Military Law Forum

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Anonymous User
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Re: Military Law

Post by Anonymous User » Mon Nov 06, 2017 5:35 pm

Anonymous User wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:Army Reserve selectee here: I heard recently that there was going to be a May 2018 course after all, can anyone confirm? Also, has anyone heard back about medical waivers? Thanks!
Can confirm there will be a May 2018 course!
AMAZING, thanks! Any other updates?

ss3db1

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Re: Military Law

Post by ss3db1 » Mon Nov 06, 2017 5:55 pm

Patrick Bateman wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:
Quasar wrote:Before I ask my question I wanted to thank everyone who has contributed to this thread. It has been tremendously helpful and the insight provided is great appreciated.

Current 2L putting together an application for the AF OYCP program. My school has an AF detachment on campus and the recruiting captain suggested that I take the AFOQT and submit my test results for the January board. Wanted to hear the community's opinion on whether an AFOQT score can shed a positive light on my application, or is it a non-factor?
Sitting Air Force SJA here, thus the anon.

You said a "recruiting captain" suggested the AFOQT - do you mean the Captain at the ROTC detachment? If the online application doesn't call for the AFOQT, then no, I don't think that will help in the slightest. Practically, the selection board is made up of JAGs, and it's possible all 3 will have no idea what the score means. I can pass this question to our recruiting folks, but I really don't think this would be helpful.

I would also be interested in hearing from those with Coast Guard experience. My recollection is that they're a little like the Marines in that you might not always be in a legal billet, but I could be making that up. The locations are no joke, though. I went to a training course that had two Coasties - one from New Orleans and the other from Miami. I returned to my frigid land-locked state. The summer with them would be great experience for any branch, so good luck.
Agreed with our Anon SJA - I am not aware of the AFOQT for OCYP and a few minutes scanning the requirements online, I cannot see any requirement there. If the suspicion of Anon SJA is correct and you talked to a non JAX "recruiter": disregard whatever they told you. JAG accessions in the AF are a totally different animal and any other line officer cannot speak to the process or requirements. Talk to the folks at JAX.

I recently commissioned through the Air Force GLP program so I'll confirm the above, the AFOQT is not required for the application packet. However, if you are selected, then you will need to take the AFOQT before you go to AFROTC field training (or whatever they are calling it now) in the summer. As such, perhaps the recruiting captain was suggesting that you take it to get a head start and show that you are serious about your application?
That said, it's a three and a half hour long test and I don't think that the Direct Commission folks have to take it (assuming you don't get selected and reapply through the DC route), so I guess it would depend on how much spare time you feel you have.

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Quasar

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Re: Military Law

Post by Quasar » Mon Nov 06, 2017 8:49 pm

ss3db1 wrote:I recently commissioned through the Air Force GLP program so I'll confirm the above, the AFOQT is not required for the application packet. However, if you are selected, then you will need to take the AFOQT before you go to AFROTC field training (or whatever they are calling it now) in the summer. As such, perhaps the recruiting captain was suggesting that you take it to get a head start and show that you are serious about your application?
That said, it's a three and a half hour long test and I don't think that the Direct Commission folks have to take it (assuming you don't get selected and reapply through the DC route), so I guess it would depend on how much spare time you feel you have.
Thanks for the insight!

Can you share your experience with the GLP program?

How rigorous were your ROTC obligations? Balance with school courses and activities?

snyder7

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Re: Military Law

Post by snyder7 » Tue Nov 07, 2017 1:33 pm

Air Force October Board calls are going out. Just received my acceptance call. Excited beyond belief! Thank everyone on this forum (I started reading about 2 years ago when I first began considering JAG). This is the single best resource on the internet for JAG information, and it’s the people contributing to this forum that are behind it all.

A few stats for reference sake:
Top 30% at a Top 50 law school (sorry, I can’t remember the tier 1,2,3 differences)
3.4 GPA
155 LSAT
Moot Court
Health Law Certification
Prior employment experience as teacher and coach
2017 AF JAG Summer Internship (*I assure you this made the difference between select and non-select)

Good luck everyone!

