I am writing this blog in regards to my attempt at attending the United States Air Force and Naval Academies. As of now, I would rather attend the Air Force Academy, because I love the prospect of flying, parachuting, etc. This will, for the most part, focus on the CFA, or Candidate Fitness Assessment, and my attempts at getting a good score.
In order to apply for the academy, one must first get a recommendation from a state senator, representative, or the vice president. To do this(Process varies from person to person) you need to submit an application, 3-5 letters of recommendation, and an essay(usually about 300-500 words long). I have already applied for all of these, and am currently awaiting a reply.
After that, you must take a physical exam, consisting of a drug test, eye exam, etc.
At some point, if you have made it this far, you will be interviewed, I believe by a current Air Force officer.
After all of this, comes the CFA This test consists of a kneeling basketball throw, pull-ups, shuttle run, sit-ups, push-ups, and a 1-mile run, with about three minutes of rest between each.
Based on these results, i can see that if I want to achieve at least above average in every category I must work hardest on push-ups. I'm still unsure about the form, and how wide my hands go, etc. If you have any tips on increasing push-ups, please feel free to post them.
Although my other scores are pretty close to average, I will still work on them as hard as I can, because a better score increases my chances of being admitted. My mile time should improve, as cross-country starts in a week. This should also improve my sit-ups and shuttle-run, as we do quite a bit of ab work-outs and sprints. I do pull-ups at least twice a day, so that should also improve quickly. The basketball throw should increase as push-ups and pull-ups increase, as some of the same muscle groups are used.
Even after all of this, I still must apply to the actual academy. Academically, they are very strict. The average ACT score was 31 or 32 I believe. I have already taken the ACT once, and got a 33, which I was content with. I am unsure if I should take it again though, because I'm aware its a pretty good score and I don't know how they feel about retakes.
My grades are also good, 4.0+, and currently tied for 1st in my class. I am starting my senior year in about three weeks, and should be able to retain this position.
Even though it is extremely difficult to get accepted, it is well worth it in my opinion. They provide a free four-year education, and cadets are paid during their time at the academy. It also offers many exciting opportunities, a good career afterwords(commissioned officer in the Air Force), and, as corny as it sounds, the chance to be a part of something bigger and better than myself.
Sorry if this seemed braggy, it was not intended to be, and I apologize if you interpret it that way.
If anyone has any exercise tips or motivational words please feel free to post them. Any and all advice is appreciated, as well as experiences in the Military or Service Academies.
What you can do improve your pushups is do various variations of them. ( various variations, gotta love it ). The easiest standard push up is just with the arms pretty much straight out. Another one you can do is very wide pushups, as wide as possible. Another one would be to put your arms under your chestbone, on top of eachother. This one is very hard on the triceps. Another way to do it is this: 1 hand moved to the front, 1 hand pulled a bit back. So that means 1 hand will be about next to your head, 1 hand next to your ribs. Switch hand positions every push up. A very important one if you want to be able to do a lot of pushups is a pushup with your hands on chairs. Take 3 equal chairs. Put your feet on one of them, put your hands on the others. These pushups will be a little bit on the wider side, but not much. Make sure the chairs are stable. watch at 54 seconds. These pushups are a lot harder than regular pushups and if you do 50 of these you bet you can do 70 regular ones.
btw OP is that nautical mile or something? 6:40 is very slow. I would think you guys have to be fit rather than buff, airforce pilots should have way above average vO2max and stuff...
On August 01 2011 02:28 50bani wrote: btw OP is that nautical mile or something? 6:40 is very slow. I would think you guys have to be fit rather than buff, airforce pilots should have way above average vO2max and stuff...
On August 01 2011 02:28 50bani wrote: btw OP is that nautical mile or something? 6:40 is very slow. I would think you guys have to be fit rather than buff, airforce pilots should have way above average vO2max and stuff...
Unfortunately its not, lol. Yes I agree its pretty slow, but for now my build isn't exactly that of a runner, but thats why I'm working on changing it. 6:40 is the average starting time. I'm pretty sure they improve dramatically once training begins. Plus the academy is in Colorado, so its a pretty high altitude if that effects vO2max.
On August 01 2011 02:28 50bani wrote: btw OP is that nautical mile or something? 6:40 is very slow. I would think you guys have to be fit rather than buff, airforce pilots should have way above average vO2max and stuff...
Very few USAF personnel are pilots.
While this is true, i believe somewhere around 60% of the academy graduates become pilots. Very few enlisted men become pilots though.
On August 01 2011 02:28 50bani wrote: btw OP is that nautical mile or something? 6:40 is very slow. I would think you guys have to be fit rather than buff, airforce pilots should have way above average vO2max and stuff...
Very few USAF personnel are pilots.
While this is true, i believe somewhere around 60% of the academy graduates become pilots. Very few enlisted men become pilots though.
i don't think being a pilot is open to enlisted. and if you wanna be a pilot i'd recommend the navy, they have more pilots than the af does. and if you wanna jump out of planes, i'd join the army and go airborne.
On August 01 2011 02:28 50bani wrote: btw OP is that nautical mile or something? 6:40 is very slow. I would think you guys have to be fit rather than buff, airforce pilots should have way above average vO2max and stuff...
Very few USAF personnel are pilots.
