So my fiance and myself (OK, mostly me) are wondering when the heck we'll find out what his orders are for after he commissions? He got a pilot slot last March, goes for his flight physical the last week of August and will graduate and commission June 10, 2007. When do ROTC guys typicaly find out the when and where for their first base? Is there a typical order of what they do (ie. ASBC, then IFS, then UPT?) Does anyone know the typical wait for UPT right now? We're hoping to get married 3 weeks after he commissions - so I was just wondering what anyone else knew. Thanks!

I believe the typical wait between commissioning and starting UPT is about a year, give or take a few months. During that time he will be put on casual duty at a random base, and its possible that he will go to ASBC in that time.

Cadre at our det has implied that UPT and Casual bases probably won't be given until after the new year. So more "hurry up and wait"ing on the horizon. More than likely around January to February.

From my conversations with casual Lts (and my experience as a casual Lt), its anywhere from 6 months to a 13 months. You can call AFPC at Randolph and ask them when his UPT class start date is and you will know for sure how long to wait.

I commissioned in May and don't start UPT till next March. The earliest I've heard of is mid-February and the latest is next July... so it pretty much seems like a toss up.

From my personal experience I commissioned 10 May and started Ground training up at VN 12 June, though I already had my pilots license so that did away with the whole casual thing.

I commissioned 12 May this year, got married a week later, went on a 1.5 week honeymoon and then left 2 days later for ASBC. I'm now casual at Vance until starting in January. My advice would be to move the wedding up. Yes it's busy, but we managed with both of us graduating(me commissioning obviously) a week before the wedding and everything still worked well. He may not have to go anywhere until mid Jul, but he MAY have to go somewhere Jun 28th or whatever, better to play it safe and move the wedding up. If you do the wedding a week after commissioning, you should be 98% safe, three weeks out is gambling.

Originally posted by egochecks:

Cadre at our det has implied that UPT and Casual bases probably won't be given until after the new year. So more "hurry up and wait"ing on the horizon. More than likely around January to February.

I think you might have misread your cadre on the assignment dates. There are a ton of cadets commissioning in December and sometimes earlier (me) and I've never seen someone commission without an assignment. This year is supposed to be quicker b/c AFPC will drop the assignments and your individual det will process and cut the orders. I heard end of summer from the guy who makes the assignments at Randolph, FWIW

My money's on what ego said...don't count on it before late 2006 at the earliest. But if it actually does come before the end of fall semester, xmas come early!

I guess I did luck out with the whole timing. I commissioned in 03 and didn't have to wait at all to start UPT. Now the time that I did have to wait was when I went to Corpus Christi for T-44's (which is the way to go by the way). The Navy takes their time in getting you into a class, oh well what can you do to "tradition"?

Cheers

I commissioned Dec 04 got married a week after commissioning then had a 3 day honeymoon cuz I had to report to ASBC.

Went active duty beginning of Jan 05 to ASBC then casual for 8 months after that.

Got to Vance and was casual for another month.

Am getting close to being done with UPT in a couple of months.

Oh, casual base. Thought I was going to Nebraska after ASBC (that was according to my Det Commander) and thought I'd have to not see my wife for awhile.

Didn't find out until the day I picked up my orders (right at the end of the semester I graduated) where my casual would actually be and found out I got to stay in FL and be able to still live with my wife.

Was prior enlisted for 4.5 also so I know what you were saying in your earlier posts. Hope that helps!

I recently commissioned out of ROTC with a pilot slot. I found out both my casual base and UPT base (subject to change) in April. My casual is going to be about 11 months long. I don't have orders for ASBC, but who knows, I could end up there at some point. Good luck.

Here's my story... Found out my UPT date and location in April 06. It's Vance in Aug of 07. I commissioned 20 May 06. I got my orders and casual assignment a week before I had to be there, in early June. It took over a month for my stuff to get to me because of the late timing of my orders. A month later I was deployed, and now I am currently deployed in Southwest Asia. Lesson learned: be prepared for anything. I sure wasn't expecting this, but I'm loving it.