BLucare

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Re: Military Law

Post by BLucare » Tue Nov 07, 2017 5:10 pm

I also received my acceptance call this morning! Beyond excited about it, and best of luck to those still going through the application process.

I'll join snyder7 and share some of my own stats, not for purposes of bragging, but as a reference point for others:
Tier 1 law school, but on the lower end of T1
155 LSAT
Solid law school transcript with Trial Ad workshops, and other courses focusing on litigation and criminal law
Moot Court (competitions and general board)
ADR (competitions and general board)
Public Interest Law Society fellow and board member, 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 school years
Two summers interning with the local DA's office, and tons of relevant on-record argument/experience (motions, jury trials, various hearings) during 2017
NCAA athlete
Four LORs written by people from very different backgrounds, who could speak to different aspects of my legal education, work ethic, and other attributes

I should also note that I did not have a JAG internship of any kind, Air Force or otherwise. Hopefully that helps.

Question for any other selectees: does anyone know the timeframe with regard to next steps? I ran out of class to answer the SJA's phone call, so I didn't really have much time to chat with him.

Cheers,

BL
Last edited by BLucare on Wed Nov 08, 2017 10:27 am, edited 3 times in total.

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lharle

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Re: Military Law

Post by lharle » Tue Nov 07, 2017 6:20 pm

Also got the call. I'll share as well:

Undergrad GPA: 3.88
LSAT: 148
Law School: Tier 4
GPA: 3.32, Top 11%
Mock Trial Travel Team
Law Review, Law Review Editorial Board (wrote and published article on military law topic)
AF Summer Externship
DA Internship
5 LOR's (including letter from a colonel from externship, 5th Circuit Judge--- each recommender had military experience)

Anonymous User
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Re: Military Law

Post by Anonymous User » Tue Nov 07, 2017 10:06 pm

ss3db1 wrote: Can you share your experience with the GLP program?

How rigorous were your ROTC obligations? Balance with school courses and activities?
I'll share my experiences with the program because I had an enormous amount of difficulty getting any information on it back when I was looking into it. As a caveat my experiences were with OYCP, which is the one-year version of GLP. As far as I know though, aside from OYCP’s shorter length the programs are otherwise virtually identical. I’m posting this anonymously because I’m somewhat critical of the Air Force’s early-entry programs and I don’t want to cause any issues. Please refrain from quoting this post.

I regret doing an early-entry program. JAG itself is a wonderful choice, but to do it again I would’ve taken my chances with Direct Appointment 3L year instead. Obviously everyone’s experiences will vary, and I am sure there are plenty of people here who have had great experiences, but in my case I was very underwhelmed by the program for a number of reasons.

The work load is more than I expected and does not mesh well with law school

The workload sucks. This is bound to vary a bit from detachment to detachment, but for GLP you’ll have one military class per semester that is several hours long (for OYCP it’s two classes per week). You’ll also have to attend a training session every week, plus most places have at least one mandatory early-morning workout per week.

Upper-level ROTC cadets (which includes you) generally have to take on some type of leadership position in their detachment as well, though the exact positions/workloads for that will vary heavily based on your school/detachment. Just be aware that you will probably have additional time commitments beyond what you’ll see on paper when you research these programs.

Scheduling will again vary from school to school, but I missed out on taking several law classes that I wanted to because of scheduling conflicts with the military. It’s great that I learned military stuff, but my class selection was harmed enough that I feel the program was borderline detrimental to my legal education. Had I waited to attend OTS after a Direct Appointment, I wouldn’t have had this problem. Again, though, OYCP has an additional class per week compared to GLP so GLP might be a bit better.

On the bright side, you do get a monthly stiped ($500/month). That being said, it doesn’t even come close to offsetting the money you lose from not being able to get a job the summer that you go to Field Training. Which brings me to my next point.

Field Training is not paid and you won’t have time for another job

In the past, it was paid. Now it's not. Last I checked, the material the Air Force gives you when you're applying still say it’s paid but that's incorrect. They changed the length of field training last year and it is now too short to be eligible for pay (apparently they waited to tell OYCP/GLP cadets this until after Field Training last summer). Field Training will basically ruin any other summer job options, because you can’t choose your training dates. Your training dates could be anywhere from late-May to early-August. They won’t tell you your training dates until April or May, so there’s no way to pre-plan employment around it. In other words, have fun not making any money over the summer. Training for future years is supposed to be even shorter, so it might be possible to schedule a summer job in the coming years, but I wouldn’t count on it.