While this is true, i believe somewhere around 60% of the academy graduates become pilots. Very few enlisted men become pilots though.
i don't think being a pilot is open to enlisted. and if you wanna be a pilot i'd recommend the navy, they have more pilots than the af does. and if you wanna jump out of planes, i'd join the army and go airborne.
lol wat? if u wana be a pilot don't join the air force? that sounds so funny. what do the af do then if not fly planes ?!
Good luck man! As far as the questions about being a pilot out of the AFA vs the Navy, or Army or some civilian service, trust me AFA is the best way to go. I've got a few buddies that I play hockey with and they went to the AFA back in the 70's/80's and it was the same back then: AFA graduates are automatic pilots provided they are healthy enough and are interested. ROTC is next in line, but 90% of the time, the USAF fills their pilot quota from the AFA ONLY. Enlisting in the Air Force and trying to be a pilot is a joke. That's not what I'm here to say though...
I applied to the AFA my senior year of high school (2008) and I thought the CFA would be the hardest part for me, but I swam all through High School so my score was JUST above average, but in total honesty, its really the people you talk to that you have to impress. Your liaison officer for example, when I spoke to mine I tried really hard to be as mature and professional as possible, and it really paid off because he all but guaranteed me entrance to the AFA prep school. Then there's your congressman's approval. If your the son/grandson of an ex-military man its way easier, or if you're pals with the president its a walk in the park ^^, unfortunately for me I am neither, so i had to go get interviewed by (then) House Rep. Mark Udall's hand selected selection committee. Obviously I can't speak for all the different system's the other 500 or so congressmen use to select their academy nominees, but my experience was four people (aged 40-70) asked me some big "adult" questions about leadership and morals and such. My only advice is to mentally force yourself to let go of any nerves you have. Being professional, and humble, yet proud (you're applying for one the most elite positions an 18 year old can have after all), loquacious bu not long winded, and relaxed is pretty important. You will impress a lot of people if you can make your natural state on of professionalism and calm, you have to be natural, like you belong in an interview for such an important thing, but not casual about it.
Anyway, I got one of the five nominations that the committee selected (such a great feeling getting that phone call), and was on my way to the AFA. I ended up deciding that architecture sounded better to me than being a pilot, so now all that's just ancient history (and on my resume. Because, let's be honest, acceptance to the AFA is freakin' awesome whether you take it or not, so now its pretty much the highlight on my resume). But my point is: If I can do it, you'll crush it. (I had a 3.2 GPA, a lazy attitude, a little above average CFA score, and a level head in interviews), You got this man! GLHF as they say ^^
I go to the Canadian military college and I like your fitness test a lot more than ours...what is the shuttle run? Is that the beep test? Some sort of running between lines thing?
On August 01 2011 05:19 ShaLLoW[baY] wrote: I go to the Canadian military college and I like your fitness test a lot more than ours...what is the shuttle run? Is that the beep test? Some sort of running between lines thing?
Run thirty feet, touch a line, run back, repeat once.
On August 01 2011 03:51 Kommatiazo wrote: Good luck man! As far as the questions about being a pilot out of the AFA vs the Navy, or Army or some civilian service, trust me AFA is the best way to go. I've got a few buddies that I play hockey with and they went to the AFA back in the 70's/80's and it was the same back then: AFA graduates are automatic pilots provided they are healthy enough and are interested. ROTC is next in line, but 90% of the time, the USAF fills their pilot quota from the AFA ONLY. Enlisting in the Air Force and trying to be a pilot is a joke. That's not what I'm here to say though...
I applied to the AFA my senior year of high school (2008) and I thought the CFA would be the hardest part for me, but I swam all through High School so my score was JUST above average, but in total honesty, its really the people you talk to that you have to impress. Your liaison officer for example, when I spoke to mine I tried really hard to be as mature and professional as possible, and it really paid off because he all but guaranteed me entrance to the AFA prep school. Then there's your congressman's approval. If your the son/grandson of an ex-military man its way easier, or if you're pals with the president its a walk in the park ^^, unfortunately for me I am neither, so i had to go get interviewed by (then) House Rep. Mark Udall's hand selected selection committee. Obviously I can't speak for all the different system's the other 500 or so congressmen use to select their academy nominees, but my experience was four people (aged 40-70) asked me some big "adult" questions about leadership and morals and such. My only advice is to mentally force yourself to let go of any nerves you have. Being professional, and humble, yet proud (you're applying for one the most elite positions an 18 year old can have after all), loquacious bu not long winded, and relaxed is pretty important. You will impress a lot of people if you can make your natural state on of professionalism and calm, you have to be natural, like you belong in an interview for such an important thing, but not casual about it.
Anyway, I got one of the five nominations that the committee selected (such a great feeling getting that phone call), and was on my way to the AFA. I ended up deciding that architecture sounded better to me than being a pilot, so now all that's just ancient history (and on my resume. Because, let's be honest, acceptance to the AFA is freakin' awesome whether you take it or not, so now its pretty much the highlight on my resume). But my point is: If I can do it, you'll crush it. (I had a 3.2 GPA, a lazy attitude, a little above average CFA score, and a level head in interviews), You got this man! GLHF as they say ^^
On August 01 2011 05:19 ShaLLoW[baY] wrote: I go to the Canadian military college and I like your fitness test a lot more than ours...what is the shuttle run? Is that the beep test? Some sort of running between lines thing?
Run thirty feet, touch a line, run back, repeat once.
Alright we have something similar, but you run to the line and back, weave through some chairs and back, and then run to the line and back again.
EPT
