<p>I think at USMA, when cadets are firsties, there is a big day when they pick the bases at which they will serve upon graduation. Do they still do that? It used to be that Hawaii went fast and I think Ft. Polk in Louisiana was not too high on anyone's list. </p>
<p>Do the other service acads have a similar system?</p>
<p>Yes Fencersmother it is called 100's night. It is not quite the same as WP, but has similarities.</p>
<p>Is it in the fall?</p>
<p>No it is held 100 nights prior to graduation. The First class go to dinner, and the Doolies (fourth class) decorate the upperclass rooms in very creative ways.</p>
<p>Well, I can certainly see why Hawaii goes fast! We had the opportunity last year to take our high school band students on a trip to the 65th Commemoration of the Bombing of Pearl Harbor, accompanied by a PH survivor from our state. Not only is Hawaii beautiful, but the historic significance of the events of the Day in Infamy are so sobering. Visiting the USS Arizona was such an emotional event - it surely reinforces to the newly commissioned officers the importance of their leadership role in the U.S. Military.</p>
<p>Since history has never been my strongest field, I'd be interested to know about some of the (perhaps lesser known) historic events that are associated with other bases - anyone have experience they'd like to share?</p>
<p>At USAFA, since half the class will be pilots, they get a UPT training base. It's not like they go to 100's night and sign up. They have put their preferences down (if their AFSC gives them a choice) long before that.</p>
<p>OK Fencersmom the AF works slightly different. </p>
<p>In the Army you select a Branch and then first base assignments are handed out at a special dinner. The Branch you select (Infantry, Armor, Aviation, Etc) will determine your first base options. As with all things your class rank will play a big part in your opportunities. </p>
<p>The Air Force uses AFSC (Air Force Specialty Codes) to determine what your career will be. The AFSC that a Cadet is assigned will determine what Base they will go to after USAFA. The Air Force has several training bases that will provide the young Lt's with the needed special skills for their new job. Example below</p>
<p>Intelligence - a cadet selected for one of the intelligence AFSC's would go to the Naval Post Graduate School in Monterey Ca for six months to a year for language immersion. After that they would follow at the Intelligence schools at Goodfellow in San Angelo Tx. After completing the training they would go to their first permanent base assignment.</p>
<p>Pilot - If selected for flight training the new Lt will complete UPT. I believe this is being conducted by a contract firm in Peublo Co now. About 40 miles south of the Academy. The pilot would then be selected for one of two paths Fighter/Bomber or Heavy Cargo. This will determine the next base. Laughlin Tx, or Sheppard Tx would be fighter/bomber locations. Altus OK would be a cargo/heavy location.</p>
<p>Missileer - These Lt's go through specialized training at Vandenburg Ca I believe. Then would likely follow at FE Warren or one of the Dakota's. </p>
<p>Maintenance officer - Depending on Aircraft, or Munitions I believe Keesler Miss, or Sheppard Tx. </p>
<p>There are many more bases and specialties though.</p>
<p>Thanks all. That's a lot of info.</p>
<p>Not quite. Future pilots go through IFS (Introductory Flight Screening, IIRC) in Pueblo. Then, they go to whatever UPT base they got (there are about a dozen). At the end of that, they track select (fighter/bomber, heavy, helo, C-130), then go through the appropriate training for that (which varies in location and length).</p>
<p>Okay the UPT Bases if I correctly remember are Vance(TX), Sheppard (TX), Laughlin(Del Rio), Moody(GA) and Columbus(MS). Unfortunately the really good UPT bases are gone, Luke and Willy (were always the top picks) and then Randolph. I guess the number 1 choice after Sheppard would now be Moody. Our good friends were commanders a couple of yrs ago (03-05) at Columbus...he was an AFA grad from 84?</p>
<p>Raimius is right, once you are tracked into your jet the time it takes to get into the class and the length of the class varies. For Strikes the course is a PCS move since it is longer than 6 mos. After that they have another assignment night for where they will go for the 1st operational tour...the higher you graduate the earlier you get to choose your assignment, good motivation to do well if you want to be able to select your assignment instead of being selected! In the Strike the DG always took the AK assignment(usually ony 1 given out), then most would take Lakenheath, then SJ and finally Mt. Home.</p>
<p>By the time your son will be not moving every 9-12 months, if he chooses UPT, you can expect him or her to be about 2 1/2 yrs in. They also do centrifuge training, water suvival, seres prior to going operational, and there may be a lag time from when they graduate UPT and their class starts for FTU.</p>