On top of that, the other cadets at field training will have had years to prepare. You’ll have one year with GLP (or a couple months at best for OYCP). JAGs go to Field Training one week before everyone else for extra training, but it’s all academic Air Force history stuff—nothing useful that you will actually need for training like how to march or how to wear your uniform or anything practical. It’s not the end of the world—if you’re in law school you’ll be sharp enough to pick up on a lot of it.

Cadets are ranked at Field Training (it matters for most undergrads because it relates to their job options) and while your ranking won’t matter in the slightest, you’ll still be ranked. Your ranking may not matter, but I still found it a little frustrating because it didn’t make sense to include JAGs when other people had way more time to prep. Many of the training personnel had no idea that GLP/OYCP cadets were in substantially shorter programs, so I had to spend time explaining why I had no idea how to do some of the super basic things. Again, not the end of the world, but something that could've easily been fixed if the Air Force had paid even an ounce of attention to these programs. Speaking of which...

GLP/OYCP are black sheep with no organizational structure or support

No, seriously. You essentially won’t have any communication with the people running your program beyond your initial acceptance email. For OYCP at least (and I’m guessing for GLP too) there is no contact person for the program. Everything goes through your detachment and you won’t talk to anyone from your program again until you’re about to graduate.

The problem is, most people have no idea what these programs are or how they work. My detachment couldn’t answer any questions related to the program because they had never heard of it until I told them about it. There's no website or FAQs or anything for these programs. You’re literally stuck flying blind.

I’ll close by saying that I have zero regrets about choosing JAG but had I known then what I know now, I would have done it in a different manner. On the plus side, it’s nice to know you’ll have a job waiting for you after graduation and you’ll definitely be well-prepared compared to your counterparts who went through OTS. Additionally, my experience may not be representative of how things have gone for other people so take my experiences with a grain of salt.

CaptainAmerica39

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Re: Military Law

Post by CaptainAmerica39 » Wed Nov 08, 2017 4:23 am

Glad to hear a few got their sja calls yesterday. Congrats!!! I'm still holding out hope that I get mine in the morning...

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usn26

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Re: Military Law

Post by usn26 » Wed Nov 08, 2017 10:03 am

CaptainAmerica39 wrote:Glad to hear a few got their sja calls yesterday. Congrats!!! I'm still holding out hope that I get mine in the morning...
Same. I hope it's not all done already.

How do we hear if it's a no?

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MarkfromWI

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Re: Military Law

Post by MarkfromWI » Wed Nov 08, 2017 10:21 am

usn26 wrote:
CaptainAmerica39 wrote:Glad to hear a few got their sja calls yesterday. Congrats!!! I'm still holding out hope that I get mine in the morning...
Same. I hope it's not all done already.

How do we hear if it's a no?
All hope isn't lost... yet. I just called the JAX office (via the phone number on their Facebook page) and the woman who answered the phone was unaware that notifications had apparently started going out. She said she normally receives notifications when the select list goes out and she couldn't find anything in her inbox. So my hope is that if she still hasn't received word, then maybe some of the SJAs with selected applicants haven't been notified either.

Also, to answer the above, rejections are generally sent by email. I guess just hold out hope until the email comes...
Last edited by MarkfromWI on Wed Nov 08, 2017 11:05 am, edited 1 time in total.

BLucare

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Re: Military Law

Post by BLucare » Wed Nov 08, 2017 10:23 am

usn26 wrote:
CaptainAmerica39 wrote:Glad to hear a few got their sja calls yesterday. Congrats!!! I'm still holding out hope that I get mine in the morning...
Same. I hope it's not all done already.

