Customer Reviews

Air Force Officer's Guide: 33rd Edition

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'll sheepishly admit that I'm not one for dry guidebooks, history texts and the like; they usually put me to sleep. However, I found the "Air Force Officer's Guide" fascinating. The book starts right off with issues of conduct, leadership, and responsibility, beautifully setting the tone for the rest of the material. This is almost certainly idealized to a certain extent, but that's rather the point, I think--this is meant as a guide of behavior to be aspired to.

There's information in here about professional development, training, education, health, fitness, promotion, and the officer evaluation system. I think this material gives a clear picture of what the author believes officers can do to best serve their country as well as themselves. The book stresses that officers must be willing to take every opportunity to advance their education, through personal efforts as well as structured training, and it gives many suggestions for how to go about this.

One of my favorite sections covers "The Air Force Way," delving into AF cultures and traditions and explaining the differences between military courtesies and customs of the service. There's a nifty section explaining all the little details of uniforms and insignia and how to wear them properly, including diagrams and drawings. There's even a section on social life in the AF, and the book discusses the general issue of the AF as a career, and the rights, privileges, and restrictions that go with it. I think the book does get rather dry as it moves onward into issues of pay, leave time, medical benefits, retirement, and so on, but then it would be a miracle if it didn't.

This is a handy multi-purpose book if you have any interest in the Air Force, whether or not you're actually a part of it. Its stated purpose is to help officers in their careers. I think it would be a great way for someone who's thinking of joining up to get a feel for whether or not it's their sort of thing. It's a good way for people to gain a new appreciation for the kind of work, dedication, and discipline it takes to be a part of the armed services. And it's fantastic reference material for a military buff, a writer doing research for a project, or even a roleplayer who wants to be able to get in the right mood (and design a realistic character) for a military-based roleplaying game.

As a new AF wife I picked this up in hopes of gaining a better understanding of military life, expectations and jargon. It was completely unhelpful.