AD to Reserve + Civilian, timing?
09-18-2010, 10:53 PM
#1
Gets Weekends Off
Thread Starter
Joined APC: Nov 2009
Posts: 5,192
AD to Reserve + Civilian, timing?
For those that have done it, or are smart on it, how should someone work the timing when approaching the end of their commitment? i.e. find a reserve gig, drop the letter, then find a 121/135 job? Get a 121 offer, drop the letter, then find a reserve unit? I really want to stay active, but I don't think I can keep putting the family through the workup/deployment/moving cycle, however I don't want to throw away my time in service and benefits (continue serving). The verdict is still out whether the wife can keep up with the life style, so I'm researching options ahead of time.
For those that have made the transition, what was your experience and what are some good learning points you'd pass on? Thanks in advance.
For those that have made the transition, what was your experience and what are some good learning points you'd pass on? Thanks in advance.
09-19-2010, 02:41 AM
#2
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jul 2007
Position: 767 Captain
Posts: 3,988
First, use the search feature of this forum. There’s some pretty good advice available on a variety of subjects that you’ll need.
Generally speaking I'd say it's best to get as much done as you can before you show your "hand" and put your papers in.
It's hard to tell how much you already know, so I apologize if some of this seems basic.
My experience leaving active duty and getting hired had room for improvement. Some my own fault, some of it just bad luck.
My first app went in the mail June from a deployed location in Saudi Arabia. I was there because I was honest with my Squadron Commander and told him my plans to leave AD because he was trying to send me to Weapons School. Lesson #1, keep your plans to yourself as long as possible. My separation date was Dec. Lesson #2, start your app process farther out than 6 months. When Dec rolled around and I hadn't heard from any airlines, I pulled my papers. Since I already had passed my commitment date, there was nothing for them to do but put me back into the assignment process. That takes a little time (6-8 weeks in my case). That was good. Those extra weeks allowed me to start to pursue a Guard job. Since I had to give 6 months lead time to establish a separation date, when I was offered an assignment, I just put my papers back in. That bought me another 6 months of AD during which I got the Guard job offer and continued to prep for whatever airline called. The one year anniversary of my first application came and went with no word from any airline. I separated from AD in October with no airline job and Guard bummed until I got hired. United called me for an interview 17 months after I sent that first app in from the desert. A minor medical hiccup delayed my hiring there. Lesson #3, make sure you get checked out thoroughly while all the medical stuff is covered by the DOD and make sure you won't have any surprises. Bottom line, I got hired by the first airline that called 22 months after I sent them an application. No other airline contacted me until I was already hired and through with training at United.
Now, a furlough and two other airlines later, I find myself at what I consider to be a great flying job with very good pay. It only took me 7 years from the time I left active duty to get here. Final lesson, make sure you really, really think leaving the active duty before you get your 20 is what’s best for you and your family. This airline thing can work out great if you’re very lucky and time it right (more luck). It can also be a nightmare. I consider myself very, very lucky but there was some considerable pain involved along the way. Not having a Guard job would have pushed it much closer to nightmare status. Just something to consider.
So, now some advice/opinions (take them with a grain of salt and get more from others):
If you can line up a Guard or Reserve job asap, that gives you some flexibility. One, it allows you to separate with some semblance of a safety net. You have a job, even if it means doing some Guard/Reserve "bumming" for a while. Most units have the ability to put you on temp full time orders to help you during the transition. That's very unit dependant. Joining a Guard/Reserve unit can also give you access to lots of guys who already work for the airlines you want to work for. They can help with letters of recommendation, company info, interview gouge, etc. So, I'd say lining up a G/R job is priority number one.
Some of the civilian stuff can be done as early as possible. Get your ATP, Restricted Radiotelephone operator's permit and Class 1 medical now. Have your flight surgeon really give you a thorough exam, blood work, etc. so you don't end up with surprises when you go for your first FAA physical. Those usually aren't too detailed but some of the airlines have their own medical units and put you through some fairly intense scrutiny. Get your state and national driving records to make sure there isn't erroneous data recorded there. If there is, you'll have time to correct it and it won't be an issue during the application/interview process. You'll probably want to wait until you're inside a year from separating before you get your FE written. That has an expiration limit, so you'll just have to repeat it if you end up waiting a little longer than expected to get hired somewhere. Not that many airlines require it any longer. However, you're going to need it in order to fill out applications to those airlines that do. You can't say you have it when you really don't yet, obviously. It's not that hard to get and it doesn't make sense to rule out any company who might be hiring just because you didn't bother to get it.
