specializes in ED. ICU, PICU, infection prevention, aeromedical e.

I have some viable back up plans now. They aren't the best, but if it doesn't happen in time, I'll be ok. My ex will be my power of attn for household move if worse comes to worse. Can you imagine having your exhusband responsible for moving all your personal belongings? lol. That is my plan.

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The situation you're all experiencing is a new one.

I went through COT in October of last year and was a member of the OTS message board for many months before then. Nowhere did I hear stories like what I'm hearing now.

I'm also prior service and never saw nor heard anything like any of this.

I can say I have it on very good authority that what's happening at Randolph is extremely unusual (though admittedly they're not stellar at the best of times - but I didn't have problems HALF as insane as these) and isn't due to one or two people disappearing from the office for whatever reason. It's bigger than that and goes to so-called "force shaping" (in other words, the AF is weeding down its personnel numbers) and an office that is already well understaffed has been overwhelmed with paperwork and packages. In some ways it's snowing on the north side of my town.

While all this is great information, it doesn't excuse the plethora and variety of stories being told to and by the recruiters. At some point the recruiters - most of whom actually DO like their jobs and who actually want to help the officer candidate with his or her problem - at some point even they are told whatever Randolph wants them to know. Think of HQ AFPC like a big childhood game of Telephone, and you'll get what I'm trying to say.

It's not excusable. It's not justifiable. But like many things in the great DoD, right now it's just the way it is. I'm sorry everyone's having such a hard time and I wish there was something useful I could do to help - from where I am all I can do is try to get some hint of a reasonable answer.

Hang in there....

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I agree, for nurse applicants this is a new problem. Like I stated in an earlier post, three years ago boards were every month and selections much faster. Depending on the base TMO is not always efficient but orders usually come out earlier than 14 days before you PCS anywhere so it is managable. Midinphx I am glad you have options but hope you don't have to rely on your ex. Thanks carolinapooh for spelling it out for us.

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I agree, for nurse applicants this is a new problem. Like I stated in an earlier post, three years ago boards were every month and selections much faster. Depending on the base TMO is not always efficient but orders usually come out earlier than 14 days before you PCS anywhere so it is managable. Midinphx I am glad you have options but hope you don't have to rely on your ex. Thanks carolinapooh for spelling it out for us.

You're welcome. I know how much I wanted a voice of SANITY when I was going through the BS and I couldn't find one.

I'm really trying to help. :redpinkhe:redpinkhe:redbeathe:redbeathe

That's why I encourage anyone who has a selection date and a letter of intent - but no orders - to go ahead and call your TMO office anyway. Give them a heads up - talk to someone there who knows what's going on - they can arrange a PCS on a drop of a dime if they have to; it's what they do - it's their job. You won't be the first last-minute PCS and I know you won't be the last. And it sucks. It totally sucks. But in just a few weeks it'll be over and you'll actually find you breathe a sigh of relief!

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Specializes in ED. ICU, PICU, infection prevention, aeromedical e.
The situation you're all experiencing is a new one.

I'm sorry everyone's having such a hard time and I wish there was something useful I could do to help - from where I am all I can do is try to get some hint of a reasonable answer.

Hang in there....

Well, Pooh, aren't you glad that there is something useful that you could do to help?! I am so grateful for the assist. I may not have orders, but they know I'm coming there at Lackland! lol. My sponsor has contacted me. (but really Pooh, you have done more than she will possibly do for me.).

All I can really say is that if this site and these posting were not available, I am not sure what I would have done during this process. All of you mentor type nurses do make a world of difference for those of us hopefuls who are desperate for answers.

So thank you to ALL of you who have EVER answered anyone else's questions. :yeah:

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See, that's what burns me up. SOMEONE somewhere has orders for you if your unit knows you're coming (never mind anything I may or may not have done). What gives at Randolph (purely rhetorical question, mind, and I'm preaching to the choir, but seriously)??

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