Is it Impossible for Me to Become an USAF Officer If My GPA is Below 3.2?

[JlAimi]

Hello,

I'm currently interested in joining the USAF for the officer program after I graduate from college.
I'm graduating in 4months.

I talked to the local recruiter, and he told me since my GPA is 3.0, I'm not even in the competition and I should be enlisted instead of being an officer.

He said I can start as an E-3 since I will have my Bachelor's degree, and after 1 year, I can apply for OTS.

I was wondering, if I join the Air Force as an enlisted, what is the possibility of me becoming an officer after a year or two. Is that common? Or should I push harder for the officer program now instead of being enlisted?

I heard from my enlisted friends that once you are enlisted, it's harder to become an officer than just applying as an officer.

Please let me know if that is the truth...

Thank you

[MrMiracle]

He lied, or he just doesn't really know the actual standards. I got into OTS with less than 3.0.

As for becoming an officer, you can send your package to OTS after you have been at your initial duty station for a full year on a 4-year enlistment. If you're on a 6 year enlistment, you can't submit until after 3 years. If you want OTS, don't be tempted by the money for the extra two years.

As for becoming an officer as a prior enlisted, its quite common. Fully three-quarters of my OTS class was prior enlisted, and not just Air Force. We had enlisted member from all four branches represented in our graduating class, as well as several from the reserves. The class before me was a bit less, perhaps less than half.

I say push with OTS and take it if you can get it. While you're waiting, take some time to explore your other enlistment options. Consider the reserves if you don't quite want to dive in head-first.

And last, but not least, if you do enlist the place to go for information is the Base Education Center. I would hold off on revealing your plans for commission to anyone else in your shop until after you've got your ducks in a row. Not everyone will respond well to your ambition.

[JlAimi]

Thank you for the information.

I'm glad to hear that I have a chance. I went to the Air Force official page, and talked to the recruiter online, and he said there is no such requirement or GPA standard like that.

I was afraid that I really didn't have any chance because he (the first recruiter that I talked to) even called me back few days later and tried to talk me into joining as enlisted.

Should I meet a different recruiter?

Again, thanks for replying and giving me suggestions.

[sigecaps]

Did you ask if the recruiter you were speaking with was an officer recruiter? I'm guessing you were talking to the enlisted side.

[JlAimi]

I'm not sure... I think when he introduced himself he said staff sergeant...

I wasn't sure if it was rude to ask if I'm talking to the officer or not...

[sigecaps]

That's not what I meant. Typically your officer recruiters are enlisted types too, but at some recruiting stations the job of recruiting for the officer corps and enlisted corps is split amongst the recruiters. When I took my friend to the recruiting station, and they found out he was interested in becoming an officer they sent him to a different recruiting station because "they handled officer applicants".

[JlAimi]

So maybe the recruiter I talked to wasn't for the officer recruiting..

I didn't know there were different recruiters.

Well, thank you for the information!

[ringjamesa]

The recruiter didn't lie. He didn't say you weren't QUALIFIED, he said you wouldn't be COMPETETIVE. And he was right. During and now after Force Shaping, the AF isn't looking for a whole lot of officers so they raise the bar by selecting fewer applicants. It isn't rocket science and just because you don't like the answer you got doesn't mean the recruiter lied.

[OIFCOMBATVETNYC]

Couldnt you become one with a 2.0? Well with the Army you can ;)

[ringjamesa]

Actually you can. It just depends on other factors-test scores, flying hours (if applying for UPT/UNT), who you know, gender, race..etc....etc....etc...

[JlAimi]

Thank you for the information!

I think if I have a chance, even if little, than I should try to apply for the officer program first...

[Worm]

You need to talk to either an ROTC detachment or an officer. The recruiters do it all the time trying to trick you into going enlisted first. There's a ton of rated officers out there (pilots and operators) that admit their GPA was in the 2.X range. Your chances really depend on whether there's a need for people and if the people you are being measured against have better credentials (connections count a lot too).

[JlAimi]

Again, thank you for your information.

I have two uncles who were AF officers and retired, and they were against me joining the military...but maybe I should ask them for information...

[AIRFORCEAGGIE]

I had a gpa below 3.0 and was commissioned. I....ahem.....partied a bit too much in my fraternity. :) However, my saving grace were my sats, gres scores and my afoqt. I scored well on them and they made up for the gpa. Remember, it is the whole concept and not just grades that factor into your selection.

