Want to join the military - round 2.

Ok, so this will be my second thread in this forum basically regarding the same thing.

So heres a quick background.

My name is Kris. I grew up in a military family. My father is a retired Lt. Col. from the Air Force (career flying f-16's primarily). In december of 2009 I graduated from ASU with my bachelor of science in Business Management. I am 24 years old with a wife and a 1.5 year old son. I currently work for USAA as an insurance adjuster.

I want to join the service.......

Being that i have a wife and a child, I was really contemplating the Guard or reserves. The only problem here is that from the research I have done has led me to the conclusion that i would need to join enlisted because most units commission from within. This is something i WOULD do, but only as a last resort.

That being said, I leave all the doors open. I am partial to guard/reserves, but i would also go active duty as well.

What im looking for is some input as to how i should go about joining. Id like to know what some of you would do if you were placed in my shoes at this time in this day in age.

side note: I am very interested in flying and am currently in the process of obtaining my private pilots license. I would eventually like to pursue this, but i know that joining with a pilot slot as a civilian is like 1 in a million.

Thanks for your input guys, i look forward to your insightful responses.

 

Subbed...

 

In your shoes, I'd go Active Duty as a commissioned officer. You can always go Guard/Reserve at a later time.

As far as flying, it's tough to get a pilot slot even if you went through ROTC. Just put your hat in the ring.

 

OTS (Officer Training School). You've already got your college degree so that would be the most ideal way. ROTC requires you to be enrolled full time (12 credit hrs) and would take a few years to do. Couple new LT's I went to ASBC with applied straight to OTS and commissioned that way, they weren't prior service either.

 

Ok, so i need to crack down on the studying of the AFOQT and talk to a recruiter to get to OTS? how do i apply for that, or better yet, where do i go to get more info on applying?

 

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Here you go ... all the info on OCS (Officer Candidate School) --> http://www.ocs.usmc.mil/

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First, you need to figure out which branch. Do you want to fly planes or helicopters? Since you already have your bachelor degree, OCS/OTS is the route for you if you want to be a commissioned officer.

As for guard/reserves/active duty, that's for you to decide. If you go active duty, you go where ever the military needs you. If you go NG/reserves, you have more options for picking your unit. The NG and reserves primarily promote from within, but it's not uncommon to bring someone in from outside the unit.

Decision decisions...good luck.

 

I would be interested in Fixed wing aircraft. That being said, Air Force would be my first choice.

I have also heard that it is not uncommon for a Guard unit to pull someone off the street per say, though after talking with a few people, as well as you, most get hired from within. and that being said, I would kind of look at it as taking a step backward if i joined a unit enlisted in the hopes i would get a commissioned spot you know?

 

What if the branch has both?

 

If aviation is the way you want to go, i would steer clear of the navy. They have about 250 to many student naval aviators right now. air force would def be the way to go. If you have any questions i am in flight school right now. just pm me

 

Not sure about Guard- but I've seen more folks have successful enlisted careers with every intent of getting a commission- and then they retire enlisted. If there is NO other way for you to get in- enlist...but don't expect enlisting to be a stepping stone to a commission.

Also- be prepared to not get a lot of help or encouragement. All of the services are feeling the budget crunch...so they are cutting back, Navy just increased the minimum score to pass tests, decreased the number of tests you cal fail, and stopped selecting people to go to flight school.
Coast Guard offered an open invitation to all AD members to apply for an early release from obligated service.

It's a tough time to be trying to get in...but apply and apply again...Keep your current job for the time being and see what happens.

Good luck!!

 

If you have priorities like your family go Reserves or Guard. However, if you want to travel and constantly move from place to place, go Active.

 

ok, you can walk into Navy OCS since you already have a degree... and pick up a pilot slot pretty easily. You'll need to be active duty for awhile...

OCS for sure, you'll be flying sooner too as a Naval Aviator.

contact your officer recruiter

http://www.cnrc.navy.mil/phoenix/az-loc.html

You could be off to OCS by the end of the year easily...probably sooner.

 

With the ANG, you'll need to apply for each individual unit you're interested in -- just like a job.

ANG is especially tough for pilots, since most of the squadrons are filled with ex-active-duty pilots who fly cattle (airlines) during the week, but want to bulk their hours and retire at a higher pay grade.

Problem is, there are so few slots available across the country, that you might find only one willing to send you to OTS and Flight School -- but it's in Maine or something.

Army Guard does not direct commission. If you want to fly rotors for your local Guard, then you'll have to enlist, then get a unit to sponsor you to OCS and Flight School. They tried to get me to do this, and enlist as Infantry and I told them to take a flying leap.

If you really want to fly, you're best bet is active-duty AF. I believe they even have it now to where if you don't pass OTS, you can opt-out of your contract. Marines and Navy don't offer this. If you fail OCS -- it's back to the fleet.

Marines might be a way to go, since they have both fixed and rotor aircraft, and not many people who want the Corps are looking to fly. So there is generally less competition to get slots. You just have to make peace going in that if you don't pass OCS and/or Flight School, you'll be carrying a rifle through Jalalabad in a year. The Corps wants their recruits to be Marines first, and pilots second. And they should.

 

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One main question that was skipped ... do you have a "love of flying" ??

IMO ... you need to have this "love of flying" to be a good pilot. I don't know of a single pilot who hates what they do.

Just thinking out loud now ... can your dad (or some of his close USAF friends) give you the inside scoop on flying slots available in USAF ??

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Quick question... What was your GPA at ASU??? I know my daughter looked at OTS before she decided to go to Grad school and the recruiter mentioned that they do not even look at GPA's under 3.6 cumm.

 

^^^ This is a good point.

When I was applying several years ago, it was 3.0 for an absolute minimum. I imagine that it is much tougher now with the scarcity of available slots.

Also -- for the AF, you need to have a bare minimum of 80 on the AFOQT. They won't take anything lower.

 

I went to OCS with a 3.3 navy has lower standards I guess

 

The Army Reserve will give Direct Commissions to Civilians straight off the street. I know because that is one of the programs I was responsible for in PA, NJ, and DE. It's not as easy for a civilian as it is for an enlisted member who is already in but it can be done. You need to bring something extra to the table in terms of degree, leadership positions held, etc. They are not looking for degrees in History and you need to be able to meet the Height and Weight standards right off the bat. If you think you are overweight then you probably are. Remember as a civilian you are competing with people who have already proven themselves as Soldiers.

Go here LINK and contact one of the Special Missions NCO responsible for your state. Call them direct. If you don't get a proper response PM me and I will give you the phone number to someone who will make sure you get the information you need.

 

So which branch will take a 43 year old enlisted dude with 16 years in, all of them as an aircrew member (fixed and helo) but also has a Airlines Transport Pilots certificate with over 4000 hours...mostly in jets? AND...a Bachelor Degree with a 3.7gpa....



Let me answer than question..NO ONE!! Damn!!


Go USAF!! (ANG or Reserves)

check out baseops.net for openings...