Expert: Rod Powers - 3/30/2007

Question
QUESTION: Mr. Powers,

I have recently been in contact with an Air Force recruiter.  Based on my MBA and high GPA (3.9), the recruiter believes that I have a pretty good chance of being selected for OTS.  That bring me to my question:  I have read some of your articles that state the Air Force is actually cutting some positions within the officer ranks.  If I would be selected and accept, I would have the intentions of making the Air Force my career.  My question is, what happens to an officer who has been in the military for 10 to 15 years and is then asked to leave before his twenty years are up?  Does he/she get any partial retirement benefits?  The recruiter told me that they would "probably get partial benefits", but I trusted you to give me a straight answer.

In addition to that question, I am wondering what a day in the life of a health care administrator would entail.  I envision being stationed at an Air Force hospital within the states.  Is that a fair assumption, or way off the mark?

I want to thank you in advance for your help!
ANSWER: Hi Blake,

So far, for the Air Force Officer "downsizing," they've been cutting from the lower officer ranks (year groups). Right now, they're looking at officers at 6 to 12 years of service in overmanned career fields for possible separation.

I don't think the Air Force is currently cutting the officer Health Services Field Field 41), as part of this downsizing (if they were, your chances of getting an accession slot would be slim).

But, to answer your question, under current law, enlisted personnel and officers who are involuntarily separated, due to a reduction in force, who have more than six years of service, but less than 20 years of service (retirement eligible), are entitled to involuntary separation pay (see current involuntary separation paychart at: http://usmilitary.about.com/od/2007paycharts/a/seppay.htm.

In such cases, one is entitled to the involuntary separation pay, but no other retirement benefits (no commissary, medical care, etc.).

The last time the Military did a massive downsizing (early to mid 1990s), the services conducted early retirement boards, and offered early volunteer retirements for members with more than 15 or more years of service, but less than 20 years of service. Under special Congressional law, these individuals received early retirement pay (2.5 percent of their basic pay per month for each year of military service) and retained military benefits (just like other retired members), but that provision under the law has expired. To happen again, Congress would have to authorize it.

I spend two years as the First Sergeant of an Air Force Medical Group (Air Force Hospital). In the Administrator Field (Career Field 41), you'll be assigned (most likely) to an Air Force medical facility, either in the states, or overseas (my experience in an Air Force Medical Group was at Osan Air Base, in Korea). In the lower officer ranks (O-1 through O-3), you'll be put in charge (Officer in Charge, or OIC) of various medical administrative sections (such as budget, orderly room, supply, facilities management, etc. From the rank of O-1 through O-3 (or O-4), you'll rotate through these various sections to gain knowledge, training, and experience. At the rank of O-4 or O-5, you'll be considered for a slot as a "Hospital Administrator," ie, the right-hand person in the Group for all Hospital administrative functions.

Hope this helps!

Rod Powers
http://usmilitary.about.com


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: First off, I just want to thank you again for providing this service.  My decision to potentially join the military is one that I will not take lightly.

I understand that if selected as an Air Force officer, my initial length of duty will be 4 years.  I was wondering how the re-enlistment (for lack of a better word) process is taken care of.  Do you commit for an additional 4 years?...or less?  I was also wondering the rotation of assignments.  Would a serviceman be switched from domestic and abroad locations every few years?

As you can tell with my initial question, I am interested in the avg. officer's career path (promotional ranks). One of my concerns would be that I would invest a good deal of time (say 10 to 15 years) and then would be asked to leave the service (surrendering 15 years of retirement eligibility).   From what I gathered, an O-3 must make 0-4 by his tenth year (80% selection rate) and O-5 by his 16th year (70% selection rate).  Would it be safe to say that if you make it to 0-5, you should be given the opportunity to serve the 20 years for retirement?  In addition to that, what could a young officer do to better his chances of selection into the more senior ranks (O-4 to O-6)?

Sorry for the barrage of questions.

