Expert: Rod Powers - 5/20/2007

Question
I am currently an active duty E-5 in the Army looking for a career change.  I am a petroleum supply specialist(aviation fuel handler)  I also have a secondary mos of 11B, from prior service.  I am 30 years old.  All options open.  I also have an active secret security clearence and am applying for my TS.  Am I able to change services to Air Force?  If not any other advice?

Answer
Hi Ryan,

I'm afraid your chances are small.....very small.

Enlisted members cannot simply transfer from one branch of the Military to another. There are three exceptions to this rule: (1) Members of the Reserves can get a "conditional release" to be released from the Reserves if they are accepted for active duty (see: http://usmilitary.about.com/od/guardandreserve/a/reservetransfer.htm).

(2) Because the Air Force and Navy currently have too many enlisted and are "downsizing," and the Army has too few enlisted and are increasing in size, members of the Air Force and Navy in "overmanned" jobs can apply to leave Air Force and Navy active duty early, in order to "transfer" to the Army, under a program called "Blue to Green." (see: http://usmilitary.about.com/od/armyjoin/a/artransfer.htm).

(3) Enlisted members in any branch can apply for early separation from their branch (with an approved "Conditional Release") if they are accepted for a commissioning program (such as OCS/OTS) in another branch.

Other than these three programs, you can not simply "transfer" from one active duty branch to another. In order to enlist in the Air Force, you would first have to separate from the Army, and then apply to enlist in the Air Force, as a prior-service recruit (see: http://usmilitary.about.com/od/joiningthemilitary/a/priorservice.htm).

However, that's unlikely to happen. The fact of the matter is that the Air Force is undergoing a massive down-sizing right now (they are planning to reduce in size by about 40,000 troops in the next few years), and simply aren't accepting any prior-service applicants, unless they are already training and qualified in an AFSC (job) that the Air Force considers "critical." This means already qualified in jobs such as pararescue, combat controller, or linguist.

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