I’ll start this post by saying that I am not an official source so I have no inside look into how all of this actually works. My theories are based on my experience with this process over the past three years and the random info I pick up from the forums and Facebook groups. Take that for what it is.

Tons of Applicants

For the past few years, the OTS board process has had to sift through hundreds of applicants, to the point where the AFRS staff and boards were getting overwhelmed. Just bare-minimum processing all of the applications is a feat in itself, considering the next step of finding outstanding officer candidates is an entirely different challenge. About a year ago they created a rule where only the first 125 of applicants for a board would be considered. This rule was extremely stressful for applicants because people thought they had to race to submit their application in SharePoint. I think AFRS caught on to the fact that this was probably not a good way to solve their problem, so they rescinded the rule a few boards later.

Extended OTS (TFOT) Class Assignment Wait Times

Another big problem that AFRS was dealing with is a massive wait time from selection as an officer to when you would actually attend OTS. Prior to FY2018 when you were selected for a board you were given a list of action items you had to accomplish such as submit base preferences, complete physicals, security clearance paperwork, etc. Once you were done with all action items, you would then be placed on a list of people who needed a class date. This works great if the number of selects matches the number of available class dates but there was a time when there were way more selects than available classes. This meant that the stack of names who needed a class had to wait an extended amount of time before they could attend OTS. It also made it difficult for AFRS to predict the relationship between how many officer candidates they could select for future boards and the number of available OTS classes.

Managing the Numbers

Here is my personal theory on how we got to where we are today. Although they shortened TFOT by a week there is still a maximum number of officers they can train every year. As part of the normal selection process, boards which occur in one Fiscal Year (FY) will fill the requirements and OTS class dates for the next FY. I personally believe they selected more officers during the FY2017 boards than they had FY2018 class dates available. If this happens they have to have some way to manage the pipeline. Toward the end of the FY2017 boards they started including the following verbiage on the FY2017/FY2018 updates they would push out.

Officer Selection Boards are subject to be cancelled once our accession targets are met.

For the FY2018 boards I also heard that they changed the way class dates are allocated. Instead of waiting until you complete all requirements to slot you for a class, starting in 18OT01 they allocated a class date for you upon selection. This created a more predictable wait time for all selects, and it helped AFRS solve the problem of constantly balancing the needed quotas vs. available class dates.

If this is all true the FY2018 boards will fill FY2019 OTS class dates as part of their new policy, and this is consistent with what I am seeing on Facebook. FY2017 board selects would then need to be slotted for wherever they could fit in FY2018 or FY2019, and that is also consistent with what I am seeing on Facebook. After all of this is done they will have a good idea of whether their accession targets are met, and they can then cancel the rest of the boards. I think this is exactly what happened. They finally got a handle on where they are while people were preparing for 18OT03, and this is why they limited it to only rated and cancelled 18OT04. If there are not slots available there is no reason to do a board.

The good news with this new policy is that the FY2018 boards are basically a proof of concept and a clean-up period. FY2019 should be a lot more predictable. Once they start back up the boards in FY2019 the pipeline to a FY2020 class should be a lot more consistent for all applicants.

Weighing Your Options

You want to become an Air Force officer but you are frustrated by the cancelled boards and lack of information. What do you do now?

Continue to Wait

Here are the dates I posted the Line Officer board schedules for the previous three years:

2016: 2 May 2015

2017: 13 May 2016

2018: 28 June 2017

Given this information, I would expect to see the FY2019 Line Officer board schedule in the next few months. This will tell you when you as a civilian or active duty member will be able to apply. Based on what I have been hearing, I personally believe the next boards will be in the January – March 2019 time-frame, but you will have to wait for the official schedule to be sure.

If you choose this option what can you do in the meantime?

Study for and take the AFOQT. If you are active duty you can schedule this through the base education center. If you are a civilian you can work with a recruiter or contact the closest Air Force ROTC detachment. You will probably have better luck with an ROTC detachment based on recruiter workload.

Put together an “App Profile” draft, reference my post on the Board Scoring Criteria under “Application/Post Board Feedback,” and work on your weak areas. 9-12 months should give you some time to pad your resume.

If you are active duty, consider your assignment timeline. If you get an assignment you are ineligible to apply for OTS. Also weigh your Time on Station requirements so you can get a good idea for where you will be when you can apply.

Consider Other Commissioning Options

If you are active duty you can look into commissioning through the Air Force Academy through programs such as Leaders Encouraging Airman Development (LEAD). Perhaps you are interested in becoming a Nurse or a Physicians Assistant, in which case the commissioning path is completely different anyway. If you are civilian and are very early in your degree, perhaps you could join an Air Force ROTC detachment where you would complete your degree and take an Air Force ROTC class and becoming an officer when you graduate. Perhaps you are interested in becoming an Air National Guard or Air Force Reserve officer instead of active duty. If any of these options interest you, send me a message and I will do my best to help you find more information.

Consider Enlisting in the Air Force

Many recruiters are recommending that civilians enlist in the Air Force while they wait, and to be honest, this isn’t necessarily a bad option. As a prior enlisted officer I lean heavily on my enlisted experience. If you enlist you will get a consistent paycheck, medical benefits, and tuition assistance. You will also start the clock on earning your GI Bill.

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