a TON! What are you doing later?

 

Unfortunately luck does play a part, but I still believe you make some of that luck. Of course, as I say that, I realize timing is everything. My life just got very unlucky as I hear CAL is cutting jobs and I am only in the hiring pool. What can you do about that. So much for getting out of the AF at the right time. Anyway, again, take it for what it is worth, and if you have any other questions feel free to PM me.

Danno

 

Hey, so is everyone who wants to pursue a career in aviation now, right? Commercial or military

Yeah, this is going to be a really tough decision, but I have a 3.8 at my high school and can already do 60 push-ups and a 7 minute mile so I am leaning towards ROTC probably...then again, that Nat. Guard guarantee is very appetizing

But then again . . . nothing is guaranteed and I would hate to commit and then find out I didn't have a slot. Arrrgh I know I'm probably going to do it anyways, and I'd have to rely on just as much luck as I would if I wanted a successful career in commercial aviation. It's just tough to accept, I guess.

 

Here are my 2 cents. I went through AFROTC and commissioned in 2006. In my graduating class, everyone who went for a pilot slot got one except for 4, three got navigator and one got air battle manager. The three navigator guys ended up getting upgraded to pilot before they commissioned but two guys in my commissioning class lost their pilot slots after they did their medical and one guy got a DUI and never commissioned. Granted, I think my year only 57% of the cadets nationwide in AFROTC got a pilot slot.

I had friends who went Navy ROTC and the rumor mill from there was about 80% nationwide getting a pilot slot, and those going into the Marines was a guaranteed pilot slot for those who qualified..... however....... I met a guy who went through Marine OCS with a "guaranteed' pilot slot and afterwards was told no more pilot slot, but he had the option to get out or go forward air controller so he got out.

Now, having said that, if I could have done it over again I would have tried to go to a guard unit straight out of college, but for some reason I thought I would like active duty better. Having said that, some of my best friends came out of my AFROTC unit.

The needs of the services always change and you could end up with a pilot slot or not if you go the ROTC route, but if you work hard you can definitely get it. Decent grades, positive attitude, good PT scores, and being a "yes" man along with being sharp and being highly involved will get you everywhere.

I was one of the unlucky ones to get medically DQ'ed and am now pursuing a civilian flying career as soon as my Air Force commitment is up. I've all but given up on the military route. A year ago, if given the opportunity to be a military aviator I would have taken it in a heartbeat, but after getting married and being on my first 6 month deployment, I would have to think long and hard if given the opportunity. Don't get me wrong, it has been a rewarding experience (especially the deployment), but there's a lot more to being a military officer than just being a pilot.

 

As I'm sure you know, we are not the only service with several ways to lose your flight contract before, during, or after OCS. I wonder what really happened to the guy you met. FAC is a B-billet, not a primary MOS. So you can do it for a while but it's not a permanent job you can have as a Marine officer. Also, typically, if you get DQd from flying, you aren't offered "Take this MOS or get out." You're either so screwed you that you get out, like one of my TBS buddies was medically retired at the ripe old age of 23, or you request (AKA get assigned) an MOS like everybody else.

I'm not trying to call you out, but for people who don't know, there's more to it than what the guy made it out to sound like. Too much stuff we don't know...was he booted during OCS? During TBS? Medical? Otherwise? Was he in flight school when it happened? All of those play a factor in how somebody is reassigned after being removed from flight training.

 

I'm not sure of the details. All I know is what he told me, which was that he went to OCS and he said they didn't have a pilot slot for him and offered him FAC, and that was from his mouth. I'm AF, not a marine so I wouldnt have known better. He said the reason why they didn't have a flight slot for him was because they were reducing pilot training numbers right when he came in. I dont know if he even started pilot training yet. I do know that when he got out he went to a civilian flying school, worked as a CFI for awhile (i flew with him for one lesson), and now is flying from a regional. I asked if he was in the reserves but he said no, completely out, no commitment. I thought it was odd that he would go through OCS and not have any commitment of any type, not even be in the reserves. But anyhow, when i was in AFROTC, up until the day of commissioning they were letting us out of any commitment without paying back a dime because of the whole Force Shaping program and also guys who quit UPT were also Force Shaped out, so i didn't him ask any questions beyond that, it sounded legit enough to me at the time. I know each service has their own policies but I didn't think to question him at the time.

 

"I had friends who went Navy ROTC and the rumor mill from there was about 80% nationwide getting a pilot slot, and those going into the Marines was a guaranteed pilot slot for those who qualified..... however....... I met a guy who went through Marine OCS with a "guaranteed' pilot slot and afterwards was told no more pilot slot, but he had the option to get out or go forward air controller so he got out."

Agree with the Marine Guaranteed "shot" at flight school. See my earlier post. All FACs in the Marines are aircrew though; either pilot or NFO.

"But anyhow, when i was in AFROTC, up until the day of commissioning they were letting us out of any commitment without paying back a dime because of the whole Force Shaping program"
I went through OCS with a g uy who at about the 3rd week knew he wasn't going to accept a commission, but he wanted to prove to himself that he could make it so he stayed and even graduated - but didn't go to commissioning the next morning.

"but there's a lot more to being a military officer than just being a pilot."

Absolutely agree which is why I always warn people considering the military JUST for the aviation experience. They are likely to end up *very* disappointed. Of course I just got back from dinner from a Naval Aviator (who thinks he is soon to be furloughed from CAL) that he went into the Navy soley to get the experience for the future airline job - so it works for some people. Just go into the military as well armed with information as you possibly can. Like the advice on here - know what you are getting yourself into.

USMCFLYR