Is it possible for me to commission into the Army (through ROTC) then get a conditional release to be an Air Force Officer?

2018-02-04T11:01:21-05:00

Response by SGT Frank Pritchett made Feb 4 at 2018 11:03 AM

2018-02-04T11:03:51-05:00

I don't think it works that way, first off you signed a contract with the Army and you have to be released out of that contract which rarely happens. If your in the Army then your obligated but you can always check with JAG and ask about the regulation but you did sign a contract.

Response by LTC Kevin B. made Feb 4 at 2018 11:26 AM

2018-02-04T11:26:10-05:00

It's technically possible, but highly unlikely to ever occur. That's a workaround to try to find a back door into the AF.

If you really want to be an AF officer, I would recommend pursuing AF ROTC. Otherwise, if you are looking at pursuing a commission through Army ROTC, you will need to accept that you may very well have to stick with an Army career.

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Feb 4 at 2018 11:29 AM

2018-02-04T11:29:06-05:00

https://www.usphs.gov/profession/healthservices/

I'm not entirely certain I understand your basic underlying circumstances sufficiently to nenaboe to answer you properly, however, I !merely thought here to offer you another possibility I quite wish I'd known about when I'd gone in, beforehand. I was originally Army ROTC, then wound up going USAF OTS instead, when it'd been at Lackland, not Maxwell as it is now. I'd wanted to ne on the clinical side, however, virtually everything conceivable went wrong, and I wound up as a line engineering officer, doing completely nonclinical stuff, which, while technically interesting, as well as necessary, and for which I was technically qualified, was hardly what I'd gone in to do to begin with. I'd wanted to go to USUHS, if I could've, or possibly osteopathic led, then to have been a flight surgeon, which obviously never happened, I tried to go clinical, I was doctoral level allied health before my now total perm disability, I'd wanted to go this route, I was really eager to try. I was just never able. Sp, indulge me, if you would, on a point, OK? Elaborate considerably as to your basic motivations and history, bachelors, masters, doctoral aspirations, your major, your GPA if you could see your way clear, why you want USAF, what field you want, ultimately, I gather from what I can see that youre medmlab right now, do you want that still? Do you want to switch to something else? Do you want direct patient care of some type? Are you looking to get away from clinical? I can assure you that USPHS, if you want clinical, has amplemties to the regular services, more than sufficient to let you be allowed to try to be assigned to them, e.g., the Army uses USPHS psych related fields, and has a detailed memo of agree!ent to allow such exchanges. I'm not entirely certain where med lab fits into USPHS, I do know USPHS is allowed warrants, though they've never had them, however, might warrant interest you in any service? Try to elaborate, as I'd said, the more detailed info you give the more I and/or others here can answer you, I only also would observe that while I understand your question, others pointed out here that your approach, while I'm certain you evidently have good reason to ask, is, I think, a trifle circuitous, I might, having been where you want to go, though I wasn't prior enlisted, might ne able to help, however, as I'd said, it'd obv help to know a good deal more, many thanks, I'd be most eager to know more, certainly....

USPHS: Health Services Health Services Careers at USPHS Commissioned Corps

USPHS Commissioned Corps health services careers: biological and social sciences, optometry, medical technology, computer science, health education and more.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 4 at 2018 11:32 AM

2018-02-04T11:32:17-05:00

Why would you try to be an army officer if you want to be an air force officer?

Response by LTC Jason Mackay made Feb 4 at 2018 12:18 PM

2018-02-04T12:18:25-05:00

Possible yes. Probable no. There is a form for it. When you commission you can technically change your Army branch but it is highly unlikely (I am sample size of one). There is another form for that. The only time I have heard this happening is with Service Academy Graduates. I served with an Armor Officer that was a USAFA grad.

Intraservice transfers in concept work like this: the gaining service has to accept you. The Army then has to release you. Sounds deceptively simple. If you are accessed into a shortage field then you will not get released until your branch deems that your year group is over strength, and then maybe not. I had a fellow cavalryman that was branched infantry. He tried year on year without success to transfer to aviation. He finally got accepted into a naval aviation program to fly Sea Stallions. That languished for months. He finally had to take leave, fly to HRC in DC, found the staff officer that was sitting on it and confronted him directly. To the Colonels credit, he asked one question do you really want to be a Naval Officer. Bob told him yes, and he endorsed the transfer paperwork and walked him place to place and had it approved by the end of the week. A few weeks later he was watching Top Gun trying to figure out how to put his crap on his khakis....there is no transition course.

There would have to be something significant for justification to make it happen.

