Officials announce OTS selections

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The Air Force is giving 42 enlisted members the chance to trade in their stripes for gold bars after being chosen to attend Officer Training School at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.

Officials from Air Force Recruiting Service headquarters conducted OTS Selection Board 0208, which met here Aug. 6 to 9. The board considered 584 total applications, selecting 151 for a 26-percent selection rate.

As part of the selection process, board members review both objective and subjective factors. Objectively, the board considers each applicant's academic discipline, grade point average, and Air Force Officer Qualifying Test scores. Subjectively, board members evaluate work experience, accomplishments, adaptability, character, leadership ability, potential for future growth and other recommendations. For active-duty enlisted members, performance reports and commander's recommendations are also evaluated.

A minimum of three Air Force colonels review every application. The selection process is similar to an Air Force officer promotion board. According to OTS selection officials, no single factor leads to an individual's selection or nonselection.

Individuals selected for OTS can expect class assignment information approximately eight weeks after their physical is certified for commissioning. The OTS boards meet approximately every six weeks at Air Force Recruiting Service headquarters. For more information concerning OTS and the application process, active-duty members should contact their local education services office; civilians should contact the nearest Air Force recruiter.

OTS is only one of the avenues the service uses to commission new officers. The Air Force will also send more than 1,000 young men and women to its service academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., and award more than $60 million in ROTC scholarships. The service also continues to need qualified officers, including doctors, dentists, nurses, pharmacists and engineers.