If you do not have the ADSC remaining to accept the assignment then you may 7-day opt. If you do have the ADSC remaining to fulfill the assignment then away you go. It is critical that rated officers fill rated billets. The Air Force expects a greater than 1500 pilot shortage by 2002 and a navigator shortage in approaching. As always, Air Force needs come first.
Questions continue to come in regarding rated officers competing for non-rated billets.
The rated prioritization plan has specific guidance regarding rated officers in non-rated billets. Agencies are being required to reach their entitlement level by Sep 99. If agency X has 10 rated entitlements under the prioritization plan and that agency wants to use one of those entitlements to hire a rated officer into a non-rated billet, they can do it. However, an available rated entitlement MUST exist in order to work that assignment. Many of the staff agencies are currently in excess of their total rated authorizations and over their pilot entitlements and can't afford to hire any addition rated officers, must less hire them into non-rated billets.