What I don't know is if you tried floating between the Army National Guard and the Air Guard.

Response by 1LT Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 4 at 2018 1:04 PM

2018-02-04T13:04:55-05:00

Yes i am currently a MLT in school pursuing my bachelors in Medical Technology. Before i joined Army ROTC I did talk to both air guard and air ROTC recruiters. I told them my situation and both were willing to help me but my National Guard unit is deploying soon and so the state wasn’t letting anybody go & only Army ROTC made me non deployable so i was locked in. I live the lab and i am still pursing lab education and career. At first i wanted out of the guard because they never gave me my enlistment bonus. I felt lied to. Then my unit was full of combat medics. Nobody cared about the lab. We didn’t even have supplied. I love my job and i want to do it. So i looked into air guard. But none of that was going to work with the upcoming deployment. So now I’m just looking for one last sliver of hope that it’s possible.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 5 at 2018 4:33 AM

2018-02-05T04:33:42-05:00

Good luck on trying for the Air Guard, I can understand your reasoning. While I'm sure it is technically possible, it is probably not going to happen. Even if deployments weren't coming up the Army isn't likely to release you after training you. You may be able to re-enlist and go Air Guard afterward. I'd keep looking into your options though.

Response by SGM Bill Frazer made Apr 7 at 2018 11:10 AM

2018-04-07T11:10:22-04:00

Why not take the easy way and just go USAF ROTC?

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Mar 18 at 2019 6:28 PM

2019-03-18T18:28:59-04:00

I find that interesting for numerous reasons...my next younger brother had gone USMMA Kings Point, I commissioned him when he'd finished, as it'd been when I was in...USMMA is actually an NROTC program, even though it's Federal, it's just run by Maritime Admin (MARAD) in the Commerce Dept., the only reason I mention that is that a good many of their grads were allowed to go into other svcs, besides USNR, which is what he went into...I gather one has to be pretty close to the top of one's class to have a serious chance for it, however, where I was assigned, the deputy base commander had actually been Annapolis, he'd been allowed to go USAF, plus the Lt Gen of the installation when I got there had been Army Air Force (AAF) in WW2 as a B-17 tail gunner, then got into West Point, he was allowed to go USAF, after USAF was created in 1947, from what I'd read...I'm not saying petitioning for that would be easy, however, a good many of those my brother finished with went Army, USAF, USCG, USMC (which is allowed under NROTC, of course), one even went into the NOAA Corps, it'd depend on your circumstances, certainly, however, you might at least ask whether it's still allowed at all, I realize why you phrase the question as a conditional release, however, I just figured you'd find such trivia useful...a family friend of ours was Army enlisted, got into Army WOCS for rotary wing flight, did sevl yrs of that with Army, then finished his bachelors in aviation at Embry Riddle, Army then released him so USCG could pick him up, he finished out his 20 yrs as a USCG O-3 rotary wing pilot, so I've seen some odd stuff like that at various times, ask, I'd be curious what you'd be told, as I'd said, you'd have to be pretty near the top of your class to have a serious chance, I'd expect, however, you've got nothing to lose by trying, you might have to go to a direct commission indoc OIS program of some kind, as opposed to USAF OTS, per se, however, it'd also depend, I'd expect, on what your bachelors is in, it'd help to know your major and GPA, so far as you might care to elaborate, as well as what MOS you'd been slated for with Army, and what AFSC you'd want with USAF as well, if you could go into all that at all, if you'd care to chat further, just ask, OK?

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Mar 18 at 2019 6:30 PM

2019-03-18T18:30:40-04:00

And I saw you're one the clinical side with Army...would you wanna stay clinical on active, whether Army or USAF? You could also submit for an interservice transfer later on as well, possibly, just another thought, of course...elaborate, as I'd said, I have an interest in career/educ stuff, I'd be most interested to hear more, no rush, whenever convenient....

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Mar 18 at 2019 6:32 PM

2019-03-18T18:32:09-04:00

Also, I'd been Army ROTC 3 yrs, on scholarship the latter 2 yrs, I wasn't able to finish, I went USAF OTS afterward, when it'd been at Lackland, before it was moved to Maxwell, where it is now....

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Mar 18 at 2019 6:41 PM

2019-03-18T18:41:25-04:00

I am making a strong assumption the answer is no. You will become Army property. The Army won't spend its funds for a commission into the Air Force.

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Mar 18 at 2019 6:50 PM

2019-03-18T18:50:51-04:00

https://www.usuhs.edu/graded/doctoral

You might also care to look through these, esp the PhD programs in biomed sciences, you hadn't said if you'd had any interest in going grad school, you'd need to do a couple of tours to have a serious chance at this, I'd expect, I just didn't know if you knew about it, at all....