It's never too early to start getting very familiar with the FAR/AIM, TAF/METAR weather info and Jeppesen approach plates and charts and any other technical "gouge" you can find. You’re also going to have to start gathering info for your interview prep. Most airline interviews have technical questions and "HR type questions" which focus on situations you've encountered in your career so far. "Tell me about a time when..... you had to break a rule, didn't like flying with someone, made a critical error, had to criticize someone, etc." You're going to need to think back over your flying/work experience so far and get the details of those situations fresh in your mind. There's a method for answering these types of questions effectively. There's a very good book by Cheryl Cage called "Checklist for Success" that will help you with this and other areas of interview prep. Get it.
Network, Network, Network. Get in contact with those you know who have blazed the trail ahead of you. Most airlines want recommendation from pilots you've actually flown with. Some airlines have formal procedures for their pilots to recommend applicants and you'll never see the letter, others just want you to bring the letters to the interview, it really varies. You may not be able to get a recommendation until you've actually submitted an application, so early on you may just be looking for guys to commit to helping you when the time comes.
You need to organize your flying time and make sure you can present it clearly and accurately. Some airlines only consider flight time you accumulated after you got your wings. Even your student solo time will have to be removed from that airline’s PIC total. Others want you to apply a conversion factor to account for military time logged takeoff to landing. Civilians log it from engine start to shutdown. Depending on the airline and what it considers PIC time, every application you fill out may have a slightly different PIC total or even total flight time number. One technique I’ve used is to have a log book for your civilian time and use your military flight records with a cover sheet explaining whatever conversions/adjustments you applied. Trying to copy your military time into a logbook is a waste of time, IMO. I got hired at 3 airlines without resorting to that.
Some airlines expect you to send a resume and cover letter. Those take some time to do properly and they’re critical. Other airlines use on line application processes which may also require you to upload or attach documents like cover letters or resumes. It’s always a good idea to have an up to date resume ready to go and have a pretty good idea of how to properly format and write a cover letter.
Once you're approaching a year from separating, you need to start filling out applications to the airlines that are hiring. They take a while to complete properly and you'll have lots of info to compile in order to do that. Even though your availability date may seem like a long way off, it'll go by quickly. It's better to have a job offer pending your availability than be waiting on an interview when you're driving off the base with no prospects.
I’m sure if anything I’ve offered is too far off base, someone will point it out. Get as much advice as you can stand. Good Luck.
Generally speaking I'd say it's best to get as much done as you can before you show your "hand" and put your papers in.
It's hard to tell how much you already know, so I apologize if some of this seems basic.
My experience leaving active duty and getting hired had room for improvement. Some my own fault, some of it just bad luck.
My first app went in the mail June from a deployed location in Saudi Arabia. I was there because I was honest with my Squadron Commander and told him my plans to leave AD because he was trying to send me to Weapons School. Lesson #1, keep your plans to yourself as long as possible. My separation date was Dec. Lesson #2, start your app process farther out than 6 months. When Dec rolled around and I hadn't heard from any airlines, I pulled my papers. Since I already had passed my commitment date, there was nothing for them to do but put me back into the assignment process. That takes a little time (6-8 weeks in my case). That was good. Those extra weeks allowed me to start to pursue a Guard job. Since I had to give 6 months lead time to establish a separation date, when I was offered an assignment, I just put my papers back in. That bought me another 6 months of AD during which I got the Guard job offer and continued to prep for whatever airline called. The one year anniversary of my first application came and went with no word from any airline. I separated from AD in October with no airline job and Guard bummed until I got hired. United called me for an interview 17 months after I sent that first app in from the desert. A minor medical hiccup delayed my hiring there. Lesson #3, make sure you get checked out thoroughly while all the medical stuff is covered by the DOD and make sure you won't have any surprises. Bottom line, I got hired by the first airline that called 22 months after I sent them an application. No other airline contacted me until I was already hired and through with training at United.
Now, a furlough and two other airlines later, I find myself at what I consider to be a great flying job with very good pay. It only took me 7 years from the time I left active duty to get here. Final lesson, make sure you really, really think leaving the active duty before you get your 20 is what’s best for you and your family. This airline thing can work out great if you’re very lucky and time it right (more luck). It can also be a nightmare. I consider myself very, very lucky but there was some considerable pain involved along the way. Not having a Guard job would have pushed it much closer to nightmare status. Just something to consider.
