Getting a little discouraged...

[Jafar]

I just found out today that I will not be meeting yet another OTS board for frivolous reasons.

I applied for a rated active duty pilot slot in November, with the hopes of meeting the January board. I missed the January board because the archives in St. Louis took 6 weeks to produce my old records from the Marines. Now I just missed the April board because, well frankly my recruiter made a clerical mistake that he didn't correct in time. There are no OTS recruiters in my state so everything is faxed and fedexed back and forth and I can't physically go in there and bug him to keep on top of stuff.

The most frustrating part is that I know my package is competitive. PCSM and AFOQT scores all in the high 90's, tech degree, 5 letters from field grade officers, etc. If I could just get in front of a board I believe I'd get selected.

Now I'm waiting until September, which means I'll meet the board at 28 years old. It also means that if I'm not selected for some reason I've got maybe one more board until I'm to old. Even if selected on the September board I'm not looking at UPT until probably October of '07. I'm really coming down to the wire age wise.

That's all, just had to vent a bit. You'd think with 10 years of prior service I'd be used to everything being jacked up all the time, but I really thought I was going to catch a break for once. Patiently waiting for September... (While rushing Guard units like a maniac. )

 

[USMCAirWinger]

Dude, for future reference:

Call 703-784-3588. That's headquarters Marine Corps records.

Ask them the fax number for a records request along with the nomenclature to get the whole SRB. Send the request including name, SSN, DOB, Time of service, and your signature. They will mail it to you in a few weeks. Make sure you ask for the CD and not the hard copy.


Semper Fi.

Good luck.

 

[Huggyu2]

Persevere. Keep pushing.

 

[SIG600]

Broaden your options... there's tactical aviation in other branches too.

 

[RickKC-135]

For what it's worth, I met my UPT board when I was 26. Back then the age limit was 27. I thought I was screwed because by the time the board results were out, I would have to be in UPT within 4 weeks. The AF cut the orders and put me in the first class and I made it with two weeks to spare. The AF can work fast when they need to. The AF really does want the best people and if you are competative and they want you, they will work to make it happen.

 

[Slice121]

DCANG, 121FS is having a board in August.

http://www.dcandr.ang.af.mil/

 

[Jafar]

Thanks for all the input to all.

USMCAirWinger- Yes, I got the CD after the January fiasco. That issue is resolved. That thing makes transferring docs a lot easier.

As far as other branches, I am also looking at Army aviation, so far two National Guard outfits have given me the thumbs up to go to WOFT, but I really want to meet at least one AF board before I go that route. As far as the Navy, I'm to old already. I'm simply not going back to the Marine Corps. No big deal, no hard feelings, but I'm out of the Marines now and in the AF Reserve and I'm just not going back. I love the Corps but where I'm at right now in my life the Air Force is the place for me.

So that's how I've broken it down. 1st choice, (and most age critical) is the AF. Second choice, (and less age critical as the age was recently pushed up to 32) is either the Army or the Army Guard. Air Guard would be great,too.

I sort of got a little tunnel vision about this OTS board, like I said I thought this would be the one. I'll press on for the September board and in the meantime line up some other ducks.

Thanks again.

 

[Jafar]

DCANG, 121FS is having a board in August.

http://www.dcandr.ang.af.mil/

Thanks for that lead. I hadn't even thought of those guys. I'll call them up.

 

[retired guy]

Contact your congressman..do it tomorrow. Sounds like you are getting jacked around because of (a) laziness and (b) ineptness.

 

[Jafar]

Contact your congressman..do it tomorrow. Sounds like you are getting jacked around because of (a) laziness and (b) ineptness.

You know, taking further action has crossed my mind, but ultimately we're all on the same team here. I mean, I want to be an officer and the officer accessions guys want to make officers. Now my recruiter dropped the ball this time, and he knows it. He's also no longer my recruiter as he's leaving for a new post and I've already been handed off to another for the September board. (I received a bunch of "I'm awfully sorries" and excuses, but the new guy seems locked on.)

Where things get complicated is in the distance. As I stated above there are no OTS recruiters in my state, and when I contacted the officer accessions recruiter who is supposed to handle my state, (well, my home of record state that is) he failed to return a phone call and an email, so I looked elsewhere. I maintain another residence in another state that actually has an OTS recruiting office in it, and that's the one I went through. As it turned out that guy dropped the ball at the last minute.

Not a huge deal, I realize it's a complicated process. The first time the archived records should have been requested sooner and the second time a clerical error should have been corrected much quicker. Maybe the third time's a charm. Frankly I'm not interested in making anyone's life difficult over this. I just want to keep my eye on the ultimate goal.