Go Back  Airline Pilot Central Forums > Career Builder > Military
Air National Guard-UPT Slots >

Air National Guard-UPT Slots

Notices
Military Military Aviation

Air National Guard-UPT Slots

Old 09-01-2013, 12:19 PM
  #11  
On Reserve
 
Joined APC: Aug 2013
Posts: 16
Default

The risk with signing up as an enlisted member is that you may be stuck being a loadmaster for far longer than it would take you to become a pilot. I know a guy who went that route. He completed flight school under the GI bill while being a loadmaster in the guard and then was stuck with that job for four more years after completing school.
TH1545 is offline  
Old 09-01-2013, 02:01 PM
  #12  
Working weekends
 
satpak77's Avatar
 
Joined APC: Jul 2005
Position: Left Seat
Posts: 2,384
Default

Originally Posted by TH1545 View Post
The risk with signing up as an enlisted member is that you may be stuck being a loadmaster for far longer than it would take you to become a pilot. I know a guy who went that route. He completed flight school under the GI bill while being a loadmaster in the guard and then was stuck with that job for four more years after completing school.
Is he a Pilot now tho ?
satpak77 is offline  
Old 09-01-2013, 02:19 PM
  #13  
Gets Weekends Off
 
USMCFLYR's Avatar
 
Joined APC: Mar 2008
Position: FAA 'Flight Check'
Posts: 13,835
Default

Originally Posted by TH1545 View Post
The risk with signing up as an enlisted member is that you may be stuck being a loadmaster for far longer than it would take you to become a pilot. I know a guy who went that route. He completed flight school under the GI bill while being a loadmaster in the guard and then was stuck with that job for four more years after completing school.
Did the unit hire many others from outside the unit while this guy was applying for the program from the inside?
USMCFLYR is offline  
Old 09-01-2013, 05:46 PM
  #14  
Work & play, play & work
 
Simms41's Avatar
 
Joined APC: Aug 2013
Posts: 106
Default

Just like an airline interview...it's just business. If you get offered a job that you prefer later, as long as you haven't signed anything, you can go with the their unit. If they ask if you are applying anywhere else, be honest. If they ask if both offer a job, who will you take, say the one at which you are interviewing at the time! Just realize that if you accept one job, then jump to another one two weeks later, while they understand, you could burn that bridge a little.
Simms41 is offline  
Old 09-02-2013, 05:07 AM
  #15  
Line Holder
 
Joined APC: May 2010
Posts: 98
Default

Originally Posted by Simms41 View Post
Just like an airline interview...it's just business. If you get offered a job that you prefer later, as long as you haven't signed anything, you can go with the their unit. If they ask if you are applying anywhere else, be honest. If they ask if both offer a job, who will you take, say the one at which you are interviewing at the time! Just realize that if you accept one job, then jump to another one two weeks later, while they understand, you could burn that bridge a little.
This is exactly what I was planning on doing. Thanks!
thegoblin is offline  
Old 09-02-2013, 04:00 PM
  #16  
Gets Weekends Off
 
Joined APC: Dec 2012
Posts: 480
Default

I can't speak for Guard and Reserve life, where I assume units tend to be more close-knit and family like, but in the active duty world it seems like the worst things someone can do who CAN potentially be competitive for a UPT slot is enlist. Like it or not, there was, is and always will be two different worlds for officers and enlisted. I've known people who've gone every route to go in military aviation. Once you're active duty enlisted, they are not likely to ever let you become a pilot. You can become a maintenance or logistics officer or something else quite easily, but you're just not the same as someone on the outside looking in.

One is a civilian pilot applicant, the other is an enlisted dude who wishes he could be a pilot. The latter sums up a substantial portion of the United States Air Force.

