Sputnik

Guy at work and myself had the same idea at the same time but no idea if it's possible. Retiring from AF in a couple years, wondering if it's possible to go into Army Guard as a retired AF guy. I'm a fixed wing guy, he's done both fixed and rotary. I could care a less about rank, I'd be more than happy to be a WO1 for a bit of the month. I've always had a hankering to fly Army helo's and think it'd be a blast of a part time job.

So....smoking crack here? Anyone ever heard of such a thing? I know you can theoretically go from retired AF to the AF reserve/guard although I've known very few people to actually pull it off. Can I go to the Army? I assume they'd have little interest in taking me at current rank, so can you go back in at a lower rank?

I recognize and accept the full potential of doing this (i.e. year long deployment to someplace hot and crappy).

rickair7777

Reserves no, that's federal and once you retire you stay that way unless they get short-handed and unretire folks...it's happened but it generally requires a service-wide policy, not something they do on an individual waiver basis.

Guard yes.I have known guys who retired from AD, then went into the guard...some of them even ended up on active-duty as a guardsman. States have different rules, requirements, and needs but I'm guessing you could find something.

It would probably have to be at your same rank though...inter-service transfers often involve a loss of one grade but the problem about being an AD retiree is that you are not really "retired", you are on retainer pay. If they are paying you say LtCol retainer pay, they probably want you to stay an O-5. But who knows, it never ceases to amaze me some of things you can do in the guard.

Tweetdrvr

The rule is still on the books allowing AFRC to take retired folks back into TR positions. Recent policy has been not to do it, but that has been a top down directive from the head of AFRC, not a change to the AFI. I don't know what the Army policies are, but it is still possible in theory on the air side of the reserve house.

We have one or two retired guys putting in packages to come back, and we are going to send them up to see what happens.

Cheers and good luck to the OP

Starlifter

It can be done with the Air Force. I did it. I retired in 2007 and came into the AF reserves 2008. Yes, I have heard that AFRC has a new policy on this. In most cases, this program is AFSC specific, my knowledge is that rated AFSCs don't fall into the program requirements. I have heard of a few docs, intel and Foreign Affairs types... The application process was lengthy, more than one year.

Lifter

Hobbit64

Sputnik, it is possible to 'revert' to warrant in both the ARNG &USAR. The trouble is finding a way to get RW qualed. As crazy as it is, there is no way in the Army to do that even though the USAF teaches the course at Rucker. I served with a former A-10 pilot that flew C-12s though. If you can find a C-12 unit that needsfolks maybe you could pull it off. Try calling OSAA or a USAR unit.
Good Luck.