OTS Preparation

As you prepare for OTS you may hear people talk about the HAWK and the OTSMAN, and you may wonder what in the world these documents are.  In general, daily life at OTS is centered around these two documents.  If you have spare time and are standing around at OTS, you are supposed to be studying them.  You are expected to know what is in them and if you don’t, it will show.  You can get away with not studying these documents until you arrive at OTS, but studying them in advance will be one less thing you have to worry about when you are acclimating to the training environment when you first get there.

OTSMAN

OTSMAN stands for OTS Manual, and technically it is Officer Training Manual 36-2604, Cadet Operating Procedures – Officer Training School.  This is the manual which contains all of the rules which apply at OTS such as customs and courtesies, auditorium and flight room protocol, chow hall protocol, dress and appearance, etc.  There is a way you are supposed to do everything at OTS, and the OTSMAN will tell you how.  If you think about it, it is really cool that they give you this manual in advance.  Knowing what to expect when you get there can be crucial, if you are a “planner” like I am.

As of now the OTSMAN is available at the Air University TFOT page, but I am also hosting the files on the Downloads page of my site just in case their page goes down.  Here is the link to the Air University TFOT page.

There are many sections of the OTSMAN which really don’t make sense until you get there.  Feel free to post questions on my site, or also hit up the Air Force OTS Guy Facebook Forum to get another perspective.

HAWK

The HAWK is a little book of random knowledge they expect you to know.  One of the most stressful things for non-prior OTS Cadets is when a member of the staff is standing in your face demanding you to tell them the Air Force Mission, or whatever other knowledge you are supposed to know for that day.  The most tangible benefit of knowing the knowledge from the HAWK is phasing up.  I was in the 24 TRS and we were all asked random knowledge in order to phase up to Phase 2.

The HAWK is divided into two sections.  The first section (pages 1-80) contains a bunch of random knowledge you’ll be randomly required to know.  I’ll let you guys collaborate to figure out what you will likely be required to know.  This isn’t really something where you have to photographically memorize every one of the 80 pages.  You need to know the important things, figuring out what is important is part of the game.

The second section (pages 81-86) contains the Quote of the Day.  When I was there the day we arrived was ITD-0 (Training Day), and the following day was TD-1.  Every day we had to have the Quote of the Day not only memorized, but able to shout it in unison as a group.  We weren’t always asked for knowledge, but when we were asked we were expected to know.  Pro tip:  when asked a knowledge question, start every question by saying “Sir/Ma’am, the quote of the day is as follows:” or “Sir/Ma’am, the Air Force vision is as follows:”  This will buy you time to try to remember it before you start spouting it out in unison.

I heard rumors of other classes having to know the Quote of the Day for the current TD and two days in the past, but when I was there they only asked for the current day.  Either way I really sucked at this part of training.

I also keep the HAWK on my Downloads page.  Here is the link to the Air University TFOT page.