"I'm looking for info on flying whirlybirds as a warrant officer in either the Guard or AD Army."

That is a great ambition, as I have proudly served into my 33rd year as a Warrant Officer in a combination of Active Component (AC), Army Reserve (AR) and Army National Guard (NG), and I am proud of every minute of my career. I should say dual careers, as I am also a professional pilot in my civilian career. With that experience, I believe that i have license to give advice.

The first advice that I would give any person, male or female, is that entry into any military organization should be done with a clear and sober approach. If flying a "whirlybird" would be a thrilling kick-in-the-pants to you, go get lessons from some civilian flight school. However, if you want fly a complex Army rotory-wing aircraft, in a complex mission in which lives may be saved or lost, depending on your skills, abilities and bravery; in all weather conditions; in harm's way; with little rest because the mission is at night and it was too damn hot to sleep in the day; and to even get to this point, you will have sacrificed personal time and family time to study hard to make it through initial flight school and advanced aircraft training; and if you understand all of this, then we may proceed with the advice.

First, you need to decide what kind of service you want to serve and what you want to do career wise. If you want to go AR or NG in order to have a civilian career, you will need to realize that it is sometimes harder to balance the two careers than most people are willing to give. I know a lot of Guard and Reserve guys who fly for a civilian living, as I do. One is required to keep competency in the civilian aircraft and the Army aircraft simultaneously, which requires dedication and discipline to self study. Civilian employers are not always very helpful with your military career, although required to be by law. Military commanders are not always willing to allow the aviator to drill on days other than unit drill days and there are the Additional Flight training Periods (AFTP's) that have to be met on a semi-annual and annual basis. There is a balance between the civilian employment and military duty that, again, requires discipline and time away from self and family. Frankly, not all who start this lifesyle stick with it.

Active component is also demanding. You are 24/7, even though there are days where you will be home by 1630, there may be many other days where you won't be home until the job is done, and then, even though that job was done, there's another duty to keep your attention for several more hours. Again, discipline to self study to keep flying proficient, even though you may have additional duties that are not flying related. Just some food for you to think about to guage your interest level.

Once you make the descision which route to take, then you will know which recruiter to see.

Here are some answers to your questions:

AFAST: The more the score the more the chances of getting selected. I came in at a very competetive time. I made 153 on mine and I was just a drop in the bucket in the pool. There are study materials available to help your score.

Active Component: That's the route that I took, initially. I completed my Active duty Service Obligation (ADSO) and then decided to go for the airline business. I have been a Guardsman or Reservist since. I will tell you that I have more combat deployment time and combat flight time as a Guardsman and Reservist than I ever did AC, and I have more Active Duty years of Federal service as a Guardsman or Reservist than I did with my ADSO. I am on active duty right now, and expect to be for a least one more year.

Warrant Officer: The best rank structure (IMHO). We are the professional and subject matter experts to lend advice and instruction in our area of expertise. We are respected by all other ranks in the Army. We have the ability to talk to privates and general officers, alike, with comfort.

I hope that I didn't come off as an ass to you. I just want to let you know that you need to be serious in your desire. I've seen these same questions asked on other forums. Of the ones inquiring, about 10% are serious enough to pursue the field. Of that, maybe 20% are selected.

If you are serious, I am sure there are others on here willing to help you, as I will be.