robspenc

I am exaggerating a little bit. I am just saying they all had varying answers because most of them got to where they are by doing different routes. I am sure they were pilots, I have met them all in person.

SaltyDog

My only real advice is "Be to stupid to quit". Amazing how far one can get by not quitting.
Calvin Coolidge (30th President of the US) said it more eloquently

“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan Press On! has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.”

― Calvin Coolidge

My two cents on direct subject:
Its worth it if the record demonstrates that in fact the folks who enlist specifically to be picked up largely make it successfully as fighter pilots back in the unit.
Find out if any of the current pilots in the unit went this route. Pretty clear of they are all external or local enlisted then fighter pilot. A few may have eventually transferred to another Guard unit because of civilian job demands etc. You should be able to inquire with the pilots to determine these answers.
40 years ago I was in same shoes, good friend did this and enlisted after HS in his local fighter Guard unit. He was then picked up upon college graduation to become commissioned and went UPT. I went active. Don't regret my path, but he had a great time and still a terrific path.
Great journeys going forward!

Sliceback

Enlist because you want to. There are no guarantees in life. If you enlist just because you want a pilot slot and don't get one how will you feel about your enlistment?

If it's a local unit and the enlistment lasts as long as you are in college, and you're interested in the enlisted job, it can be a very good deal/plan.

Many units don't require prior enlistment. Does enlisting slow down your overall goals? Does your current plan make you a competitive candidate for other units? If no will you be the most competitive candidate at your local unit?

Being enlisted in a unit can be a big plus. Prior enlisted service is also an overall plus at other units. But that's just part of the puzzle. My old unit picks the best candidate, to include out of state with no prior service, vs candidates they don't select that may be in state and have prior service. They've done very well with the candidates they've chosen.

bizzlepilot

Exactly this. I have been on several hiring boards at my unit, and we've hired a bunch of good people from very different backgrounds. Some from out of state prior enlisted, some enlisted from our unit, and some from off the street. It totally depends on the person. That being said, when I interviewed a couple maintainers from my unit I already knew what type of person/worker they were which helped one and hurt one...

Rama

One plus about enlisting is it starts you're 20 year clock sooner.
There are a number of benefits for retirees, particularly if you live in an area with a large military presence.

Delta Echo

Awww... I was not fighter pilot but I spent 2 years in the army, very close to aiplanes and helicopters, and really just loved it

Work4life

Sounds like your goal is to fly fighters and the good thing is, there are a few options. There are lot's of good advices here and I'll throw in my 2 cents. I was on active duty but I wish I had known about the guard/reserves when I was in high school. Everything is a crap shoot in life as you know. As someone said, enlist to serve because things may not work out as planned. The guard/reserve likes to send people to SUPT from within the unit but they also need to be "fair" and select folks off the streets. Definitely rush with other units.
Another option is active duty. The Air Force is short of lots fighter pilots right now and that's a whole new thread. Few of my friends chose T-1s when they could have selected T-38s. Normally, you would have to score in the top 10-20% in T-6s to select the T-38 track but that number has been a moving target these days. For guard/reserve fighter types, they have to finish at least in the top 50% in T-6 phase, at least that was the rule when I was in pilot training. Remember also that the T-38 is the fighter/bomber track and the key word here is "bomber" so you can end up in a BUFF or any other bomber...why not Minot! Now, there's nothing wrong with flying BUFFs as they do some cool flying but it may not be your cup of tea. I'm just saying.
I've always dreamed of being a fighter pilot and I feel very fortunate. The best advice I got from a former fighter pilot as I was growing up was, join to serve and fly because it's your passion. All of my friends really enjoyed their weapons system and even the ones who went screaming and kicking learned to enjoy the flying and their mission. Each aircraft/mission has its ups and downs but the best part of being a military pilot is the camaraderie and life long friends you'll make. Strapping into a pointy nose jet and pulling more Gs than you can handle is also plus!

EN1990

Go to college get your degree.. prior enlisting is a waist of your time (I was 5 years prior enlisted) Also don’t set your mind only to Air Force, the Marine Corps offers a guaranteed flight seat after OCS... the options are still the same as the Air Force too; fighters, heavies, rotors, and the Ospreys... Prior service looks ok, but that is really waisted time. Besides you can still become a pilot in the military until 28 or 29 anyways you have lots of time!!

Merle Dixon

CORRECT! Right now in AF SUPT, we have tons of “off the street” (young men/women, 2LTs, college grads with some flight experience that applied to numerous Guard/Reserve units, got hired, went to Officer Training School and are now SUPT students). 2/3 of our Guard/Reserve student pilots have zero prior military experience. Earn a bachelors degree, study like hell for the AFOQT and apply to every single guard fighter unit in the country.

Beware the Navy and the Marine Corps. In the AF, you are guaranteed a pilot training slot BEFORE you sign your life away and go to OTS. There is no pre-gaurantee in the Navy or Marine Corps prior to signing your life away and attending OCS.

Edit.... avoid active-duty like the plague. Go Guard.

Good luck!

rickair7777

This is very true for the USCG, but historically there were usually aviation contracts available for the USN/USMC. Why would they remove that option now with pilot attrition ramping up?