Minot’s DEFO Program prepares enlisted Airmen for officer careers

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Kendra A. Ransum
  • 5th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  

Since its establishment on Minot AFB in July 2024, the Developing Enlisted Future Officers (DEFO) program has provided enlisted Airmen with the tools, mentorship and resources needed to explore and pursue officer commissioning opportunities across the U.S. Air Force.

The original DEFO program began in 2019 at Little Rock AFB with the aim of providing structured guidance and mentorship to enlisted members considering a transition into the officer corps. Minot AFB’s DEFO program, while still under a year old, is already seeing early success.

DEFO focuses on matching interested Airmen with mentors who have navigated one of the Air Force’s 18 primary and 22 sub-programs of various commissioning pathways.

The mission is two-fold: to educate Airmen on available opportunities and to prepare them to be competitive candidates.

“It is a big project but again, the primary reason we're here is to help big-A Airmen figure out their path, mentor them along the way, and be a strategic tool for the strategic decision makers that are actually going to sign their name on the paper at the end of the day,” said U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. John Subick, Minot AFB’s DEFO lead.

The program provides resources such as the “Commissioning 101” briefing—an in-depth, 90-minute session designed to introduce attendees to the differences between Officer Training School (OTS), Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC), the Air Force Academy and other pathways. OTS, while often viewed as the default, may not be suited for everyone. DEFO helps Airmen determine the route best aligned with their education, age, family status and long-term goals.

For example, younger Airmen without dependents and with limited college experience may benefit from applying to the Air Force Academy, while older Airmen with degrees and families might find OTS more accessible. Those in between could consider ROTC or other commissioning programs.

Minot has already seen its first DEFO-supported Airmen selected for commissioning. Tech. Sgt. Marlon Portillo, 891st Missile Security Forces Squadron missile security command and control, was recently selected for OTS with the assistance of DEFO. A native of El Salvador and raised in Dallas, Texas, Portillo had long considered commissioning but initially chose to enlist for stability and opportunity. With his selection, he will remain in the security forces career field as a commissioned officer.

Portillo said being a strong example for his child and expanding his leadership role were driving factors in his pursuit of a commission. Becoming a commissioned officer is something he has been pursuing throughout his decade-long Air Force career.

“You really have to continue to push forward,” said Portillo. “I've been trying for a long time to commission and I finally was able to put in the package that got selected, but it's not something that came easy. It wasn't anything that I was able to knock out in a week or a month or within a year. It was a long term effort and continuous work to put in a package together. If you really want it, you can't give up.”

His journey, marked by persistence, underscores a message DEFO tries to reinforce: commissioning is not a short-term goal, but a long-term commitment requiring resilience and preparation.