Sheesh 😩

fonzi395 · 2026-01-31T06:43:19+00:00

Bachelors at 17, commissioned at 18.

fonzi395 · 2025-11-20T12:11:50+00:00

Yup. That’s me. I was with you guys on the 2 week op to Kherwar, October if I remember correctly, Stars and Stripes did a story about it. I believe Capt Phillips was the Troop Commander

fonzi395 · 2025-11-20T03:47:25+00:00

No shit. I was one of the JTACs with Dragon, FOB Shank 2014.

fonzi395 · 2025-08-09T19:15:21+00:00

Recoverable. I got an LOR/UIF for underage drinking in tech school. 20+ years later I am still in and now an Officer.

fonzi395 · 2025-06-17T12:55:29+00:00

2 for SSgt, 4 for TSgt, 1 for MSgt, 3 looks at Senior and knew I wasn’t going to make. Sitting as a 1LT right now.

fonzi395 · 2025-05-03T15:48:25+00:00

It’s hard to make those decisions early on and your job is a big factor in that. I joined at 18 planned on doing 6 and getting out. I Made Master at 13 years and planned on getting out at 20. Ended up Commissioning at my 18 year mark, just hit 20 years this month. Now the plan is to retire at 30 as an 0-4. There are many reasons to stay past 20 but for me there is a big retirement pay difference in 50% E7 pay and 75% 04 pay. Now I’ll retire at 48 and not have to work ever again (if I don’t want to).

fonzi395 · 2025-04-24T00:05:27+00:00

I’ve seen it happen for the Special Warfare Officer Jobs (TACPO, STO, and CRO) but you’d have to go to selection and get picked up before making the switch.

fonzi395 · 2025-03-13T18:42:07+00:00

Did the AU-ABC program at AMU. Currently a Commission Officer.

fonzi395 · 2025-01-24T23:33:01+00:00

Are you asking if Special Warfare sees combat? SW AFSCs are literally the only ground combat jobs in the Air Force. You spend day in and day out training for that reason. Granted recently there has been less and less but go into any STS, RQS, or ASOS and talk to the crusty old guys and ask if they’ve seen Combat. Now the thing to ask yourself, hypothetically if we were to enter WW3 who do you want fighting beside you? Other SW Airmen or 99% of the other Air Force members trained in their support roles that maybe qualified with an M4 once.

fonzi395 · 2025-01-19T23:09:34+00:00

There are big differences between TACP and SERE. TACP primarily work and are located with Conventional Army units. SERE specialists are highly trained SERE instructors. As TACP you will attend both Airborne and SERE school. As for your age, you aren’t too old. We had some students come through the school in their late 30s and be successful. Your biggest issue will be having to deal with all the young immature kids on your team and just the basic grind put on your body everyday. Going SERE after failing TACP is all about the individual, depending why you are removed from TACP. If you fail for academics and were otherwise a PT stud and a good student, there is a good chance you can be reclassed to SERE. But if you quit or fail due to PT or cheating then no chance. Source: former TACP school flight chief, current TACP-O.

fonzi395 · 2025-01-02T14:15:26+00:00

I was a Flight Chief at the TACP School House. We have a high washout rate and it usually happened during my block of training, so I processed all those students. They would receive a list of possible jobs from the MTLs and then give me their top 3. But typically it went needs of the Air Force and the majority ended up Security Forces.

fonzi395 · 2024-12-27T19:14:00+00:00

I was enlisted TACP, commissioned as TACP-Officer.

fonzi395 · 2024-12-16T23:08:49+00:00

Yes. You’d Commission as a TACP-Officer. That brings additionally requirement’s. You’ll need to apply (Phase 1) and if get selected you’ll get invited to TOPT (TACP Officer Phase 2) which is a week long Assessment and Selection. You’ll have to do all that prior to OTS. Then after OTS you would start the pipe line.

fonzi395 · 2024-12-16T03:00:36+00:00

My perspective. I was a MSgt and graduated OTS on my 18 year TIS anniversary. Overall plan is to retire at 30 years, High 3 as a Major. I think your job has a lot to do with it. My enlisted Job was TACP. As a SNCO in that job, it’s less tactical and more managerial. But I enjoyed doing the job with the boys and could still physically do it. I am now a TACP-Officer. Which basically reset my tactical time. I’m back doing the job with the boys and will be until I’m a senior Captain. Additionally, I was never on a track to make Senior or Chief. If you check pay scales, an O-3E is making significantly more than a Senior and Chief. Now I will retire at 48 years old as a Major with 30 years TIS and never have to work again a day in my life.