So, now some advice/opinions (take them with a grain of salt and get more from others):
If you can line up a Guard or Reserve job asap, that gives you some flexibility. One, it allows you to separate with some semblance of a safety net. You have a job, even if it means doing some Guard/Reserve "bumming" for a while. Most units have the ability to put you on temp full time orders to help you during the transition. That's very unit dependant. Joining a Guard/Reserve unit can also give you access to lots of guys who already work for the airlines you want to work for. They can help with letters of recommendation, company info, interview gouge, etc. So, I'd say lining up a G/R job is priority number one.
Some of the civilian stuff can be done as early as possible. Get your ATP, Restricted Radiotelephone operator's permit and Class 1 medical now. Have your flight surgeon really give you a thorough exam, blood work, etc. so you don't end up with surprises when you go for your first FAA physical. Those usually aren't too detailed but some of the airlines have their own medical units and put you through some fairly intense scrutiny. Get your state and national driving records to make sure there isn't erroneous data recorded there. If there is, you'll have time to correct it and it won't be an issue during the application/interview process. You'll probably want to wait until you're inside a year from separating before you get your FE written. That has an expiration limit, so you'll just have to repeat it if you end up waiting a little longer than expected to get hired somewhere. Not that many airlines require it any longer. However, you're going to need it in order to fill out applications to those airlines that do. You can't say you have it when you really don't yet, obviously. It's not that hard to get and it doesn't make sense to rule out any company who might be hiring just because you didn't bother to get it.
It's never too early to start getting very familiar with the FAR/AIM, TAF/METAR weather info and Jeppesen approach plates and charts and any other technical "gouge" you can find. You’re also going to have to start gathering info for your interview prep. Most airline interviews have technical questions and "HR type questions" which focus on situations you've encountered in your career so far. "Tell me about a time when..... you had to break a rule, didn't like flying with someone, made a critical error, had to criticize someone, etc." You're going to need to think back over your flying/work experience so far and get the details of those situations fresh in your mind. There's a method for answering these types of questions effectively. There's a very good book by Cheryl Cage called "Checklist for Success" that will help you with this and other areas of interview prep. Get it.
Network, Network, Network. Get in contact with those you know who have blazed the trail ahead of you. Most airlines want recommendation from pilots you've actually flown with. Some airlines have formal procedures for their pilots to recommend applicants and you'll never see the letter, others just want you to bring the letters to the interview, it really varies. You may not be able to get a recommendation until you've actually submitted an application, so early on you may just be looking for guys to commit to helping you when the time comes.
You need to organize your flying time and make sure you can present it clearly and accurately. Some airlines only consider flight time you accumulated after you got your wings. Even your student solo time will have to be removed from that airline’s PIC total. Others want you to apply a conversion factor to account for military time logged takeoff to landing. Civilians log it from engine start to shutdown. Depending on the airline and what it considers PIC time, every application you fill out may have a slightly different PIC total or even total flight time number. One technique I’ve used is to have a log book for your civilian time and use your military flight records with a cover sheet explaining whatever conversions/adjustments you applied. Trying to copy your military time into a logbook is a waste of time, IMO. I got hired at 3 airlines without resorting to that.
Some airlines expect you to send a resume and cover letter. Those take some time to do properly and they’re critical. Other airlines use on line application processes which may also require you to upload or attach documents like cover letters or resumes. It’s always a good idea to have an up to date resume ready to go and have a pretty good idea of how to properly format and write a cover letter.
Once you're approaching a year from separating, you need to start filling out applications to the airlines that are hiring. They take a while to complete properly and you'll have lots of info to compile in order to do that. Even though your availability date may seem like a long way off, it'll go by quickly. It's better to have a job offer pending your availability than be waiting on an interview when you're driving off the base with no prospects.
I’m sure if anything I’ve offered is too far off base, someone will point it out. Get as much advice as you can stand. Good Luck.
09-19-2010, 01:24 PM
#3
Gets Weekends Off
Thread Starter
Joined APC: Nov 2009
Posts: 5,192
Wow, thanks for taking the time to write all that. Tried the search, but couldn't find the detail I was looking for. I still have a little time to really think this out, and hopefully the family will come around (wife). The last deployment was a little harder, and still fresh in the memory.
