SOS/ACSC information

[Fifty-six & Two]

Has anyone heard any rumblings on whether they are opening up more IDE slots for candidates this year?

[backseatdriver]

Has anyone heard any rumblings on whether they are opening up more IDE slots for candidates this year?

It's supposed to be about an 80/20 select/candidate split on the list this year. Source: O-7 WG/CC

[tac airlifter]

How does that ratio compare to last year? Seems like there were only a few alternate slots for candidates last year; slim pickings.

[Herk Driver]

Last year was one or two candidates per DT from what I understand.

Posted from the NEW Baseops.net App!

[backseatdriver]

Last year was one or two candidates per DT from what I understand.

Posted from the NEW Baseops.net App!

Checks. Last year HAF directed that each DT could only have one candidate on their primary list - all the other seats had to be filled by selects. They did allow candidates on the alternate list, and have allowed DTs to pull candidates off the alternate list to send to school this year. Source: Outbriefs from SOF and CAF DTs.

So having 20% of the list being candidates this year is a sizeable increase over last year.

Edited August 13, 2014 by backseatdriver

[Ram]

Rumor has it that the select/candidate ratio last year was a sequestration-induced "panic," in which HAF worried that school budgets would fall-off and make the USAF unable to get all selects to school in 3 looks.

Perhaps the pendulum will swing the other way just a bit. Good news.

[JS]

Anybody in ACSC at Maxwell right now or graduated in the past year or two? Trying to gather some intel as far as time off, day to day stuff, etc. for the coming academic year.

[DirkDiggler]

I'm here now. I can answer most questions you probably have, let me know your specifics and I'll pass along as much as I can

[slackline]

Anybody in ACSC at Maxwell right now or graduated in the past year or two? Trying to gather some intel as far as time off, day to day stuff, etc. for the coming academic year.

Unless you read everything, you have tons of free time. It was one of my bosses that told me, "It's only a lot of reading if you read it all..."

Plenty of vacation/down time as well. At least more than I've ever had.

[sigmanugary]

Hey guys, I was just picked up for IDE on my Major's board. I'm reading over some of the 2014 officer developmental education stuff and it states that folks headed to ACSC need to complete the DLAB. Do any of you guys have any insight why this is necessary? I understand why this would be needed for international/political affairs track guys but not the standard prgm. Also, I'm interested in either SAMS or SAASS if possible as a follow on. If any of you guys have any advice on how to get picked up for either these advanced courses please let me know.

Edited February 23, 2015 by sigmanugary

[HossHarris]

How's your gag reflex?

[slackline]

Also, I'm interested in either SAMS or SAASS if possible as a follow on. If any of you guys have any advice on how to get picked up for either these advanced courses please let me know.

Yeah, be someone who is a shoe-in for BTZ and an obvious fast burner. They pick guys they know will make O-6 so they can say it's because of their attendance to SAASS. Otherwise, it's a records review and a garbage paper they won't read.

[Skitzo]

Hey guys, I was just picked up for IDE on my Major's board. I'm reading over some of the 2014 officer developmental education stuff and it states that folks headed to ACSC need to complete the DLAB. Do any of you guys have any insight why this is necessary? I understand why this would be needed for international/political affairs track guys but not the standard prgm. Also, I'm interested in either SAMS or SAASS if possible as a follow on. If any of you guys have any advice on how to get picked up for either these advanced courses please let me know.

Sigh, typical haterade on here for this sort of question so I will say congrats for getting picked up.

Don't slow down like some selects and utilize the old chain of command. Odds are that someone in it has been to an ASG. Expressing your desire for this as a career goal during an OPD session would be a good way to start.

Disclaimer: I am not a school select.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[11F]

ASGs aren't necessarily the best idea. You can end up getting pigeon-holed into some jobs that aren't very enjoyable.

Before you apply, ask yourself if you are applying because you love joint planning & strategic thinking or because you want something good for your career. From my experience, most are convinced either by themselves or their commanders that it's the best career move and end up kinda miserable for a year.

