I'm going to be applying to some units and will need to Palace Chase if I were lucky enough to get picked up.  My question, is when can I start applying if 2/3 of my commitment is up in Jan 2012?  (I just recently commissioned, so it'll be a bit of a wait right now).

If I could get picked up by a unit, could I technically start applying in the Summer/Fall of 2011, so by the time I actually went to training I could Palace Chase?  Or will I need to wait until Jan 2012 just to start submitting packets?  I tried speaking with the www.Goang.com recruiter, but I keep getting disconnected.  Plus, I didn't know if it would be handled differently for applying to UPT since the lag time to wait for training may be different, in addition to me already being commissioned.  I'm hoping the question would be more appropriate to ask here.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.  Thanks for your time.

 

Are you currently rated? The reason I ask is we recently tried to Palace Chase someone and the Air Force denied it due to the fact that they are currently short 2000 rated officers. I spoke with the officer in charge of Palace Chase and he said it didn't matter that this person's AFSC was staffed correctly, just the simple fact that they would not be allowing PC for rated officers due to the overall shortage.

On another note, I would encourage you to start speaking with Guard/Reserve units now. If they want to hire you via PC, they can plan on bringing you in based on when the AF will release you. I would also speak with the folks on your base concerning the PC. They will be the ones that can tell you if you can do it and when. Just be careful as you may not want your boss finding out that you are looking to PC. It could hurt your career progression if you decide to stay. If that is a concern, you can always speak to someone from a different base about your PC.

Good luck.

I'm currently NOT rated and I will definately consider your recommendation of speaking with another base about my PC if it ever seems necessary.

You answered my question when you said "If they want to hire you via PC, they can plan on bringing you in based on when the AF will release you." I was thinking that I had to plan my PC around the Guard unit's dates. I'll definately start as soon as possible.

Thanks for the reply.