Welcome to the AFSC Selection Process discussion blog. The purpose of this blog is to foster discussion between future AF officers interested in how the selection process for choosing their AFSC works and current officers who something about the process. The views expressed in this blog are solely the opinions of the individual authors and not of the USAF nor the DoD.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Please Post your QUESTIONS HERE
Cadets and interested Staff, Post questions regarding the AFSC Selection process.
Why is the Board Order of Merit such a secret? Example: I wanted to list my order of merit on a scholarship application, and using my chain of command I got up to the Group AOC level and was still denied this information. Shouldn't this highly important part of our ranking & AFSC selection be available to us?
Scuba Steve & Polar Bear - For the class of 2007 - C1C Tyler Rube is taking switch requests. You can only switch if someone else wants to switch into yours - but he is collecting names to facilitate this.
See his e-mail from 25 Jan: -----Original Message----- From: Rube Tyler A C1C USAFA/CS21 Sent: Thursday, January 25, 2007 3:10 PM To: C07_All Subject: AFSC Change? Importance: High
Class of Awesomeness,
If you are looking to change out of your current non-rated AFSC into a different non-rated job, please send me an email! Occasionally, cadets can switch out of currently assigned jobs into something else if they can find someone to switch with. If this situation applies to you, please send me the following:
* Current AFSC
* Desired AFSC (please list more than one and rank them in order of preference)
* Reasons why you want to switch AFSC’s
* Any other info you feel is important…the more the better!
As always, send me any questions that you have. Thanks!
Scuba Steve and Polar Bear, for the first time in over a decade we are allowing cadets to REQUEST swaps for AFSC and assignments. There are no guarantees for approval though. The ground rules are simple: it is a 1 for 1 swap (as is). By that I mean you're swapping AFSC and (if an assignment has been loaded) the assignment, training dates, etc. You will not be afforded an opportunity to list/request new assignment preferences. We have not established a cutoff date for these requests but as graduation draws nearer the likelihood becomes less. As for assignment swaps we will only entertain the request if all qualifying data matches at the time of the request, i.e. grad date, AFSC, and/or other assignment specifics.
Rachel, The BOM is not so much a secret as it is not as useful as you would like to think. In fact, the BOM means very little outside of the confines of the Cadet Personnel world--it simply provides us a starting point to make decisions on AFSC selection, UPT class start dates, and assignments. I must stress--it is only the starting point! We also take into consideration other factors that vary with each personnel action request (too many to list here). The BOM is established at a snapshot in time and does not change. I have found many folks confuse the BOM with the OPA Order of Merit (OOM). The OOM is ever-changing as your MPA, GPA, and (soon) PEA change. The OOM carries much more weight as it represents your standing among your peers/classmates. I don't know about the rules or availability of the OOM but the BOM is close-hold simply as not to confuse the two. We are working to make changes to the BOM Board in an effort to streamline and remove the mystique that seems to surround it--but make no mistake the BOM doesn't replace or diminish the OOM nor will it.
in a discussion with firsties the other day, somoeone brought up a question about order of merit--he said that it is used later in your career as a way to determine suitability for a job/promotion. does that have any truth to it?
"Officially" the only reference I am aware of in regards to class standing is in AFI36-2501, para 3.7.1.7. Basically what the paragraph says is when positioning officers with the same date of rank in order of seniority use a list of 9 different factors (Academy class standing is #7). But it would only make a difference if you were being considered for a position against someone else in the unit who is one of your classmates. Please note: this is in referrence to a position and NOT establishing a date of rank. Also, keep in mind that USAFA only accounts for >20% of the source of commissioning so the likelihood of you competing against one of your classmate for the same position, in the same unit, on the same base, at the same time really is pretty minimal. I have heard from different commanders (a couple times during my career) that they don't care what you did at the Academy--it's a "what have you done for me lately" mentality. You will undoubtedly find once you "launch" into the AF, there are many unwritten rules and nuances that go with tradition and I'm sure there is some obscure "rule" in regards to class standing but I'm unaware of it.
