Originally Posted by dbflyer

Here's the advice I give all young folks looking at the military... Join the Military only if you really want to be in the military, not just as a way to get somewhere else. So do you really want to fly helicopters for the Army? If so, then go do it without attaching it to the idea of getting to a major airline. It might help, it might not, no one can see that far into the future but either way it is flight time and qualifies you for a R-ATP.

If your only goal is to get to a major, the fastest path is pretty clearly defined and it doesn't include Army helicopters.

BTW, I currently fly both helicopters and a citation for my job and in my opinion, while the airplane side has a lot more career opportunities right now, the rotor side is a lot more fun.