Can You Become an Officer After Enlisting in the Air Force?

According to the U.S. Air Force guidelines, what path you take in your career with the Air Force will completely depend on your personal, educational, and professional achievements and goals.If you join the Air Force straight out of High School, before obtaining a college degree, this will only enable you to join as an enlisted Airman.

Once you have joined as an enlisted Airman, if you applied with a High School diploma or GED, you will be automatically enrolled into Community College affiliated with the Air Force. So, you will begin earning college credits straight away while working within the Air Force.This Community College is the largest community college in America and the only degree-granting institution in the world that is exclusively dedicated to members of the Air Force.So, how does it work? You will undertake a variety of on-duty and off-duty courses in order to work towards an Associate’s degree in either applied science, aircraft and missile maintenance, logistics and resources, allied health, electronics, public and support services, and telecommunications.It’s an amazing opportunity to grow your career faster and gain invaluable experience on the way. You’ll be able to gain college credits simply by learning as you do your job.This is a particularly attractive aspect of joining the Air Force if you hope to train and progress through the ranks faster.Working towards your college degree on the side will enable you to work towards becoming an Officer.Alternatively, if you enlist having already attained a college degree, the Air Force will work with you to train in effective and responsible leadership. This will also aid in you working towards becoming an Officer.On the other hand, the Air Force also desires those who have gained specialized, professional skills such as ministry professionals, healthcare professionals and law professionals, and would like to become Officers in the Air Force. This is the perfect option for anyone looking to take their career in a totally different direction, even later in life.To check you are eligible to become an Officer within the Air Force you must meet the following requirements:

• You must be between 18 and 39 years of age
• You must be a citizen of the United States
• You must have at least a Bachelor’s degree

Air Force Enlisted Commissioning Programs

There are a huge range of Air Force enlisted commissioning programs on offer for enlisted Airmen.The Airman scholarship and commissioning program (ASCP) is available to enlisted Airmen on active duty.It enables them to earn a commission while completing their college degree in their chosen field. These fields include:

• Mathematics
• Meteorology
• Physics
• Computer Science
• Nursing
• Engineering - any ABET-accredited engineering major
• Foreign languages (note: available language candidates will be able to study are limited to include Arabic, Persian, Chinese, Russian, French, Hindi, Hebrew, Turkish)
• Foreign area studies (note: this is limited to the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Russia/Eurasia)

Enlisted Airmen who choose to take this route will be temporary taken off active duty within the Air Force to join ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) and become a full-time student at a participating college.Participants will even receive scholarships of up to $15, 000 per year to cover tuition and living fees, as well as a text book allowance of $600.The program is available to ROTC students for a duration of one to three years subject to their chosen field. Their previous academic preparation and age limitation also come into consideration for this.ROTC students should attend school throughout the entire year, including summer terms with the exception of summer field training which they must attend.Unfortunately, this program does not apply to those who wish to become a pilot or navigator.To check if you would be eligible for an enlisted commissioning program you must:

• Candidates must be a citizen of the United States
• He or she must meet the age requirements - must be under 30 at the time of application. Age wavers are available to commission before 35 on a case by case basis
• Must receive a recommendation from your immediate commander
• Candidates must also earn an Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) score of at least 15 on the verbal scale and at least 10 on the quantitative scale
• He or she will also need at least one year Time-in-Service as well as one year Time-on-Station. There are waivers available depending on what field the candidate wants to study
• They need to meet the minimum college grade point average and complete the required coursework for their chosen major
• Candidates also need to be admitted to a school that offers the Air Force ROTC as well as your chosen major (the annual tuition must also not exceed $15, 000)