Is it safe to say a guard/reserve unit will try to be fairly accommodating while you make the transition and job hunt in the civilian market?
Is it safe to say a guard/reserve unit will try to be fairly accommodating while you make the transition and job hunt in the civilian market?
09-19-2010, 06:09 PM
#4
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jul 2007
Position: 767 Captain
Posts: 3,988
Originally Posted by Grumble
Is it safe to say a guard/reserve unit will try to be fairly accommodating while you make the transition and job hunt in the civilian market?
Many Guard units tend to become like a family. They are very careful (or should be) about who they hire because those new hires have the potential to stay for decades. Once you're on the "inside" you have access to a fabulous resource. Many members (pilots anyway) are flying at airlines. They understand that's your goal and have no problem helping you attain that goal. The unit will benefit from you arranging your life the way that suits you best, so that you can serve most effectively. So, it makes sense that your Guard unit would provide you whatever assistance it's able to.
Reserve units are not as familiar to me. My general impression from speaking with others is they tend to be a little more like active duty and perhaps a little less accommodating than the Guard.
09-19-2010, 07:13 PM
#5
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jun 2007
Position: Legacy FO
Posts: 4,096
If you plan to go to the civilian world, you should start planning as a minimum at least 1 year before getting out.
1. Research the companies. Find out which ones you'd like to work for. Learn their history, why they are what they are today. Understand, past performance isn't a good gauge of future performance. What was once the place to be yesterday, might not be the place today. Think about quality of life. What cities do junior pilots live and what equipment do they fly? What's the pay and benefits? Think about the seniority lists and where you will sit compared to your age and when you can retire -- for example -- at company A you will retire in the top 300 versus in the top 3500 at company B.
2. Phone a friend. Contact anyone and everyone you've flown with and start putting together letters of recs. Get internal recommendations as well as general letters of recommendation (commanders, past employers, pastor, teachers, police, political figures). Do not be afraid to call long lost friends and ask for a recommendation. We've all done it. Offer a self written skeleton letter or bullets about yourself and how you all know one another. See if the person will grant you the ability to edit the letter and use it for different companies (changing a letter addressed to airline a to airline b).
3. FAA Certificates/Medical. Get these completed as soon as you can and keep them current. ATP, Engineer, type ratings if applicable. Go to faa.gov and order a copy of your complete file. You never know what the FAA may have inadvertently stuck in your file.
4. Military documents. Create high quality digital copies or PDFs of your Officer SURF (USAF), all checkrides, all fitrep or OPRs, and pilot training documents. When it comes time, you'll also need copies of your DD214.
5. Resumes and Cover letters. Create company specific cover letters and resumes.
6. Log Book. If you have an actual log, make sure it is tip top. If you are USAF, use your HARMs product. Research and determine how each company wants your flight time broken down. DO NOT CHEAT. Repeat, DO NOT CHEAT. Be conservative and you will never be questioned.
7. Start applying / Creating profiles as soon as you can. Regularly check those websites because some companies randomly and selectively open up their online profiles. If you miss the window (like I did with one company), you miss a golden opportunity. Update often as you can.
8. Get your stories straight. Tell me about a time .... Go buy and read a couple of airline hiring books that have sample questions from the HR folks.
9. Start studying and learn the basics. Weather mins takeoff / landing. Alternate requirements. Reserve fuel requirements. CATII and CATIII if you've never done them ... etc.etc.
My advice, start everything as soon as you can.
If you plan to go to the guard/reserves, a lot of what I said above equally applies. Start early. Get letters. Prepare for the interview. Go visit the unit. Learn about the mission if you don't already do it. Find out if the unit is on any airline black lists. Is this unit close to where you might end up with your airline -- double commuting will make you suicidal. Whatever you do, try to not full up separate. Find any unit, any job, that will have you. FOOT STOMP ... do not separate. If you thought getting in was hard the first time, getting back in is even harder.
Ok, I've gone on too long. Trust me, there's a lot to do. The more prepared you are, the better you'll have at getting what you want.
1. Research the companies. Find out which ones you'd like to work for. Learn their history, why they are what they are today. Understand, past performance isn't a good gauge of future performance. What was once the place to be yesterday, might not be the place today. Think about quality of life. What cities do junior pilots live and what equipment do they fly? What's the pay and benefits? Think about the seniority lists and where you will sit compared to your age and when you can retire -- for example -- at company A you will retire in the top 300 versus in the top 3500 at company B.