Again, I don't know the guard world. I'm just offering a differential opinion as I've seen it go down.
JohnnyG is offline  
Old 09-02-2013, 05:48 PM
  #17  
Gets Weekends Off
 
Joined APC: Jul 2009
Posts: 1,224
Default

Originally Posted by JohnnyG View Post
I can't speak for Guard and Reserve life, where I assume units tend to be more close-knit and family like, but in the active duty world it seems like the worst things someone can do who CAN potentially be competitive for a UPT slot is enlist. Like it or not, there was, is and always will be two different worlds for officers and enlisted. I've known people who've gone every route to go in military aviation. Once you're active duty enlisted, they are not likely to ever let you become a pilot. You can become a maintenance or logistics officer or something else quite easily, but you're just not the same as someone on the outside looking in.

One is a civilian pilot applicant, the other is an enlisted dude who wishes he could be a pilot. The latter sums up a substantial portion of the United States Air Force.

Again, I don't know the guard world. I'm just offering a differential opinion as I've seen it go down.
It is different in the Guard. Each unit is different, but I haven't seen an "external" hire in our unit in 12 years.
golfandfly is offline  
Old 09-02-2013, 11:28 PM
  #18  
Line Holder
 
Joined APC: Mar 2013
Position: Scarebus B
Posts: 41
Default

Originally Posted by golfandfly View Post
It is different in the Guard. Each unit is different, but I haven't seen an "external" hire in our unit in 12 years.
My experience is the same.
Bob Wiley is offline  
Old 09-03-2013, 01:56 AM
  #19  
Gets Weekends Off
 
Joined APC: Sep 2012
Position: Babysitter
Posts: 975
Default

Originally Posted by JohnnyG View Post
I can't speak for Guard and Reserve life, where I assume units tend to be more close-knit and family like, but in the active duty world it seems like the worst things someone can do who CAN potentially be competitive for a UPT slot is enlist. Like it or not, there was, is and always will be two different worlds for officers and enlisted. I've known people who've gone every route to go in military aviation. Once you're active duty enlisted, they are not likely to ever let you become a pilot. You can become a maintenance or logistics officer or something else quite easily, but you're just not the same as someone on the outside looking in.

One is a civilian pilot applicant, the other is an enlisted dude who wishes he could be a pilot. The latter sums up a substantial portion of the United States Air Force.

Again, I don't know the guard world. I'm just offering a differential opinion as I've seen it go down.
This isn't really the case, we do see prior enlisted at UPT. Though, I don't know what the percentage is of those that actually apply from the enlisted ranks, but it does happen.
WARich is offline  
Old 09-03-2013, 04:14 AM
  #20  
On Reserve
 
Seaweed's Avatar
 
Joined APC: Feb 2007
Position: C-130H2 IP, 737 FO
Posts: 11
Default

I'm actually in charge of the hiring board at our unit this year. We're interviewing next week. Just some thoughts off the top of my head. We hire both from within & off the street at the same hiring board. We go out of our way to make it as fair as possible so no one group (prior enlisted folks within the unit) have an advantage over enlisted applicants outside the unit or civilians applying with no prior military experience.
As far as applying to multiple units goes we encourage it. It shows that the applicant has the drive to really serve/fly in the military somewhere and we explain to them that the culture is different in the units throughout the country and the fit may or may not be good at one particular unit or another.
I will caution you about the way to get to the airlines comment. If discovered during the interview that that was the premise for applying to the unit then that would most likely result in non-selection. We need people willing to serve with the understanding that they may be called upon to give their life for their country. The Guard is way different then in the past and we just cannot afford to hire people whining when asked to deploy for up to six months at a time in some of the armpits of the world. I get it. I'm a major airline guy as well but still deploy when called upon without complaint. ( OK without complaining much!). Our unit's philosophy is your family comes first, civilian job comes second, and the Guard comes third UNLESS we get activated then those priorities need to change. Sorry so long winded. Hope this helps someone.
Seaweed is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
winglet
Regional
47
05-15-2016 09:45 PM
vagabond
Foreign
9
07-05-2011 06:09 AM
Zayghami
Military
1
09-03-2008 04:03 PM
Deez340
Regional
160
05-06-2008 09:41 PM
Freighter Captain
Cargo
0
07-09-2005 09:27 PM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


Thread Tools
Search this Thread
Your Privacy Choices