Posted on Dec 21, 2025
As a prior service Army awaiting AF Direct Commission orders, when should I expect to receive them? Who can I contact for assistance?
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I am new to RallyPoint, but I thought it might be a good enough place to reach out and try to get some information in lieu of asking reddit boards.
I am a veteran of 8 years. Four years enlisted Air Force (F-16 Avionics) and Four years commissioned Army (11A).
I began the process of switching back to Air Force in 2022 (It was fun, but my heart was still with the AF). The journey has had its problems from a recruiter PCSing and all of my information being lost, requiring a full restart of my application; As well as getting everything complete and ready to submit to the review board in 2024, but stopped when I was told my packet was barred due to a Recruiting Handbook paragraph. Long story short, I reached out to my Senator’s office and the rule was rescinded following an inquiry up to HQDAF that showed the paragraph cited contradicted itself.
My packet was resubmitted and in March of this year, I was approved for Active Duty to a 13M AFSC. I completed the flight physical required for the position and everything was signed off; Good to Go.
I do not need to attend AF OTS due to commissioning through USA OCS.
I have been awaiting orders to Active Duty since, and it has been so long that my MEPS physical expired and I had to go back to get that all done once again.
I am not getting much else in regards to when I should get orders, and I do not know who to contact at this point. I am afraid the flight physical will expire and I will be required to get that done again, and that will put another pause on my timeline.
Has anyone ran into something similar? Who can I get in touch with to try and get orders as I now go on almost a year of waiting.
I am a veteran of 8 years. Four years enlisted Air Force (F-16 Avionics) and Four years commissioned Army (11A).
I began the process of switching back to Air Force in 2022 (It was fun, but my heart was still with the AF). The journey has had its problems from a recruiter PCSing and all of my information being lost, requiring a full restart of my application; As well as getting everything complete and ready to submit to the review board in 2024, but stopped when I was told my packet was barred due to a Recruiting Handbook paragraph. Long story short, I reached out to my Senator’s office and the rule was rescinded following an inquiry up to HQDAF that showed the paragraph cited contradicted itself.
My packet was resubmitted and in March of this year, I was approved for Active Duty to a 13M AFSC. I completed the flight physical required for the position and everything was signed off; Good to Go.
I do not need to attend AF OTS due to commissioning through USA OCS.
I have been awaiting orders to Active Duty since, and it has been so long that my MEPS physical expired and I had to go back to get that all done once again.
I am not getting much else in regards to when I should get orders, and I do not know who to contact at this point. I am afraid the flight physical will expire and I will be required to get that done again, and that will put another pause on my timeline.
Has anyone ran into something similar? Who can I get in touch with to try and get orders as I now go on almost a year of waiting.
Direct Commission
Orders
Prior Service
Recruiter
Posted 3 d ago
Responses: 3
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I do not have an answer to your question but can reinforce what you probably already know, USAF does not like to take prior-service and you just have to be patient. Do you currently hold a commission in the Air Force or are you waiting to be sworn in? Once you have an AF commission you should not have to do MEPS again. The commissioning side is generally done by recruiting and orders from your component; the biggest hurdle is getting the commission in USAF.
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1LT Lucas Underwood
MAJ Byron Oyler thankfully, as if a Christmas miracle (slightly), my recruiter contacted me saying an email was sent out from higher asking about PSOs without a status yet, so fingers crossed it may be updated soon.
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Lt Col Charlie Brown
1LT Lucas Underwood - good to hear. Keep us posted. I used to be an AF recruiting squadron commander and often waiting on the HQ to come through with waivers and other needed permissions....seemed to take forever but generally, what they said they would do, did happen.
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1LT Lucas Underwood
Lt Col Charlie Brown I will be sure to. I only had one waiver that needed cleared, but that was done within the days of MEPS. All I have waited for was the scroll and Orders.
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1LT Lucas Underwood
MAJ Byron Oyler it is an option I will consider if it takes much longer. I am hoping there is an update soon.
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All this DC stuff remind me of days gone by when If a SGT or higher, with 4 years or more of service, could get a DC as a 2LT of Infantry. I remember it in the early 1960s but do not recall when it stopped.
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1LT Lucas Underwood
Well, as luck would have it, I finished up college and was accepted to the Army officer board. Completed basic (again), then went to OCS at Ft. Benning..got one of my top picks for MOS, Mil Intel with the added bonus of Branch Detail Infantry.
So guys have all the luck.
So guys have all the luck.
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1LT Lucas Underwood
A1C Medrick "Rick" DeVaney they did call me "Pointy Head" while working flightline, so it makes sense.
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A1C Medrick "Rick" DeVaney
1LT Lucas Underwood -
LMBO-- I Too Have Worked The Flight Line. One Evening The Entire Squadron Was Called Out For "The Gods Only Knew Why" To Surround The Flight Line And The Outer Perimeters.. This Long, Wide Winged, Aircraft Glided In For Emergency Repairs, Which, To The Best Of My Knowledge Were Completed On The Flight Line. Then Off it Flew. It Wasn't Until Years Later I Thought I'd Figured Out What It Appeared To Have Been -- a U-2 -- Only My Guess, But After Gary Powers Was Shot Down & We Got A Look At His Plane On The News, That's When I Came To That Conclusion-- Again, Just Guess Work!
LMBO-- I Too Have Worked The Flight Line. One Evening The Entire Squadron Was Called Out For "The Gods Only Knew Why" To Surround The Flight Line And The Outer Perimeters.. This Long, Wide Winged, Aircraft Glided In For Emergency Repairs, Which, To The Best Of My Knowledge Were Completed On The Flight Line. Then Off it Flew. It Wasn't Until Years Later I Thought I'd Figured Out What It Appeared To Have Been -- a U-2 -- Only My Guess, But After Gary Powers Was Shot Down & We Got A Look At His Plane On The News, That's When I Came To That Conclusion-- Again, Just Guess Work!
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SSgt (Join to see)
I was TDY once in Germany at Rhein Main. I worked a few Iraqi or Iranian guys and man I miss those days. We had F-16s there along with C-5A, C-130, C-141 (RIP). My cousin worked at Silo 7 in Palestine Arkansas Titan II missiles. At Ramstein. lived in Landstuhl.
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MAJ Byron Oyler
1LT Lucas Underwood - COL Cudworth actually spends the time to research policy and truly emboldens servant leadership, even in retirement.
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A1C Medrick "Rick" DeVaney
MAJ Byron Oyler -
YUP -- If Ya Have A Question, He Has The Answers.
He's Like A 2 Legged Walking Military Information Robot
YUP -- If Ya Have A Question, He Has The Answers.
He's Like A 2 Legged Walking Military Information Robot
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1LT Lucas Underwood
A1C Medrick "Rick" DeVaney good information to know! Thank you all for the assistance
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