2. Phone a friend. Contact anyone and everyone you've flown with and start putting together letters of recs. Get internal recommendations as well as general letters of recommendation (commanders, past employers, pastor, teachers, police, political figures). Do not be afraid to call long lost friends and ask for a recommendation. We've all done it. Offer a self written skeleton letter or bullets about yourself and how you all know one another. See if the person will grant you the ability to edit the letter and use it for different companies (changing a letter addressed to airline a to airline b).
3. FAA Certificates/Medical. Get these completed as soon as you can and keep them current. ATP, Engineer, type ratings if applicable. Go to faa.gov and order a copy of your complete file. You never know what the FAA may have inadvertently stuck in your file.
4. Military documents. Create high quality digital copies or PDFs of your Officer SURF (USAF), all checkrides, all fitrep or OPRs, and pilot training documents. When it comes time, you'll also need copies of your DD214.
5. Resumes and Cover letters. Create company specific cover letters and resumes.
6. Log Book. If you have an actual log, make sure it is tip top. If you are USAF, use your HARMs product. Research and determine how each company wants your flight time broken down. DO NOT CHEAT. Repeat, DO NOT CHEAT. Be conservative and you will never be questioned.
7. Start applying / Creating profiles as soon as you can. Regularly check those websites because some companies randomly and selectively open up their online profiles. If you miss the window (like I did with one company), you miss a golden opportunity. Update often as you can.
8. Get your stories straight. Tell me about a time .... Go buy and read a couple of airline hiring books that have sample questions from the HR folks.
9. Start studying and learn the basics. Weather mins takeoff / landing. Alternate requirements. Reserve fuel requirements. CATII and CATIII if you've never done them ... etc.etc.
My advice, start everything as soon as you can.
If you plan to go to the guard/reserves, a lot of what I said above equally applies. Start early. Get letters. Prepare for the interview. Go visit the unit. Learn about the mission if you don't already do it. Find out if the unit is on any airline black lists. Is this unit close to where you might end up with your airline -- double commuting will make you suicidal. Whatever you do, try to not full up separate. Find any unit, any job, that will have you. FOOT STOMP ... do not separate. If you thought getting in was hard the first time, getting back in is even harder.
Ok, I've gone on too long. Trust me, there's a lot to do. The more prepared you are, the better you'll have at getting what you want.
09-19-2010, 07:15 PM
#6
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Dec 2009
Posts: 111
I really want to stay active, but I don't think I can keep putting the family through the workup/deployment/moving cycle,
The interservice transfer process can be a real bear if you are Air Farce, but it can be done.
The other option is to drop your letter, rush a VR unit and become a selective reservist who does not have an outside job. You will be making 40-75K a year (depending on how much you want to fly) and will have just enough money to keep you in beer year-round. (not a great living, but it is a great way to build up time, experience, and contacts. Many, many guys have done it and at my squadron we work at UPS, FedEx, SWA, CA, JB, and AMR (to name a few).
food for thought,
Aloha
09-19-2010, 08:55 PM
#7
Gets Weekends Off
Thread Starter
Joined APC: Nov 2009
Posts: 5,192
Thanks to KC10 and Aloha.
For Aloha, I'm researching the FTS route, however it dosen't look like it allows me to pitch a tents somewhere and stay there for the remainder of my 20, which is what I'm looking for. Am I wrong there? Maybe SELRES or SAU? Although I don't know enough about those programs yet. I know there are thousands of guys out there that have gone through the process which is why I'm trying to tap the resources now. I'd like to start formulating a plan now rather than stumble my way through the process when the time comes.
KC10, I've started getting the logbooks together and just to get an idea of where I stand, I filled out Delta's airlineapps page. I've got 5 different logbooks to sort through from civilian and military time, however I've also got everything plugged into Logbook pro. Along the lines of what you were saying about that, their page asks you to break down time, and among those are PIC/IP/DUAL. They add those up to come up with total time in that type. The problem I ran into was a lot of civilian time was dual/pic. For the sake of the application I subtracted dual from pic, and made the numbers work so that the total time for each a/c type came out correct. The net effect was that my PIC time on the application comes up about 200 hours lower than my logbook pro totals. I figure that's easier to explain than erring to the high side, should I submit my application in the future, and actually get an interview.
