We are so back!

I created a post last year (before I deleted my Reddit account) for AFRL scholars summer of 2024 and helped keep track of updates. I am reapplying yet again this year and want to do the same thing! I hope this post is helpful to anyone who searches on Google "AFRL Summer 2025 results" and wants any updates. Feel free to type in here if you have any news as well, all are welcome.

Good luck!

According to one of the more recent memos from SECWAR, Mississippi State University, Tuskegee University, Louisiana State University, Liberty University, and Hillsdale College will stand up new corps of cadets programs as part of “America’s Corps of Cadets”, will receive “honor school” status and will have priority in future officer commissioning.

I have been wondering about this, has anyone seen what this might look like and what it might mean to have commissioning priority at these schools’ ROTC programs?

Hey everyone, I am joining a little bit late and have embarked on this path chasing a dream I never acted on or thought was possible until now, I am trying to obtain a pilot slot. I am delaying my graduation in order to be eligible for this.
I am 21 years old joining the 3 year program I have a 3.3 GPA, projected 100 PFA score (I can max out everything but I haven’t taken the official test) studying like a maniac to max out my pilot composite and by the time I get my PCSM I’d have my PPL.
I am incredibly excited but also nervous about how it will all go. I have the one year to secure a FT slot and failure is not an option
What should my main focus be to being competitive for a spot?

Does anyone have any advice or tips for me or is/was anyone in a similar position and have any suggestions towards being successful.

Thank you all!

Hello, I wanted to ask all of you if y’all have had issues with poor leadership within your ROTC detachment. For starters, I went into college to join our ROTC program, which seemed like a great opportunity to commission of course! When I joined, I was told there would be PT Tuesday/Thursday, and LLD on Wednesday, cool. Pretty simple stuff that isn’t too bad and is expected. Then going into my first leadership lab, it seemed as if the time commitments just kept getting longer and longer, almost like they just left out whole chunks of the program until after we joined. Things like, mandatory PT on Mondays, if your roommate fails? Or perhaps squadron meetings once a week, mandatory one hour, weekend mandatory volunteer events that take up whole Saturdays, weekend field trips (they would only let us know a week in advance), mandatory meetings and tests that required us to miss class, leadership positions that required you to get up at 4am!, and a ROTC club mandatory meetings on Fridays now at 6am (they didn’t say this club meeting was mandatory but then said if we didn’t join they wouldn’t recommend us to be considered in front of the board for officer ship sooooo)

All problems like this seem to be why a lot of us are thinking about quitting and leaving our detachment. A program only told to be 3 days a week, now is 5 days with mandatory weekend events thrown in there.

All of this seems wrong as the ROTC program is all about honestly, but this detachment and its leadership hasn’t been honest as all with what the expect of us, this just angers me.

*Anyone else have these problems and any advice?

I'm looking for guidance from anyone familiar with AFROTC prior-service/accession rules.

I previously enlisted in the Air Force but was unable to complete BMT and received an Entry Level Separation with uncharacterized service. My DD-214 lists an RE-2C reentry code and "Erroneous Entry" as the narrative reason for separation.

The separation was health related because the treatment required was determined to be incompatible with BMT. I'm currently receiving treatment and working toward establishing my eligibility for future military service.

My goal is to attend a university in Fall 2027 and commission through AFROTC. I've been reaching out to AFROTC detachments to understand my options and have received some conflicting information about how my prior service affects my ability to pursue commissioning. One told me that my current 2C makes me ineligible to join AFROTC for the purpose of commissioning, while another indicated that I could potentially begin AFROTC and complete a DoDMERB review during my first semester to determine my medical eligibility.

I'm now trying to understand what options exist for addressing the 2C. I've heard that, depending on the circumstances, there may be a process for a 2C to be corrected to another RE code such as 3A, potentially involving a recruiter, medical review/MEB, or another records process.