<p>The popularity of a base should not be a priority in the selection thereof. Due to weather, aircraft availability, and a few other factors, backlogs occur. Your goal should be to get through the traning command as quickly as possible and get out into an operational squadron. Therefore, during training, when a move occurs, ask where you will fly the soonest. In the Navy, getting to Pensacola in the first available class and taking advantage of all moves, one can easily cut six months, perhaps more, off their training time. I cannot imagine that it would not be the same for the AF and Army.</p>
<p>Fencersmom,</p>
<p>If your son intends to become a flier, he will have little say in what Base he is assigned to until after FTU (transition training for th aircraft he is selected for). Near FTU gradution, he will have the opportunity to fill out a "dream sheet" saying which base that has his particular aircraft he would like to go to. </p>
<p>Get used to the term "meeting the needs of the AF" (or Army, or Navy, or Marines, or CG, whichever the case may be). In other words, the AF will TRY to match his desires with his assignment, but the SERVICES' requirements always come first. If he gets F-16s, and Kunsan and Osan have a large need for new pilots, get used to the idea of receivin Xmas gifts from him with the words "made in Korea" somewhere on it, no matter what he requested!</p>
<p>
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In the Navy, getting to Pensacola in the first available class and taking advantage of all moves, one can easily cut six months, perhaps more, off their training time.
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<p>Little to NO chance of this happening in the AF's flight training pipeline. Air Education and Training Command (AETC) has a detailed and excrutiatingly choreographed training schedule for every new class of Pilots and Navs because there are so many moving pieces to the puzzle. Besides IFS and UPT, each new flier has to go through water and land survival (unless accomplished at the Academy), then their FTU. Operational squadrons also expect new members to arrive at a certain time based on the pipeline in order to fit into their training plans, which is currently centered around the AEF cycle. Class dates and sizes are set in stone for each part of the pipeline; to get too far ahead would ruin AETC's carefully laid plans, no matter how persistent the student may be. Cetainly, some slop is built into the timeline for short delays (i.e. weather issues at UPT), but each piece is expected to graduate their classes within a few days of their expected graduation date. (A Commander who has a trend of being late or early by more than a few days usually isn't kept as a commander very long). Being too early or too late sends a ripple effect across the entire pipeline training plan. </p>
<p>Also, UPT and FTU training is centered around "phases". A student can't get too far ahead of his class because he needs to stay in the same phase.</p>
<p>For now, I would have fencerson worry about his success at the AFA, which will determine his chances for the career field he desires. In the flying world, his choices for a base will be determined by: 1) where they fly his particular air frame, 2) his standing in his FTU class, and most importantly 3) the needs of the AF. He will have opportunities later in his career (late Capt - Major time frame), for "career broadening" assignments (i.e. a job outside of his selcted career, like HQ Staff).<br>
No, his first few years as an AF flyer will see him moving from base to base as part of his training. Only until about the two year-in point will be when he settles inot his first 3-year tour at an operational base. So, unless he gets Raptors, and graduates #1 from Tyndall, and PACAF needs him now, Hawaii might have to wait until he can get onto the PACAF staff! :)</p>
<p>Thanks to all for this great info. Indeed, Bullet, succeeding at BCT and USAFA (and in fencing!) are foremost in fencerson's mind right now.</p>
<p>SAD DAY IN THE AF</p>
<p>To add onto the conversation on how outside factors will effect your path. All of the T-38's are being grounded. They have lost their 2nd plane in 8 days, yesterday it was at Sheppard (ENJJPT), the other was at Columbus.</p>
<p>The saddest part is typically they have students in the plane, sometimes it is older guys (gray beards converting back into the jet and getting their instructor rides), but usually it is the Lts.,</p>
<p>No names have been released.</p>
<p>When they ground them it does put the class behind the 8 ball b/c they are usually grounded for about 2 weeks, and the funny thing about jets is if they aren't flown for awhile they typically break down, which causes more delays.
