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Old 05-25-2023, 06:54 AM
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rickair7777
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Joined APC: Jan 2006
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Historically a failure to adjust to military life would be disqualifer for top tier airlines, and a potential stumbling block for others. Airline life isn't boot camp, but it's pretty structured, and occasionally you have to work at all hours potentially under stress.

But times (and labor laws) have changed. In some states they may not even be able to ask for DD214 copy 4, although even copy 1 would show a very short period of service, indicating that you were released from initial training. Since they're going to see that anyway, and when you report military service history on the application, might as well plan on being honest and explaining it.

I don't think regionals, or second tier majors, or any other pilot employers will care too much given your subsequent success in life.

I'd say you also have a good shot at top tier airlines, this is simply something you can explain. It will be important IMO that you convey a lesson-learned. From my perspective as a senior mil officer, a recruit in your situation should have been released on compassionate grounds before the situation got bad. I suspect today that they would maintain better SA on recruits, and any outside stressors they may have. So the lesson-learned might have been to proactively ask for help from proper channels if outside factors interfere with work... this is actually important for airlines, since they do not want stressed out, distracted pilots flying their planes. That's a well known safety hazard.

I think as long as you can convey a lesson learned, any rational person will understand the situation... at that age, in boot camp, you simply didn't know to ask for help (but you do now).

Worst case, second-tier airlines are still a good life, better than 95% of office jobs IMO.

But one more thing... if there were any mental health issues diagnosed or "suicidal ideations" actually DOCUMENTED in any mil records (medical or admin) you are going to have to address this with the FAA to get a medical. Do not lie about that sort of thing on an FAA medical application, that's go-to-federal-prison stuff and they enforce it occasionally. Even in that case, I think you can still get a medical with a brief, one-time, situation-induced period of depression.
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