My generalized questions are:

1. Can a former Airman with an 2C have the RE code officially corrected?
2. If so, who handles that process?
3. Is this something an Air Force recruiter can help initiate, or is it a military-records issue?
4. Is an MEB or medical review relevant for someone who has already separated, or would this instead be handled as a records correction issue?
5. If the RE code were legitimately corrected to 3A, would that generally remove the reentry code barrier to AFROTC commissioning, assuming all other requirements are met?
6. How realistic is it to successfully pass DoDMERB and qualify to commission with a prior medical separation?
7. Has anyone dealt with a similar prior service situation entering AFROTC and can offer advice?
8. Are there any official regulations, offices, or resources I should be researching to understand this process?

I'm not looking for a way around the rules. I want to understand the legitimate process for becoming eligible to serve again and whether I have a realistic path to eventually commissioning through AFROTC.

Thanks for any guidance. I'm trying to learn what legitimate options I have for getting back on track with my goal of serving in the Air Force.

Flying is only part of the job when you’re in an operational squadron. You spend 8-12 hours a day doing other things.

Edit 2: Not accurate for Space EAs

I gathered OM, GPA, PFA, AFOQT-AA, Rank, and Class Size from some Cadets and compiled it into a spreadsheet. Using this data, I reverse-engineered what I believe to be the category weights with pretty high confidence.

Firstly, GPA and PFA are not scored from a 0-4 scale and 0-100 scale respectively; they are (from what I can tell with this data) scored from 2-4 for GPA (with a 0 category score being a GPA of 2 and 100 being a GPA of 4) and 75-100 for GPA (with 0 category score being a PFA of 75 and 100 being a PFA of 100).

The weights I found are below:

• GPA: 24.46%
• PFA: 20.35%
• AA: 13.81%
• RSS (CC Rank): 41.37%

This model provided an average of the absolute values of the errors across my samples of only 0.38%, and a sum of squares of 1.73. The highest observed error is 0.84% and I believe that to be because this person did not remember decimals on their OM that they gave me.

Yeah, these could be rounded to be nice even numbers pretty easily, but I am just posting what I got as being the most accurate weights to describe the dataset that I have.

EDIT: This data and weight predictions are based on Cadets who have not been to field training but will hypothetically go if they earn in EA in the current board. (2026 Field Training)

Hey all!

I wanted to get some insight about the possibility of me going onto AFROTC to commission. I want to note that I’m in the Air National Guard right now. I already have a BS in psychology but I didnt take it seriously when I was in undergrad. I ended up with like a 2.5 (the worst I know). Since then I’ve definitely gotten my stuff together. One reason I joined the guard was to have more opportunities, stability and kind of like a guide. I know it’s possible to go through AFROTC while getting your masters. Would it possible to get another bachelors to meet the qualifications required for the program? I know about OTS but I know won’t be competitive enough. I’ve been wanting to commission for some time now but I just don’t know if it possible… any advice or thoughts help! Thanks!!

I made a Chrome extension to help format all-tongue Quill papers. Please let me know if there’s anything I need to fix.

https://wandering-cell-26b3.aidenbruer2.workers.dev/#how

Does your Det use cadet first and second lieutenant ranks? What kind of jobs do these ranks hold?

My Det is very small with only 58 cadets. We only use C/Capt through C/Col.

Hello all,

When we commission, but before entering active duty, are we given TRICARE coverage? I’m currently going back and forth with TRICARE representatives and haven’t been able to get a clear answer. Starting to feel like this isn’t worth the fight anymore.

According to AFROTCI 36-2011V3, paragraph 17.3.10:

“Reserve officers awaiting EAD are entitled to active-duty health care benefits. New second lieutenants are eligible for TRICARE coverage after commissioning and before EAD. Dependents are not entitled to medical benefits until the officer enters EAD. Newly commissioned officers must drop Other Health Insurance benefits to be enrolled under TRICARE.”

Based on this, it sounds like we should be covered after commissioning and prior to EAD, but DEERS/TRICARE currently has no record of me being eligible. Has anyone else dealt with this or found a solution?

