Enlisting with guard/reserve?

[PilotOnTheRise]

What do you, who have done it, or are doing it, think of enlisting with the guard/reserve for the Air Force, Navy or Coast Guard. What is it like, and is it something that you recommend?

Thanks.

 

[Big Duke Six]

I enlisted in the Air Guard while in college. It was the only way I got myself through college. The state pays somewhere between 50-100% of your college tuition, plus the VA pays you just to go to school. Plus you make money by attending drill weekends, and in my case I got a full-time job at the base as well, which altogether is how I paid for all my flying and school.


To top it off, when I graduated, I was selected to go to UPT. One and a half years later, I came back from training and flew with the unit for about 6 years.

Yes, I highly recommend it! Plus, most Guard units would like to hire from within if they can, so if you do a good job and get to know as many people (in the right places) as you can, you should have a pretty good shot at a pilot slot.

 

[psysicx]

Deleted

 

[PilotOnTheRise]

I enlisted in the Air Guard while in college. It was the only way I got myself through college. The state pays somewhere between 50-100% of your college tuition, plus the VA pays you just to go to school. Plus you make money by attending drill weekends, and in my case I got a full-time job at the base as well, which altogether is how I paid for all my flying and school.


To top it off, when I graduated, I was selected to go to UPT. One and a half years later, I came back from training and flew with the unit for about 6 years.

Yes, I highly recommend it! Plus, most Guard units would like to hire from within if they can, so if you do a good job and get to know as many people (in the right places) as you can, you should have a pretty good shot at a pilot slot.

I live in Louisiana, and they pay 100% of your tuition. I have three years left of college, and I would love to enlist into the ANG. 100% tuition being paid for is hard to beat! I was thinking really hard about doing ROTC, and some of you may remember my thread in which I asked about that. But, I am thinking of another route now, which involves the ANG.

The problem with ROTC is that it just seems to involve ALOT of extra curricular activity as well as classes that will take away from my focus on my school work/degree, which is where it needs to be. While everyone has said it is a great thing to do, it seems like it involves alot and is stressful at times. Not that I am looking for the easy way, but I need to focus on getting my grades back up, having has a bad semester a semester ago, and I am now fearing that ROTC would begin to take away from that with the classes, the LLabs, PT sessions, as well as the other activities they expect you do take part in, especially if you want a pilot slot.

I was instead thinking of enlisting into the ANG. Having college paid for, focus on getting really good grades, working on my flying ratings (which I understand, since in ANG, I could use the G.I. Bill to help pay for ...is this correct?). I could do this and focus on these things rather than all of the things that I must keep up with when it comes to ROTC. After graduation I could try for a slot within the unit, or if I still have a desire for AD, then I can apply to OTS. If I did this, having been in the ANG for 3 years, I could have some good LOR, as well as put on the application that I am in ANG, which I would assume would look really good.

Thanks, Big Duke Six, that is exactly the response I was looking for, as you appear to have done exactly what I am looking to do, with college, etc.

 

[Jax12]

I enlisted for a short while. I can share my thoughts with you here or you can PM me.

By the way, are you primarily focused on fighters?

 

[Slim]

Yes, the Montgomery G.I. Bill can help you with flight training. Chapter 106 of the bill governs the process.

In a nutshell, you must have your PPL before using the flight training benefits. Then, you pay upfront for all training, then apply for reimbursement. The school must be approved. That usually means a Part 141 flying school. Some large military flying clubs (Quantico MCAS, Virginia is one.) are approved schools. Use one of those if you can. You get more flying for the dollar. The school should have someone there who can assist you with the paper work.

I obtained my CFII and MEI using the Montgomery G.I. Bill. It does work.

Fly safe!

 

[white E]

If I had it to do all over again.....enlist now asap. School will be paid for and your time in service for pay purposes will accrue. It is a great gig. If you want to fly fighters be sure to enlist and be part of OPS. There are plenty of fighter units in LA that would probably work for you. Well until BRAC this summer. Good luck and don't quit on your dreams of flying fighters/military.

-W-

 

[Jax12]

"If you want to fly fighters be sure to enlist and be part of OPS."

Enlisting in Ops is great because of the opportunity for face time with the pilots; however, that advantage only applies to the unit you're enlisted with.

In my humble (and speculative) opinion, any fighter board might be less prone to question an applicant's "fighter mentality" if he served in a high-speed AFSC such as TACP,CC,Combat Wx, or Pararescue. On a side note, if you really love pain, then look into some of the Guard PJ units. The CSAR mission has to be extremely rewarding. (Better be in shape though, I heard their tech school dropout rate is even higher than that of BUDS.)

Chris, one more TACP advantage that I forgot to mention in our last coversation is that most of the ALOs in TACP units are ex-fighter guys and can serve as great contacts/references.

Good luck with everything.

 

[urflyingme?!]

JUst talked to a recruiter today. He said that they had over 15 applicants from INSIDE the unit last year for one spot. SNAP! Does anyone know the odds of being selected once elisted? Thanks!

Oh ya, one more thing. What are some of the cool-er jobs?

Sorry to hijack, but I figure this is better than starting a new similiar thread...

 

[qmaster3]

JUst talked to a recruiter today. He said that they had over 15 applicants from INSIDE the unit last year for one spot. SNAP! Does anyone know the odds of being selected once elisted? Thanks!

