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Officer Training School turns 50

Of the 60,000 officers in the Air Force, a third came through Officer Training School.

This month, OTS turns 50. In a weekend celebration Feb. 5-7, alumni and students will come together at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., to talk about how things used to be for officers in training at the school, and to show off the campus it has become.

The first class graduated from Officer Training School in 1960. At the time, the school was at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. OTS moved to Maxwell in 1993 as part of an initiative by then-Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Merrill McPeak to put all officer education and training programs under Air University.

Basic Officer Training is for enlisted airmen or people with no prior military service. They must hold a bachelor’s degree to be accepted into the 13-week program. The graduates are second lieutenants.

Commissioned Officer Training is for officers who specialize in the medical, legal or religious career fields. After completing the five-week training, they can graduate as first lieutenants, captains or even colonels, depending on their schooling and experience.

OTS is one of three routes to becoming an officer. The other two are through ROTC programs at colleges and universities and the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo.

The number of officers who graduate from OTS varies by year, ranging from as few as 323 when the school opened to as many as 7,894 in 1967. The size of each class is determined by how many officers the Air Force needs and the number of officers the Air Force Academy and ROTC programs are expected to produce.

A board of senior officers decides who will be selected based on criteria that include recommendations from commanding officers, college transcripts and physical fitness. Getting in is tough, so be prepared to work hard.