Basic Officer Training
Per Air Force Instruction (AFI) 36-2013, personnel attending BOT must have a baccalaureate level degree or higher in either technical or non-technical fields. Technical fields may include any ABET accredited Engineering degree and other fields in high demand by the Air Force. Non-technical degrees are more common, and therefore applying with a degree in such a field is very competitive. Applicants can apply for rated or non-rated positions. Rated positions are flying related -- Pilot, Combat Systems Officer, or Air Battle Manager. Non-rated fall into 2 categories: non-rated operations, such as Space & Missiles, Intelligence or Weather, and non-rated support, such as Aircraft Maintenance, Logistics, Civil Engineer, Security Forces, or Communications.
Areas of instruction include military customs and courtesies, military history, leadership, field exercises, drill and ceremonies, small arms training, and combatives.
The first six weeks of training are geared toward orienting the Officer Trainee (OT) with Air Force standards. The focus is on physical training, drill and ceremonies, and standardization. OTs will be expected to work with their fellow flight and squadron members to accomplish specific tasks as required by their Flight Commander and OT upperclassmen. They will also attend multiple classes in an academic environment. During these six weeks a trainee is called an underclassman or a lowerclassman.
The final six weeks of training focus on developing the upperclassmen as leaders and mentors for a new group of underclassmen. During the final weeks of training the trainees attend field training exercises, projects, small arms training, and building team skills by overcoming challenges in a simulated deployment environment.
To graduate, OTs must meet or exceed physical standards (OTs track and train to these standards), academic standards, and military bearing standards. Military bearing includes the ability to write and brief, lead the flight, and perform duties within the OT Wing.
Upon graduation, OTS graduates receive Reserve commissions as Second Lieutenants in the United States Air Force, either in pay grade O-1, or O-1E if prior enlisted for 4 years and 1 day or more in any branch of the U.S. armed forces. With the exception of those OTS graduates proffered as direct entry accessions into the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) or the Air National Guard (ANG), OTS graduates may eventually apply for augmentation of their commissions to the Regular Air Force, typically following three to five years of active duty service.
Read more about this topic: Air Force Officer Training School
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