Full disclosure: I applied because my commanders convinced me to, I didn't get picked up, and I'm glad I didn't. In my opinion, it hasn't hurt my career. YMMV

Also, the DLAB for ACSC requirement is either new since I filled out my 3849 in 2012, or its erroneous, and I was on the PAS list.

[zach braff]

Believe DLAB is required because ACSC has a language requirement while you're there, who knows though My DLAB is done already so non-issue here.

I know several SAASS grads and a bud is a current SAASS student and loves it. At least among those guys, and regardless of some of the cynic posts here...none of them are "careerists," all great dudes. My guess is the selection board can differentiate who wants to become a strategist and who just wants to be a colonel/general. I figure I'll throw in an app when the time comes because getting paid to read and argue for a year doesn't seem like a bad deal.

zb

[Crown]

I'm here now as well...no language requirement, but taking a language is optional in the afternoons (outside of the normal class schedule). They told us that they would put something nifty on your training report like "followed CSAFs vision with advanced language program," for whoever partook. But the languages have no grading or quantifying criteria other than sitting through the class, or at least as many as you would like to attend. Either way, its nice that the instructors are available for those who want to pursue, but it is not needlessly forced on everyone.

As far as the language requirement, I think the DLAB is mainly for applying to certain foreign schools through the 3849 process, rather than ACSC itself.

[sigmanugary]

Thx guys, yea I guess I'll just have to wait and see about the DLAB. Also, I've heard similar stuff about SAASS. My last CC was a grad and he told me about how hard it was but not how he put in for it/got picked up. I have no desire to make anything beyond O-5 I just want to keep learning.

[ThreeHoler]

Are you talking about your vector? Because everyone's vector contains "complete DLAB" unless you have a score already.

The DLAB is used if you want to do foreign IDE or other special programs.

If you want an ASG program, step one is to talk to your CoC and step two is to put it on your 3849.

Edited February 24, 2015 by ThreeHoler

[Bender]

Because everyone's vector contains "complete DLAB" unless you have a score already.

That is not part of everyone's vector, even if one doesn't have a score recorded. No clue why one would and one wouldn't.

Bendy

[Bender]

I have no desire to make anything beyond O-5 I just want to keep learning.

That's a fucking joke, right?

Here is part of the problem: SAASS is not required to "keep learning". In fact, it's not necessary for learning period. Turns out nothing about professional military education requires attendance to learn. Every single ounce is readily available almost every single day.

PME, SAASS included, is a specific opportunity that will enhance promotion opportunities within the current scheme. If provided the syllabus and readings, how much more do you think you'll learn by attending? Mind you, there are plenty of people you work with you could discuss this or, gasp, teach the stuff you learn to every day, already around you.

If you need SAASS to get promotion to O-5, I respectfully ask you to just fly the line until you punch. If you decide you want to be an O-6, doing this or not shouldn't even be a factor (it may be, which is horse shit).

If these programs were sufficiently challenging, there would be a worthy discrimination...we choose to preserve the path over the quality of the future.

Talk to your mentor(s), do what you think is right for you, then rethink about how you feel about your "learning options".

Good luck, sigmanugary. You're in a good place, just leave it better than you found it.

Bendy

Edited February 24, 2015 by Bender

[sqwatch]

That's a ######ing joke, right?

Here is part of the problem: SAASS is not required to "keep learning". In fact, it's not necessary for learning period. Turns out nothing about professional military education requires attendance to learn. Every single ounce is readily available almost every single day.

PME, SAASS included, is a specific opportunity that will enhance promotion opportunities within the current scheme. If provided the syllabus and readings, how much more do you think you'll learn by attending? Mind you, there are plenty of people you work with you could discuss this or, gasp, teach the stuff you learn to every day, already around you.

If you need SAASS to get promotion to O-5, I respectfully ask you to just fly the line until you punch. If you decide you want to be an O-6, doing this or not shouldn't even be a factor (it may be, which is horse shit).