Answer
Hi Blake,

Unlike enlisted, commissioned officers do not re-enlist. Once their initial service obligation is complete, they remain in the service until they either request separation, or are separated from the Military due to certain actions (such as failure to get promoted).

Now, certain things will add to an officer's "service commitment." For example, if one accepts a promotion, that generally adds time onto one's service commitment, from the date of promotion (usually two years). If one accepts certain schools, that generally adds time onto their active duty service commitment, from the date of graduation from the school (exactly how much time, depends on the cost/length of the school). On average (although this isn't always the case), the added service commitment is twice the length of the school/training program, computed from the date of graduation from the school/training program.

If one accepts an assignment, the added service commitment is generally for the length of that new assignment..... etc.

When the Air Force reassigns a member, it costs them big bucks. They have to pay the moving costs of the military member and his/her dependents. Therefore, they've established minimum time-on-station policies for both enlisted and officer, consistent with meetings the "needs of the service," providing assignment opportunities to expand "breath of experience" (which is necessary for promotion consideration for officers), and saving costs.

While there are exceptions (every rule has an exception), in general, the minimum time-on-station requirements for officers to move from one state-side location to another is 36 months. The minimum TOS requirements to move stateside to overseas is 24 months. The minimum time to move from overseas to another overseas assignment, or back to the states, depends on the "tour length" established for that particular overseas location. It ranges from 12 months to 48 months, depending on several factors (including location, tour options, and whether dependents are relocated at government expense).

For an overview of officer promotions, see my article at: http://usmilitary.about.com/od/promotions/l/blofficerprom.htm. If you make it to the rank of O-4, you can generally stay in for 20 years (and qualify for retirement), even if you don't get selected to O-5. If you don't make it to O-4, and are separated due to not being selected for promotion, you would be eligible to continue your service as an enlisted member in most cases (usually with an initial enlistment rank of E-5), or -- if discharged, you'll be eligible for involuntary separation pay (if you have six or more years of service). For 2007 amounts, see the charts at: http://usmilitary.about.com/od/2007paycharts/a/seppay.htm.

How do you get promoted? Officer promotions are based on promotion boards which examine the overall military record. In other words, to make O-4, your military records have to be in the top 80 percent of everyone who is competing that year for promotion within your particular AFSC (job).

The primary factor taken into consideration is your performance, based on your OPRs (Officer Performance Reports). In other words, you keep your boss happy (usually your commanding officer and/or flight commander). Other factors taken into consideration are education level (to make O-4, it's almost necessary to have a Masters Degree, or above), breath of experience (diversity of assignments you've had within your AFSC. In other words, for an MSC, did you spend your entire career working in one or two sections, or did you take the opportunity to move around to different sections to get a broad view about the job?) In other words, if you're offered assignment opportunities to get different perspectives on your AFSC, did you take them, or did you just say "no thanks.....I'm comfortable with what I'm doing now?"

Additionally, within these assignments, what were your accomplishments? Did you establish new procedures within your duty assignment that saved the Air Force time, money, or manpower? What did you do in the assignment that puts you above your contemporaries?

I've often described young officers as "all afterburner and no rudder." That means many of them streak "full speed ahead," working 12 to 15 hours per day, trying to develop new programs and procedures to get themselves noticed by their supervisor(s)/commander.

As a young officer, want to develop/inplement really effective programs that will actually help (and still get you noticed?) Don't be afraid to solicit advice from your med-level and Senior NCOs. These people have been doing the job for several years and know more about what will work (and why) and what won't work (and why) than you (as an officer with a college degree, but no/limited experience in the actual job) will ever know.

In my experience, junior officers often owe their promotions, assignments, OPR ratings, and advancements to the enlisted and noncommissioned officers under their command. Take advantage of this experience, and you can go far. Lord it over the enlisted members under your command, because you'e an officer and have a college degree, and they'll take you down. Listen to your senior enlisted and Mid-level NCOs. Heck, listed to your junior enlisted, as well.

Hope this helps!

Rod Powers
http://usmilitary.about.com