How do we hear if it's a no?
Phone calls for selectees, emails or letters in the mail if you have not been selected. There was an email that went out a couple weeks ago with the relevant info about it all. The email also advised us to apply for the December board, just in case you did not receive your results by Nov. 10. Just something to keep in mind, as Nov. 10 draws nearer.

zmltb12

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Re: Military Law

Post by zmltb12 » Wed Nov 08, 2017 3:54 pm

Anyone who didn't get a phone call yesterday get one today? I haven't received a rejection letter/email, but I will post something as soon as I do.
MarkfromWI wrote:
usn26 wrote:
CaptainAmerica39 wrote:Glad to hear a few got their sja calls yesterday. Congrats!!! I'm still holding out hope that I get mine in the morning...
Same. I hope it's not all done already.

How do we hear if it's a no?
All hope isn't lost... yet. I just called the JAX office (via the phone number on their Facebook page) and the woman who answered the phone was unaware that notifications had apparently started going out. She said she normally receives notifications when the select list goes out and she couldn't find anything in her inbox. So my hope is that if she still hasn't received word, then maybe some of the SJAs with selected applicants haven't been notified either.

Also, to answer the above, rejections are generally sent by email. I guess just hold out hope until the email comes...

Anonymous User
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Re: Military Law

Post by Anonymous User » Wed Nov 08, 2017 3:56 pm

zmltb12 wrote:Anyone who didn't get a phone call yesterday get one today? I haven't received a rejection letter/email, but I will post something as soon as I do.
MarkfromWI wrote:
usn26 wrote:
CaptainAmerica39 wrote:Glad to hear a few got their sja calls yesterday. Congrats!!! I'm still holding out hope that I get mine in the morning...
Same. I hope it's not all done already.

How do we hear if it's a no?
All hope isn't lost... yet. I just called the JAX office (via the phone number on their Facebook page) and the woman who answered the phone was unaware that notifications had apparently started going out. She said she normally receives notifications when the select list goes out and she couldn't find anything in her inbox. So my hope is that if she still hasn't received word, then maybe some of the SJAs with selected applicants haven't been notified either.

Also, to answer the above, rejections are generally sent by email. I guess just hold out hope until the email comes...
Nothing here either, I'm waiting right there with ya.

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Anonymous User
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Re: Military Law

Post by Anonymous User » Wed Nov 08, 2017 4:37 pm

Anonymous User wrote:
ss3db1 wrote: Can you share your experience with the GLP program?

How rigorous were your ROTC obligations? Balance with school courses and activities?
I'll share my experiences with the program because I had an enormous amount of difficulty getting any information on it back when I was looking into it. As a caveat my experiences were with OYCP, which is the one-year version of GLP. As far as I know though, aside from OYCP’s shorter length the programs are otherwise virtually identical. I’m posting this anonymously because I’m somewhat critical of the Air Force’s early-entry programs and I don’t want to cause any issues. Please refrain from quoting this post.

I regret doing an early-entry program. JAG itself is a wonderful choice, but to do it again I would’ve taken my chances with Direct Appointment 3L year instead. Obviously everyone’s experiences will vary, and I am sure there are plenty of people here who have had great experiences, but in my case I was very underwhelmed by the program for a number of reasons.

The work load is more than I expected and does not mesh well with law school

The workload sucks. This is bound to vary a bit from detachment to detachment, but for GLP you’ll have one military class per semester that is several hours long (for OYCP it’s two classes per week). You’ll also have to attend a training session every week, plus most places have at least one mandatory early-morning workout per week.

Upper-level ROTC cadets (which includes you) generally have to take on some type of leadership position in their detachment as well, though the exact positions/workloads for that will vary heavily based on your school/detachment. Just be aware that you will probably have additional time commitments beyond what you’ll see on paper when you research these programs.

Scheduling will again vary from school to school, but I missed out on taking several law classes that I wanted to because of scheduling conflicts with the military. It’s great that I learned military stuff, but my class selection was harmed enough that I feel the program was borderline detrimental to my legal education. Had I waited to attend OTS after a Direct Appointment, I wouldn’t have had this problem. Again, though, OYCP has an additional class per week compared to GLP so GLP might be a bit better.

On the bright side, you do get a monthly stiped ($500/month). That being said, it doesn’t even come close to offsetting the money you lose from not being able to get a job the summer that you go to Field Training. Which brings me to my next point.

