Understanding your Cadet SURF

What is an AFROTC Cadet SURF?

SURF stands for Single Unit Retrieval Format, which doesn't mean much, but it's basically a two-page report on your important stats and information in AFROTC, as known by the WINGS personnel system that tracks all this info.

An example SURF

Here's a sanitized version of a Cadet SURF. Some information is blank for privacy reasons, but you can still see where the information would go.

What each item means on a Cadet SURF

I'll now go over what each item means on the SURF, so you can understand it.

Produced

The date/time the Cadet SURF was pulled from WINGS.

Name

Name as entered in WINGS. Make sure it matches your birth certificate and Social Security Card, and of course has been updated if you change your name due to marriage or preference.

Empl ID

This is Employee ID, an internal tracking/account number in the WINGS system. You will be asked for this number occasionally when applying for certain things, but you don't need to memorize it.

Sex

Sex as listed in the WINGS system.

DOB

Date of birth. Make sure it's correct.

Place of Birth

Place of birth as shown on your birth certificate.

Citizenship

Citizenship status by birth or naturalization.

Race/Ethnicity

Your race/ethnicity as defined by you.

Home of record

Your home address, normally your parents' address or the address you used when you joined AFROTC.

Primary address

Your current address (dorm or local apartment, etc).

Host Univ

The university that hosts your ROTC detachment.

Primary Univ

The university where you are enrolled as a student.

Det

Your detachment number.

Prgm Type

This will almost always say 4 years, unless you're in a shortened program like one of the JAG programs. Even if you're an AS250, it'll say 4 years.

AFOQT Date (most recent)

The date of your most recent AFOQT attempt.

Super Score

Pass or fail. It'll show P for pass if you've achieved a 15 in the verbal section and a 10 in the quantitative section, even over multiple tests.

PCSM

Your Pilot Candidate Selection Method Score. Learn more about this score on the Rated board page.

AFOQT Attempts

The number of times you've attempted the AFOQT. Attempting it a third total time requires a waiver from the AFROTC commander.

SAT

Your SAT score if you've taken it. This is not used for anything other than scholarship consideration before you take the AFOQT.

AFOQT Verbal

Your AFOQT verbal score. 15 or higher is passing.

ACT

Your ACT score if you've taken it. This is not used for anything other than scholarship consideration before you take the AFOQT.

AFOQT Quan

Your quantitative AFOQT score. 10 or higher is passing.

SATE

Your SAT Equivalent score. This converts your ACT score to an SAT equivalent and puts the highest number here.

AFOQT Aptitude

Your Academic Aptitude as determined by the AFOQT. Based on your verbal and quantitative scores.

MCAT Bio

MCAT score if you're pursuing a medical program.

AFOQT Pilot

Your AFOQT Pilot score. 25 or higher is qualifying for pilot.

MCAT Chem

MCAT score if you're pursuing a medical program.

AFOQT CSO

Your AFOQT CSO (nav) score. 25 or higher is qualifying for CSO.

MCAT Psych

MCAT score if you're pursuing a medical program.

AFOQT ABM

Your AFOQT ABM score. 25 or higher is qualifying for ABM

MCAT Crit

MCAT score if you're pursuing a medical program.

Major Code

The code AFROTC uses to designate your major. Note that this won't always line-up perfectly with your actual major title. It's more of a larger grouping, and if you have an obscure major, it'll sometimes just say 'General.' The important part is if you have a STEM or technical degree, that it shows correctly here, as that will determine what kind of EA you go up for, and later which jobs you qualify for.

School

Your schooling information. It will show the last three semester's tGPA and cGPA. Make sure this is correct, as it is hand-entered by cadre.

Scholarship Status

The status of your scholarship. This could be blank if you don't have one, or say Activated, Suspended, Terminated, Withdrawn, etc.

Activated means it's fully active and you should be receiving the payments

Suspended means it was temporarily suspended but can be activated again. This is usually due to receiving Academic CEs or other issues.

Terminated means you had previously activated the scholarship, but it was completely terminated and cannot be reactivated, usually due to poor academic performance.

Withdrawn means it was awarded but never activated, and then the offer was withdrawn by AFROTC.

Award Date

The date the scholarship was awarded, meaning when it was offered to you.

Activation Date

When the scholarship was actually awarded. This will usually be within about 10 days of the start of the semester after you were awarded the scholarship.

Program

Basically the source of the scholarship. HSSP or HBCU or P1AS200 which means the person was offered it in the fall semester of AS200 year, etc.

