lobohopeful
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SD 114th FW Interviews
- Thread starter lobohopeful
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lobohopeful
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lobohopeful
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stlpilot
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Sorry to hear it man, who did they select? I know your pain when I was the alternate at my home town to a guy who lived 2000 miles away, had no prior service, and never even visited my city but thats how it works in the guard sometimes. At least you can look forward to interviews next year, in my case I would have to wait 3 years just to interview again. Anyway I know all that is of little help to you feeling blue, keep on pushin and follow up with the unit. Persistance will pay off.
lobohopeful
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lobohopeful
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I was told "General", and, without naming him, he provided much of the military correspondance to one of the major news networks during Op Iraqi Freedom. Again this isn't official, but there's only one middle man between me and the source that's "in the know", so I'm assuming it's credible.
As far as your recommendations go...that's great that they're high ranking. Just make sure they can personally attest to who you are and what you're like. I hear this happens a lot with people who call up their senator and get a Johnny Anybody recommendation. Doesn't get you anywhere.
As far as your recommendations go...that's great that they're high ranking. Just make sure they can personally attest to who you are and what you're like. I hear this happens a lot with people who call up their senator and get a Johnny Anybody recommendation. Doesn't get you anywhere.
STLCFII said:
I wouldn't count on it too much. I have a great letter from a retired general (my uncle) plus my father retired as a colonel and I didn't even get an interview at SD. I have gotten a couple of other Viper interviews, but I don't think it has anything to do with my family, at least I hope not.
stlpilot
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It is my opinion that letters of rec effectiveness can depend on the unit and of course how they are written.
I once had the pleasure of briefly listening to how an OG/CC reviewed his packages, it did not sound all that different then how active duty went about it. First he went through and threw out any that did not have the minimum AF numbers, had misspellings, the wrong unit number, or wrong unit name addressed in the package. This he said usually eliminated half or more of the apps. Then it was down to business, and he said they really do use the total person concept. He did not give me any good dirt on any "special weight" that me be pulled for certain folks but he did say that he gets letters from some "high ups" or people with pull, but like any other letter he said he looks at the quality of how it is written and what they say about the applicant. I took that to mean, yeah you can get a letter from a senator or whomever but it should be a good one that is personal or at least followed up with a phone call from that person writing it. You can find a respectable number of guys who got hired with letters of rec only from a teacher, flight instructor, or work and it’s written so well that it catches an eye just as much as a 3 star gen who just writes a bland or boring letter. One of my letters from a former coach and teacher got me so pumped up when I read it that I barely believed he was talking about me, and every word in it was true, he just wrote it in such a positive light and with great motivation that it has even been commented on by members of the interview board. But again its only one part of the whole selection process. I think when the OG gets it down the last 20 or so apps it can really depend on his own personal belief of who is a good candidate. I know in one unit they will interview a doctor or lawyer but in another they say "we won’t interview some doctor or lawyer, they already picked their career".
My experience is limited and I don’t claim to be any expert at this whole process, these are just some of the things Iv heard over the past few years when I visited units or heard scuttle butt at the bar during the after interview social. The guard can be a really tight nit group, they really like their own and take care of their own, and as another pilot told me, you will come to really appreciate that one day if you can manage to get in. Good luck
I once had the pleasure of briefly listening to how an OG/CC reviewed his packages, it did not sound all that different then how active duty went about it. First he went through and threw out any that did not have the minimum AF numbers, had misspellings, the wrong unit number, or wrong unit name addressed in the package. This he said usually eliminated half or more of the apps. Then it was down to business, and he said they really do use the total person concept. He did not give me any good dirt on any "special weight" that me be pulled for certain folks but he did say that he gets letters from some "high ups" or people with pull, but like any other letter he said he looks at the quality of how it is written and what they say about the applicant. I took that to mean, yeah you can get a letter from a senator or whomever but it should be a good one that is personal or at least followed up with a phone call from that person writing it. You can find a respectable number of guys who got hired with letters of rec only from a teacher, flight instructor, or work and it’s written so well that it catches an eye just as much as a 3 star gen who just writes a bland or boring letter. One of my letters from a former coach and teacher got me so pumped up when I read it that I barely believed he was talking about me, and every word in it was true, he just wrote it in such a positive light and with great motivation that it has even been commented on by members of the interview board. But again its only one part of the whole selection process. I think when the OG gets it down the last 20 or so apps it can really depend on his own personal belief of who is a good candidate. I know in one unit they will interview a doctor or lawyer but in another they say "we won’t interview some doctor or lawyer, they already picked their career".
My experience is limited and I don’t claim to be any expert at this whole process, these are just some of the things Iv heard over the past few years when I visited units or heard scuttle butt at the bar during the after interview social. The guard can be a really tight nit group, they really like their own and take care of their own, and as another pilot told me, you will come to really appreciate that one day if you can manage to get in. Good luck
MarineGrunt
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Sounds kinda like me. I never visited the unit or even been to the state. I live about 1800 miles away and was told by a Colonel that I had a snowballs chance in heII of getting the job. I applied anyway and got the slot. It was my prior military record that did it for me.stlpilot said:
You said it all though, persistence pays off.
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