<p>This may sound like an idiotic question, but do elite graduates of the Academy ever get any opportunities to work for the Air Force Research Laboratory?</p>
<p>They do, and while there usually aren’t a ton of scientist slots, you don’t necessarily have to be “elite.” You’ll want to read up on the 61 career field. [This</a> link](<a href=“http://usmilitary.about.com/od/officerjobs/a/61xx.htm]This”>http://usmilitary.about.com/od/officerjobs/a/61xx.htm) is a decent place to start.</p>
<p>Thanks for the link. So it looks like it is quite doable for a USAFA graduate to combine a career in the USAF with a career in research.</p>
<p>I had several of my classmates who were fellow chemistry majors go straight to AFRL as 61s. Don’t get a rosy-eyed view of AFRL for officers. Most leave the labs around Captain for a desk and most will have difficulty making LtCol.</p>
<p>hornetguy, thanks for providing your perspective. I appreciate it.</p>