The Air Force's next round of Officer Training School selections has been delayed — but the later announcement could be a good thing for aspiring officers.
The Air Force originally planned to announce on April 10 which enlisted airmen and civilians had been selected for the 15OT02 non-rated officer board. But in an April email, Air Force Recruiting Service spokeswoman Christa D'Andrea said the selections are projected to be announced May 1.
D'Andrea said the release date was pushed back to make sure the Recruiting Service can meet the Air Force's fiscal 2016 requirements for OTS candidates. She said projected release dates are occasionally adjusted, and the move is not unusual.
When asked if the delay would allow the Air Force to admit a higher number of applicants than it normally would have, D'Andrea said, "Yes, we have a recommended selection of additional applicants." She did not specify how many additional applicants.
Most of the candidates selected for this round will attend OTS at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama in 2016, D'Andrea said. But a small number of selects could attend at the end of fiscal 2015, "based on current Air Force requirements."
The Air Force in March selected 228 active-duty enlisted airmen and civilians for the first round of OTS. This was out of 453 applications, resulting in a selection rate of 50.33 percent. Fifty of those selectees were enlisted, the rest were civilians.
When deciding who should attend OTS, the selection board reviews applicants' academic discipline, grade point average and Air Force Officer Qualifying Test scores, as well as subjective measures such as work experience, accomplishments, adaptability, character, leadership ability, and potential for future growth.
For enlisted airmen, the board also evaluates performance reports and commanders' recommendations.
The selection process is similar to an officer promotion board, and three colonels review every application.
In the last few weeks, dozens of aspiring officers have been discussing the OTS delay in the online forum on AirForceOTS.com, and eagerly anticipating an announcement.
"After last week [without an announcement], I've been telling everyone I should know by Christmas," said one commenter.
Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter for Defense News. He previously covered leadership and personnel issues at Air Force Times, and the Pentagon, special operations and air warfare at Military.com. He has traveled to the Middle East to cover U.S. Air Force operations.
