The ads are legit, but often, they are seeking someone who is already qualified. So, if the ad is looking for an F-16 pilot, the pre-requisites are: graduate of USAF or USN Pilot Training, Graduate of F-16 Basic-Course. Desired: 2000 hours in-type, and Weapons-School Graduate.

In other words, the part-time Air National Guard or Reserve is trying to hire a guy who just left full-time active duty.

It appears to me that, as "government" agencies, they are required to "advertise," knowing full-well that the jobs are usually filled by former active-duty guys.

Once in a great while they are seeking to hire a guy "off the street," as we say. To be hired off the street, you would have to be younger than about 28 (so as to start UPT before you are 30), have a 4-year college degree, meet medical standards, not have a criminal background, etc.

There are other threads here (over the last 6 months) that cover the selection process to get in to an "off the street" scenario.

If you're "just an airline pilot looking to fly," it won't cut it. If you want to fly in the military, you need to want to fly and serve in a capacity that will kill bad guys---and frequently lay your own life on the line. That's true whether you fly Fighters, Attack, or Heavies.

As an aside, today marks my 18th anniversary of my first combat-sortie...and I asked myself a lot of questions about why I was there, getting shot at. Oh, right..I signed-up for this. I had to mentally adjust in a hurry. I advocate doing that before you join.

The difference between Guard and Reserve: the Guard is under the control of that state's Governor (unless activated during war-time); the Reserves are always under the control of the President. Operating budgets come from the states, or Feds, respectively. Otherwise, pretty similar.

My only regret about being an Air Force / Air Force Reserve pilot? I'm approaching mandatory retirement....