Air Force Officer Training School
Tips from a prior-enlisted Airman
Wondering what Officer Training School (OTS) is like as a prior-enlisted service member? As a prior-enlisted Master Sergeant who went through the experience, I had many of the same questions you probably do. In this article, I’ll briefly cover some of the biggest questions I had before I went to OTS, as well as some tips I picked up along the way.
Do you get treated differently from the non-priors?
Yes, and no. In the first week or two, you’ll definitely be treated just like anybody else. As time goes on, you’ll probably be asked to help out the non-priors and potentially be put in charge of some of the more difficult positions they have at OTS. I never felt like I got special treatment or was targeted negatively, but being able to lean on my enlisted experience was beneficial to my flight, and I never really felt overwhelmed with anything because of that familiarity with most tasks.
Is OTS just Basic Training all over again?
Not really. I went through BMT in 2010, so I’m sure the course has changed a bit since then. The first week was more in line with what BMT was like, mostly because an MTI is with you almost 24/7. Luckily they go home at night so you get uninterrupted sleep.
As the weeks go on (especially after the 2nd week), the MTIs and cadre give you more and more freedom, and it eventually feels more like tech school. Most of the “getting yelled at” happens whenever you and your flight are marching to and from meals. Other than that, you only really get yelled at for legitimate mistakes.
What is PT like?
PT was, in my opinion, way better than it was at BMT. We only did it a few times a week, and it was usually split up between running and strength training. I liked that we weren’t being scrutinized for everything we did, so it was easier to get a good workout in and not feel like you were about to get screamed at. As long as you give an effort and don’t do anything crazy, the instructors will leave you alone. My MTI ran with me quite a bit, and we had some cool conversations about our careers. We also had some team challenges thrown in a few times, and that helped break up the monotony of doing the same workout all the time.
You run on a track known as the “paperclip”. It’s one continuous loop, and it’s really hard to pace yourself on it. I ran my fastest time on that track, mostly because I was terrified that I was running too slow! Take a look at this modern marvel of engineering.
Is it harder than BMT?
I think this depends on your personality. I had a lot more fun at OTS than I did at BMT. I think BMT does a great job of taking as much thought away from people as possible. In BMT, you just had to do what you were told. If you did that, you were fine. If not, you got yelled at.
In OTS, you’re expected to showcase your leadership abilities…and you’ll be tested on them throughout the entire course. In BMT, you just had to pass your PT test and a final multiple-choice test. At OTS, you’ll have to pass a PT test, several written papers, multiple-choice tests, speeches, and leadership evaluations. It sounds daunting, but you’ll have plenty of time to prepare for everything, as long as you’re not slacking.
Last-minute tips
Here are some tips for if you take the leap and get selected for OTS:
- Set up ALL your uniforms before you get there…follow the AFI! This saved me a bunch of time. They only care about meeting the AFI standards, so your uniform items don’t need to be as perfect as they were in BMT.
- Pack as little as possible. If the packing list says to bring 2 uniforms, only bring 2 uniforms! I almost brought way too much stuff, but decided at the last second to just bring the minimum…I’m glad I did that. Worst case, you can just buy whatever you need on campus.
- Don’t be afraid to use your phone. You’ll need approval to use your phone during the duty day, but those times will be obvious. My roommate and most of my flight-mates were terrified to use their phone until we were about halfway through the course. I don’t think there was a day that I didn’t video-call my family…nobody cared. As long as you’re in your room and aren’t being obnoxious, it’s not a big deal.
- Drink coffee! Kind of like with the phones…everybody assumed we couldn’t have caffeine until given permission. We asked the MTI after the first week and she said, “Did I ever say you couldn’t have caffeine?” After that, we had it every morning and made sure we bought enough to keep our classroom fully stocked.
- This is kind of a weird one…but if you are short on time, don’t eat the salads. They took forever to chew, and it usually led to everyone waiting on you to finish up.
- You have plenty of time to eat, especially as the days go on. Eating isn’t like BMT at all, so get whatever you want and enjoy it. I thought the food was pretty good.
Everyone’s experience will be different, and this wasn’t an exhaustive list. If you have any questions about what to expect, check out this rundown of what each week looks like. It was EXTREMELY accurate when I went through OTS in 2021. Good luck!
