Best products from r/AirForce

I'm a really big fan of "It Worked for Me" by Colin Powell. If you ever want to believe again in the American Dream then his autobiography "My American Journey" is great as well.

Aside from that 'Leading with Honor" is good as well. It has a lot of good messages and a lot of historical information from that time.

"Generating Buy In" is a very good and very short read.

It isn't quite leadership but "Profiles In Courage" by JFK fits the bill in my opinion. It's about lawmakers doing the right thing instead of voting along party lines.

"In the Company of Heroes" by Michael Durant is a good read as well. Learning about his time in captivity was enlightening but I really enjoyed the whole book. I didn't quite understand why he chose that title until I got closer to the end. He used his platform to not only talk about his time there but also about the guys in his unit that died that day. Through that book you can draw out some lessons on how to lead people and some positive traits.

Amazon links:

http://www.amazon.com/Worked-Me-Life-Leadership/dp/0062135139/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1462164926&sr=1-1&keywords=it+worked+for+me

http://www.amazon.com/Leading-Honor-Leadership-Lessons-Hilton/dp/098387932X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1462164899&sr=1-1&keywords=leading+with+honor

http://www.amazon.com/Generating-Buy--Mastering-Language-Leadership/dp/0814409059/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1462164874&sr=1-1&keywords=generating+buy+in

http://www.amazon.com/Profiles-Courage-John-F-Kennedy/dp/0060854936/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1462164840&sr=1-1&keywords=profiles+in+courage

http://www.amazon.com/Company-Heroes-Michael-J-Durant/dp/0451219937

Read this and this

I'm not an officer, but I have a good idea of what you guys go through, and as a SNCO I get to see and try to positively mentor a lot of new 2Lts. You're going to see lots of literature regarding how to lead and how to "Air Force", but the best things you can internalize to be a good leader are 1) Take care of your people. Airmen aren't your buddies, and you don't need to coddle, but have understanding and common sense and know that things that happen in their lives are sometimes more important than things that happen at work 2) Use common sense. When you have to make a judgement on a situation, you should use the AFIs and go by them to the maximum extent possible. However, remember that AFIs are not people, and can't make judgements so you ultimately have to determine the right thing to do, which is often not black and white.

Good luck in COT!

Talk to him first. Find out what F-16 model is his favorite. If he likes a certain model of F-15 then get him that one.
By getting him "that model" I mean get the dude a model air kit from amazon or something.

F-16

F-15

Look it might sound dumb, but people who really love aircraft will put these things together if they have flown or worked on them in a maintenance capacity. You could buy him one of these, and he would be impressed. But if you could find out what model and make of jet he liked, and put it together yourself, and then give it to him, you'd be an all-star forever.

If you have a model shop near your town, talk to the nerds who run it and let them know you have never put one of these together. Trust me, these guys are more than willing to help out with advice. On the other hand, if he was a pilot get the man a beer tap joystick.

There are plenty of options..

---Buy/Sell: Buy, new or used, from retailers such as Amazon, Chegg, or your local bookstore. Preferably in that order. Sell back at a reasonable rate. Keep in mind that you do not have to sell back to whoever you bought from. I have even dabbled at buying/selling textbooks on Craigslist locally (caution: buyer beware and meet the other person in the lobby of a bank to stay safe). Note that books will lose value as more editions come out. Generally the value of books fluctuates in seasons based on the semester, so retailers will run promotions to buy or sell, so so keep an eye out.

One example buy/sell: We the People, a common government textbook to satisfy one of your general education requirements. Buy: We the People (ISBN: 0393921107), used, off of Amazon costs $39.25 + $3.99 shipping. You can sell it to Chegg for $27.91. Your total cost at the end of that semester for that book is appr. $15.33!

---Rent physical copy: Amazon and Chegg both offer promotions on shipping that let you print out the shipping labels so as long as you return the rental book in the time allotted. Generally they are lenient and are due back a few weeks after the end of traditional semesters. ie. Chegg rentals for fall are due on 19 December 14.

One example renting physical copy: Chegg offers We the People for $15.99. Don't be late in returning the book or destroying the rental and it's a good option.

---Rent etextbook: You can get the kindle, pdf, etextbook version from the same retailers. Sometimes the formatting is weird and don't always include the entire textbook so beware of that and read the comments.

One example renting etextbook: Chegg offers We the People for $23.99 for 180 days (due on 4 May 2015)

---Obtain off the internets: sometimes the books are on google as pdf copies, usually from .edu websites. Other sites, etc.

One example of obtaining: free, but be careful and don't do anything illegal

---Always get used

---Do you really need the book? Wait until the class starts or contact your teacher in advance. Sometimes they allow you to get an older version or they use their own set of notes.

