Guard/Reserve timeline to UPT

[Busterb63]

Got hired by a reserve unit, can anyone shed some light on the AFRC board that comes after hiring? Is it mostly a formality or is getting denied a real possibility? Should I continue to interview with guard units?

[bs98]

16 hours ago, Busterb63 said:

Got hired by a reserve unit, can anyone shed some light on the AFRC board that comes after hiring? Is it mostly a formality or is getting denied a real possibility? Should I continue to interview with guard units?

right here with you my friend. I never contacted a reserve O recruiter until after I got the offer. The O recruiter sounded pretty unsure about the statistics / probability himself. All of my scores/ work experience are well above the AD average so I'm choosing to not worry too much. Not finishing my PPL unless this scholarship comes through to pay for it.

[dumpster flyer]

18 hours ago, Busterb63 said:

Got hired by a reserve unit, can anyone shed some light on the AFRC board that comes after hiring? Is it mostly a formality or is getting denied a real possibility? Should I continue to interview with guard units?

 

1 hour ago, bs98 said:

right here with you my friend. I never contacted a reserve O recruiter until after I got the offer. The O recruiter sounded pretty unsure about the statistics / probability himself. All of my scores/ work experience are well above the AD average so I'm choosing to not worry too much. Not finishing my PPL unless this scholarship comes through to pay for it.

Talked with the Lt Col who hired me.. they said that it is highly unlikely that the AFRC board would deny someone hired on by a unit. YMMV

Edited April 14, 2023 by atomatoflames
words

[bs98]

@atomatoflamesawesome, that's what I had figured. I imagine its some combination of a formality/ check on the good ole boy system.

[Mogas]

Prior Service Hire at a Guard Tanker Unit.

AFOQT/TBAS: July 2022

Board: October 2022

Hired:  October 2022

FC1: April 10 2022

FC1 Stamped Approved: April 15 2022

NGB approval: November 2023

OTS: ?

UPT: ?

FTU: ?

Edited November 24, 2023 by Mogas

[Yeti_72]

On 4/14/2023 at 3:56 PM, bs98 said:

@atomatoflamesawesome, that's what I had figured. I imagine its some combination of a formality/ check on the good ole boy system.

Yea its a formality...kind of...its really just a matter of time. The board is held quarterly, each board generally has 15 slots to give, and they are given to critically manned airframes first. If you were to not get one of the 15 slots, you would just go to the next board and try again. 

[Noparachute]

Guard off the street hire

AFOQT/TBAS: June 2022

Board/hired: November 2022

MEPS/Enlistment: December 2022

FC1: January 2023

FC1 Approved: February 2023

NGB packet sent: March 2023

NGB approved: April 2023

OTS: August 2023

UPT: ?

[twoTangoKilo]

On 4/21/2023 at 8:51 AM, Noparachute said:

Guard off the street hire

AFOQT/TBAS: June 2022

Board/hired: November 2022

MEPS/Enlistment: December 2022

FC1: January 2023

FC1 Approved: February 2023

NGB packet sent: March 2023

NGB approved: April 2023

OTS: August 2023

UPT: ?

What became of your OTS dates now that they cancelled that class?

[Noparachute]

On 5/18/2023 at 10:38 AM, twoTangoKilo said:

What became of your OTS dates now that they cancelled that class?

Your guess is as good as mine, still no info yet. Rumor mill is that there will be 20 or more smaller classes throughout the year.

[twoTangoKilo]

Little update to my timeline here.

Applied:  Feb 22

Board/Notified of selection: Nov 22

FC1: Feb 23

Package submitted to Wing CC:    May 23

Package allegedly signed by CC and routed up to state/NGB level: June 23

 

On another topic, I'm hearing lots of different things about this OTS revamp going on.  Expecting the class schedule for next FY to drop around September?  Hoping for my package to be postured and approved at the NGB level by that time so that I can jump on the bus early in the FY.

[stuckindayton]

My son got hired to fly C-17s at the local Reserve unit.  He was verbally hired in December and they have no idea when he will get picked up for OTS/UPT/SERE, etc.  They don't think it will be until next year and he obviously isn't getting paid at this time.  However, they want him to swear in next week despite no timetable for moving forward.  Is this normal?

Is taking the oath akin to signing a contract?  Does one incur an obligation when they take the oath or does that only come with signing a contract?

I'm confused by the timing of events.  Thanks in advance.

 

[Guardian]

Guard reserve standard. Yes. Sadly it is.

Swear in asap! Might be able to get some days and pay. Sorry that it takes so long. A year or more isn’t unheard of.

[stuckindayton]

52 minutes ago, Guardian said:

Guard reserve standard. Yes. Sadly it is.

Swear in asap! Might be able to get some days and pay. Sorry that it takes so long. A year or more isn’t unheard of.

Thank you, will do.  Never too early to start learning the ways of the AF.

