I'll try not to write my life's story, we'll see how that goes..
PCSM 84 with 65 flt hrs, ppl hopefully early February if I can leave DC anytime soon.
PCSM is 95 with 201+ hrs
94 Pilot, 99 nav, 62/78/45 for the rest.
3.0 GPA in basketweaving
27 years old, July birthday
3 LORs, from Lt Col maintenance commander; fighter Squadron D.O., Major; and a Lt Col Pilot, all from my unit.
- crew chief of the quarter first quarter back from tech school, 2 achievement medals, currently in DC protecting the capitol
- executive board of students against drunk driving through high school
- hockey team captain for 3 years of travel/semi pro hockey
- volunteer at my unit to help clean up the roads picking up trash etc.
- volunteered for about 6 tdys, activated on rotation for three 3 month deployments.
- 8 years in the guard, F16 crew chief and I get along with all the pilots at the base.
I applied to my own unit where I know all the pilots well, many said to be rooting for me, as well as helping me with resume/interview prep, etc.
Got passed over by my unit, basically the president of the board who is the Lt Col ops group commander and the pilot of my jet that I was ADCC of before I received my own as DCC, told me I should've been applying 3 or 4 years ago and it shows I lack dedication. He told me to do some soul searching and if I really want fighters I should consider active duty, or expanding to heavies.
I have been passed over for an interview at Boise for a10s, Baltimore for a10s, tucson F-16s, interviewed at my unit, atlantic city F-16s and waiting to hear back from Vermont, but I'm not too optimistic given my record of 0 for 3 on interviews, and not getting hired at my own unit who encouraged me so much beforehand.
I was told by the pilots I work with that I had competitive scores and the PCSM will come with time(flying when I can afford it) but it wasn't a deal breaker by any means, and that my experience in the maintenance world along with my scores would get me a slot if I applied for a timeline of a year and a half, with active duty as a last ditch resort; however I'm much less optimistic now and looking at cheyenne wyoming/great falls montana per his advice. Is my TBAS bad? is being 27 (28 soon) an issue for fighters? are my other afoqt scores making me less competitive even with a 94/99? Are my degree type and GPA holding me back? my first two years were as a mathematics major, but that's not obvious to those reviewing my transcripts unless they see it on my resume.
I do NOT want to give up on my life's dream of being a fighter pilot and simply take whatever I can get, but it's starting to look like I don't have a shot, or am I missing something? Covid has obviously made it near impossible to rush units.. but I feel like I'm not standing out on merit or experience at all either. I was told my ops group commander may be promoted out soon, and the next board may have a new president for my unit and I'd get a better shot, but that's a lot of "ifs".
Please advise, thanks for reading!