[Gunjink]

If what you are saying is true, then this guy is a piece of garbage. In fact, if this were a different venue, I would ask his name and phone number to further investigate this man's recruiting practices. How many other people besides you sought to become officers but were convinced to enlist based on this garbage information? Regardless, this man is either a shameful discrace to the NCO corps for lying, or is a retard. I graduated with a 3.0 and am a pilot now.

[goldbadge]

If what you are saying is true, then this guy is a piece of garbage. In fact, if this were a different venue, I would ask his name and phone number to further investigate this man's recruiting practices. How many other people besides you sought to become officers but were convinced to enlist based on this garbage information? Regardless, this man is either a shameful discrace to the NCO corps for lying, or is a retard. I graduated with a 3.0 and am a pilot now.


Unsat.

What the recruiter was telling the guy is that the matrix we are given for rated OTS program shows a 3.0 GPA. If you are below that you are can still submit a package but the board will not even consider it unless you have a letter of reccomendation from a one star or higher.

Maybe back in the day the Air Force took anybody with a bachelors degeree but then force reshaping happened and those days are long over. If you have AFOQT scores that qualify for a rated position(pilot, Navigator, Air Battle manager) and you meet the matrix GPA(3.0) it is approx. 30% selection rate.

Its funny when Joe Bag O' Donuts walks into my office with non tech degree(non engineer) and thinks because he has 60k in college loan debt he has earned a non-tech OTS slot. THen I tell him even if he had a 3.0 GPA and and meets the afoqt reqs he is looking at a.......3% selection....Thats right....THREE PERCENT. Non tech is basically a program for people that know people or outstading gpa and afoqt scores.

If they are not an outstanding OTS applicant I steer them towards going enlisted for one year then applying because the prior service OTS selection rates are much higher. Or I suggest the dual track program where they apply to OTS and enlisted. IF they dont get picked up by OTS they can join as an e-3 and apply to prior enlisted OTS after a short time. If they are too arogant to try enlisted and meet matrix reqs I will write them a package and watch them work at Starbucks with there 60k non tech degree for months till the next board rolls around and they finally release results and they dont get picked up like I tried to tell them they wouldnt. You wouldnt believe the number of people who have spent 4+ years in college that come and enlist because they cant find a better job with thier expensive piece of paper.

So you can say bad things about the recuiter the original poster spoke to. You can call him garbage, a liar, and a retard like the true professional officer you claim to be. But in all reality the recuiter knows if a package will get picked up or not and this guys probably wasnt going to cut it. At least in my recruiting group we get a goal break for OTS applicants as well as enlisted applicants so it makes no since for him to steer the OP away from OTS unless it was going to be a huge waste of time.

[Unregistered]

Actually you can. It just depends on other factors-test scores, flying hours (if applying for UPT/UNT), who you know, gender, race..etc....etc....etc...
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wow, so race has a lot to do on getting picked huh?, Then my latino butt wil have a slim chance of getting picked, LOL! I joined with a bachelor's in business and at the time the USAF was not in demand for officers with my education. I decided to join enlisted and for the past two years I have love every day ot it. From getting recognitions and making BTZ, the enlisted core has treated me well. Now, as I get closer to my master's degree in transportation, I will give it a shot and compete in the OTS selection. I hope race, connections or whatever does not ruin my chances of getting pick. I love the air force and I want to be an officer. I want to produce more airmen like me., airmen that care about our core values.

[goldbadge]

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wow, so race has a lot to do on getting picked huh?, Then my latino butt wil have a slim chance of getting picked, LOL! I joined with a bachelor's in business and at the time the USAF was not in demand for officers with my education. I decided to join enlisted and for the past two years I have love every day ot it. From getting recognitions and making BTZ, the enlisted core has treated me well. Now, as I get closer to my master's degree in transportation, I will give it a shot and compete in the OTS selection. I hope race, connections or whatever does not ruin my chances of getting pick. I love the air force and I want to be an officer. I want to produce more airmen like me., airmen that care about our core values.


Actually your race probably increase your chance of gettting picked up for OTS. I know with enlistment we have a goal of hispanic/black/other and they are actually worth more than a "white" applicant in squadron competition points? I thought we were all created equal.