[ryleypav]

1 hour ago, stuckindayton said:

Thank you, will do.  Never too early to start learning the ways of the AF.

I swore in about 8 months after I got hired. The "enlistment contract" had a line in it about being for commissioning purposes only, and supposedly didn't lock me if things went south during the process up to being commissioned. I wish I had signed it sooner, because thats 8 extra months on my pay date I missed out on.  

[Tomahawk]

Can someone explain the different "commitments/obligations" to me? I know you have a 10 year commitment locked in once you get your wings but what is your commitment if you swear in and go through OTS but don't get winged (for whatever reason)? And is there a commitment if you swear in but then can't pass the FC1 afterwards? None of this affects my interest, just nice to know upfront the different possibilities.

[O Face]

19 hours ago, stuckindayton said:

My son got hired to fly C-17s at the local Reserve unit.  He was verbally hired in December and they have no idea when he will get picked up for OTS/UPT/SERE, etc.  They don't think it will be until next year and he obviously isn't getting paid at this time.  However, they want him to swear in next week despite no timetable for moving forward.  Is this normal?

Is taking the oath akin to signing a contract?  Does one incur an obligation when they take the oath or does that only come with signing a contract?

I'm confused by the timing of events.  Thanks in advance.

 

Hey Doc.  I’m glad some of us can finally answer a question for you since you’ve dutifully been answering countless medical questions on here for years.  First of all tell your son congratulations from all of us on here!!  That’s a big deal!!  
The answer is yes. Swear in ASAP. He can begin going to drill and get paid for it, and even though he’ll be sitting for a while waiting for school dates he can get a good year in the reserve towards retirement. When he goes to visit your old stomping grounds at WP, and if they DQ’d him for something, he would be eligible for release. He won’t be committed for his 10 yrs until he completes UPT.  Again - congratulations. 

Edited June 23, 2023 by O Face
Clarity

[Burt]

On 6/20/2023 at 7:25 AM, twoTangoKilo said:

Little update to my timeline here.

Applied:  Feb 22

Board/Notified of selection: Nov 22

FC1: Feb 23

Package submitted to Wing CC:    May 23

Package allegedly signed by CC and routed up to state/NGB level: June 23

 

On another topic, I'm hearing lots of different things about this OTS revamp going on.  Expecting the class schedule for next FY to drop around September?  Hoping for my package to be postured and approved at the NGB level by that time so that I can jump on the bus early in the FY.

The official memo with the OTS class dates for the next FY was sent out a couple of weeks ago to the unit training managers (at least on the ANG side) from NGB Rated Management. Confirmed that it is new classes roughly every two weeks. Aside from that it's been radio silence for me.

I've been seeing a bunch of people that were previously slotted for the Aug class already get dates for Oct (when they start the new curriculum/system/etc) but I believe so far all of those have been either AD or AFRC. NGB did say they are hoping to put people in the Oct classes that were previously slated to go to OTS in Aug (or at the very least slot them before people that hadn't gotten a TLN yet on the guard side before this whole restructuring was announced). In terms of if/when that would occur is a bit vague. 

My UTM seems to think that she won't hear anything for my OTS TLN until the end of July. Per her, that is when they usually release them for the next FY for NGB.

Anyone else have any additional info? Specifically any ANG hires that already had their packet approved? I'm also curious how this flow would impact any projected pilot training dates I had gotten previously.

Also I second the congrats for @stuckindayton! You've been an invaluable resource on these boards over the yrs. 

Edited June 23, 2023 by Burt
typo

[stuckindayton]

Thanks O Face and Burt for confirming the path forward.  I'm super excited he's flying with the local unit and he just got hired by NetJets as well.  FC I is complete, although WP was a bit touch and go.  They find stuff even parents didn't know about!

This forum is a great resource.  Happy I can contribute a little now and then.

Cheers.

Steve

[FDNYOldGuy]

@stuckindayton, seconding what others have said: Congrats to your son and please utilize us for any questions you may have! You helped many of us out so much along the way; it's the least we can do to repay the favor and help your son. 

@O Face hit the nail on the head with the commitment issue and to get rolling on enlisting. I don't believe he's obligated to anything until at least finishing OTS/gaining his commission (and even that can be released), so swearing in won't hurt.

2nd piece about enlisting ASAP that is often overlooked is that the enlistment date is the official Date of Service; something that'll be in his file and on every LES. Seems cheesy, but this will be the date that starts the 2 year clock counting until the AF starts their TSP contributions. It's not huge money, but it certainly helps to get that rolling earlier. I'm also not sure if this is also the date used to start the 20 year clock, as well, (I'd think it would be) but it's another big piece, if so.

