Some background, currently a senior in college graduating in about a month, 22, PPL, GPA in the low 3's, no known health issues with the goal of becoming a pilot in the military and eventually the airlines as a possibility.

I currently have a UPT offer from a heavy unit contingent upon completion of my degree and squadron funding (which I am very thankful to have so early in the game) and am still pursuing other units for interview possibilities.

I also have an application for Navy OCS in the works and plan on applying for the board that meets in August of this year.

I understand that both of these prospective lifestyles are vastly different over the ~10 year service commitment and the possibility of getting to a major airline several years earlier with the ANG route and the projected wave of hiring over that time cannot be ignored.

However I also understand that this benefit is only so certain and can be taken away in an instant (9/11 & age 65) thus I am having a hard time weighing the ANG route so heavily for that benefit vs the active duty Navy route.

Been weighing the pro/cons about both routes and done plenty of research and talked with several family friends who took both routes and ended up at airlines, just thought I'd open up the floor to anyone who would like to share their experience and offer some insight.

The day you start UPT your aviation career becomes pretty dang predictable. You know what and where you will be flying.p, barring the whole unit changing equipment.

Take the Navy offer and you hop in the barrel and take your chances on what and where the needs of the USN are four weeks before you put on your wings. If you really desire a Navy career, that is not a bad thing. If you are looking for an airline career, it's a little less good.

What do you really want?

If he went Navy, isn't is possible to wind up flying Rotary Wing?

The Guard sounds like a better option. At least you'll know you're getting good quality time for the airlines. You may do a lot of TDY, but no worries about dragging a family all over the world every few years.

Check previous threads. ANG is the best deal there is.

Yes, rotary wing is highly possible. But there's also a very good chance of doing a fixed-wing IP tour, which will set you up for airlines. So navy RW is not incompatible with airlines, although you may well need to do 1-2 years at a regional. I've seen this play out numerous times, it's pretty predictable these days.

So you have to decide what you want to do, at least ANG is a known quantity. Navy could go any of several ways.

Guard Heavys vs AD Navy unknown. Take the Guard gig and don’t look back.

If your school is already paid for, ANG or reserves is the way to go. Only reason to suffer active duty is if you incurred some sort of commitment via a NROTC scholarship or service academy.

You’ll have one chance in your life to fly fighters off a carrier. Take the chance.

I wasn't going to say it. He needs to come to that conclusion on his own.

Fixed it for you. Jk. Kind of.