Uniformed Services University

The mission of the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences is to educate, train, and comprehensively prepare uniformed services health professionals, scientists, and leaders to support the Military and Public Health Systems, the National Security and National Defense Strategies of the United States, and the readiness of our Uniformed Services.

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Mar 18 at 2019 6:55 PM

2019-03-18T18:55:44-04:00

https://www.usphs.gov/student/

Look at this also, their toll-free phone is [login to see] , if you'd be interested in them at all, esp their Jr and Sr COSTEP, the USPHS analogues to ROTCs and USMC platoon leaders course (PLC), I think they actually use med lab techs (MLTs), I'm also reasonably certain all such programs as COSTEP, the ROTCs, and PLC, can also be applied to be allowed to use for grad school, whether you'd be able now, being as you're, I gather, Army ROTC, I haven't a clue, of course, I just figured you might find their stuff of at least interest to look at, if nothing else, you know? When I'd been doing my allied health clinical doctorate before I had to go total perm disabled, I trained under a USPHS O-6 during my rotations, I'd really wanted to go in with them, it just unfortunately never happened, I'm afraid, trust me, I think you might find their stuff of interest, honest....

Student Opportunities at USPHS Commissioned Corps

USPHS Commissioned Corps: internships, financial assistance, loan repayments, externships, other student opportunies.

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Mar 18 at 2019 6:57 PM

2019-03-18T18:57:58-04:00

https://www.usphs.gov/profession/scientist/default.aspx

Look at this also....

Science Research Jobs at USPHS Commissioned Corps

USPHS Commissioned Corps research jobs: biology research, chemistry research, toxicology research and more.

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Mar 18 at 2019 6:58 PM

2019-03-18T18:58:32-04:00

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Force_Institute_of_Technology

Read about this....

Air Force Institute of Technology - Wikipedia

The Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) is a graduate school and provider of professional and continuing education for the United States Armed Forces and is part of the United States Air Force. It is located in Ohio at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, near Dayton. AFIT is a component of the Air University and Air Education and Training Command.

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Mar 18 at 2019 7:03 PM

2019-03-18T19:03:49-04:00

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_Postgraduate_School

I had an O-6 recommend from my CO to go here, I couldn't get it, I suggest both NPS and AFIT, as well as USUHS for you (not USPHS, that's the other service I'd mentioned, USUHS is a school, of course, as I'd said), because the moment you go commissioned, all commissioned and warrants are expected, trust me, been there, done that (BTDT), to get to at least masters level, even if needing to go part time, the days when a bachelors would suffice to stay in are, I assure you, at least from my personal exposure, long, long gone...plus, you'll most definitely find you'll need the added training, that much I can most definitely promise you, aside from needing to do your professional mil educ (PME) coursework, USAF was SERIOUS about wanting it done FAST, as in ASAP, from the very day you commission, that much I can most definitely promise you, I'd expect Army wouldn't be any different, honest...just food for thought, OK? As I'd said, if you'd care to elaborate and/or chat more, just ask, I'd be most interested, I'll try to suggest more as well if you like....

Naval Postgraduate School - Wikipedia

The Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) is a public graduate school operated by the United States Navy and located in Monterey, California. It grants master's degrees, doctoral degrees, and certificates. Established in 1909, the school also offers research fellowship opportunities at the postdoctoral level through the National Academies' National Research Council research associateship program.[3]

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Mar 18 at 2019 7:05 PM

2019-03-18T19:05:02-04:00

And all commissioned and warrant can apply to go to AFIT and NPS, AFIT also lets senior USAF and Army NCOs go there to finish their PhD, I've seen YouTube videos on that program for senior NCOs, as well...NPS, I don't know, however, AFIT, definitely....

Response by MAJ Ronnie Reams made May 3 at 2020 3:37 PM

2020-05-03T15:37:32-04:00

I'm not sure if this still happens, but used to be even if you went to a service academy, you could commission in another service. Looks as if ROTC would be similar.

Response by SGM Bill Frazer made Jun 9 at 2020 8:26 AM

2020-06-09T08:26:51-04:00

What, possible yes, probably Never! Why should the Army pump money into your education and training and then just give it to the USAF? Change to the USAF ROTC and stop waffling.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 9 at 2020 8:49 AM

2020-06-09T08:49:34-04:00

If you want to get into the AF what I would try and do is apply for an Acceptation to Policy and check into the Space Force. It's a small chance but a very good one.