Field Training is not paid and you won’t have time for another job

In the past, it was paid. Now it's not. Last I checked, the material the Air Force gives you when you're applying still say it’s paid but that's incorrect. They changed the length of field training last year and it is now too short to be eligible for pay (apparently they waited to tell OYCP/GLP cadets this until after Field Training last summer). Field Training will basically ruin any other summer job options, because you can’t choose your training dates. Your training dates could be anywhere from late-May to early-August. They won’t tell you your training dates until April or May, so there’s no way to pre-plan employment around it. In other words, have fun not making any money over the summer. Training for future years is supposed to be even shorter, so it might be possible to schedule a summer job in the coming years, but I wouldn’t count on it.

On top of that, the other cadets at field training will have had years to prepare. You’ll have one year with GLP (or a couple months at best for OYCP). JAGs go to Field Training one week before everyone else for extra training, but it’s all academic Air Force history stuff—nothing useful that you will actually need for training like how to march or how to wear your uniform or anything practical. It’s not the end of the world—if you’re in law school you’ll be sharp enough to pick up on a lot of it.

Cadets are ranked at Field Training (it matters for most undergrads because it relates to their job options) and while your ranking won’t matter in the slightest, you’ll still be ranked. Your ranking may not matter, but I still found it a little frustrating because it didn’t make sense to include JAGs when other people had way more time to prep. Many of the training personnel had no idea that GLP/OYCP cadets were in substantially shorter programs, so I had to spend time explaining why I had no idea how to do some of the super basic things. Again, not the end of the world, but something that could've easily been fixed if the Air Force had paid even an ounce of attention to these programs. Speaking of which...

GLP/OYCP are black sheep with no organizational structure or support

No, seriously. You essentially won’t have any communication with the people running your program beyond your initial acceptance email. For OYCP at least (and I’m guessing for GLP too) there is no contact person for the program. Everything goes through your detachment and you won’t talk to anyone from your program again until you’re about to graduate.

The problem is, most people have no idea what these programs are or how they work. My detachment couldn’t answer any questions related to the program because they had never heard of it until I told them about it. There's no website or FAQs or anything for these programs. You’re literally stuck flying blind.

I’ll close by saying that I have zero regrets about choosing JAG but had I known then what I know now, I would have done it in a different manner. On the plus side, it’s nice to know you’ll have a job waiting for you after graduation and you’ll definitely be well-prepared compared to your counterparts who went through OTS. Additionally, my experience may not be representative of how things have gone for other people so take my experiences with a grain of salt.
As a former GLPer I don't disagree with some of this- it was often a PITA, however, I'm very glad I did this program. I think the exposure and leadership training made the extra effort worth it. Most JA's join the AF with very little "military experience" or leadership training. These programs offer a vastly greater opportunity to develop good officership and provide you with relatability/credibilty among other officers more so than a DAP would have in/after COT.

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MarkfromWI

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Re: Military Law

Post by MarkfromWI » Wed Nov 08, 2017 4:51 pm

Anonymous User wrote:
zmltb12 wrote:Anyone who didn't get a phone call yesterday get one today? I haven't received a rejection letter/email, but I will post something as soon as I do.
MarkfromWI wrote:
usn26 wrote:
CaptainAmerica39 wrote:Glad to hear a few got their sja calls yesterday. Congrats!!! I'm still holding out hope that I get mine in the morning...
Same. I hope it's not all done already.

How do we hear if it's a no?
All hope isn't lost... yet. I just called the JAX office (via the phone number on their Facebook page) and the woman who answered the phone was unaware that notifications had apparently started going out. She said she normally receives notifications when the select list goes out and she couldn't find anything in her inbox. So my hope is that if she still hasn't received word, then maybe some of the SJAs with selected applicants haven't been notified either.

Also, to answer the above, rejections are generally sent by email. I guess just hold out hope until the email comes...
Nothing here either, I'm waiting right there with ya.
I received a call earlier today with the acceptance.

akjim101

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Re: Military Law

Post by akjim101 » Wed Nov 08, 2017 5:30 pm

Could someone who has done AF OYCP PM me. I'm a current applicant and have a few questions I don't want to ask in the public forum.

zmltb12

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Re: Military Law

Post by zmltb12 » Thu Nov 09, 2017 11:12 am

MarkfromWI wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:
zmltb12 wrote:Anyone who didn't get a phone call yesterday get one today? I haven't received a rejection letter/email, but I will post something as soon as I do.
MarkfromWI wrote:
usn26 wrote:
CaptainAmerica39 wrote:Glad to hear a few got their sja calls yesterday. Congrats!!! I'm still holding out hope that I get mine in the morning...
Same. I hope it's not all done already.