8 comments:
I am am unhappy for several reasons with my assigned AFSC, what is the process for trying to get reassigned?
Why is the Board Order of Merit such a secret? Example: I wanted to list my order of merit on a scholarship application, and using my chain of command I got up to the Group AOC level and was still denied this information. Shouldn't this highly important part of our ranking & AFSC selection be available to us?
I am unhappy with mine as well and would like to know how I can switch?
Scuba Steve & Polar Bear -
For the class of 2007 - C1C Tyler Rube is taking switch requests. You can only switch if someone else wants to switch into yours - but he is collecting names to facilitate this.
See his e-mail from 25 Jan:
-----Original Message-----
From: Rube Tyler A C1C USAFA/CS21
Sent: Thursday, January 25, 2007 3:10 PM
To: C07_All
Subject: AFSC Change?
Importance: High
Class of Awesomeness,
If you are looking to change out of your current non-rated AFSC into a different non-rated job, please send me an email! Occasionally, cadets can switch out of currently assigned jobs into something else if they can find someone to switch with. If this situation applies to you, please send me the following:
* Current AFSC
* Desired AFSC (please list more than one and rank them in order of preference)
* Reasons why you want to switch AFSC’s
* Any other info you feel is important…the more the better!
As always, send me any questions that you have. Thanks!
Very Respectfully,
C1C Ty Rube
Class President
U.S. Air Force Academy
Scuba Steve and Polar Bear, for the first time in over a decade we are allowing cadets to REQUEST swaps for AFSC and assignments. There are no guarantees for approval though. The ground rules are simple: it is a 1 for 1 swap (as is). By that I mean you're swapping AFSC and (if an assignment has been loaded) the assignment, training dates, etc. You will not be afforded an opportunity to list/request new assignment preferences. We have not established a cutoff date for these requests but as graduation draws nearer the likelihood becomes less. As for assignment swaps we will only entertain the request if all qualifying data matches at the time of the request, i.e. grad date, AFSC, and/or other assignment specifics.
Rachel, The BOM is not so much a secret as it is not as useful as you would like to think. In fact, the BOM means very little outside of the confines of the Cadet Personnel world--it simply provides us a starting point to make decisions on AFSC selection, UPT class start dates, and assignments. I must stress--it is only the starting point! We also take into consideration other factors that vary with each personnel action request (too many to list here). The BOM is established at a snapshot in time and does not change. I have found many folks confuse the BOM with the OPA Order of Merit (OOM). The OOM is ever-changing as your MPA, GPA, and (soon) PEA change. The OOM carries much more weight as it represents your standing among your peers/classmates. I don't know about the rules or availability of the OOM but the BOM is close-hold simply as not to confuse the two. We are working to make changes to the BOM Board in an effort to streamline and remove the mystique that seems to surround it--but make no mistake the BOM doesn't replace or diminish the OOM nor will it.
new_lt_launcher:
in a discussion with firsties the other day, somoeone brought up a question about order of merit--he said that it is used later in your career as a way to determine suitability for a job/promotion. does that have any truth to it?
Rachel
"Officially" the only reference I am aware of in regards to class standing is in AFI36-2501, para 3.7.1.7. Basically what the paragraph says is when positioning officers with the same date of rank in order of seniority use a list of 9 different factors (Academy class standing is #7). But it would only make a difference if you were being considered for a position against someone else in the unit who is one of your classmates. Please note: this is in referrence to a position and NOT establishing a date of rank. Also, keep in mind that USAFA only accounts for >20% of the source of commissioning so the likelihood of you competing against one of your classmate for the same position, in the same unit, on the same base, at the same time really is pretty minimal. I have heard from different commanders (a couple times during my career) that they don't care what you did at the Academy--it's a "what have you done for me lately" mentality. You will undoubtedly find once you "launch" into the AF, there are many unwritten rules and nuances that go with tradition and I'm sure there is some obscure "rule" in regards to class standing but I'm unaware of it.
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