I tried to search around here and on google for this but I came up with nothing. I heard that starting with FY09 grads (which includes me since I graduate in December) that the maximum time between commissioning and EAD is changing from 6 months to 12 months. Has anyone heard anything about this? I can't seem to find any info anywhere to see whether there is any truth to it.

I'm pretty sure the maximum is already 1 year but they try to keep it around 6 months.

I'm pretty sure the maximum is already 1 year but they try to keep it around 6 months.

Is that in a reg somewhere? I couldn't find that either.

I'm pretty sure the maximum is already 1 year but they try to keep it around 6 months.

That's what I remember hearing from Col. Kunzweiler or Brig. Gen Flowers on several occasions. It can be a year (it was a year for my dad back in the early 80s) but since it's been increasing from several months lately, they have tried to hold it at 6 months.

I'm hoping for less cuz december is less backed up?! or maybe more.... if that lets this UAV policy get through its first phase. But I also want to get out of my Retail job ASAP.

That's what I remember hearing from Col. Kunzweiler or Brig. Gen Flowers on several occasions. It can be a year (it was a year for my dad back in the early 80s) but since it's been increasing from several months lately, they have tried to hold it at 6 months.

I'm hoping for less cuz december is less backed up?! or maybe more.... if that lets this UAV policy get through its first phase. But I also want to get out of my Retail job ASAP.

I had a buddy graduate in December, I graduated the next May and I still beat him on Active Duty. AFPC will forever remain a mystery...

I had a buddy graduate in December, I graduated the next May and I still beat him on Active Duty. AFPC will forever remain a mystery...

Were you both going to rated positions? Seems like the rated guys are waiting longer

our exec. said that it's 6 months still. So for most of us rated guys, we're looking at EAD 6 months from commissioning, a few months (hopefully) of casual at our UPT base, TDY to IFS, back casual, TDY to ASBC, back casual, and then UPT at some point...

our exec. said that it's 6 months still. So for most of us rated guys, we're looking at EAD 6 months from commissioning, a few months (hopefully) of casual at our UPT base, TDY to IFS, back casual, TDY to ASBC, back casual, and then UPT at some point...

I know we had some may graduates that were as short as 3-4 months, if not less (pilot and nav), and we have some that will be full 6 months. But going by the fact that there were some that were only a few months, and also going by the fact that all of the may grads should have been EAD'd already by the time I graduate in december (6 months will be november), I'm hoping that my wait time is less than 6 months... Although, if it is 6 months, and I'm still 3 months from graduating, and then maybe another 6-12 months prior to start of UPT, then I won't be done with UPT until almost 3 years from now, and maybe outside that UAV range.... nah, screw it, i'd rather get on with my life and take the chance.

But those graduating in may might have a good chance of that. I guess crappy timing is all.

I will also say that AFPC may have us wait 6 months still, even if there is less of us, because they probably squeezed all of the may grads in to EAD'ing by 6 months, but that doesn't necessarily mean that AFPC doesn't continue to spread them out by making the wait for IFS and ASBC longer for some of them (as in, they have more casual time first), and then AFPC would hold us from EAD'ing for longer because it would help make our casual time less before we get to our delayed IFS...

who knows.

Edited September 18, 200817 yr by AEWingsMN

If I get a pilot slot, what's about the average time before UPT starts?

If I get a pilot slot, what's about the average time before UPT starts?

Board gets released in December. Factor in a minimum year's wait for OTS, another 3 months for OTS, and then your time on casual waiting for UPT...I'd say two years is a good estimate.

Dude, if speed is your primary concern you might want to look into another branch. This process isn't exactly quick for anyone. ABMs may not be as backlogged as pilots in the OTS pipeline, but a year's wait still isn't out of the question.

If you're talking ROTC you will activate roughly 6 weeks after commissioning, go to ASBC, then to your UPT base and wait for about a year. That is the general way things flow.

If you're talking ROTC you will activate roughly 6 weeks after commissioning, go to ASBC, then to your UPT base and wait for about a year. That is the general way things flow.

That is generally not true from what I have seen. Some dudes get lucky and only have a 6 week wait but that is not typical. Myself and many others had a 6 month wait before active duty. As for when you finally start UPT it completely varies but is based on the backlog when you get to your base.