Tips from a TFOT 18-08 Grad

Here are some tips from a recent 18-08 graduate.

24 TRS Organization

There are supposed to be four squadrons – Goldhawks, Hoyas, Tigers, and Spartans.  However, due to a lack of instructors there were no Spartans and we ended up with larger flights as a result.  It was supposed to be four flights per squadron, but for us the Goldhawks and Hoyas had five.  Nomenclature is 1-10, 1-11, etc, 2-10, 2-11, etc.  Even when we got access to Blackboard and found out our assigned flights, they changed when we got there.

I’m not  surprised to hear they dropped the Spartan squadron for this class.  I am pretty sure the Spartan squadron was stood up in 2015 when they converted the course to TFOT from the old course called Basic Officer Training.  Adding or dropping the SPartan squadron can help the 24 TRS/CC tailor the overhead and efficiency of the 24 TRS to better address the needs of the unit while considering resource limitations.

– airforceotsguy

Communication

If you want to create a shell in Slack with 1-10 through 1-13, 2-10 through 2-13, and 3-10 through 3-13, you should be safe.  Alternatively, each flight could make its own Workspace in Slack that is subservient/additional to the main Slack Workspace for your entire class.

You can use your laptop the first day of class.  In my flight, nobody knew what to bring them the first day and our Flight CC was like…  “Why don’t you guys have your laptops?”

Physical Training (PT)

For the 24 TRS definitely show up being able to get an 85+ on the PT test.  They make no exceptions when sending people home for PT.  That’s #1.  Wherever people are weak, have them work their butts off until that first assessment.  For us, it was a week in – the Tuesday after we got there.  Even when you get there get people out on the track, do pushups and situps in their rooms, get that waist down.

We had one more chance if we didn’t pass the initial assessment.

I recommend running the paperclip at least once before the baseline.  You can PT on your own before the baseline test.  Once Scheduled Military Training (SMT) is complete for the day, or on the weekend, grab a friend, sign out of CQ, and march over to the paperclip to give it a practice run (why not do a full practice PT test while you’re at it!)  Your dorm is right across the street from the paperclip.

You’ll be happy when they switch from Enlisted Training Instructor-led PT to Physical Training Leader-led.  Your flight will be able to decide what you do for PT.  I recommend the base gym because it allows everyone to work on what they need.

Get treated for injuries immediately.  They are very generous about putting you on a profile if you need it.  I was on three separate profiles while I was there – one for debilitating blisters, one for a pulled muscle in my abdomen, and one for a strained knee after the six mile run.  Granted, none of these interfered with either of my PT tests, but they would have had I not been treated and been able to rest when needed.  As long as you pass your PT Tests, you’re good.  I had the same concerns as you [old and decrepit], believe me.  Pass your baseline and you’re pretty much golden as long as you take care of things as needed.

Academics

The Blackboard Login link (where your flight number will be) is https://afit.blackboard.com/webapps/login/

• The username is: First.Last.24trs
• The password is: First.Last.24trs

As of 8/31 it is still not activated for class 19-02

– anonymous

Make sure you read ALL materials.  You’ll be given a cadet reader with cognitive Standards of Behavior (SOB) which is the major focus of the material, but there will be questions on the tests that are pulled from every piece of reading material.  That includes the cadet reader, slides, and sometimes additional publications.  Whatever the cadet reader says to read, read it all.

Discipline

I want to stress the importance of standing at attention and proper reporting procedures.  You’ll get this when you get there, but it helps to be somewhat prepared especially non-priors.  They are very big on customs and courtesies and proper form.

The reporting procedures are in the OTSMAN, but reporting statement is “Sir or Ma’am (if officer)/Master Sergeant or Technical Sergeant (if enlisted)(don’t say “tech sergeant”), Cadet [name] reports/reports as ordered.”  Conversations are closed out with the greeting of the day (which is misleading, because it’s actually a greeting depending on time of day).  “Good morning/afternoon/evening Sir/Ma’am/Master Sergeant/Technical Sergeant.”  It’s super awkward, especially after you’ve just been yelled at.

