Air Force Civil Engineer Officer | Frequently Asked Questions
I’ve put together some answers to frequently-asked questions that may help civil engineering students or graduates who are interested in becoming civil engineer officers. The answers herein represent the opinions/experiences of the author and not the official position of the USAF.
What is an Air Force civil engineer officer?
The mission of the US Air Force is to “fly, fight, and win.” In order to launch their aircraft, the Air Force needs fully-functional airfields. That’s where the civil engineers come in. They’re in charge of building and maintaining runways and other on-base facilities. As a civil engineer officer, you’ll be in charge of supervising and leading teams of airmen engineers.
Unlike some other career fields in the Air Force, every civil engineer officer is required to possess an engineering or architecture degree. If you have an engineering degree or plan on getting one, joining the Air Force may be a good option for you.
This video profiles a young civil engineer officer and gives a brief “day in the life” type overview.
How do I become a civil engineer officer?
The Air Force has three primary ways of commissioning officers. They are:
United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The USAFA is the epicenter of Air Force leadership. With an admissions rate that hovers in the single digits, Academy cadets are the cream of the crop. Everyone who enrolls here is an all-star scholar and athlete. The Air Force invests more time, money, and resources training them than any other commissioning source. Everyone who attends the academy will commission into the Air Force upon graduation.
PROS:
- No tuition or housing costs.
- Top-notch education.
- Guaranteed job upon graduation.
- Inclusion into an elite alumni network.
CONS:
- By all accounts, freshman year is miserable. You get hazed and harassed nonstop.
- Extremely rigorous academic and athletic program, which stresses out many cadets.
- Lots of restrictive rules. You’ll miss out on the “normal college” experience.
Fortunately, there is an option for aspiring officers to join the military after attending a civilian university…
Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) is how the Air Force gets most of their officers. It’s an in-college program: you wear a uniform and do military training once or twice per week, and after completing all the requirements, you commission into the Air Force. If you major in civil engineering, you have a strong shot at commissioning as a civil engineer officer.
PROS:
- If you complete all the requirements, you’re guaranteed a commission.
- Full-tuition scholarships are available.
- You can join AFROTC at any point of your time in college.
CONS:
- AFROTC represents a massive time commitment for cadets. You’ll have to attend meetings, labs, early-morning physical training, etc.
- Hazing. They’ll claim they don’t haze in recruiting advertisements, but I got hazed as a cadet.
- Much of your training has little relevance to the real military: sometimes you’ll spend two hours just practicing marching in a parking lot.
- There’s a high attrition rate. In times when the Air Force is meeting its officer recruiting goals and has a surplus of qualified graduates, some cadets can simply be dropped from the program. Cadets can also wash out if they don’t meet physical fitness requirements, academic standards, get negative marks at field training, etc. In cases where they determine that the cadet is at fault, the Air Force may force them to pay back their scholarship.
Officer Training School (OTS) is how the Air Force makes up for shortfalls in the aforementioned two programs. OTS is where civilian college graduates or enlisted members with degrees can undergo 9.5 weeks of intensive leadership training and then graduate as second lieutenants.
PROS:
- If you already have a way to pay for college, you can just graduate with no military obligation and just choose OTS if you’re still interested in joining.
- ROTC graduates must serve seven years to qualify for 100% Post-9/11 GI Bill. For OTS graduates, it’s just three years.
CONS:
- The availability of an OTS slot waxes and wanes with the needs of the military. Some years they’ll take all their applicants, and some years they’ll take none. While OTS is a great option, it’s not one you can bank on.
A fair word of warning: even if you have a civil engineering degree, there’s no guarantee that you’ll go in as a civil engineer officer. You may be assigned a different job depending on the needs of the Air Force. However, since engineering jobs are usually tougher to staff, you’ll most likely commission as an engineer.
Once I join, what will my initial training look like?
All civil engineer officers are required to take WMGT 101, a 9-week course in Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio. The course consists of intensive training on the civil engineer corps’ (maintenance, construction, etc.) and a one-week field training exercise in Florida. As your career progresses, you’ll take additional training courses such as WMGT 481.
As I serve as a civil engineer officer, how much will I use my degree while I serve?
That will vary depending on your assignment and what type of unit you serve in. Some civil engineer officers can use design programs like AutoCAD and Civil 3D, while others will do work that more closely resembles construction management. Regardless of your position, you must understand the principles of earth work, drainage, steel erection, concrete placement, etc., but as far as actual design work, that stuff is usually contracted out to third party civilian design firms.
So yes, you will have opportunities to use your degree, but not as much as your civilian counterparts who work in consulting/design firms.
What if I want to serve in the military, but I also want to develop my skill set as an engineer by doing design work?
If that’s the case, then you should consider the Air National Guard or Air Force Reserve. Most officers who serve in these components only have to put on the uniform one weekend per month and two weeks per year. The Guard and Reserve are great options for civil engineers who want to serve their country part-time while at the same time keeping a civilian engineering job.
I should also note that officers who go into guard/reserve are directly assessed as civil engineers (i.e. they don’t run the risk of being assigned a different job.)
That’s what I’m doing right now!
Can I get my PE while serving as a civil engineer officer?
YES. All you need is someone in your organization who can sign off on your experience. Civil engineer officers earn this credential all the time. I earned mine using military experience. We also work closely with DOD civilians (I had two civilians sign off on my experience.)
Can I earn a master’s degree while serving in the Air Force?
YES. The Air Force has incentive programs in which they’ll pay for your degree while you serve. These programs can be competitive depending on availability and will lock you into more time in active duty. In order to get promoted past a certain grade, you’ll be expected to have a graduate degree.
Let’s say I join the Air Force, but later decide not to make a career out of it. What would my post-Air Force career options look like?
You’ll have many options. Employers like to hire veterans because they tend to have self-discipline and strong problem-solving skills. I’ve known two former CE officers who joined the private sector as design engineers, and they’ve both had success.
I’ve also known a few who left engineering altogether when transitioning to the private sector. For example, a few former officers I’ve worked with landed good-paying management jobs with the oil and gas industry.
From my experience, most separated CE officers go into civil service, working for the military as a civilian. That’s what I’m doing on the civilian side. You’ll get veterans’ hiring preferences, and you also have the option of transferring your military time in service to your civilian retirement, so no time in wasted. These jobs are also quite National Guard and Reserve-friendly, giving you 15 days of paid military leave per year.
What resources are available to learn about career opportunities as an engineer officer?
As I stated previously, I’m currently serving as a civil engineer officer in the Air National Guard, so feel free to ask me questions. Social media is also a great resource for learning about the civil engineer mission.
Here are a few useful links:
Civil Engineer Officer — official Air Force recruiting website.
USAFCE Instagram — shows many pics of what airmen engineers do.
USAFCE YouTube — shows many videos of what airmen engineers do.
Mind you, the military changes its way of doing things from year to year, so the only way to get current and authoritative information is to contact a recruiter. And they’re easy to find.
