Expert: MARK A. HOWELL - 5/6/2009

Question
Hello. I am a 25 year old college graduate who's having trouble finding a job due to the economy. I have my B.S.B.A in Professional Accountancy. I am considering joint the Air Force, something I have never considered before even after being an Air Force brat for 20 years. My father was enlisted. I am wondering about the career opportunities in that pertain to the accounting field. Also, what is officer training school like? Does it differ from basic training for enlisted? my number one fear when it comes to joining the Air Force is basic. I think by having a better understanding of what will occur and the career opportunities in the accounting field, I could ease my fears and join a service that will better my family's life. Thank you for your time!

Answer
Amy,
This is going to be a long answer, so I'll tackle your concerns individually.

1.  Being an air force brat for 20 years means your father can assist you a lot.  Although he was enlisted, he undoubtedly still understands a lot of how the AF works.

2.  Opportunities in your particular fields are abundant.  Every organization in the AF has a "Finance & Accounting" section, from the headquarters USAF at the Pentagon all the way down to each and every squadron on a base.  e.g., you could be an accountant for the security police at one assignment, and the your next assignment be an accountant for the Aircraft Maintenance squadron at your next assignment.  Numbers are numbers.  Congress gives money to the Department of Defense, who in turns distributes a portion to each of the services, until it finally filters down to the squadron commander who decides how to spend it.  Whether it's buying rifles, computer software, or aircraft parts it all is budgeted and has to be accounted for.  A commander's most important person in his unit is usually his accountant.

3-4.  OTS has little in common with enlisted Basic Training.  Since OTS has moved from Texas to Alabama they no longer even share some facilities.  The most important difference is that officers are challenged "mentally" whereas enlisted are challenged "physically."
Enlisted folks run an "obstacle course" weekly.  Officers run it once, just prior to graduation.  It's easy and fun.  Instead, officers run the "Leadership Reaction Course" (LRC).  Things designed to test your leadership capability.  You'll do things like "Decide how to get your team across an imaginary river using only a short rope and two sticks, within 7 minutes."  It doesn't take long to discover who is a natural leader and who stands back and lets somebody else take over.  Actually it's fun.  They purposely submit you to tremendous pressure to ensure you can take it.  Everything is rush, rush, rush.  They do this to "weed out" those who can't meet the demands required to be an officer.  Commissioned officers will often be expected to make very important decisions ranging from administering discipline to spending millions of dollars in their day-to-day jobs.
You can get more information at the OTS web site:
http://www.au.af.mil/au/holmcenter/OTS/Generalinfo.asp

5.  Don't fear "Basic."  If you happened to live in a dorm when you went to college, it's almost exactly the same.  Only difference is you'll all go to classes and meals at the same time every day, and you'll march as a group instead of walking.  Physical stuff for officers is mostly limited to softball games and soccer games and a weird game called Flickerball.  It's like playing basketball with a football.  Even if you didn't live in a dorm-type environment, you'll learn quick.

I think you made the right choice in selecting the AF, especially in today's economy.  You can't beat a steady job and a government job.  I joined it just to "see if I like it" and here I am 30 years later.  I wouldn't trade my past 30 years for anything!

Best wishes,
Colonel H
 
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