Old guy wants to serve

[Buzz Cut]

I am trying to find info on military positions available to a person who is about to turn 35. I want to serve my country and yes, I know I should have done it a decade ago.

I am co-captain on a corporate beechjet now. My college degree is in aviation management. I know that flying positions are out of the questions but I wanted to see if any of you know of other positions that I could get an age waiver for.

I am interested in hearing of all posibilities.

Thanks,

God Bless America
B.C.

 

[Buffettpilot]

you might not be too old

If you don't have service time, you might be able to get a Reserve or Guard Unit to put you thru OTS (Officer Training School) and UPT.

I might be off on the age, but I know prior service enlisted guys can apply for OTS (after they finished their degree) upto the age of 35.

I've thought about getting my eyes lased and putting in waiver packages (eyes and age, I've been in for 8 yrs) for a Reserve C-130 slot but gave up on it. I've got my promotion board next year and my unit is pretty cool where I'm at.

There are always waivers for anything you want to get done.

 

[B-J-J Fighter]

This may not be what you want to hear but you said you wanted to serve and you were open to all suggestions. I know most of the services are taking people fr enlisted positions up until age 35. If you want to work around airplanes check out your states Air National Guard. If you are interested in doing something else try your local Army National Guard, of course both of these are part time positions. I dont know if your looking for PT or FT.

 

[Draginass]

At 35, I think you've missed the boat. I think 35 is the limit for getting commissioned also. Enlisting isn't a good option either considering that the young enlisted ranks aren't really paid enough to comfortably support a family or the lifestyle that you're probably enjoying now. They're meant for young single 18 year olds just starting out in life. Also, if you're a pilot now and go into the USAF as a non-pilot, I guarantee that no matter how rational and dedicated you are, you're always going to have your stomach churn when you see aircraft on the flight line, knowing you'll never get to fly one.

Probably be best to let your dreams of formal military involvement pass. I congratulate you on your intentions, however. Too bad it wasn't 10 years ago . . . . you'd probably be an F-15E or B-1 Flight Lead right now in Iraq putting the big hurt on Sadaam and his henchmen.

That said, there are other vital ways to serve, and probably as a pilot doing some REAL interesting flying. Consider other governmental agencies like the Customs service, Border Patrol, DEA, Justice Dept, State Dept. etc.

Explore all the possibilities.

 

[Andy]

Draginass, the problem with Buzz Cut trying to get a flying job is that there are a ton of furloughed ex-mil pilots with impressive resumes who are chasing those same jobs.
I agree with your assessment of enlisted life. (I'm prior enlisted, in case anyone wants to give me flack for acting like a borgoise snob). However, as a part time guardsman, he could be promoted rapidly. I saw one enlisted guy in my old guard unit reach TSgt in less than 4 years. If Buzz Cut is looking to serve his country part time, the guard or reserve would be a viable option.

Buzz Cut, just be aware that you're not the only one with patriotic feelings. Based on your age, you may have a very difficult time getting hired by any guard or reserve unit.

Tailwinds,
Andy

 

[Skyrunner]

Couldn't hurt to talk to a recruiter

Hey Buzz Cut,

Try giving a recruiter a call and see what your options are.

I got a great story about a guy in the same boat as you. I'll call him Bob for privacy. When I was at training at Little Rock AFB for the left seat in 130s, I flew with a loadmaster that was just finishing up initial training. He was an Airman First Class (2 striper). He was also a guard bum. He looked as old as my dad. I thought to myself, "What in the h@ll is an old like this doing in the guard as an A1C?" He was a great guy. We ended up flying together about 5 times. One day after a flight he asked me if I was doing anything that night. I wanted to go to the local hangout, the FLying Saucer, and party a bit with a few of my buds. I asked him if he wanted to come along. He said great and he would drive. Bingo!! a DD. He picked us up in front of billeting. He drove up in a brand new Lexus. It was decked out with all the bells and whistles. He drove us around all night and even bought most of the rounds. What a guy. I asked Bob how he could afford a brand new Lexus on a guard A1Cs salary? He said he had a little bit of money and owned 2 more like it. I didn't want to press the issue so I dropped it. Later that week I asked a guy in his unit what the deal was with Bob and his Lexus. He said Bob owned the largest box manufacturing company in his state. He had started it from scratch and it grew beyond belief. He said Bob got bored with his daily work and saw a TV ad for the guard. He joined and became a loadmaster on the Herk to travel and pass the time. Bob partied with us for the rest of our training until the day we all left Little Rock. It's funny how you meet people and make connections these days. I'll never forget him.

Adios,

SR

 

[CCDiscoB]

Something else to consider

You probably could get on with a Guard / Reserve unit if you wanted to, but there is a reason for age cut-offs. When you're 35-40 you reach a point where you can only take so much BS. If you were to enlist, like you mentioned, you would probably enter as an E-2 or E-3, which would still make you one of the worker bees. What sort of details (tasks outside your trained field) do you think you'd be doing? You'd have a few months of having some 20 something telling you what to do, assigning you to "mop the floor" for the third time today. I'll continue this thought if want, but consider what it's like being entry-level with any organization. Entry-level in the military can be especially hard. It’s a lot easier to tell a 17-18 year that’s he’s got KP again. Good Luck.