---Also you should qualify for the Pell Grant as long as your spouse doesn't make too much money and are enlisted (in that case you shouldn't be here complaining anyways). File your FAFSA through your school and see what they offer you.

---Go talk to your first shirt. Usually the First Sergeant's Association offers a scholarship as well as the Top Three to offset cost of education, usually comes in a check made out to you. Of course YMMV.

Good luck!

If you want to try to save $100k by the end of your first 6 years, I would read Mr. Money Mustache's blog, and pick up a copy of The Military Guide to Financial Independence. The blog is all focusing on happiness, which the blog writer does a good job of differentiating from convenience, which is what your average middle class consumer "sukka" thinks of as happiness.

The book has more of a focus on retiring from the military, so you don't have to read it, but for $12, I think it's worth it just so you can consider the possibilities. If you did decide to retire from the military, you would be retiring at 42 or 43, assuming you went in at 22. Your retirement benefits would include: a pension that increases with the COLA index that pays out ~$25k in today's dollars, or $35k-40k in today's dollars, if you managed to commission as a prior-enlisted officer. You would also receive (nearly) free healthcare, and tons of other benefits like the continued use of Space-A.

Regardless of whether you decided to stay in for just 6 or retire, you should read the blog.

Ok, so I am going to assume (make an ass of both you and me) that you have absolutely no idea what you are doing.
I recommend the following:

• Shaving cream with Aloe (I use Barbasol)
  
• Safety Razor ( I use the Merkur Long handled safety Razor with Astra Blades)
  
• Shave the morning of your shift.
  CAUTION
  IMPROPER HANDLING, EXCESSIVE PRESSURE, OR ALLOWING THE RAZOR TO DRAG LEFT TO RIGHT CAN RESULT IN SEVERE CUTS. DON'T BE A DUMBASS AND TAKE YOUR TIME.
  
  
• Shaving Procedure( FOLLOW IN ORDER):
  
• Get shaving cream and razor
  
• Rinse Razor wit warm
  
• Wash your face with warm water (do not dry face, leave it wet)
  
• Apply shaving cream to your left hand
  
• Gently apply the shaving cream to all of the areas you wish to shave (on your face)
  
• Gently hold the razor at a 45 degree angle to your face and begin shaving in a position that is comfortable against the grain. (I start with the bottom of my neck)
  
• Rinse the razor frequently ( It usually takes me 6 - 7 rinses to finish the bottom of my neck after two days of growth. You can take out a full grown beard with the procedure. It just takes time)
  
  
• Once you feel that you can pass the razor smoothly across your face, its time to really fine tune the shave.
  
• Reapply shaving cream to your left hand.
  
• Apply it to your face.
  
• Move your hand in a circular motion so that you can feel the grain of any hairs that you missed.
  
• Shave against the grain.
  
• Rinse the razor.
  
• Repeat until your face is nice and smooth.
  
  
  NOTE
  
  Remember to touch up your side burns and the points where the curves your nose meets your upper lip.
  
  
  
  LINKS TO PRODUCTS I USE:
  
  Link to the Razor:
  
  https://www.amazon.com/Merkur-Long-Handled-Safety-Razor/dp/B000NL0T1G/ref=sr_1_1_s_it?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1467945848&sr=1-1&keywords=merkur+safety+razor
  
  
  Razor Blades:
  
  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001QY8QXM/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
  Shaving Cream:
  
  https://www.amazon.com/Barbasol-Soothing-Thick-Shaving-Cream/dp/B001SGLDCO/ref=sr_1_1_s_it?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1467946485&sr=1-1&keywords=barbasol+aloe+shaving+cream

Here's what Ive used so far:

http://www.amazon.com/Barrons-Military-Flight-Aptitude-Tests/dp/1438005695/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1458833715&sr=8-4&keywords=afoqt+study+guide+2016

http://www.amazon.com/Master-Officer-Candidate-Tests-Petersons/dp/0768937809/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1458833823&sr=8-6&keywords=afoqt+study+guide

Keep in mind those sources have practice tests and content geared towards the older Form-S exam which is no longer relevant. For example, rotated blocks and hidden figures sections no longer apply. Also, the table reading section uses really small tables. From what I gather the tables used on the actual test are much larger grids. The instrument comprehension pictures look like ink blot tests they're so poorly rendered. MOST of what is in those books will help regardless. But in order to get a better idea of what exactly is on the new Form-T test you should look at the study materials provided here:

http://access.afpc.af.mil/pcsmdmz/Form%20T.HTML

Another tip, you'll find that if you study a lot you may run out of good practice materials and begin to remember answers to the content available. A huge help in that regard and also in brushing up on general math (which for me is the most difficult. Its been 7 years since college math) is the GRE exam prep guides. This one in particular covers what you should be comfortable with math wise and has practice questions that are extremely similar to what youll see in the practice tests and prep books:

https://www.ets.org/s/gre/pdf/gre_math_review.pdf

Good luck!