I understand a lot of you (especially 13N selects who know little about the career field except the horror stories you read online) are upset about your AFSC. I believe many of you could use a reminder.

Every single form you have signed in relation to your commissioning and AFSC selection up until this point has stated in big, bold letters:

The needs of the Air Force will ALWAYS come first.

You knew this going in. There was not a single contract any of you (except those who made a deal with the Air Guard) signed that said you are guaranteed whatever AFSC you desired.

To those ready to barrage my DMs with insults or to write an angry comment, first, ask yourself: Did you join AFROTC to be a [Insert AFSC Here] or to be an Air Force Officer and serve your nation wherever it needs you?

Ok, now to soften the blow. It is OK to be upset. It is OK to feel that you have been treated unfairly. I understand how it feels to be assigned a job you didn't see yourself in. I really do, 13N was low on my list too. But at the end of the day, what is done, is done. You aren't going to change the minds of the Air Force Personnel Center and the boards that assigned you to your duties. The only thing you can do is to proceed forward with determination and your best effort. It might feel that your dreams have been ripped out of your hands unfairly, but I PROMISE you, they have not. If you really, REALLY want to continue chasing your dreams, you will find time and a way to make them happen.

Take the time in your new AFSC to pursue a Masters degree. Learn a new skill or language. For those wanting to go for the Rated Board on Active Duty, go get your PPL. You can still take the AFOQT on Active Duty. You can still take the TBAS on Active Duty. Go kick ass at your new job. Start building your case as to WHY you would be a good addition to your desired career field).

I hope some of you are at least a little bit uplifted by my words. For those who got selected for 13N (I have already spoken to a few of you), feel free to DM me and I can answer some questions. For those who just want to talk or want advice about how to grapple with this difficult decision that was made for you, also shoot me a DM (I went THROUGH it, HARD.)

Seriously, it really upsets me to see so many people getting ready to potentially ruin their careers and aspirations over this. Don't look at it as a hurdle. Look at it as a step on the stairs. Peace and love.

Edit/PS: I have heard quite a few stories about Missile Officers crosstraining into Rated. It can and does happen. Keep your heads up.

Cadre informally informed us of this new 500 year—taking 300 classes as 500s then competing for FT next Spring.

I was offered a 500 year but CC told me I can’t take AS classes. So pretty much another extended year.

This also is the same for my fellow cadets that weren’t selected this year for PSP.

Rumors were my CC does not like this new program. Why? We may never know…

Are we alone on this? What could bring someone to deny this opportunity especially if we’re actively trying to improve said factors—GPA, CR, AFOQT, PFA.

Is this new program AFROTC wide? Any regulations on this? Guidance? Or is all the power on det CC’s hands and we just have to deal with it?

I am a psych major, about a week or two away from needing to put up a dream sheet and I have no idea what I want.

I did decent on my AFOQT rated section, high 90s. Abt to take the TBAS, but Only Rated I would consider is RPA.

Other than that, I have zero idea what I want because I just don’t really know or care it much.

I do know that I dont want Security forces. That’s about it.

Any ideas?

Just recently started reaching out to various ROTC Detachments for more details because it sounds like it can vary a bit depending on where you look, but wanted to float this to folks here who may have more firsthand insight into how things work.

I am an Active Guard, Tennessee Air National Guardsman, based out of Nashville.

Currently an E-6, 27 years old with 7 years Time-in-Service, and I already have a Bachelors degree. Not sure if it matters for this discussion but I have also taken the AFOQT. Guard is great because it is truly a choose-your-own-adventure, however the opportunities to commission can be scarce so I am trying to learn more about other pathways.

1. I really was wanting to know if it is possible to do ROTC whilst pursuing a 2nd Bachelors (would be going back to for STEM),

OR

1. If it would be possible to do ROTC whilst in Law School (not associated with JAG). I don't mean possible in terms of difficulty level and workload management, I mean purely is it administratively allowed / possible.
   

