[billybarue]

He's too late for Academy selection this year. I am interviewing kids right now for USAFA. Budget cuts hit everywhere. USAFA admissions were down 15% last year. We turned down 500 exceptionally qualified applicants. Selections will be down another 10% this year. If he hustled he might get his stuff together for this year but highly doubtful. 1200 SATS minimum to even be looked at - he better score 1350 or better. AP classes (Physics, chem, calc, etc), varsity athlete, student council, and lots of community activities to make his Academy application/interview process even minimally competitive.

In my view look to the Guard/Reserve. Specifically Guard. I wish somebody had pointed me in that direction, or I at least knew about it when I was younger. If he enlists in the Guard, oh BTW there is an AF program that allows Seniors in HS to enlist in the Guard, it is likely the state (MN for you it looks like) will pay his tuition at any state school. So you really don't have to worry about winning an ROTC scholarshiop to have your college paid for. Although ROTC is a great option and he can do that too. If he happens to go with MN Guard and go to college at the same time he can get a commission when he graduates but since he was in the Guard for the previous 4 years he will be 20% on his way to be eligible for a military retirement. He can even go active duty if he wants after he is commissioned, but because he has 4 good years of Federal Military service with the Guard he would only need 16 more years to be eligible for retirement.

I am biased but my feeling is that Air Force takes care of their people the best. Base facilities and basing opportunities I also think are uniformly excellent with the AF.

UAVs are the latest best thing, but the AF will always have a need for manned aircraft. In my view if he starts with UAVs he might find he wants to actually move into manned aircraft and the AF will find his UAV experience compelling when he competes for a pilot slot. And we happen to have a s-load of airplanes, although the Army's got lots of those "spinny" things.

I was USAFA, 10 years active, and last 11 years in the Reserves. Pretty much loved all my time on Active duty, mixed feelings about time in Reserves.

FWIW