Who knows, this may all be for not if I can stay active. I really want to go back to the boat, and back to the fleet, but it's no longer just about me anymore.
Hopefully this thread is informative for more guys out there than just me.
For Aloha, I'm researching the FTS route, however it dosen't look like it allows me to pitch a tents somewhere and stay there for the remainder of my 20, which is what I'm looking for. Am I wrong there? Maybe SELRES or SAU? Although I don't know enough about those programs yet. I know there are thousands of guys out there that have gone through the process which is why I'm trying to tap the resources now. I'd like to start formulating a plan now rather than stumble my way through the process when the time comes.
KC10, I've started getting the logbooks together and just to get an idea of where I stand, I filled out Delta's airlineapps page. I've got 5 different logbooks to sort through from civilian and military time, however I've also got everything plugged into Logbook pro. Along the lines of what you were saying about that, their page asks you to break down time, and among those are PIC/IP/DUAL. They add those up to come up with total time in that type. The problem I ran into was a lot of civilian time was dual/pic. For the sake of the application I subtracted dual from pic, and made the numbers work so that the total time for each a/c type came out correct. The net effect was that my PIC time on the application comes up about 200 hours lower than my logbook pro totals. I figure that's easier to explain than erring to the high side, should I submit my application in the future, and actually get an interview.
Who knows, this may all be for not if I can stay active. I really want to go back to the boat, and back to the fleet, but it's no longer just about me anymore.
Hopefully this thread is informative for more guys out there than just me.
09-21-2010, 08:37 AM
#8
Thx Age 65
Joined APC: Jul 2005
Position: MD11CAP
Posts: 1,041
The book Checklist for Success is actually pretty helpful.
Also get some buddies successful Resumes and develop one of your own using that template.
Start an employment history with valid contact info for each place going back 10 years.
Order some college transcripts and Find your High school Diploma.
get your FAA Restricted Radio operator License.
There's a million things to do but the good news is its all been done before. Find successful buds and hit them up for the gouge. I know back before the industry imploded after 9/11 that the training squadron I was in had a metal cabinet loaded up with all of Kit Darby's gouge, as well as post interview gouge, I am sure its not as prevalent as it was, but somebody you know has already successfully hoed this row.
Also get some buddies successful Resumes and develop one of your own using that template.
Start an employment history with valid contact info for each place going back 10 years.
Order some college transcripts and Find your High school Diploma.
get your FAA Restricted Radio operator License.
There's a million things to do but the good news is its all been done before. Find successful buds and hit them up for the gouge. I know back before the industry imploded after 9/11 that the training squadron I was in had a metal cabinet loaded up with all of Kit Darby's gouge, as well as post interview gouge, I am sure its not as prevalent as it was, but somebody you know has already successfully hoed this row.
09-22-2010, 03:23 AM
#9
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Nov 2006
Position: Walmart Greeter
Posts: 694
Grumble. PM me if you have SAU questions, I can probably answer them for you as the SAU is markedly different than VR SELRES.
I couldn't possibly give you any more advice than has been given already. Having been in your shoes, the advice Adler/KC10/Aloha have spelled out here is spot on.
There are places in the Navy where you can do FTS and still hang your hat in your staff years. DC/NORFOLK/San Diego I think would afford you the opportunity to homestead for the forseeable future. The long pole in that tent is if you are competitive for FTS command, you could get moved for that tour.
Good luck,
PADI
I couldn't possibly give you any more advice than has been given already. Having been in your shoes, the advice Adler/KC10/Aloha have spelled out here is spot on.
There are places in the Navy where you can do FTS and still hang your hat in your staff years. DC/NORFOLK/San Diego I think would afford you the opportunity to homestead for the forseeable future. The long pole in that tent is if you are competitive for FTS command, you could get moved for that tour.
Good luck,
PADI
09-27-2010, 09:42 PM
#10
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Aug 2010
Position: window seat
Posts: 101
Wow, all that info just to join the Reserves or Guard. It's all about who you know in the the Reserves or Guard. Kiss alot of ass to your military friends and you'll get in. I have been in 4 different Reserve unit in the pass 26 years and all of them were who I knew or word of mouth. The problem now with the Reserves is it's like being on active duty. I don't know about the Guard as much. If you do leave active duty you will need the military for your furlough insurance. I have been laid off 6 times, and 4 airlines went out of business. If it wasn't for the Reserves I'd be in bankrupt. 
Good lucK
Good lucK
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