*Also in the off chance that this becomes relevant, I haven't used any GI Bill yet*

Lowkey a chopped selection rate. Just putting this out here for anyone thinking about going to our detachment, there’s definitely upsides and downsides to going to a big detachment.

Just wanted to come on here and ask how are yall feeling about PSP? What are your stats? Do you feel confident going into it? Is there anything you’ve heard from your cadre about this year’s board? Is BCL semester going well? Just curious on where people’s heads are at right now. Figured this could also limit some individual posts about PSP.

For those who dropped intel, what is your major and where did you place it on your choice list?

As stated in the heading, I absolutely bombed this fall semester which was supposed to be the one that put me up for PSP. I have had time to really beat myself down over it and now am just looking to see how I can move forward. This was my AS 250 year and I feel like crap because I joined a bit late, am already 22 and had to push my graduation to spring 2028 from spring 2026. I feel a bit lost because I didn’t really account for any of this. I am a mechanical engineering student and working towards pilot. All perspectives and inputs are appreciated, thank you.

Was doing Reveille and I messed up. I won’t make any excuses but it was very windy so I was having a hard time grabbing the flag, and let go of the knot by accident trying to grab it. Wind caught it before I did and sent it all the way to the top. It’s stuck there and we spent 2 hours trying to bring it down before Cadre told us to just secure it and leave it for the campus police. Only upside is it didn’t touch the ground or fly away. I’m still cooked though, just hope it won’t be a Det drop.

I’m a 200, and my Det just did Career Day. As the title says, the Missileers made the job sound pretty sweet, and before anybody says anything about adventuring or travel, I’m more of a settling roots kind of person, so the lack of opportunities to go places isn’t something that bugs me.

The people who say that it’s looked down upon but don’t specify why bug me, because I thought every job was crucial to the joint fight? Not to mention with the way warfare is progessing, Nuclear Missile work seems more necessary than ever.

I guess my question is: if there could be ANY real downside that isn’t travel or glory related, what would it be? If I disagree with what you think is a downside, know that I appreciated the feedback anyway, btw. Thanks!

I got selected for a Type 4 scholarship covering the next 3 years. This is great, but unfortunately I don’t believe i’m at all competitive for an EA. Im a tech major, so my gpa isnt amazing, but most of all i completely suck during LLAB.

I struggle to keep up with my fellow cadets and repeatedly make the same mistakes. Ive gotten a “written” and an LOC for the same thing which is definitely not helping my ranking. I suck so badly at drill, my most recent Form 2 (leadership eval) over a drill competition was a 1/5. The only other Form 2 I’ve gotten was a 4/5, which was nice but it’s my only other one.

Ive never tried harder to be good at something, and still fallen on my face so hard. I feel like i’m running out of time to catchup and i don’t know what to do.

I’m writing this to put it out there, hopefully, for someone who needs it. If you’re here to hate, just know I don’t care. This post isn’t about me.

I joined AFROTC 5 years ago. To preface, I grew up in a mobile home, joined 50 pounds overweight with a 2.3 gpa out of high school. I drove 85 miles one way to my detachment just to participate in LLAB. I gave it my all when it came to rotc. I studied my ass off and failed the AFOQT. I got a 4 on the quantitative and a 25 on the pilot. I failed my FA. I got to studying and tutored myself to passed the AFOQT the second time around. Then I got DODMERB DQ’d and had to do a 500 year to stay in the program. There was multiple times I thought about dropping but I didn’t. Because I told myself if I knew it was going to take 5 years to be a pilot, would I still do this program?

I failed an entire semester worth of classes 21 credits to be exact and had to retake every one of those classes. Never once did I blame others for my grades. You are at the wheel of your ship and have the controls.

I got picked up for field training. I gave it my all and still got ranked 380/430 despite being prepared. I got sick then injured. Then injured and sick. Sometimes surviving and getting through a part in life is more impressive than thriving.

I’ve had people write Memos on how I shouldn’t be in the program because they don’t like me. I’ve also gotten a letter of recommendation from a 4 star.

