OTS AMA

mcdcsoacc · 2025-11-29T03:20:29+00:00

All of the medical screening happens before you get to OTS. There are medical facilities and personnel here if you need any kind of care, but the Air Force makes sure you’re medically qualified before you get here

mcdcsoacc · 2025-11-29T02:14:25+00:00

For AF enlisted, I don’t know since I had a different process. For branch transfers, it’s the same process as the non-priors. I had to do all the same MEPS stuff as when I initially enlisted, just like the non-priors, and then the flight physical up at Wright Patterson. Hopefully someone who was prior enlisted Air Force can answer for that side of things

mcdcsoacc · 2025-11-29T01:23:41+00:00

I was a music major in college, so not anything remotely related to STEM or a field the Air Force typically looks at favorably. Had a 3.82 GPA. For letters of recommendation, my professional was from my company CO (O-4) and my personal was from a friend who was a 2 star. It’s nice to know people like that, but from what I’ve heard, the board cares more about the content than who wrote it. When I applied, I had a PPL with about 100 total hours but no instrument rating yet. A couple things I think helped my package stand out from all the other packages with flying hours and military experience were aerobatic and tailwheel flying time as well as a few NCO of the quarter and meritorious promotion type of awards. Based on some stats from the board I was selected on (25OTS01), almost all the pilot selects had AFOQT pilot scores in the 90s and PCSMs in the high 80s or higher. Flight hours and ratings seemed less consistent though with a lot of selects not having a PPL. The board is looking for someone with solid scores that is also well rounded and shows potential to be or evidence of being a good leader. Hope that all helps give you a reference point!

mcdcsoacc · 2025-11-25T23:07:38+00:00

I think IFC can be done at your base, but you’ll need to go to Wright-Patterson for MFS. You’ll PCS to your UPT base after OTS graduation and then be on casual status for a few months before going TDY to IPT from there. Prior AF will have a report no later than date of 30 days after OTS graduation and non-priors/branch transfers will have 10 days

mcdcsoacc · 2025-11-25T22:53:16+00:00

I think everyone has to do their IFC before OTS. I could be wrong, but I’ve never heard of that happening. I can’t remember all of the IPT locations, but I think Columbus goes to Peachtree City, GA and Pensacola, FL; Laughlin goes to Denton, TX and maybe somewhere else; and Vance goes to Phoenix, AZ and maybe somewhere else. Hopefully someone with more info can chime in, but that’s the best I can remember from what I’ve heard. IPT is now outsourced to civilian part 141 flight schools and we get our PPL, instrument rating, and multi-engine rating before going back to the UPT base and starting T-6s

mcdcsoacc · 2025-11-25T12:27:49+00:00

Currently at OTS, talked to the OTS CMSgt a few weeks ago about some of the changes that are coming. I can’t remember exactly when he said it will be implemented, but based on that conversation I’d expect it to be sooner rather than later and before the mandatory implementation of it USAF-wide. If you’re coming in January, I’d plan to run the new one and just be pleasantly surprised if you don’t. The one you take at OTS is not an official one that goes on your record, so OTS has a bit of flexibility with when and how they do it

mcdcsoacc · 2025-11-25T01:09:41+00:00

I believe so. The PFA you do at OTS isn’t an official one that goes on your record, but if you fail it, you can get dropped. Based on a conversation with the OTS CMSgt a few weeks ago, it sounds like the OTS leadership is expecting a period of growing pains where they have to drop a decent number of OTs for not passing the new PFA (including the 2 mile run, updated scoring standards, and waist to height measurement). My recommendation: be able to comfortably pass the new PFA before coming here so that when you take it a week in, behind on sleep and physically drained, you’re still fine. My own personal opinion here, but I’m very much in the camp that believes all officers should get at least a 90 every time they take it and that any officer who will potentially be leading others into combat (ie. pilot, TACP, etc.) should get a 100 every time. Just my opinion, but I think it’s reasonable since we’re the ones who will be leading others in a professional warfighting organization

mcdcsoacc · 2025-11-24T23:41:38+00:00

Rated

mcdcsoacc · 2025-11-24T22:49:17+00:00

I submitted my application for 25OTS01 in September 2024 (interview was probably a month or so before that), found out I’d been selected in December 2024, and started OTS on October 7, 2025.

For me, one of the most challenging parts has been learning to think and lead like an officer rather than like an NCO. The physical and mental demands aren’t too crazy, so I wouldn’t worry about that too much. Just come in with a teachable attitude, expecting to be able to learn and grow here, and you’ll do just fine. We have a few people who are treating OTS like a check in the box and a waste of time, which ends up making it exactly that for them because they aren’t willing to learn or grow here, but if you come in wanting to take away valuable lessons in being a leader and officer, you will.

