Officer Q’s 2020

[wannabe_intel]

Tips/Tricks/Things you wish you knew when you were submitting your packet?

I know there are a lot of threads about tips on here, and I’ve done a lot of scrolling and searching. But for those of you have submitted packets recently, what do you wish you would’ve known/done differently? or what was something you’re glad you did?

Any and all responses are much appreciated.

 

[alexng30]

It's really a straightforward process so there isn't really much to get "tripped up" on unless you have some weird medical problem. That being said...

Get your letters of recommendation sorted out early. I was really lucky that the people I asked for LOR's (including even an O-6) were really generous since I basically needed them within just over a week. Just be direct and let them know what you need from them and when you need the LOR by.

Set up a study plan for the ASTB and give yourself at least 3 weeks of intense, focused studying if you can afford the time. Check out the ASTB thread here, but Kyle's study guide and the FAA handbook were my main sources of info. I used the Baron's book for the practice tests mainly. If you're going aviation, it's the ASTB is the number 1 aspect of your application that you want to focus on since its used as a predictor for success in the aviation pipeline. Taking it early allows you to still have time for a retest if you're not satisfied with your score. Setting up an ASTB date was pretty much the first thing my recruiter had me do after I sent her all my demographics and medical info.

(I just noticed your name lol, but the same still applies with regards to the OAR)

For the SF-86, if you've moved around alot in the past 7 years, reconnect with old friends in the places you've previously lived. You'll need a reference for each of your previous addresses and people who knew you around that time period. I transferred schools so it was kind of awkward tracking down my friends from the school I transferred out of who I haven't talked to in years.

 

[Hair Warrior]

For the SF-86, if you've moved around alot in the past 7 years, reconnect with old friends in the places you've previously lived.

This is bad gouge. Don’t go recontact people whom you stopped speaking to years ago, just for the sake of some paperwork. If you have a reference for each past residence, that’s fine, but it’s also okay to tell your investigator you don’t keep in touch with anyone from that town/school/area anymore (if that is in fact the truth). Also, you are allowed to put down a name you remember but leave their phone and/or email blank if you truly do not know it. Just be aware that, if you do this for every single residence in your past, that’s not normal.

 

[robav8r]

This is bad gouge. Don’t go recontact people whom you stopped speaking to years ago, just for the sake of some paperwork. If you have a reference for each past residence, that’s fine, but it’s also okay to tell your investigator you don’t keep in touch with anyone from that town/school/area anymore (if that is in fact the truth). Also, you are allowed to put down a name you remember but leave their phone and/or email blank if you truly do not know it. Just be aware that, if you do this for every single residence in your past, that’s not normal.

There is nothing wrong with alexng30's advice. Reconnecting and getting updated contact information is fine. The investigators will only use those contacts as a starting point to evaluate the character of those relationships.

 

[Hair Warrior]

There is nothing wrong with alexng30's advice. Reconnecting and getting updated contact information is fine. The investigators will only use those contacts as a starting point to evaluate the character of those relationships.

I get it. But also, if you haven’t spoken with (or been connected via social media) someone in 5 years, do you really want to reset the clock to zero if you have no idea who they are as a person? If they are now into drugs, or shady schemes, or they are a foreign national, you’ve just made things harder for yourself by rekindling a relationship that clearly was dead if you hadn’t talked to them in 5+ years.

This doesn’t apply to periodic reinvestigations where you can list dudes/dudettes who served in the military with you in a past unit, or whom you know are in the national security field and “good to go” already. I am talking about random frat brother Jason ‘J Dawg’ Schmuckatelli who was always sort of a partier and no one really knows what he’s up to nowadays, #vanlife. Or some distant family member living in foreign country XYZ that you stayed with for a month at age 15 but haven’t spoken to since then.

 

[alexng30]

Yeah, I should’ve phrased it a little better. I didn’t mean go and rekindle a relationship you otherwise wouldn’t have. I was thinking more along the lines of just hitting them up to get updated contact info.

I just recently finished my SF-86 and an address was required for all personal and residency references. You’re not able to check “I don’t know” like you are for an e-mail or phone number.