View Full Version : Interservice transfer
Hello to all, I am new to this forum and I must say that there is a great wealth of information. Thank you all for sharing your experiences!
I am currently enrolled in the Air Force ROTC program at my university. I will be graduating in approximately 1 year, and not being able to apply for a position as a Special Tactics Officer for bureaucratic reasons, for quite some time I've been interested in finding out more about the opportunities that the Army
Special Forces offer. Now, obviously this is not a spur of the moment decision,
but I have investigated this issue seriously. Although I believe it might be too late to transfer to the Army ROTC program, I've heard about interservice transfers. I haven't discussed this option yet with the AFROTC cadre at my university, but I have contacted a SF captain in charge of placing officers in SFAS (https://www.hrc.army.mil/site/active/opsf/FRONotes.htm). Unfortunately he has not responded yet, so maybe someone here has some knowledge of the subject.
My questions are:
1) Besides what I've done so far, what do you suggest be my course of action in order to investigate further the transfer opportunity once I commission as a 2LT in the Air Force?
2) I've noticed that in the following webpage, https://www.hrc.army.mil/site/active/opsf/FRONotes.htm, if am correct,
there is a list of officers selected for accession into Special
Forces, and two of them are listed as "USAF". Does this mean they were
selected directly from their Air Force occupation? Can you explain? Is
that a process you would recommend I undertake?
3) If opt for the interservice transfer, will I have a choice in MOS I
will be assigned in? Is one better than the other to be selected for
SFAS? Would I need to wait until I am a 1LT before I can apply for
SFAS?
I would like to thank you all very much for your time and availability
despite you most likely have an extremely busy schedule. I look
forward to your responses.
dmo
The Reaper
06-27-2005, 16:21
1. Fill in your profile.
2. Read all of the Introductions and stickies at the top of the forums.
3. Good manners would be to introduce yourself before soliciting responses like this on your first day here. A good SF soldier would survey the area quietly and gather intel before jumping in with both feet.
4. Learn to operate the "Search" button in the upper right hand corner of this board.
5. Officers only have one SF MOS, 18A. Your knowledge could use some google-fu.
This does not reflect well on your suitability for SF training.
Good luck.
TR
Dustin03
06-27-2005, 17:24
why not just ask one of your instructors?
The Reaper
06-27-2005, 17:31
why not just ask one of your instructors?
Do you think that an AF ROTC instructor can answer questions about Army SF or Inter-service transfers to another program?
Feel free to stay out of discussions that you cannot answer, and leave that to the QPs here.
TR
Do you think that an AF ROTC instructor can answer questions about Army SF or Inter-service transfers to another program?i wonder how that would go over, scholarship-wise...?
must be Monday...SA is low...
1. Fill in your profile.
2. Read all of the Introductions and stickies at the top of the forums.
- I apologize for not following the forum instructions, took care of it. I am guilty just like many ppl, of not reading signs and instructions sometimes :) sorry!
3. Good manners would be to introduce yourself before soliciting responses like this on your first day here. A good SF soldier would survey the area quietly and gather intel before jumping in with both feet.
- Once again, I apologize for asking so many questions right away, but I will be leaving tomorrow for an AF training program and will not be back for 5 weeks, so I thought I could get an answer before that just for my mind's sake. I didn't mean to put pressure on anybody.
4. Learn to operate the "Search" button in the upper right hand corner of this board.
- I did, I just couldn't find answers that satisfied me to my particular questions (the second question in particular about those USAF members)
5. Officers only have one SF MOS, 18A. Your knowledge could use some google-fu.
- I understand the SF officer's MOS is 18A, but I meant about what MOS would be best before I'd apply for SFAS as far as preparing me for it. I know that the physical training is really up to you, but maybe as far as land nav, etc, there might be a particular MOS which gives a good foundatio to work upon.
This does not reflect well on your suitability for SF training.
- I didn't mean to start things on the wrong foot. I won't be able to message back for 5 weeks, but I hope to get some more feedback from the members of this forum, especially the "Quiet Professionals", for which I hold the utmost respect and I look forward to being a part of in the future.
Good luck.
TR
- Thanks once again,
dmo
- I understand the SF officer's MOS is 18A, but I meant about what MOS would be best before I'd apply for SFAS as far as preparing me for it. you want to be an infantry officer, in my opinion...
The Reaper
06-28-2005, 08:06
dmo:
You would have to do an AF job for a while and be selected for an inter-service transfer in a very narrow window. Frankly, it is pretty rare to see a former AF officer being selected in a Year Group. I have seen a couple of Marine officers make it. There are few, if any AF officer specialty codes outside of the PJ or CCT fields that would give you much to build on for SF. Ranger School would be helpful, if you can get it.
The odds are better of applying for a commission as an Army officer and applying for SF in due course. That would remove the hassle of a branch transfer which could be denied by either the Army, or the AF. The majority of SF officers start out as Infantry officers. That branch also has the benefit of providing skills and training that would be of benefit to you in training and in an SF career. Can you transfer from AFROTC to Army ROTC?
There is a specific time to apply for SFAS. As an officer, you will have to be selected to attend, this will depend on the needs of the Army, and your records will be scrubbed for your academic performance, OERs, letters, etc. If you are selected for SFAS, you will have to attend in a very narrow window and you will compete against some of the best young officers in the Army. Officers normally only get one shot at SFAS due to timing issues. You make it and pass the selection board at SFAS, you can initiate the Branch transfer and PCS to the SFQC. Miss the dates, get hurt, come up short, have a bad day at the board, and you are out for good. I mention that to point out that you better be ready when you come to SFAS. Bring your A Game then.
HTH. Good luck.
TR
Warrior-Mentor
06-28-2005, 19:16
DMO,
My questions/answers are:
1. Do you want to be Army Special Forces, Army Officer, USAF Officer or what? Making up your mind is the first step. Get clear on what you want. You become what you think about. If you don't know what you want, how can we help you?
2. The names of USAF Officers listed there are likely officers staying in the USAF. For example, we had a Marine Officer in my SFQC. They are likely part of the "Crow" (CRO) Career Field (new to USAF, "Crows" are Combat Rescue Officers). If you want to be a CRO - go for it.
3. IF you want to be SF and IF you do an interservice transfer, you want to be Infantry IF you want to SF. Infantry skills are the foundation of what you need to be successful at SFAS and in the SFQC and as an SF Trooper.
4. Ask the FRO about when you can apply IF you tranfer to US Army.
Good luck,
JM
warrior-mentor.com
P.S. New quote worthy of the Reaper... "Read or Bleed." Should be a new motto for this site.