Don't always believe the recruiters. He may be telling you that to get you to go active duty, or some other crap. They have their interest in mind. You guys need to look at the Navy reserves, we have the best A schools. Crap you can use in CIV life instead of cleaning planes in the ANG.

 

[urflyingme?!]

Does the Navy have reserve fighters/bombers?

 

[CrewDawg]

Enlisting the the Air Guard is the best thing I have ever done. I joined my senior year in high school and am will hit my four year mark on the 21st. Most states will offer 100% tuition, GI Bill, GI Bill kicker, and Student Loan Repayment plan. I want to clear something up with the GI BIll, the way it works in the the guard is as long as you are a full time student that money goes straight into your account. Which means you can use it for whatever you want (car, flight training, whatever). With all the benefits I have from the guard I will be finishing a four year degree in 3 1/2 years and have gotten all the way up to my CFI, and will only have about 5k in debt. Not bad considering most of my friends in the program already have about 40k.

Being in the unit will really help you out for an interview. Getting into ops will really help you out as will being a crew chief. I am currently a F-16 crew chief (UPT select) and being around the pilots on the line really helped me out. Let them know you want to be a pilot and do a good job. Being a crew chief really helped me talk to the pilots alot and eventually when I interviewed I already knew all the people on my board. Have even been out drinking with a few of them. I would say, at our unit, the last 10 pilots to get selected, 6 of them wer Crew chiefs. But like I said Ops will be a good one also. Hope this helps. Goodluck!

 

[Slim]

Not to discount what CrewDawg said about being a full-time student...I was not a student when I used the flight training benefits. I had a bachelors' degree. Thus, for the flight training, you don't need to be enrolled as a student anywhere except at the flight school where you use the benefits.

CrewDawg, it seems as if you have the program wired for maximum efficiency and benefits! Good luck and send some rounds down range for a retired guy!

Fly safe!

 

[PilotOnTheRise]

Thanks very much for all of the information and advice that you all provided me. It will help my decision greatly.

Right now I am leaning very much toward the guard. Nothing against ROTC or anyone taking that route, but right now it just doen't seem like it will work well with me, and the guard route sounds like an excellent way to go, according to your advice.

I should also add. My 'dream' is not to fly fighters. My 'dream' is you fly anything with the AF; guard or reserve. The unit closest to home, however, is a fighter unit (F-15's), thus the reason for fighters. The next closest unit, in Mississippi, about 2-2.5hrs from my home is a C130 unit. It is in Gulf Port, Ms. BUT, I am not sure if the guard unit there is a wing unit, thus I am not sure if the guard unit there actually flies the C130's, but the reserve unit there, in Gulf Port, does. (Maybe some of you know different?)

Also, you have all recommended the guard. BUT, what about the reserves. The reserves obviously doesn't have the tuition perks the guard does, other than the GI Bill. But, what about pilot slots with the reserve? Is it basically the same process as the guard? At the same base in New Orleans that the guard unit I am looking at is; is a reserve unit who flies A-10's. Either way I go in Louisiana leads to fighters, as you can see. But, I am not aware of the ability to serve in the guard/reserve, out of state, such as in Mississippi, where there might be a possibility of heavies, such as C130's, KC-135's and C-17's. For example; in Jackson, Ms., where much of my family (mom's side) actually lives, is the 172nd Airlift wing, which flies C-17's. They are looking for a loadmaster. I am actually in Jackson pretty frequently, due to family. Any ideas from you all about this?

 

[Big Duke Six]

The only advice I could offer at this point would be to tell you to seriously think about what type of a/c you want to fly before you do anything else. Of course history has proven me wrong, but I would say that unless you are SERIOUSLY motivated to fly fighters you may be better off in a heavy. Fighters are a whole different world. I never did it but respect the hell out of those guys because I think it is something you really have to WANT to do to be good at it and enjoy it. I know some who, like me, grew up thinking that was all they wanted to do. I did not make it, but they did and some have had the honesty to tell me that it is really not that fun for them. Some may call them weak, but I think it's really more of a personality issue. So I'm not saying you'll necessarily find slackers flying heavies, it's just a different lifestyle.


The hard part is that I could tell you to go visit some units, try to get a feel for what goes on there and see what you think blah blah blah... The reality is that there is no way to really understand any community until you get there. Well, you can get a good feel for fighters once you get to T-38's, but it's only a glimpse and nowadays you'll only fly those once you've gotten into the fighter/bomber track. Maybe some fighter guys will chime in here and expound on it a little for you.

I ended up flying heavies and was happier. I got more flight time, saw more of the world etc. I'm not embarrassed about it - I think things happen for a reason. I'm no less proud of my AF wings than a fighter pilot.

I open up to you in this way to maybe help you choose the right track in advance. I had no guidance when I was in your shoes, so I followed my heart. My dose of reality came later I suppose.

Once you decide, find a unit that flies that type of aircraft and enlist there. Realize that to the casual observer the C-130 and the KC-135 are both big airplanes, but the reality is that they have vastly different missions. Try to educate yourself before you make a decision.

Last, when I went through all this, I know there were fewer guys competing for the slots at the heavy units than there were were at the fighter units. Everyone wants to fly fighters! If being a pilot in the AF is your goal, you may find better odds at a heavy unit. Don't tell anyone I told you...