Spacemann Splif

What hasn't been mentioned here is how competitive a UPT slot from most guard/reserve units are (Faribanks, AK might be one exception, but in this economy, who knows). Getting hired as an already-rated guy is one thing, but getting a UPT slot from the ANG/USAFR is another entirely. Many units give strong preference to enlisted guys in their own units, and then to prior enlisted and officer Active Duty guys. The way around this is to know someone in the unit or to meet the guys in your desired unit, fit in, and buy a LOT of beer.

If the OP does not have a contact in the unit of his choice, and does not care to enlist in said unit first, AD seems like a very palatable option. After all, how much less than 10 years will his time in the ANG amount to, if he has to enlist, attend basic training and tech school, excel in his career field, get noticed, get picked up for UPT, etc. etc. etc...

Of course, on AD you might get stuck in a UAV at some point. But you've got a lot of hours and have already been hired at a 121 carrier. This will help you significantly when you want to apply at Airline X and go back to the 121 world.

But, most importantly, like FatBoy said...Officer first, pilot second. You will be serving, sacrificing, and LEADING, guaranteed. Make sure you and your spouse/family are aware of the possible scenarios...

djrogs03

How much flying do you get to do per year?...Obviously it depends on airframe and probably the fiscal budget...

Had a captain I flew with that flies KingAirs in the Army Reserve and he said he easily flew 500 hours per year although alot was being deployed at Afghanistan...

Also if I went AD for 10 years could i then switch to the Guard or Reserves and then stay on for another 10 and get the pension?

hindsight2020

As far as a pension, not exactly. Reserve retirement is a fractional system, where you are paid a pension at age 60 as a percentage of active duty "points" you have relative to 20 years worth of active duty retirement points. Ergo you'd have to be active duty for 20 years worth of credit in order to attain an AD pension. A Reservist would have to accrue the equivalent of 20 years worth of AD retirement points to get the pension. This will take a Reservist not on an AGR status longer than a one-for-one year, since he won't be in AD status 365 days a year normally. But yes, if you're willing to finish it out in the Reserves and don't get bumped out by rank TIG limitations (you still gotta promote to buy time to get that check) or "sanctuary" shenanigans at a less than gracious unit, you can get an AD retirement check out of the Reserves (you do forfeit a Reserve retirement check in the process of course, who cares though...)

As to the flying, it depends, go figure. Airframe dependent. Fighters fly under 200ish non-deployed, heavies fly a lot more than that and then some if deployed, back home not so much. ISR platforms and the like are the flavor of the month and fly a lot, gone a lot. RC-26s, RC-12s, U-28, you name it. Honestly, I'd go for sortie count if I were you (i.e the fighter guys have the edge). I've come to accept that high cruise is as much of a snooze in a military aircraft as it is on a 121 operation. Takeoffs, landings, assaults, bomb runs, strafe runs, merges, air refuelings (from the receiver POV anyways) is what we really got into this gig for. More sortie count = more chances to do that. Hours in that respect are a non-item, nevermind you're not trying to snag this gig for time building purposes anyways. Also, higher sortie counts makes you a more experienced pilot in my book. In that regard yes, 1000 1.0s in a cessna 172 make you a better stick jockey than one 1000.0. I digress.

Once again, I caution you about TFI units. That's Total Farce.. er Force Integration by the way. It's an initiative where the AD leadership "partners" with the AFRC leadership and "shares" resources, anything from maintenance to personnel to iron and ownership of such. It's the devil. Aside from the UPT Reserve IP units (by definition classic associates) being the exception to the flying hours rule, I believe my personal experience to be representative. In my particular situation I was flying in excess of 400hrs/yr pre-TFI in an airframe where AD bubbas fly between 150-200hrs/yr. I was getting paid 60% of an AD paycheck for the priviledge. Post TFI? I'm down to AD flying averages or slightly below, on the same 60% of a paycheck. I'm at work just as much as I was before. What do I do now instead of flying? AD qweep. Not upgrading in a timely fashion. Which if nobody has clued ya in on it, is how reservists get paid in this gig. Seat quals, not rank, is the gravy that brings the mortgage payment to mama and the kids for those of us looking to get paid on the 15th and 29th like the rest of the peanut gallery across the ramp. Otherwise just rusting away. Running around in gas masks not doing the mish, getting graded on some fighter general's metric of "ability to deploy" that doesn't even apply nor add value to our unit's [pre TFI anyways] ability to get this thing done the Reserve way, getting nasty-grams from comm nazis about keeping up my govt computer certificates updated or they'll lock me out of my "primary officer duties" of schedule monkey and all-around gopher. Best returns for an undergrad and grad education. Ever. I used to fly more for less pay, now I fly less and get paid less too. I'm really a scab if you think about it, that whole need to take care of my family and my selfish desire to serve my country in a flying capacity clouds my judgment. I need to take up drinking or compulsive gambling, message boarding is gonna crack me in half .

