Thank you all for the informative responses and for your input. I have spoken with multiple units who are looking to fill fighter openings the last couple days. In a perfect world if selected it sounds like I can begin class at the legacy and then leave to begin UPT either before or after my probationary period taking advantage of USERRA and having 5 years to do so before going back to the legacy and maintaining my seniority. With that said, the biggest hurdle is from a financial standpoint. Most if not all guard units want you to stay on after your approximately 2 years of training for at least 2 more so you can become a lead/instructor pilot and give back to the unit in that capacity. It sounds like the compensation during these years is approximately an $80k per year salary.

When you compare this to the pay scales at any legacy airline right now where upgrades are typically sub 5 years it doesn’t quite pencil out. You are leaving a lot on the table it sounds like. The units I spoke with said they had not heard of anyone leaving a legacy carrier in this fashion. They said most civilian applicants pursue it some time between the Private Pilot stage to the regional airline First Officer stage to avoid the financial losses further down the line within the private sector. I believe it comes down to how important it is to achieve a childhood dream of mine, and at what cost.

If anyone has anything to add or correct throughout this post please do so as I have limited knowledge and experience compared to most in this specific area.