Type

Type 1 means full tuition for any school. Type 2 is up to $18,000 a year. Type 7 is full tuition for a state university.

Length (yrs)

The length of the scholarship.

Tuition and Fees Total

The total tuition and fees that have been paid on your behalf.

Subsistence

The total monthly tax-free stipend you have received.

Books

The total amount of book stipend you have received.

Total Paid to Date

The totals for the above amounts.

Duty Status - AS Year

Your AS year. Make sure this is accurate. It should be updated each semester automatically, but sometimes it's missed.

Enlist Date

The year you enlisted or contracted with AFROTC. This will be when you activate a scholarship, or when you return from Field Training, if you don't have a scholarship.

Sec Clearance Status

The status of your security clearance. When cadets return from Field Training they will start their Secret security clearance. Once they obtain a job that requires a Top Secret clearance, that investigation will be started and later represented here if it's completed.

Student Status

Active. Early in the program this may say Participating or Pursuing if the cadet has not completed all the paperwork required to become an active cadet.

Grade

E2 is the pay grade. It'll say the same for everyone. Your stipend pay and any other benefits due not change based on your pay grade.

Date Completed

Date your security clearance completed.

Prgm Type

Again, this will almost always say 4 year.

POC Entry

The date you entered the POC part of the program. This will usually be the same as your Enlist Date, unless you previously enlisted due to activating a scholarship.

DOC/DOG

Date of Commissioning, Date of Graduation.

Cat Select

This is basically your job. It'll say Pilot or CSO or ABM or Officer if you don't have a rated job.

MRS

If you're on MRS, it'll have a date here. I believe the date is when you were put on MRS, but can't remember for sure.

Age @ DOC

Your age when you commission. This is to help determine if you'd be too old to activate a scholarship, etc.

Private Pilot

If you have a private pilot's license. This is not required to be selected for a pilot slot. The only thing it's relevant for is if you have a private pilot's license, you skip Initial Flight Training in Pueblo, CO once you commission and go on active duty.

Last Date of Pay

The last time you were paid.

EA

Your type of EA. Should be rated or non-rated I believe.

Prior Military Service - Branch

The branch you were previously in, if applicable.

Years Served

The number of years you previously served in the military.

Field Training - Location/Dates

When and where you went to Field Training. For instance in the example SURF it says 21-FT-SHEL-02, which means they went in 2021, to Camp Shelby, to the second encampment. This will usually say MAX for Maxwell AFB.

Status

Whether you have completed Field Training or not.

Rank

Your rank as compared to the rest of the cadets in the encampment. Being in the top 10% will get you a Distinguished Graduate title.

DG

Whether you received Distinguished Graduate or not. DG is the top 10% of the overall encampment.

CTA Rec'd

Whether your Field Training Officer nominated you to come back to FT as a Cadet Training Assistant or not. It's possible to be a CTA without the recommendation, but it's just another data point to show that you made a good impression on your FTO while at FT.

Professional Development Training - GMC

You must attend a Professional Development Training (PDT) event once in the GMC years and once in the POC years. It's tracked here and will show the description and date that you attended.

POC

The PDT you attended in your POC years.

Fitness - PFT Date

The date of the last PFA you attempted.

Push-up/sit-up/run points

The points you received for each section of the PFA. If you failed a component of the PFA it'll say 0.

AB Points

This used to refer to your abdominal circumference points, but this section was removed from the USAF PFA and is no longer a factor, they just haven't removed it from the SURF template.

Fitness score

Your overall fitness score. 75 or higher is passing.

Ht/Wt Date

The date of your last weigh-in.

Height/Weight/BMI

Your last height and weight measurement. You have to meet these requirements when you apply for PSP, go to field training, contract, and commission. If you're over the BMI requirements, you can be measured for Body Fat instead, which will show in that column.

Conditional Events

The number and type of any Conditional Events. Learn more about conditional events here.

Medical - Rated Screening Results

Yes / No / R on each rated job show whether you are potentially medically qualified for those jobs. This is mostly based on your vision and hearing tests. If you show nothing here and are going up to a rated board or are trying to obtain a rated EA, you need to get with your medical NCO to make sure your information is entered into WINGS correctly.

I can't remember what R standards for, but it usually means someone is too short to fly.

Type

The type of DoDMERB or medical clearance you have.

Expiration

When your DoDMERB expires. They are good for 2 years normally, but when you contract they are extended to 4 years.