Basic Officer Training Program Guide Part 1

NOTE:  This post references the BOT Guide from 2015, but the information should still have value.

Main PDF

Don’t miss the tips and tricks in the main PDF of the Basic Officer Training Guide.  It includes some very general information, but it also includes a list of COMMON ERRORS AFRS sees and FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS.  I found both very informative and I actually used this when I was finalizing my AF Form 56 to make sure I wasn’t repeating any common mistakes.

Attachment 1 – Am I Eligible?

This attachment is a basic outline of all the requirements for your application.  The attachment is very straight forward but the one thing I did relates to the vMPF Record Review Update (RRU) and the Career Data Brief (CDB).  You can download both from vMPF and I went ahead and printed both of mine at the very beginning of the process.  I went through both line by line and highlighted any corrections which needed to be made.  In my case I had to upload a PME certificate and I had to have the Education Center update my second CCAF.  Everyone will be different, but be sure you plan enough time for MPS or the Education Center to do their thing because it can always end up being a long, drawn out process.

Attachment 2 – BOT Questionnaire 1

These are firm requirements which are not currently waiver-able, but don’t stress, they are basic questions such as are you a U.S. citizen or are you on a control roster.  Go through every question and make sure you are good.

Here are a few thoughts that ran through my head as I went through the questionnaire:

• Are you eligible for enlistment?  I freaked out at first because I was so far out from my ETS, but don’t.  As long as your vMPF says you are eligible for re-enlistment I think you are good to go.
• Rated (flying) Age – I left this one blank because I filled out the non-rated block.

I read this at the beginning just to make sure I would be good but I didn’t sign it until the final week prior to my submission.  I used Adobe Pro to delete the instruction pages with the AFI references.

Attachment 3 – BOT Questionnaire 2

These are requirements that are waiver-able.  Much of this document is about career timing so I could see how many would have problems with it (DEROS, SRB, etc.)  Again I went through this at the beginning but didn’t route to my commander until a few weeks prior to my submission (per my commander’s direction).

It is important to note this document requests a digital signature.  At some point I recommend talking to your commander’s administrative personnel to see if seeking a digital signature will be a problem.  I don’t think a wet signature would be a deal breaker or anything, but the form asks for an digital signature so that’s what I did.  My commander had some signing problems but in the end we worked it out.

The only item I had on this which was item 17.  The guide for me read, “Are or have you received an IEB/SRB within the present enlistment and have not served at least half of the term of enlistment?”  I had barely served one half, so I answered no.  Apparently this was incorrect (according to the forums) but I never heard anything about it from AFRS.  I will do a separate post on the SRB wavier process.