Packing/Supplies

Yes it is helpful to show up with everything you need, but it’s not realistic to expect to have everything or remember everything.  It will be fine, you’ll figure it out when you get there.

Weekends

Early on, for weekends you will be doing nothing but academics, laundry and dorm maintenance.  Academics on weekends basically consists of studying in your dorm or in the flight room.  FYI, I believe you’re technically supposed to have a buddy whenever you go anywhere, including the flight room.  After SMT and on weekends, staff doesn’t really hang around.

Privileges

I wasn’t a big fan of the way they did privileges because different flight commanders had different standards and expectations.  But as a rule, you try to set goals for your flight and ask for privileges based on those goals.  An example would be if the flight scores an average of a 90 or better on the first assessment, you’d like to have caffeine.  We got caffeine after the first fitness assessment (baseline).

I seem to recall watches being approved pretty early.  Cell phones were approved for after daily SMT and on weekends during week 4.  Off base privileges were given the weekend right before week 6 and alcohol privileges were given the weekend before week 7.  This is going to depend heavily on your Flt/CC and your student squadron commander.  Some flights got things earlier than others.  Some flights didn’t get anything at all.

Watches

In reference to the issue with watches requiring approval:  What they were trying to avoid was people using their smart watches as smart watches.  Personally I bought a $20 Casio from the AAFES express, but plenty of people had their smart watches and the staff wanted to make sure it was being used only as a watch.  Our flight was really tight in terms of trust though.  No tattletales, if you know what I mean.  Hopefully your flight is the same way.

Prior Enlisted

In many ways it almost seems like priors had a harder time, especially in that regard [the micromanagement of privileges].  If there is anything I can tell priors personally, it is to be prepared to be treated like a child and not be able to make any sense of it.

For priors, TFOT at the 24 TRS will feel more like Enlisted Basic Military Training than you will expect.  It will be VERY similar to BMT for almost the entire first half, on average.  The one thing that really threw me for a loop (also prior, 13 years) was how much like BMT it was for the first few weeks.  People in previous classes said it wasn’t as bad, but man it was pretty darn close.  Granted, the living situation is a little better because you’re 2-3 to a room rather than an open bay, so private showers, personal space, etc was nice.  But there was so much screaming and yelling that I had a hard time relating to how this was going to make me a good leader, and quite frankly having to march everywhere until week 8 was frustrating.  Similar in the sense of being highly restrictive, yelling, etc.  Different in the sense of leadership courses, and “here are the ingredients, figure it out and bake a cake!”

Room Inspections

Room inspections were actually one thing I took no issue with whatsoever because they actually made sense.  It teaches you to be clean, orderly, and have attention to detail.  They are picky, yes, but it’s not hard. The dorm guide is surprisingly pretty clear.  So clip all of strings, evenly space your hangers, dust everything (don’t forget to dust the blinds), don’t hide unauthorized things in your security drawer because they do check periodically, and don’t forget to lock the security drawer. 🙂

They will fail your sink or shower for one hair, but they probably won’t fail your floor if you have one piece of grass as long as it looks like you’ve kept up with vacuuming.  One thing a few people got dinged on was “unauthorized item in blues cap.”  Know what it was?  The price tag!

Fail a room inspection?  Consequences are a RIC, which is written documentation of a failure.  However, they came back the next day to re-inspect if you failed.  A failed room inspection will not prevent you from graduating in itself.  It may be used as leverage if they’re trying to make a case against you, but you have to fail other stuff to get to that point.  It could interfere with privileges, but, meh?  Just don’t get attached to your privileges!

We got caffeine on Wednesday morning and promptly had it taken away that afternoon because someone had caffeine pouches in their security drawer lol.  We got it back the next week though.

Social Media

Facebook was never explicitly allowed, but eventually people just started doing it.  We didn’t use our [Facebook] group at all.  We just used Slack.