Research the particular unit you'll be working for, many of our new guys now finishing training were not privy to all these changes when they were being interviewed, which will seem like a bait-and-switch to them and will in turn lead to potential bridge burnings and doing laps around the big wig table with your elbows sticking out; not pretty. We'll see. Keep transfers in your back pocket but do not go into it with that plan as your plan A, in that sense I don't completely agree with the "get in now, transfer tomorrow" game plan, not in this economy. Good luck. My $1.41

highsky

I've heard that it's a 10 year commitment now, vice 8, AFTER earning wings.

Slice

It's been 10 since at least 2000.

Jetjok

djrogs03,

Frankly I don't see anything in your post that tells me that you have what it will take to become either a military officer or a military pilot. All I seem to be able to find is that faced with a potential furlough, you are now realizing that our military might be a way out for you. That in and of itself is not so bad, but I didn't see anything that told me you actually understand the process.

As an example, you say "I've thought about joining the military for sometime now as a Pilot." No one "joins the military" as a pilot. They join, go to a bunch of schools, for between one and two years, and then if they're lucky enough, along with being skilled enough, as well as being able to persevere all the trials and tribulations of: OCS/Basic Training then UPT (Undergraduate Pilot Training), then A/C specific training, then Survival Schools, then and only then, do they actually get to strap on some sort of aircraft and slip the surly bonds. And even then, it's in an aircraft that the government wants you to fly, not necessarily the one that you had your heart set on flying.

Having said all that, you very well might be exactly what this country is looking for in our next generation of military officer and pilot. My point of the above paragraph is to let you know that in order to succeed in the military, you need the right attitude. Otherwise it's too tough a job. So be in it for the right reasons. Good luck.

hindsight2020 is not exactly correct in the above paragraph. Here's how it works: for every day you're on active duty, you get one point toward retirement. That's 365 points per year (for all the years you're on AD.) Then for the sake of argument, let's say that after 12 years you decide to leave the active duty community and join the Air National Guard. At this point you have 365 x 12, or 4380 points toward retirement pay. So now you are sworn into the ANG and you serve, let's say 6 years, but now you only get a point on days that you actually work (drill weekends, "summer camp", flying days, other active duty days, etc), so that (again for the sake of argument, let's say) you average 120 days a year for those 6 years. You've added 720 points, to your already accumulated 4380, to have a total points for pay of 5100.

You can continue to work in your ANG unit until (basically) they tell you it's time for you to leave. That usually happens after the 20 year point, or if you stay longer, sometimes when you make Lt. Col. or Col. (so that they can award your slot to another deserving individual.) However, if they have a reduction in force, which has happened over the years, they might offer you an "early out". Say that happened for you at your 18 year point (the 12 AD and your 6 ANG years). At that point, there are tables that you can find on line that will tell you exactly how much you will get in pension (once you turn 60). These tables are a combination of years of service and highest rank held, and number of total points for pay.

The above example shows that you don't need to have a full 20 year active duty service history to receive a pension. However, if you don't put in 20 years of service, you'll get less than a 20 year active duty pension. A 20 year pension is based on 7300 points, whereas (in our example) you had earned 5100 points, or roughly 2/3 of a full retirement.

As well, there has been a movement in congress to lower the age at which one can start to collect their military pension. The age I've heard is 55, which would give you 5 more years of pension. Another really terrific benefit of a military retirement is the health care coverage that's available, in addition to your civilian health care benefits, such as a company plan, or when you're old enough, medicare.

Again, good luck, and make sure you join for the right reasons.

JJ