How do we hear if it's a no?
All hope isn't lost... yet. I just called the JAX office (via the phone number on their Facebook page) and the woman who answered the phone was unaware that notifications had apparently started going out. She said she normally receives notifications when the select list goes out and she couldn't find anything in her inbox. So my hope is that if she still hasn't received word, then maybe some of the SJAs with selected applicants haven't been notified either.

Also, to answer the above, rejections are generally sent by email. I guess just hold out hope until the email comes...
Nothing here either, I'm waiting right there with ya.
I received a call earlier today with the acceptance.
Congratulations! I just received the rejection email. Good luck to everyone on the next Board!

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hkh2220

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Re: Military Law

Post by hkh2220 » Thu Nov 09, 2017 1:03 pm

Army AD for Jan 2018 Class-

Does anyone know anything about when we sign our commissioning documents or get a look at potential duty stations?

Maybe someone from previous classes can shed light- I know in years past it's been right around early/mid November.

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Quasar

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Re: Military Law

Post by Quasar » Thu Nov 09, 2017 6:19 pm

Congrats to everyone who recieved the call and good luck to those still waiting or re-applying!


For those who have taken the full-length photograph required by all applications -- any advice on background, pose, suit color, camera quality?

BLucare

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Re: Military Law

Post by BLucare » Thu Nov 09, 2017 7:04 pm

Quasar wrote:Congrats to everyone who recieved the call and good luck to those still waiting or re-applying!


For those who have taken the full-length photograph required by all applications -- any advice on background, pose, suit color, camera quality?
I had my wife take the photo with my iPhone camera in the hallway of our apartment building. Yeah, I could've used a DSLR or something, but the photo turned out fine. The wall behind me was white, which I figured would be best. Also, I was using the photo for Army and AF applications, and Army asked for a neutral background. As far as a "pose," well, my hands were at my sides, I was looking just above the camera, and I wasn't smiling. I didn't feel a need to make it look like a J. Crew catalogue photo. Navy suit, red tie, white shirt. Don't wear obnoxious colors or patterns; basically, avoid anything you wouldn't wear to court in front of a judge, or in front of a client whom you're representing.

I'm assuming there are a couple basic reasons for the photo: to see how well you present yourself (clean shaven? Nice-fitting and appropriately-colored suit? Professional hair cut?), and to see your general physical outline for the height/weight standards.

20171203

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Re: Military Law

Post by 20171203 » Fri Nov 10, 2017 1:35 pm

BLucare wrote:
Quasar wrote:Congrats to everyone who recieved the call and good luck to those still waiting or re-applying!


For those who have taken the full-length photograph required by all applications -- any advice on background, pose, suit color, camera quality?
I had my wife take the photo with my iPhone camera in the hallway of our apartment building. Yeah, I could've used a DSLR or something, but the photo turned out fine. The wall behind me was white, which I figured would be best. Also, I was using the photo for Army and AF applications, and Army asked for a neutral background. As far as a "pose," well, my hands were at my sides, I was looking just above the camera, and I wasn't smiling. I didn't feel a need to make it look like a J. Crew catalogue photo. Navy suit, red tie, white shirt. Don't wear obnoxious colors or patterns; basically, avoid anything you wouldn't wear to court in front of a judge, or in front of a client whom you're representing.

I'm assuming there are a couple basic reasons for the photo: to see how well you present yourself (clean shaven? Nice-fitting and appropriately-colored suit? Professional hair cut?), and to see your general physical outline for the height/weight standards.
The picture probably serves 2 purposes: to make sure that you can follow instructions, and to gauge your general physical fitness level through your appearance, as noted by the above poster.
Last edited by 20171203 on Tue Nov 28, 2017 7:41 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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Re: Military Law

Post by frankbeans » Fri Nov 10, 2017 2:02 pm

BLucare wrote:
Quasar wrote:Congrats to everyone who recieved the call and good luck to those still waiting or re-applying!