If these programs were sufficiently challenging, there would be a worthy discrimination...we choose to preserve the path over the quality of the future.

Talk to your mentor(s), do what you think is right for you, then rethink about how you feel about your "learning options".

Good luck, sigmanugary. You're in a good place, just leave it better than you found it.

Bendy

LOL

[Nineline]

So, in the last few posts...

One person referenced an "OPB" while another recommended a discussion with a "mentor." I'm just curious... How many bro's have a mentor guiding them through the fog of their career? And how many have had a no-shit worthwhile "OPB" and not some box checking meaningless feedback that was required for their OPR?

I dunno, maybe I'm the outcast that never had a mentor. Or maybe, just maybe, that shit only happens if you've been knighted as the wing's golden boy.

What say you?

-9-

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[Chuck17]

If provided the syllabus and readings, how much more do you think you'll learn by attending?

Bendy, I'm with you except for this ^

The second year is more what the first year should be, or at least in my mind. But not everyone that goes to in-res PME can handle the second year, and certainly many who don't attend a second year could and should.

Discourse and discussion of the ideas presented are the main ways learning takes place - from peers, instructors, docs, etc, from their disection and digestion of the material. It's really what makes the course worthwhile. The 4-8 hours of prep time per class pays off in the classroom, and hopefully in what you take away from the extra year, take back to the force. I'd offer that you could conceivably do this (read, discuss, learn) outside the school environment with peers in a unit. But I think you'll agree it doesn't happen that way, not to the extent it does in what amounts to a closed-off learning laboratory.

Sigma - I applied to 3 different ASG schools last year, PM me if you're looking for more info.

Chuck

[Bender]

And how many have had a no-shit worthwhile "OPB" and not some box checking meaningless feedback that was required for their OPR?

I've had two quality formal feedback sessions in my entire career. You know the kind where my rater knew I was coming, had thought about it, and wrote some shit down before I got there. That's not a very good percentage. Personally, the "no-shit worthwhile" feedback has always been a result of me knocking on the door and me asking the question.

I could hope that the majority of people I rate on would say they got something out of sitting down with me for the sole purpose of providing feedback. I don't know if they would call it "no-shit worthwhile", that's a pretty high bar.

I think that it's important to set expectations and provide mentoring during formal sessions, but "no-shit worthwhile" feedback on job performance occurs outside of the formal structure real-time.

For as many times I've said I would never do it, the "sign this, let me know if you have questions and oh back fighting that war for us" feedback occur more than it should. In a perfect world it wouldn't at all, but the experience you seem to have is not uncommon.

I dunno, maybe I'm the outcast that never had a mentor. Or maybe, just maybe, that shit only happens if you've been knighted as the wing's golden boy.

I've been about as far from "the wing's golden boy" as it gets...no exaggeration there. I've had many mentors...it's difficult because either they or I keep fucking PCS'ing and they never go to the same place as I do. It also turns out I'm still not very good at long distance relationships.

How do you define a mentor? At no time has anyone said, "will you be my mentor?" or "I'll be your mentor.", we're not getting married here...but, I've had at least, off the top of my head, five mentors. I wonder if they even know I consider them that? Some do, I think.

Bendy

Edited February 24, 2015 by Bender

[slackline]

Sigh, typical haterade on here for this sort of question so I will say congrats for getting picked up.

Don't slow down like some selects and utilize the old chain of command. Odds are that someone in it has been to an ASG. Expressing your desire for this as a career goal during an OPD session would be a good way to start.

Disclaimer: I am not a school select.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Unsure if directed at my comment. No haterade going on, just an observation. Is SAASS good, sure, but my comment still stands. I said nothing about being a careerist, only that they pick people they know are going to promote later on.

I am a school guy, have a few friends at SAASS now, and selected for next year. They aren't careerists, but it's obvious they are on an upwards vector. Not hating, just stating fact.