The Air Force's Personnel Center will accept applications from active-duty Line of the Air Force officers for the calendar year 2023 Officer Instructor and Recruiting Special Duty Nomination Board April 11 to May 14.
The board selects officers in the ranks of first lieutenant to lieutenant colonel to serve in formal training instructor, Air Force Recruiting Service and Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps detachment commander positions. Selectees will receive assignments with reporting dates from June 2023 through May 2024. Guardians interested in serving in these positions will compete in a separate U.S. Space Force process.
To be eligible, applicants must have a minimum of 24 months' time on station by the initial reporting period if serving stateside, or a DEROS within the reporting period. Officers cannot have any derogatory data (Unfavorable Information File, Referral Officer Performance Report) within the last five years prior to the board. AFPC assignment functional release is not required to apply.
Officers on the winter Vulnerable to Move List or with a projected assignment, an approved retirement or separation date, or an Assignment Availability Code expiration date beyond the reporting period are not eligible to compete; however, officers projected to a short tour assignment or currently assigned to joint duty positions will be considered.
"Instructor and recruiting special duty nomination does not prevent an officer from also being nominated for command, developmental education, or other competitive processes," said Sophia Barnard, OI&RSD and U.S. Air Force Academy assignments. "AFPC will work with commanders to deconflict these selections on a case-by-case basis, so we strongly encourage officers to apply if they are interested."
Officers who meet the minimum eligibility criteria will receive a myPers link to apply or decline consideration for the program using MyVector.
"There is no penalty for declining consideration and officers are not automatically opted-in," Barnard said. "This is a nominative process and requires senior rater endorsement to ensure we have the right talent to find and develop future Airmen and Guardians."
Board-selected candidates will volunteer for OI&RSD positions in Talent Marketplace prior to the normal summer 2023 assignment window. Officers matched via TM will be placed on assignment with report dates during either the summer or winter assignment cycles. AFROTC Det/CC assignment matches occur outside of TM.
AFROTC (Det/CC and instructor) and Recruiting Service positions are located nationwide. Other instructor positions are located at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.; U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo.; and Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas.
For Capt. Joseph Smiley, Strategic Outreach and Program Integration chief at the Squadron Officer School, SOS was his number one instructor position on his OI&RSD preference list.
"When I came through SOS as a student, I saw how close-knit and almost family-like the faculty members were with each other," Smiley said. "I was interested in being a part of SOS and asked my instructor at my final feedback what I had to do to come back. The schoolhouse is a great place to be assigned and if you want to have a positive, lasting impact on the Air and Space Forces I highly encourage every individual to apply for SOS instructor duty."
Upon her arrival to Officer Training School as an instructor, 1st Lt. Katie Littlefield also noted the family atmosphere and camaraderie within the 24th Training Squadron.
"The work environment almost has a feeling of being deployed in the sense that its mission is one that drives a team together to achieve a common goal and objective," Littlefield said. "As much as I enjoy the fellowship, I genuinely feel I found my niche in instructing. Being an instructor is a demanding position. But the energy and investment poured into the men and women who will be our nation's sword and shield pays dividends when seeing the students reach and realize their full potential first-hand."
Due to their vital role training and developing the Department of the Air Force's future officer corps, these positions are exempt from deployment and can positively impact an officer's career path. The special duty is highlighted in the member's Officer Selection Brief and emphasized in the Secretary of the Air Force Memorandum of Instruction to the promotion board members, Barnard said.
"There are also many benefits and incentives that come along with being selected for this program to include a close-knit work family environment, faculty opportunities to grow personally and professionally, predictable daily schedules, family time, and the opportunity to meet and interact with a wide range of people and AFSCs," Smiley added.
Capt. Trenidy Thomas, 24 TRS flight commander and former OTS instructor, said anyone who wants to be a better leader and follower should apply.
"'Judge each day not by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant' is a quote I use as my guiding principle," Thomas said. "As instructors we plant seeds for how officers should lead and follow and care for their Airmen and the mission. We may never see the fruits of our labor but we know we have planted the right seeds. If you need your cup filled, come to OTS. The trainees will teach and inspire you more than you could ever possibly return."