I always encourage them to put bullets on the 910/911. Throughout the year. This really does help not make it a grab for the mundane everyday “bullets” everyone else has.

To be honest I used to be impressed with getting bullets at all... pretty low bar. I found myself coaching them early in the year on what exactly I was looking for to make it easier. Honestly, it was the informal feedback approach.

This ebook explains what bullets they need to put down on the form.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07B2JMM9P/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1519991399&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=air+force+stratification+unlocked&dpPl=1&dpID=41hhhD5WAqL&ref=plSrch

I don't know of any websites, but you could always try to get a different study guide. Amazon, Half-price books, Barnes and Noble, etc.

This is the one I used, granted it was back in 2014:

https://www.amazon.com/AFOQT-Study-Guide-Practice-Questions/dp/1941743420/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1480433035&sr=8-6&keywords=afoqt

It does a pretty good job of covering each section and has a couple practice tests as well.

As I stated before I didn't really. There's not much you can do to prepare aside from just learning how the test is built and such. I used [this] (The Official DLAB Training Manual: Study Guide and Practice Test: The Best Tips and Tricks to Raising Your DLAB Score https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HUC6RT4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_0ElDyb1VGMMM4) one but I honestly can't say how much it helped or not. As for would I choose my job, 100% have the best job in the Air Force. You leave Monterey with an Associates practically, extremely marketable in the civilian sector and show me another way that you'll be paid to learn a foreign language.

https://www.amazon.com/CoCo-Ichibanya-Curry-House-curry/dp/B06XSYNRGT/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=coco%27s+curry&qid=1571485308&sr=8-1

This shit is the bomb. Slow cook your meats and vegies then add the curry to slow cook a bit longer. Stupid easy and delicious as fuck. They do have the Golden Curry brand in the BX which also tastes pretty close.

Currently looking to buy the following to study for my AFOQT:

This one

Maybe this one

Or this one


Which one do you all recommend?

The art of the tactful "no". https://www.amazon.com/Art-Saying-NO-Reclaim-Granted-ebook/dp/B074LZG7KS

Really they have books on this so the leadership doesn't have room to respond like that. Plus a good leader should recognize a valid no vs an avoidance of responsibility - hopefully.

Does anyone know what the most up to date AFOQT sections are?

There's a discrepancy between 2 sections. This highly useful post I saved and the Baseops website have rotated blocks and hidden figures as test sections, but no reading comprehension and situational judgement, while my AFOQT study guide dated from 2016 has the opposite configuration.

The easiest answer I can find to this is to just find another test guide with rotated blocks and hidden figures as test sections to cover all my bases, but I found this to be pretty odd.

Can anyone else who took the AFOQT in the last year confirm which section configuration is correct?

FWIW I'm taking the AFOQT in April.

Used this before I took the DLAB last year. Believe they raised the minimum score to 110 but don't quote me on the exact number. If you're fluent in that many languages already though you'll be fine

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00HUC6RT4/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1450047442&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=dlab&dpPl=1&dpID=51f0jgftVaL&ref=plSrch

I used this book off of Amazon, and it helped me out a lot. Ended up making a 140.

Read the book Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War.

Fighter Pilot

I would follow up with your recruiter, there should not be that much hang time.

I studied using 2 books and a lot of random YouTube videos.

1. https://www.amazon.com/Barrons-Military-Flight-Aptitude-Tests/dp/1438005695
   
2. https://www.amazon.com/AFOQT-Study-Guide-Practice-Questions/dp/1941743420/
   
   I'm at the end of the process. My package is submitted and now all that's left is to hear back a yes or a no.
   
   There's a lot more than just a test and then a board. You are building a package. The package consists of:
   
3. AFOQT Scores
   
4. TBAS Scores (ABM/CSO/PCSM)
   
5. 3-5 Letters of rec
   
6. Officer interview and grading
   
7. A large PDF application with your work and leadership experience, achievements, education, that sort of stuff, and then your personal statement.
   
   Generally it goes something like this: AFOQT -> 1 month later -> TBAS -> 1 or 2 months later -> MEPS for initial screening (since you want to be a pilot) -> 1-2 weeks before board cutoff -> Commander interview.
   
   Having no flying hours won't necessarily hurt you, but it doesn't help. Even just a few discovery flights will do wonders for your PCSM score.