For those who have taken the full-length photograph required by all applications -- any advice on background, pose, suit color, camera quality?
I had my wife take the photo with my iPhone camera in the hallway of our apartment building. Yeah, I could've used a DSLR or something, but the photo turned out fine. The wall behind me was white, which I figured would be best. Also, I was using the photo for Army and AF applications, and Army asked for a neutral background. As far as a "pose," well, my hands were at my sides, I was looking just above the camera, and I wasn't smiling. I didn't feel a need to make it look like a J. Crew catalogue photo. Navy suit, red tie, white shirt. Don't wear obnoxious colors or patterns; basically, avoid anything you wouldn't wear to court in front of a judge, or in front of a client whom you're representing.

I'm assuming there are a couple basic reasons for the photo: to see how well you present yourself (clean shaven? Nice-fitting and appropriately-colored suit? Professional hair cut?), and to see your general physical outline for the height/weight standards.
You're right. The board wants to see if you look the part. Like the above poster, I have heard stories of applicants being rejected for failure to follow simple instructions. (Ex. Not wearing a suit, looking way too casual, posing in front of alcoholic beverages.)

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Patrick Bateman

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Re: Military Law

Post by Patrick Bateman » Fri Nov 10, 2017 7:44 pm

Quasar wrote:Congrats to everyone who recieved the call and good luck to those still waiting or re-applying!


For those who have taken the full-length photograph required by all applications -- any advice on background, pose, suit color, camera quality?
Conservative suit - navy or gray. White or blue shirt. Conservative tie with a proper knot. If it is not something you could pick out of a Brooks Brothers (and not the annoying WASPy at the Hamptons stuff), you should reassess. This is not a time to show off your sartorial creativity. Same goes for your hair cut - you don't need the ol high and tight but it better be well groomed and conservative.

Pose: Facing the camera directly or slightly angled at the shoulder. Hands at your side.

I honestly would not recommend any friend, spouse, etc taking the picture even if they have a good camera. Get it down at an actual studio - a Sears or Walmart is not going to charge you much and the quality improvement is noticeable. Do not invest all of this time and effort on your applicant and then phone it in when it comes to the picture.

You are the question of "can this person adapt and excel in a military environment?" Look the part. Also, as noted by the other posters, don't look fat.

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Re: Military Law

Post by Anonymous User » Sat Nov 11, 2017 12:09 pm

Patrick Bateman wrote:
Quasar wrote:Congrats to everyone who recieved the call and good luck to those still waiting or re-applying!


For those who have taken the full-length photograph required by all applications -- any advice on background, pose, suit color, camera quality?
Conservative suit - navy or gray. White or blue shirt. Conservative tie with a proper knot. If it is not something you could pick out of a Brooks Brothers (and not the annoying WASPy at the Hamptons stuff), you should reassess. This is not a time to show off your sartorial creativity. Same goes for your hair cut - you don't need the ol high and tight but it better be well groomed and conservative.

Pose: Facing the camera directly or slightly angled at the shoulder. Hands at your side.

I honestly would not recommend any friend, spouse, etc taking the picture even if they have a good camera. Get it down at an actual studio - a Sears or Walmart is not going to charge you much and the quality improvement is noticeable. Do not invest all of this time and effort on your applicant and then phone it in when it comes to the picture.

You are the question of "can this person adapt and excel in a military environment?" Look the part. Also, as noted by the other posters, don't look fat.

That being said- if you're poor, a phone pic could be okay. Anecdotal, but I had mine taken with a 2013 iPotato and was hired

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Re: Military Law

Post by Anonymous User » Tue Nov 14, 2017 4:18 pm

hkh2220 wrote:Army AD for Jan 2018 Class-

Does anyone know anything about when we sign our commissioning documents or get a look at potential duty stations?

Maybe someone from previous classes can shed light- I know in years past it's been right around early/mid November.
Training starts in less than two months. I hope we hear something soon.

Seriously? What are you waiting for?

Now there's a charge.
Just kidding ... it's still FREE!


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