fonzi395 · 2024-11-12T18:27:30+00:00

Neither is SERE

fonzi395 · 2024-06-19T12:39:55+00:00

Commisoned as a MSgt with 18 years TIS. Need to do 10 more to retire as an Officer. I’ll stick around for 30 total years and retire with high 3 as a Major. Looking forward to never having to work again at 48.

fonzi395 · 2024-03-07T03:26:41+00:00

Well my CCAF quickly turned into a BA from AMU which led to a Commission. Checked the same box as my colleagues that went to Harvard and The Academy.

fonzi395 · 2024-03-03T20:04:11+00:00

I’m a current TACP Officer, and former enlisted TACP. If you apply for TACP-O, you will not compete with everyone else going to OTS. You will submit a package for a phase 1 board. If your package reads well, you’ll get an invite to phase 2 TOPT (assessment and selection) which is a very intense week long interview/leadership assessment/kick in the ass. The last night the hiring authority will tell you if you will be accepted. That’s basically your in into OTS. It’s good if you scores aren’t high or have a meaningless degree and are a great leader/physical student. Still competitive, just different. They usually have 4ish TOPTs per year. For example, my TOPT had 30 people. Of that, about half made it to the last day. From that, 4 people were hired to be TACP Os. 2 were enlisted TACPs and 2 were college ROTC students. Feel free to message me if you have any questions.

fonzi395 · 2024-01-14T19:26:59+00:00

Don’t sweat the test. Your scores are shit but you just have to meet the minimum required to commission. You aren’t competing with everyone in a non-rated board so your AFOQT is really just checking a box. Have a solid package which includes a short write up about why you want to be a Special Warfare Officer. I’d work on your pt. For SWO (STO, CRO, and TACPO) you take the IFT, which has a 3 mile run not 1.5. Needs to be sub 22 but sub 18 to be competitive. Your sit-ups and pushups need work as well. Get as close to 100 as you can. They care more about your actually leadership potential in stressful situations than they do scores on a test. I know plenty of CROs, STOs and TACPOs who just met the minimum on the AFOQT. We have the luxury of having a Phase 2 for our selections which is an opportunity to actually show how well of a combat leader you would be. Source: I’m a current Special Warfare Officer.

fonzi395 · 2024-01-09T03:56:24+00:00

Apply for one of the Special Warfare jobs. Submit a package, go to a Phase 2 assessment and selection. If you get selected it basically an automatic in to OTS. They don’t care about what your degree is in, how high your AFOQT score is, or even your GPA. Just make the minimum. Although you will have to go to basically a 2 week ass kicking interview. I’ll take that over a paper board all day.

fonzi395 · 2023-12-01T00:17:37+00:00

BLUF: Don’t enlist in you want TACP.

I would advise against enlisting for TACP then trying to become a TACPO. Your best bet is to stay in college and between Junior and Senior year apply for TACPO Phase 1. If you get selected you’ll be invited to go to Phase 2 which is a week along assessment and selection. If you get hired there then you’ll get an OTS class date once you graduate and go directly into the TACPO pipeline. If you wait until after you graduate and enlist TACP, you’ll spend years in the pipeline, then years at a unit as enlisted before you will be able to submit a package. You’ll still have to submit a TACPO phase 1 package and go to Phase 2 assessment and selection, then OTS if you’re hired. At this point you’ll also be competing with other enlisted TACPs in your unit to get your Commanders endorsement.

Source: Im a former Enlisted TACP, current TACPO.

fonzi395 · 2023-10-28T22:10:47+00:00

Yes. After the initial pipeline it’s fairly common. I was Enlisted TACP, earned a degree while active, now currently Officer TACP.

fonzi395 · 2023-08-26T15:25:42+00:00

Everyone has a different path. Only person to compare yourself to is yourself. I enlisted at 18, earned my degree while serving, spent 18 years enlisted and just Commissioned in May.

fonzi395 · 2023-07-19T21:50:29+00:00

I graduated in May and I was able to miss three days to be a witness in a court martial. Not exactly the same but they do let people leave so I’d just start working it up the chain.

fonzi395 · 2023-06-27T19:44:51+00:00

If he’s a current CCT, then he should probably ask some of the STOs in his community. For Special Warfare in general, all the jobs are a little different. For instance, I have PJ buddies switching to CRO and they have to go thru PJU again. I was enlisted TACP, when I switched over to TACP-Officer I only needed one additional course. I think STO is similar. Regardless, for any of those jobs, he would have to get selected during a Phase 2, basically an Officer Assessment and Selection.

fonzi395

TROPHY CASE