I do have to differ with O in experience with the drilling/getting paid after enlistment/before OTS. I'm not sure if he's speaking from Guard or Reserves experience and perhaps things have changed, but when I went through the Reserves process we were explicitly told we were not to go to drill/get paid by/or do any sort of in processing with our hiring units. Basically, from the moment of hiring/enlistment until heading to Randolph for Inprocessing a couple weeks prior to OTS, you won't have any opportunities for pay. 

Not to get too into the weeds and it certainly could be different these days, but for non-prior service folks hired by any AFRC unit, you're not actually owned by or doing any drilling/orders your home unit until you are in the last piece the training pipeline (your seasoning orders). Starting from getting picked up by the AFRC UPT Board (which is usually a few months after hiring/FC1), a new hire is completely owned by the 340th FTG; a Randolph-based unit that handles all aspects (pay, orders, schools, vouchers, leave, etc.) for all hires (no matter what they're flying) through OTS/SERE/UPT/IFF/FTU. When you finish FTU, you then put the paperwork in to be "gained" by your home unit and be under their care/going to drills/dealing with their finance/etc. 

Again, things could have changed, but that was my experience. Congrats again to your son!

[O Face]

Ah, so the reserves don’t have a student flight or anything like that?  The guard will enlist a kid and pay them for drills until they leave for school. 

[FDNYOldGuy]

8 hours ago, O Face said:

Ah, so the reserves don’t have a student flight or anything like that?  The guard will enlist a kid and pay them for drills until they leave for school. 

That’s what it was as of 4-5 years ago. They certainly could have changed, but AFAIK for anyone picked up by a Reserves unit, there were no options to drill/get paid and we sat inactive until orders started. And the hiring unit doesn’t own pipeline studs; a Reserve-wide training unit does until after FTU.

Guard runs it differently and you can drill/get paid before starting the pipeline and your home unit manages all schools/pay/leave/issues/etc. from day 1, from my understanding

[Yeti_72]

Does anyone know when you will find out UPT dates after the reserve UPT board? I applied to the July board, wondering if the dates will come with that notification. 

[FDNYOldGuy]

12 hours ago, Yeti_72 said:

Does anyone know when you will find out UPT dates after the reserve UPT board? I applied to the July board, wondering if the dates will come with that notification. 

My gouge is almost 5 years old and things could have changed now, but this is what my order of ops was. YMMV.

Your next call will be congrats (or maybe next board, depending on how competitive your peer group is) on the UPT slot. Then you'll get linked up with the 340th, who will work with your recruiter to finalize your paperwork/gaining by 340th and swearing in. Then you'll head to San Antonio for ~6 days to inprocess with the 340th, which will be roughly 2-4 weeks before you are going to start OTS. They'll give you your actual UPT start dates and which UPT base you're going to during this week in SA. You'll basically be on orders solidly with back to back events from the beginning of OTS (which is a TDY or trip from where you live), so your start dates aren't all that important; you'll be in the pipeline, on orders, and getting paid no matter what your start dates are.

After OTS, you'll go straight to SERE (still a TDY from your current home), PCS (full move) to your UPT base for a week or two with a TDY to SERE, or PCS to your base with SERE at the end. It's usually SERE before UPT for Reserves, but possible after, with ~2-4 weeks of time at UPT (around SERE if you go after PCS-ing) to handle the UPT inprocessing and pre-course class stuff (the tests you REALLY don't want to fail) and get settled in. 

[Yeti_72]

10 hours ago, FDNYOldGuy said:

My gouge is almost 5 years old and things could have changed now, but this is what my order of ops was. YMMV.

Your next call will be congrats (or maybe next board, depending on how competitive your peer group is) on the UPT slot. Then you'll get linked up with the 340th, who will work with your recruiter to finalize your paperwork/gaining by 340th and swearing in. Then you'll head to San Antonio for ~6 days to inprocess with the 340th, which will be roughly 2-4 weeks before you are going to start OTS. They'll give you your actual UPT start dates and which UPT base you're going to during this week in SA. You'll basically be on orders solidly with back to back events from the beginning of OTS (which is a TDY or trip from where you live), so your start dates aren't all that important; you'll be in the pipeline, on orders, and getting paid no matter what your start dates are.

After OTS, you'll go straight to SERE (still a TDY from your current home), PCS (full move) to your UPT base for a week or two with a TDY to SERE, or PCS to your base with SERE at the end. It's usually SERE before UPT for Reserves, but possible after, with ~2-4 weeks of time at UPT (around SERE if you go after PCS-ing) to handle the UPT inprocessing and pre-course class stuff (the tests you REALLY don't want to fail) and get settled in. 

Thank you! I'm AD right now so luckily no OTS. Just trying to get a ballpark of when I will go so I can plan out my AD separation. 340th gauge still seems correct based off of what I could find online anf chatting with my reserve unit. Didn't realize SERE could be prior to UPT, good to know!

[bs98]

@Burt do you know what is in store for you between OTS ending and UPT starting? i.e. coming off orders?