Expert: Rod Powers - 5/15/2007

Question
QUESTION: Hi Mr. Powers I am planning on becoming an Air Force officer, but I would like to know how to get myself on the fast track for promotions.  I spent 4 1/2 years active duty navy enlisted and I KNOW there is a way to do it and a way not to.  I haven't settled on a specific field either because I don't know where the best future lies.  I know I am a lifer and I want to get as far up the chain as possible.  I just don't know the best route.
ANSWER: Hi Andrew,

Okay, I'm not 100 percent sure what you're asking? I'm not even sure whether you are "competitive" for an Air Force commission, let alone whether or not you would be promoted as a commissioned officer. Do you have a college degree? If so, in what field? What is your college GPA?

First of all, unless you're trying to become a pilot or a navigator, the only way to get in the Air Force these days, as a commission officer (except in the medical field) is to have a hard-science degree (math, physics, chemestry, electronics, computer science, aeonatical engineering, engineering, chemestry, etc), with a college GPA of 3.5 or above, and a high score on the Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT).

For Pilots and Navigators, any degree is acceptable, but you still need a high GPA (3.7 or above) and high scores (very high scores) on the Pilot/Navigator Sections of the AFOQT, plus pass the vision and flight class medical physical for flying duty.

Which of these two categories do you fall under?

Rod Powers
http://usmilitary.about.com


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

QUESTION: Getting a commission is not my issue.  I'm a computer science major with a good gpa, I have already taken the AFOQT, and I'm doing AFROTC.  My question is:  What is the best route to make it to a 1 star? Who are the right people to know?  Which career field has a higher promotion percentage?  Which tours are the career makers?  I know I have to shine to get promoted but there are many small things that help out quite a bit along the way.  My old intel officer said there were only maybe 5 admirals in his field so his odds of making it there were slim to none.  I don't want to pursue a career in a field where my ceiling is very low.  "Unless someone dies I'm not getting promoted."

Answer
Hi Andrew,

Officer promotions in the Air Force (especially in the senior ranks are complicated, and rather political).

First of all, when speaking of general officer ranks, it depends a lot on jobs.

For example, the Navy is all about ships. In order to have a decent shot at becoming a flag officer (admiral), in most cases, one must be, what the Navy calls an "unrestricted line officer." It's kind of hard to explain this particular Navy concept, but -- in short -- these are officers that are trained and educated throughout their careers in running Naval shipping operations (and this includes rated officers such as pilots and navigators). In the Navy, Unrestricted Line Officers are trained, through their careers to ultimately become captains on ships, which is generally an O-6 position, and those who "make the grade," get selected as O-7 (the first of the "admiral grades,") and work their way on up from there to (ultimately) command task forces, and battle groups.

As the Navy is all about ships, the Air Force is all about flying. As such, the vast majority of Air Force "general officers" (officers in the rank of O-7 or above) are rated officers (pilots or navigators).

As with the Navy, non-rated fields, such as Intel, Aircraft Maintenance, Personnel, Finance, Logistics, civil engineering, etc., do have general officers (one or two stars, for each of these career fields, at the max), but there is usually only between 1-4 in these non-rated fields, and they usually work staff-jobs at the Pentagon.

If you want a decent chance of becoming a "general officer" in the Air Force, you become a pilot or a navigator (among the two, pilots have a better chance of ultimately becoming general officers). That's what the Air Force is all about -- flying.

It's not "fair," but that's the way it is. The very best commander I ever met in the Air Force, as a first sergeant, was an O-6 (Colonel) "David Robson." He had the common sense, intelligence, and direct-job-knowledge that many senior officers don't possess. Unfortunately, his career field was logistics, which only has about five general officer positions in the the entire Air Force. He knew that 26 years in the Air Force and O-6 was the end of his career, and I knew it, as well. Sadly, the AF would have been much better if they would have let him stay (even at the rank of O-6) for longer, and let him command a Supply Squadron. There weren't any better.

But, both of us realized that allowing him to stay on longer as an O-6 (Colonel) means there would be one less Supply O-5 who could get promoted to O-6.

In short, if you want the best chance of making general officer in the Air Force, you need to be a pilot or navigator, and pilots have a better chance than navigators.

Later, in your career (O-4 and above), it also becomes about what assignments you get, and what you do to further your education and experience. But, that's not something you should even be thinking about at this point. You'll have alot of "hoops to jump through" before you get to that point of your career.

For more information about the United States Military, feel free to visit my U.S. Military Information Site at: http://usmilitary.about.com.

Hope this helps!

Rod Powers
http://usmilitary.about.com