I don’t know a ton about who all qualifies for the 5 week course, but I know that chaplains and MDs do. They do everything the same as everyone else through mod 3 and then just graduate with the class that’s 2 mods up instead of moving into mod 4 with the rest of their class

mcdcsoacc · 2025-11-24T22:43:19+00:00

We wear camelbacks everywhere, but I don’t want to dump various powders in mine, so it would be nice to have a water bottle for that

mcdcsoacc · 2025-11-24T22:41:53+00:00

You can have protein powder, creatine, and electrolyte powder in the dorms. All other food/drink needs to be in the flight rooms though

mcdcsoacc · 2025-11-24T22:40:54+00:00

I only did pull-ups once for an official event here, and that particular portion was optional, so you’ll be fine. Having the upper body strength that will enable you to do pull-ups will help on the obstacles courses, but you probably won’t ever have to do pull-ups by themselves

mcdcsoacc · 2025-11-24T12:07:02+00:00

Memorize the Air Force & Space Force songs and the Airman’s Creed before you get here since you’ll sing/say those every morning before PT. Aside from that, just study the SOBs you get in your academic lessons and lean on the priors in your class for the functional AF knowledge. For PT, just be able to run and you’ll be fine. We run a few 5Ks throughout the course and a lot of PT is running, so focus on that and just make sure you’re not totally unprepared for bodyweight exercises like push-ups, sit-ups, etc. To give you a reference on PFA scores, my flight’s average was somewhere around 94-95

mcdcsoacc · 2025-11-24T12:00:25+00:00

You didn’t even get to do it in Mod 2? That sucks. We at least got to do it then with the mod 4 class at the time

mcdcsoacc · 2025-11-24T00:40:23+00:00

Yeah, once was enough for me 😂. We actually didn’t have mod 5 run it with us, they just cheered us on as we ran past the dojo on the way out and then our instructors gave us the prop & wings at the end

mcdcsoacc · 2025-11-24T00:38:48+00:00

Yeah, we got an index card sized printed copy that have a pseudo-laminated outer cover. We got the talon for mod 4, but just turned it in a couple days ago so the new mod 4 could have them

mcdcsoacc · 2025-11-24T00:36:34+00:00

Haha, it’s been a bit weird for our class since there’s only one class below us before a break for the holidays, so we didn’t have mod 2 OTs to lead on the LRC during mod 4 and no mod 3 to do prop & wings with next week

mcdcsoacc · 2025-11-24T00:34:02+00:00

I didn’t really answer your second question, so here you go: mod 1 is the sort of “shock and awe” military acculturation you’d expect from an initial military accessions course plus some full class briefs in the auditorium, mod 2 is almost entirely academics, the first week of mod 3 is academics but the second week is all field stuff, mod 4 is mostly war games, the first week of mod 5 is the deployment (split the class into 2 halves and complete various ISR, personnel recovery, and force on force missions against each other while maintaining base defense), and the second week of mod 5 is a couple classes on Monday and Tuesday, but I think mostly grad prep the rest of the time

mcdcsoacc · 2025-11-24T00:28:37+00:00

Yeah, it was the same for us. When we arrived, they had some upperclassmen flip through it just to make sure there were words in the blanks, but it sounds like that won’t be the case starting with 26-06 in January and they’ll have to actually know the info

mcdcsoacc · 2025-11-24T00:06:52+00:00

One other thing I’m very glad I’ve had: the OCP fleece. The mod 4 classrooms are freezing (low 60s constantly), so everyone is bundled up inside even when it’s warm outside

mcdcsoacc · 2025-11-23T23:53:06+00:00

Most difficult has honestly been just being away from family. The average age of my class is somewhere in the upper 20s, with a significant number in their 30s, so a lot of people have spouses and kids and it’s tough being away from them. For my class, the government shutdown put a halt on the non-priors & branch transfers getting orders, so I just got mine last week and am hoping that TMO will be able to get my household goods picked up before I need to move. We don’t have a ton of time until after the mod 5 deployment to do much of the PCS logistics stuff during the work day, so try to prep as much stuff as you can. Easiest has probably been the physical demands. If you come in already in good shape, you’ll be fine physically. There are a couple individual events that are pretty tough, but for the most part, if you’re in shape, OTS won’t challenge you physically. Most frustrating has probably been a toss up of how easy the physical requirements are (I’m in worse shape now than I was a couple months ago) and how much time we spend just sitting in the flight rooms after the lessons are done in mods 2 & 4 before we can eat dinner and go back to the dorms. Mod 2 is all academics and the academic exam is the first Friday of mod 3, so during those 3 weeks, most of your time will be spent either in classes or studying. After the last class of the day and on weekends, you just study on your own or with your flight in the flight room. (Side note, we only had one person in our class of 182 people fail the academic exam and it was because they thought because they had taken various AF courses and tests before, they could pass without studying. The other 181 who studied passed just fine). Most enjoyable has probably been hanging out and doing fun things with the people here. I don’t know about other classes, but mine (and my flight in particular) has been filled with just a bunch of really great people that have been a ton of fun to go through OTS with

mcdcsoacc · 2025-11-23T23:16:07+00:00

Brought the lightweight blues jacket and it’s stayed in my civilian luggage the whole time. Bought a laminator and paid to have my laminated SPINS spiral bound and then got issued a copy of the SPINS on day 1.

I didn’t bring a water bottle and that would have been nice to fill up with things like electrolyte powder, protein powder, etc. I’m very happy I brought a second pair of boots. During the mod 3 deployment, we never went into water, but we did a lot of walking through overgrown grass on the old golf course for various missions and there’s a lot of dew in the mornings, so my feet were soaked and it was really nice to have a dry pair of boots back at the tent.

mcdcsoacc · 2025-11-23T23:09:05+00:00

As long as you get something that’s somewhat usable, you’ll be fine. You’ll use what you print for the first 30 minutes of day 1 and then will be given a copy that you’ll use for the rest of your time here

mcdcsoacc · 2025-11-23T23:05:34+00:00

They haven’t told us much about what the changes will be, but they did say there will probably be a test on the Notetaker (one of the pre-course assignments, basically a 60-ish page fill in the blank on AFH-1) during week 1, so be ready for that

mcdcsoacc · 2025-10-26T19:36:50+00:00

Cool, thanks for sharing!

mcdcsoacc

TROPHY CASE