School Alternate

[Epiloo]

Does anybody have any experience as a school alternate?  When were you notified of your selection (or non-selection)?  Did your CFM communicate with you at all during the wait?

Edited December 16, 2018 by Epiloo

[Swizzle]

I know a guy. He didn't hear anything his alternate year; got picked up next year as primary. 

No CFM contact, unless it's to load a RIP offering a school spot. Maybe the CFM is your bro gouges you up', probably not. CFMs exists to support needs of the AF, Senior leaders create that need.

He did learn a DEDB Master OOM exists, but will never be disclosed. It ranks DEDB candidates, selects and alternates. It's used when an alternate is activated. Sometimes alternates are activated by rank order, other times skipping order until a prerequisite of slot is achieved. Sometimes political MAJCOM shenanigans fight and achieve skipping the next qualified alternate, perhaps that's after cold-calling an alternate to determine their desire or even maybe for (or to manufacture) an operational deferment. All kinds of politically inspired admin games are played. 

Just wait, be patient, realize Senior Leadership (DT & WG/CC) will be watching and call upon you if they desire.

 

[daynightindicator]

I went as an alternate. Your CC will notify you if you get picked up. It can be anytime up to about a week or two from the class start date.

However, if your notification is inside 120 days to the report date, you can turn down the assignment without prejudice. I did this successfully and got picked up as an alternate again the following year, with a better school assignment.

[Swizzle]

At Maxwell this year there was a gal picked 3 days before class started. She PCA'd across the street. 

[Pitt4401]

So notification could come at any time or not at all.

Allow me to explain, Mother Blue has done her best to let folks decline school without ill-will. But the thing is, lots of folks won't shit or get off the pot until March-May... As a result, they greatly reduce the time for folks downstream to make a decision.

I am at ACSC as a student right now, I can tell you school leadership was having plenty of no-shows by RNLTD... As a result a small rush was on with AFPC to get folks headed to the school house. 

 

 

[Cooter]

We had a guy show two weeks after the rest of us because that's when he was notified and a friend of mine found out a week or so before RNLTD.  Bottom line, all bets are off.  I've told guys the last couple years , "if you're an alternate, plan to go last minute." There seems to be a trend of exhausting the alternate list as of late (weird...).

Be careful what you wish for.  After two months of school taught by wannabe Gen Patton's, and then to follow it up with 2 years of Joint tour (that's a post in of itself)? More instances in my career of, "just do [insert USAF paid advertisement] and you'll be set up." 

That's how I find myself back in the AFG, best choice I've made in 4 years is stick with what I love doing [J-O-B].

Personal anecdote so take it for what it's worth.

Cooter

 

[frog]

I got picked up three weeks from school start at a joint school. It was a great experience, and I landed an embassy job after school. It hurt to leave the squadron on such short notice, but things have worked out. I lucked out...I would probably not be a happy camper if I went to the Pentagon after school...leaving the squadron just wouldn’t be worth it.

Standard disclaimer: I’m a CE guy, so I’m not getting pulled out of a cockpit to go to school.

 

[link]

School sounds awesome...just another hack at ASBC and SOS. All the while you get to lose all your quals while you’re at it. 

[drewpey]

11 hours ago, link said:

School sounds awesome...just another hack at ASBC and SOS. All the while you get to lose all your quals while you’re at it. 

Or an entire year of not constantly putting out fires, being home for dinner and tucking the kids.  I know it's hard to imagine, but not everyone puts their "quals" at the top of their priority list.

[celtic020]

I was an alternate last year --- they notified me about 2 months prior to the ACSC start date that I had been bumped up off the alternate list.  It was my second look....so I declined without prejudice and re-competed in my third look and got picked up for CGSC.  Obviously, every situation is different and there are a LOT of factors that go into any decision (family, joint credit, timing, etc); my sense is that a lot more third look dudes are getting picked up for good schools due to the new policy of no-school selects so it may be worth rolling the dice if you can get a good nomination from your senior rater.   I am not a shiny penny by any stretch of the imagination and was able to get something pretty good in my last look after being alternate in my second look.  Best of luck amigo.