Army Guard or Air Guard?
 

My goals: Keep flying in the civilian (121) world. Fly for a Guard unit on a part-time basis. That's about it.

I'm one of them high-school diploma losers who got sucked into this flying thing before I had a chance to get my head screwed on straight. Needless to say, it's high time to do some flying for Uncle Sam like I had originally planned. The question is: Should I try to get into the Army Guard as a warrant officer or finish these last two (possibly three) years of school and go to the Air Guard as a 2LT?

I was wondering how easy it would be to switch from the Army Guard to the Air Guard. Become a warrant officer now, do some helo flying, continue my education, and then move onto the Air Guard. Suggestions?

If you become a warrant now, you will still need to get the college degree to be commissioned in the ANG/AF. The AFRC was big on doing FW conversions about 7 years ago, but that goes up and down. Age may also be an issue.

But, as we said of ArNG guys, "you signed on the wrong dotted line".

GF

Well if you go Warrant then I hope you like helos. If you want fixed wing reserves/guard is your best bet but also dependent on your age. How old are you?

I do, in fact, like helos. 23. And the clock is ticking.

Army Guard/Reserve Flight Warrant slots are tough to get unless you have prior service. To really be competitive for a WOFT slot without prior enlisted service you will need to finish your degree. Of course there are exceptions and it is all based on the needs of the Army.

If you’re serious about serving your country first take the ASVAB, AFAST and get a military Class 1 Flight Physical. If you make it past those and are still qualified to apply then make your decision.

Just so you know, over 80% of Army Warrant Officers have prior enlisted service, most of those were in one of the Army's Combat Arms (branches), Infantry, Armor, Artillery, Air Defense Artillery, Aviation, and Special Forces.

Just my 2 cents.

If your only 23 I would finish the degree while getting the already stated pre requisites completed and start talking to units.... Scout seems to know a lot about it but I will say that while I was rushing a reserve unit there was a army reserve unit that did a helo rescue demo and they were asking a lot of the guys if theyd be interested and said they needed people. That was a year ago and everyone did have degrees but it seemed like they were in need. The same thing happened to my friend up in ohio.

What might it take to be one of those exceptions?

I'm on it like a fat kid in a jello pool.

Motivation, aptitude, persistence, a strong desire to serve your country…… and did I mention motivation. Seriously, if you meet the qualification requirements apply.
To be competitive, the ASVAB GT and the AFAST should average 120. You will need at least some college, if you don’t have a degree, hopefully you can show that you’re on track to finish a degree of some sort even if it is a few years away. As far as prior flight experience, it counts very little, if at all……it is no indication on the aptitude or ability of the individual to successfully learn to fly a military aircraft and perform the mission.
I’ve selected hundreds of WOFT candidates in years past; success usually boils down to two things; motivation and aptitude.

PM me if you want more.


Scout

Carl,

I joined the Army Guard in 2009. I enlisted as an E-4 (I have a BS) under the advice of my Officer Strength manager. I had significant student loans to pay off, and the only way to get help with them was to enlist first. Also, I got a 10K MOS shortage bonus. The plan was to start State OCS shortly after finishing AIT in March 2010, and apply for a Blackhawk flight slot. I am 27 now, and was definitely feeling my "clock tick.". I got into OCS, which started last June.

I was rejected for the flight slot due to distance vision and a very very very slight astigmatism. I was told I did not qualify for the Army Aviation LASIK program.

The good news, though, is I was already in OCS. This means I'll still commission as a 2LT this August, and still get to serve my country in another role. Had I gotten into the Blackhawk slot, I would have had the option to reject an officer commission for a warrant officer slot, which would be the way to go if you want to be a pilot instead of a flight qualified manager.

Some downsides to the Army...

First, the deployments are a lot longer. A Captain I fly with a lot is an Air Guard guy, and when he deploys it's usually only for 3 or 4 months. Army deployments can be anywhere from 12-18 months, especially if you end up a ground pounder.

Second, the Army is an organization centered very much around it's own needs, not yours. If you end up joining and you don't get your slot, guess what...you might end up Infantry or AG. Just depends on what your state needs.

Third, the Army side is a little bit more micromanaged than the AF side. Prepare to be treated like a 2 year old.

Good luck to you, and thank you for your desire to serve! PM me if you have any questions.