All RCOO officers MUST report to training in conservative civilian clothes. Uniforms are not authorized for wear the day of your arrival. Upon arrival and throughout training, all officers will be expected to adhere to the dress & appearance standards defined in AFI 36-2903.  

The physical training program is designed to introduce officers to a healthy lifestyle and the Air Force Physical Fitness Assessment (PFA) criteria (push-ups, sit-ups and 1.5 mile run). Officers need to have a good physical fitness program to ensure they are physically capable to deploy if necessary to complete the Air Force's mission.

Within the first week of arrival, you will be given a Physical Fitness Diagnostic (PFD). Review  Air Force Instruction 36-2905 (Fitness Program) so you understand the requirements for your age and gender.  Attachment 10 lists the specific scores required for each component of the test, listed by age and gender.  Additional information can be found on the Air Force Fitness Program website.

While in training, you will be required to exercise in a rigorous, full-body aerobic and anaerobic program. Officers will perform one official Physical Fitness Diagnostic (PFD) during training. Officers who fail the PFD will receive a referral training report stating that they failed to meet Air Force physical fitness standards.  The referral training report will be in their permanent record.

Additionally, you will run through several obstacle courses, which may require climbing, low-crawling, jumping, etc.

We recommend you start a good physical fitness program concentrating on aerobic, anaerobic, and flexibility exercises before your arrival. Your program should include running, biking or other aerobic activities, and a strength-building regimen such as weight training.

You should bring comfortable, well broken-in, running shoes and a pair of court shoes for other physical activities. A pair of cross trainers (all purpose shoes) will meet the requirements for both court and running activities. If you wear foot appliances (shoe inserts) in any of your shoes--bring them!

Officers must be able to meet all physical fitness and RCOO entry requirements as stated in AFI 36-2013.  Officers who cannot participate in these activities WILL NOT attend RCOO without prior approval from the applicable Training Squadron Commander. 

You will incur a number of expenses immediately upon arrival to RCOO. Please see table below.  (NOTE - this list is not all-inclusive).

An ATM is available at the AAFES OTS Shoppette if you need additional cash at any time.

You are required to purchase your uniforms prior to arrival. If you lack any uniform items, ensure you ask for assistance from AAFES staff regarding proper fit and wear of uniform items. The Maxwell AFB AAFES will not accept returns or exchange items that have been worn or altered. All uniform items you are unable to pre-purchase will be available for purchase after arrival.  

You may pay for your uniform items by:

• Master Card, Visa, or Discover (no American Express)
• Personal check, travelers’ check, or cash
• Military Star credit card—For uniforms only: a maximum of $500 with no interest. For all military shopping: maximum limit based on credit check with a variable interest rate. Card can be obtained before arrival or application can be initiated during in-processing.

You are encouraged to pre-purchase boots and low quarters to allow sufficient "break-in" time to ensure proper fit. 

You may have your rank sewn on or use the subdued pin-on rank on your ABU shirt/hat, however, they must be worn in compliance with AFI 36-2903 section 5.1.1.1.

5.1.1.1. Officer Rank Insignia (see Attachment 2). Officers will wear subdued metal or cloth rank on the collar. General Officer rank will be centered, perpendicular to, and begin 1 inch from the bottom of the collar. General officers will wear 1 inch stars; General Officers unable to wear 1 inch stars will wear ¾ inch stars. Colonel rank will be centered, perpendicular to, and 1 inch from the bottom of the collar. Lieutenant Colonel and Major’s rank will be centered 1 inch from the bottom of the collar with the stem parallel to the ground and pointing away from the wearer’s neck. The long end of the Lieutenant and Captain bars will be centered 1 inch from the bottom of the collar.

In addition to uniforms, there are several other items you will need. You may bring them with you, or you may purchase them when you arrive. All of the items below can be purchased at the Base Exchange (BX) or Shoppette (within walking distance of OTS campus):

You should not make any travel arrangements to leave the Montgomery area prior to 1 p.m. on your graduation day. Typically graduation day is completed by noon, but you should allow time for packing, checking out, transit, and security measures at the airport.

Expect to be very busy throughout the entire course. Your schedule will consist of physical conditioning, academics, drill & ceremonies, and field leadership exercises in addition to personal studying/reading, computer based training, and Trainee Group/Flight organizational meetings after duty hours and on the weekends.

The sample schedule below will give you an idea of a typical training day. Physical training is typically held first thing in the morning, and may be conducted outside or inside. 

To ensure prompt delivery of your mail, use the following address:

RANK NAME (RCOO CLASS #)
550 E. Maxwell Blvd. #9000
Maxwell AFB, AL 36112-5000 

All officers will have access to routine and acute medical care on base. Procedures for emergency medical care during non-duty hours will be explained upon your arrival. While traveling to Officer Training School, if you experience an injury or illness that requires emergency care, report to the closest emergency room. If a military facility is nearby, use its emergency room. If you're not near a military base, a civilian emergency room may be utilized. Ensure you inform the medical staff that you are an active duty Air Force member, and they will bill the appropriate military hospital for your care. Do not report to a civilian hospital for routine or acute care while traveling, or you will be responsible for your own medical bills. An emergency is any situation that will result in loss of life, limb, or eyesight. 

In accordance with (IAW) AFI 36-2013, OFFICER TRAINING SCHOOL (OTS) AND ENLISTED COMMISSIONING PROGRAMS (ECPS), para. 3.19.3, do not plan to attend RCOO if you are pregnant. Contact your unit commander/supervisor, or training manager immediately if you become pregnant. The physical requirements placed on you during training are demanding, and being pregnant will prevent you from completing training. If pregnancy is discovered after arrival you may be removed from training. 

