What's the best way to go about becoming a commisioned officer in the USAF?

The Air Force Academy if you want a Pilot Slot and can do well in a very regimented environment for four years. The Air Force assigns 500 Pilot Slots to the approximately 1,000 2nd Lieutenants commissioning at the Academy and 500 to the approximately 2,000 2nd Lieutenants commissioning through Afrotc. Almost any Academy Cadet who wants a pilot slot and qualifies, attains one. Pilot slots are very competitive for Afrotc Cadets.

http://www.wantscheck.com/PilotSlotResources/ROTCP...

The Air Force Academy is probably also the best choice for anyone contemplating an Air Force career till retirement after 20-30 years of active duty service. If you are considering the Academy, the Summer Seminar opened to applications from high school juniors on December 1 and will continue to accept applications through Feb 28.

http://www.academyadmissions.com/#Page/Summer_Semi...

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The selection process is nearly identical at The Air Force Academy, West Point, and The Naval Academy, so whatever is stated on one service academy website or in its catalog with regard to admissions generally holds for the others. Suggest considering the outstanding advice offered on the Usafa website to students prepping for a service academy, rotc scholarship or any highly selective university. Open all links to the left of the dialog box:

http://www.academyadmissions.com/#Page/Preparation

If you carefully read the following answer and open the links it should help to explain the selection process and the path to an appointment:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Akhc0...

Good Luck!

Best way for long term career advancement is going to the USAF Academy in Colorado Springs. Over half of the generals in the military graduated from their respective academies.

Second best way is a military school such as VMI or The Citadel. Same idea as a military academy except they are civilian schools.

Third best way is AF ROTC in college.

Fourth best way is to get a college degree in something useful and apply for a direct commission into the USAF. For example, BS in nursing and get a commission into the USAF nurse corp. Or get a degree in engineering and get a commission as a line officer.

If you are not trying to be a pilot, the vision issue does not come up.

i hope you meant to say the Air Force Academy. currently with the force shaping no OTS boards are convening at this time to accept applicants only direct commissions for medical and law professions. and yes the cadets who graduate from the Academy will always have an advantage over an ROTC grad. AFROTC is the USAF's largest commissioning source.

Don't bother with the academy. It isnt as cracked up as people say it is and from my officer friends being in the academy sucks bad.

OTS is only after you graduate college w/ ROTC or w/o.. so you can do OTS either way.

AFROTC is your best bet in becoming an AF officer after college. You will not be ahead or behind a Academy graduate. Its just all names being called a Academy gradute...