Also, they will have to give the first few rides to the instructors, which will delay the class some more. No fear though in the end they will just double turn more to get the rides through on time...harder for students because they are being pushed a little faster, but also better since in a few months when they are operational they will have to endure the long days of double turning. Also they might find themselves at FTU being double crewed like Bullet did(too many pilots and not enough WSO's, so he had to fly ea flight with 2 different pilots) and that is also very tiring.</p>
<p>Everyone say a prayer tonight for our fallen brethren. May their family find peace in this sorrowful time. Many people look at the missing man formation in beauty and awe, from someone who has endured watching them several times, it is something that will forever change your life. I have always said the reason they do it, is to muffle out the screams of the wives as they fly over. Please know that as morbid as this maybe, the unity within the squadron is amazing, even down to the fact that every flyer in flightsuit will place their nametag upside down for the day. </p>
<p>May we all tell our loved ones who are willing to serve that we love them...life is too short!</p>
<p>
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In the Navy, getting to Pensacola in the first available class and taking advantage of all moves, one can easily cut six months, perhaps more, off their training time.
[/quote]
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<p>
</p>
<p>I forgot that the AF used to be the ARMY Air Corps. Navy is not so excruciatingly choreographed. Once they finish a stage, they move on to another, becoming a part of a new class. For the Navy guys, by taking advantage of the first available class (I actually know a few who selected the first available class, checked in two weeks early, and moved up yet another class. By getting ahead of the masses and the weather, they shaved a lot of time off their training. I know two who were the first guys in their class to be winged in jets. However, there were several other academy grads, all from the previous class. </p>
<p>So,in the AF, if Student A commences Jun 15 and Student B commences Dec 15, same pipeline, Student A will be winged six months give or take a few days, prior to Student B? </p>
<p>This extra operational year can be huge when applying to such special programs as TPS and NASA and when screening for command.</p>
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I forgot that the AF used to be the ARMY Air Corps. Navy is not so excruciatingly choreographed.
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<p>Yeah, we've been trying hard to do it our way ever since! But unfortunately, old habits die hard (such as our obsessive need to sometimes plan everything to the Nth detail like our Army brothers)! :)</p>
<p>But when you graduate nearly 1000 or so new perspective pilots every June (Academy and ROTC) , can you really blame us if we don't want all 1000 to just show up at their UPT bases on Jul 1 and say: "Here I am! Which way to the flight line, Eisenhower?" </p>
<p>Usually the Academy guys are sent to the first available classes (July through Sept / Oct time frame) with a few ROTC / OTS candidates slipped in as well. The ROTC guys usually go in larger numbers after that. (another advantage for going the Academy route. Being a ROTC guy, I had to wait 10 months from the time I graduated / commisioned to the time I reported to Nav School. Spent the time dating Pima and working as a bartender, but that's a different story! :) ) </p>
<p>To keep things running smooth (and to keep the class sizes managable), the AF keeps starting new training classes throughout the year. So, yeah. A guy starting June 15th will get his wings 6 months prior to a guy starting Dec 15th.<br>
Year groups for Promotion boards in the AF are also based on the time you begin ACTIVE DUTY, not the time you are commissioned, so there really is no advantage in this case (same for Command slots: based on Date of Rank to O-5, NOT commissioning time). Boards for special duty assignments such as Weapons School and Test Pilot / Nav are based on EXPERIENCE level (Instructor , 4-ship flt lead, etc), so you are somewhat correct, this can give a slight advantage to the guy graduating at the same time but starting flight school first. More importantly, selection is based on PERFORMANCE. Either you're the Top Gun in your unit or your not, the extra 6 months don't make a heck of beans towards the inate qualities looked for like leadershsip ability and drive to succeed.</p>
<p>I guess it just another example of how the two services do things differently. Different strokes for different folks (or services in this case! :) )</p>