Air Force Reserve (AFRES), Air National Guard (ANG), and Individual Mobilization Augmentee (IMA) officers should be paid by their home units before or after attending training. To assist with the payment process, please out-process through your unit finance office prior to arriving to OTS. Reservists, ANG, and IMAs may receive a $200 clothing allowance after serving 14 days on active duty and submitting proper paperwork. Upon arriving at OTS, your orders will be certified by commissioned staff personnel. Fax your certified orders to your reserve pay office or finance office within 2 working days or 48 hours. (Further details will be given in briefings during training.) 

It is mandatory that you live (this includes sleeping) in the OTS dormitories. Officer Trainees will usually share a room with another trainee. There will be a security drawer in your room to lock up valuables. You must bring your own bath towels and washcloths or purchase them upon arrival. Washers and dryers are available for student use at no charge. Custodial/housekeeping services are NOT provided for rooms and community areas, and therefore you are responsible for the cleanliness of your room. Rooms are carpeted and furnished with minimal furniture. Each room is provided with an iron and ironing board. The rooms DO NOT have TVs, telephones, refrigerators, microwaves, bath towels, wash cloths, or coffee makers.

Weekend travel will vary depending on the 217th Commander's direction and/or hazardous weather conditions, but  Officer Ttrainees are not authorized to stay off of the OTS Complex overnight during training.  During the weekend you will not be allowed to travel off base (except for religious accommodation purposes).

Our curriculum is broken down into several areas:

DRILL AND CEREMONIES:

We are going to teach you marching skills. This is the most effective method of moving a large mass of people from one area to another. In addition, it reinforces self-discipline, teamwork and leadership. We will give you the basic skills and expect you to practice them. Everyone must be able to effectively march (lead) a flight in drill.

HEALTH AND FITNESS:

We cover the importance of maintaining a good physical fitness program. You will participate in a daily aerobic/anaerobic program. A fitness diagnostic will be administered at the beginning of training. Failure to attain AF fitness standards will result in a referral training report. Additionally, you will participate in several outdoor leadership exercises requiring physical fitness.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS (CS):

We will familiarize you with various forms of military correspondence and provide you opportunities to write military-style documents. Besides military correspondence, we will instruct you on the basics of military briefings and thus, you will be given the opportunity to give a short briefing.

PROFESSION OF ARMS (PA):

You will learn proper military customs and courtesies, military dress and grooming standards for the proper wear of the uniform, the nature of the military profession with an emphasis on Air Force Officership, and the importance of professional relationships.

WARFARE STUDIES AND INTERNATIONAL SECURITY STUDIES (WS/ISS):

You will learn the structure of the Department of Defense including the Department of the Air Force. You will also learn the concept of the Expeditionary Aerospace Force - The Air Forces guiding vision for how we are organized, trained, and equipped to deploy and sustain our aerospace forces for military operations overseas. As part of the International Security Studies, you will learn about the Air Force role in Military Operations Other Than War (MOOTW). 

 LEADERSHIP STUDIES (LS):
This is the largest portion of our curriculum. You will study various leadership styles, problem solving techniques, and management tools. You will then have an opportunity to put some of them into practice during our many practical leadership exercises. Additionally, you will be trained in the importance of the Air Force Officer Honor Code as well as the Air Force Core values: Integrity First, Service Before Self, and Excellence In All We Do.

Use and possession of tobacco products is prohibited while attending training at OTS (to include privilege periods). We highly encourage anyone who smokes or uses smokeless tobacco products to quit prior to attending training.

All Officer Trainees (OTs) are required to participate in an Air Expeditionary Force exercise. The OTs are trained and evaluated on medical readiness, Air Force Manual (AFM) 10-100 (Airman's Manual), and field leadership. AEF exercises foster team building, provide chances for OTs to excel as leaders, and ultimately provide mission orientation for real world contingency situations. If you require the use of prescription lenses, bring your eyeglasses and gas mask inserts (if you have them) with you. Due to the equipment that will be used during the AEF exercise, you must wear glasses. No contact lenses may be worn.

NOTE: IAW AFI 36-2013,OFFICER TRAINING SCHOOL (OTS) AND ENLISTED COMMISSOINING PROGRAMS (ECPS), only hard-to-recruit Air Reserve Component (ARC) direct commissioned health professions officers are authorized to attend Reserve Commissioned Officer Orientation (RCOO).

If you meet this criteria and desire to attend the RCOO, you must first complete the computer-based training and an online test prior to your arrival.

To gain access to this information, select RCOO EMAIL REQUEST LINK and then do the following:

• Type a valid email address in the E-mail box, or you will not get the reply email back.
• Type, "Request RCOO Link" in the Subject box.
• Provide the following information in the Message box:
  • FIRST NAME
  • LAST NAME
  • AFSC
  • YOUR COMMAND (ex: RESERVE, ANG, IMA)
  • YOUR UNIT (ex: 194 MDG, 911 AES, etc.)

Also, check any spam blocking software to ensure that the reply is not being filtered out.  Once you have received the link, you can go directly to the training material and online test.  This is not an automated process.  You should receive a link within 5-7 business days after you submit your request.

All RCOO trainees are highly encouraged to review all materials on this site beginning with the Direct Commissioned Officer webpage. 

 
Family and friends of Reserve Commissioned Officer Orientation (RCOO) graduates unfortunately, due to time limitations, RCOO classes do not participate in the graduation events scheduled for a Officer Training School Abbreviated (OTS-A) class including a graduation parade, spouses orientation, retreat, dining in/out, or open house.  Details of those events will be provided to the attending students.