I thought that me spending $8,000 of my own money to get flight hours would be enough to get a pilot slot. I was wrong. I got selected to be an ABM. Through the whole time I was not happy. But I was never ungrateful for the opportunities in front of me. I looked at being an ABM as an Amazing opportunity to grow as a person to prepare to become a pilot. I rushed Guard and Reserve units. I drove 6 hours to a guard unit brought a bottle of nice liquor and slept on a floor for Three nights just to get a rejection letter on the drive home. Sometimes your best isn’t good enough and that’s okay.

Never was I angry or bitter to anyone even if I was justified in being that way. Emotions are just that Emotions. actions are things that you are responsible for so make sure you choose good ones. I ran for Wing/CC and was told I had the best ideas but thought that the POC corp wouldn’t work with me. And that’s okay.

Then it happened. I got a call from my Commander that I got picked up for a pilot slot. A supplemental slot. And it was an amazing experience. I show up to IFC and failed the depth perception 3 different times before I passed it. I have overcame a decades worth of obstacles and more at the same time and seen people go through extraordinary struggles pursuing their dreams.

What I’ve learned:

Good people want to help good people.

If someone hates you so much they make it a part of their personality, there’s probably more to the story than just you

If it’s in your control, you can control it.

Opportunities come and go, take the one in front of you

Your best might not be good enough and that’s okay.

Successful People want to see you succeed be around them.

If you aren’t failing. You’re not growing. This is supposed to be hard. It’s supposed to be too much.

You can be unhappy but never ungrateful for what you have.

There are some things you can’t control and that’s okay.

Know your stuff better than anyone and earn your keep.

Return the favor. This world is too cruel to keep happiness and success to yourself.

Enjoy life. ROTC is just a program, not your life.

Not all leaders are great, it’s your job to work with them and make them better. Even if it’s your superior.

If there’s a will there’s a waiver. Or a waiting game.

You are never alone. Someone is always going through it with you

TLDR Some random 400 gives life advice to people who might want it.

I’ve made it and so can you. I know I’m not the person with the biggest struggles and I don’t want to claim so. Some people have to care for newborns in the program but that doesn’t invalidate what I’m saying. You don’t have to have had the worst experiences to share your story of hardship. Yes I know some things you can’t control like medical and that’s okay. I promise you if you’re a good person with a good heart you will make it far in life if you apply yourself.

If you guys wanna share your stories I think it helps more of the people on this Reddit who are unsure and come here through trying times. And that’s okay and that’s why it’s here. This world is too cruel to not share positive stories once in a while. Thank you for listening to my Ted talk.

Hit me with your questions! I know getting 13N can be daunting for many cadets, so I’d be happy to help ease the stress.

Hello!

I’m currently a AS100 cadet at Det 045 at SJSU.

Bit of background…

I’m a student at CSUMB (crosstown university). I travel an hour from my home to CSUMB on Monday’s and Wednesday’s where I go to school and study. Currently taking 15 units

I am also an athlete at Monterey Peninsula College taking on another 12 units in order to compete for their track and field team. I practice 3 hrs on Mon, Wed, Fri, and compete Saturdays.

I dedicate my Tuesdays and Thursdays to AFROTC. Since I’m an athlete, my Cadre has excused me from Tue morning PT’s.

However, it takes me 2 hrs to commute from my home to SJSU and sometimes up to 3 back home.

On thursdays, my morning pt is at 0545, leading me to get up at 0230 in the morning in order to pack my food, uniform, and everything and arrive on time. I spend the entire day at SJSU until LLAB is over at 1700. I don’t get back home 2000 (8pm).

I know it’s only one week a day where I wake up super early, but I’m exhausted of driving 500+ miles each week and being lonely all the time . I know I have an easy life and parents help me out a ton but I’m drained mentally + physically. Having to see the same damn roads and not socializing is killing me inside.

My cadre is concerned about me driving this early each week and is looking at maybe dropping me. Is this really a safety concern?

Any thoughts welcome. (No I can’t afford tuition at SJSU)