Is there a point in joining the Air Force Academy?

Question

I mean you can go to any college and still become an officer correct?I also heard that if you go there you can be called back at anytime, making it actually bad to join.I wanna be a fighter pilot.

Answer 1

If you want to be a fighter pilot, have perfect vision, and have been accepted to AFA, then by all means, accept the offer. It is the most direct path to getting a slot for a fighter squadron.

When you accept a position at the Academy, you will be committed to service, but they won't actually make you serve if you drop-out or transfer before you graduate (you will no longer be in the Air Force, though).

When ANYONE joins any of the armed forces, they actually have an eight-year commitment of service and more can be tacked-on for special assignments (med, law, and flight school). After your active service, you can be recalled at anytime unless you are too old (different for every branch of service) or have met your 8-year commitment.

The Academy offers a phenomenal opportunity for education and puts you on the fast-track. It's crazy-tough the first year, but gets better every year thereafter. A position at the AFA is sort of like getting a full-ride scholarship to an Ivy League school, with a guarantee of a good job and great ancillary benefits after graduation.

You could do worse.

Answer 2

You can't be called to active duty if that's what you mean. My brother went to West Point which as I'm sure you know is the Army's academy, and that's not how it was. You don't really join you attend, an the Air Force Academy, West Point, and the Naval Academy are of Ivy league level in the education they offer. Also you can't be an officer at any college it has to have and ROTC program for that particular branch of the military. Also you might want to look into the Naval Academy, the Navy also has fighter pilots, and to be honest you will probably be more likely to see action as a Naval fighter pilot than as an Air Force fighter pilot. Oh and the academy's are free, you have a 5 year commitment after but you have an amazing education that is well worth it and hightly marketable. Hopefully that helped you.

Answer 3

Technically, one does not "join" the AF Academy. One is selected or not selected.

Yes, you can graduate from any college and, if you pass the tests, you can become an AF officer. However, Academy grads (of any of the service academies) usually have a leg up. They graduate with a commission and are generally regarding as committed and well-trained from the get-go.

It is not true that if you graduate from a service academy that you can be called up at any time. You are active duty until you separate from the service. When you are out, you are out. Many service members leave active duty but then go into the reserves in order to continue to serve part-time and to secure a retirement benefit. Reservists can be called up at any time while they are still in the reserves.

If you would like to be a fighter pilot, attending either the Air Force or the Navy Academy would be helpful to you. If you do not attend an Academy, it would be helpful to get your pilot's license on your own (which isn't cheap and won't be paid for by any college that I know of). There is a lot of competition for pilot slots.

Best of luck to you!

Answer 4

You can go to any other college and join ROTC or graduate and go to Officer Training School. You can't be called back at any time, however, the military can stop-loss you, extend your contract with them, or call you into active service after you have been in the reserves or inactive for a while.

The advantage of any of the service academies is that you get a great education for "free." The only expense is that you have to work for the military, but if you want that anyway, it's not a bad thing.

Bit of advice though. Everyone wants to join the Air Force as either a pilot or an intelligence officer. Very few people get these spots. Don't do it if that's all you want to do.

Answer 5

Depends what you like ROTC and college is more relaxed and as far as the Academy, you wake up, walk, dream, sleep Air Force, flying and everything else. It's just like West Point and Annapolis, but of course this is the Academy.

Which one fits you it just depends, getting into the Academy first is a challenge in itself, you got to get nominations, you got to set up appointments, interviews, and they then tell if you're in or you're not someone they are looking for. ROTC is way different, you get into college and take it, no one will ask you questions, no one will care if you want to commission later. It's just after your 3rd year you need to have commitment with AF for several years (and if you have scholarships from ROTC then you also have those commitments)

Again, it just depends on what you want to do, if you want more information, you can email me at [e-mail] and I will try and help you out. Just remember don't ever give up your dream and maybe someday, you'll be taking my dad's job. lol

Answer 6

When I was in USAF, college degrees allowed recruits to blow past basic training hardships we "buzz-heads" faced and snag a lieutenant or captain's rank. If you held a Law or Medical degree, you were a Major or Colonel.....and so on....

USAF Academy is geared for dedicated USAF career people who seek making the service their life's work--and it's political in there, too: be forewarned.

USAF fighter pilots, "jocks", have to go into the Academy and earn their way out with lieutenant or captain wings.

With Bush's blunderous handling of Iraq war, I guess it IS possible----if you are within age limits---to be "recalled" into active military service. But that option only comes up when we've really run out of warm bodies---and the draft isn't working; doubt you'll see being recalled.

But you WILL see war action.....be assurred of this.

Answer 7

i believe u go 2 to an air force academy 2 astronaut and u can be an officer ether way and yes u can go there to be a air force person

Answer 8

You can look at it one of two ways. 1. IF you go to another college you have ALOT more freedom during college. 2. If you go to the academy you supposedly look SLIGHTLY better if you are competing for a job such as a squadron commander or a promotion. Personally i believe the freedom in college would be better because the difference is not great enough.

Answer 9

other than the degree of education you are going to get and the fact that you are from a prestigious college, no. you can become a fighter pilot just as well as a AFA cadet.. they just have more advantages and opportunities

Answer 10

American military academies provide a first-class education, without tuition. It is an honor to be selected to join one of these institutions.

I've never known a graduate of one of these institutions who had problems finding high level employment.

I have known lots of Berkeley basket-weaving experts, however, whose parents paid a bundle for their kid's indoctrination.