The process for both is pretty much the same. Apply to and rush the units, interview at their UPT board if selected for an interview, etc. Applications vary unit to unit but are similar. The one difference is once an ANG unit hires someone, the unit/state/NGB work accessions and assigning a UPT slot, whereas in the reserves once the unit hires you, a reserve officer accessions recruiter does the accessions piece and also works with your unit getting paperwork in for the centralized AFRC UPT selection board (every 2 months currently). Then you fall under the 340FTG (admin unit all for all the UPT pipeline dudes) until complete with UPT. Guard guys still fall under their state the whole time.

So in theory you could get “hired” by a reserve unit, go to the centralized board and not be selected, and then you’d have to apply a couple months later to the next centralized board. But, at least lately, I haven’t heard of any reserve sponsored guy not get selected by the AFRC board.

One other difference is that the reserves occasionally have an unsponsored board. When there aren’t that many applicants, they open it up to people not yet hired by a unit, and they get to UPT and have to find a unit to sponsor them at some point. No idea what the status of those have been lately or if they are still doing it.