Expert: MARK A. HOWELL - 8/22/2010

Question
I am an E-6 in the AF-Reserve with 6 years of service.  I would like to get a reserve commission.  I am 35 years old and in great shape.  I am being told  its too late because of age.  Are there age waivers for AF Reserve Officers?  Where can I find the regulations?  Any answers with supporting documentation or websites would be great.

Answer
Garrett,
Yes, there are age waivers.  You just asked at the wrong time.  If you asked anytime in the past 3-4 months, you got the standard "you're too old" reply.  The truth is, the military only get a certain amount of waivers at the beginning of their fiscal year October 1st).  Those waivers are used up quickly, and by May-June timeframe they're all gone (for all the Services.)

The age limit for the AF Reserves is 34, but that limit is normally extended one year for each year of honorable service.  So in your case 34 + 6 years service = a new age limit of 40.  The idea is that you must be able to get 20 good years of service in before you turn 60.

The regulations say, "If you are an Enlisted member of the Air Force Reserve or any other branch of service and have a college degree, you may be offered a commission and will then complete Officer Training School.  All officer candidates attend Officer Training School at Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, Montgomery, Alabama, for 12 weeks.  Prior Service members have a choice in job selection, they  may continue in their AFSC or retrain into another AFSC based upon their ASVAB scores, medical profile, and job availability at a particular base."

Also there has to be a vacant position to apply for. If there is, the Officer Recruiter will contact the applicable commander with your information (resume, etc.) and see if he/she is willing to sponsor you for that position. If so, you and your Recruiter will put a package together and submit it to a Board, which meets twice a year. If the Board selects your package, it is sent through several levels of review, including Congress, and if all sign off, you are scheduled for OTS (Officer Training School).

Also, The AF Reserve does offer bonuses to some prior service members according to location and the needs of the AF Reserve.  Any AF Reserve recruiter can provide details for your specific AFSC and base.

Also, try chatting on-line, live, with a Reserve advisor at:

http://66.209.95.13/livechat/livehelp.php?page=livehelp
php%26department=1%26tab=1

or talk to an advisor by calling 1-800-257-1212.

However, please wait one more month before trying again.  The new waiver quotas come out on Oct 1, and you want to be first in line to get one.  We want to stack the deck in your favor as much as possible.

Thanks for serving,
Colonel Howell