ROTC Vs. OTS

[Guest Bad News]

I have the option of doing either. I'm hoping to get good grades in college, and believe I will be competitive for OTS. I would also really like to apply to the Guard/Res, Coast Guard, and Navy. My ultimate goal is to fly, and the Guard/Reserves would be my first choice, however Guard slots are hard to get and if it meant flying I'd happily go AD. I can afford college, so a scholarship is not an absolute necessity although it would be nice.

Is getting a pilot slot though OTS hard? Is it easy for someone with good grades, a PPL, community service, etc. to get a pilot slot through OTS (depending on the needs of the AF), or is it a total crap shoot, and ROTC is much safer? Like I said, I'd much rather do OTS because I'd have the option of going to any college, applying to multiple branches, and having the Guard option. But, I won't risk a pilot slot over it. What are your opinions.

EDIT: Sorry if this has been discussed before. I tried searching every possible variation of "ROTC vs OTC" and nothing came up.

Edited March 21, 2010 by Bad News

[DFRESH]

Popping my popcorn now.

Here's the variants of the answer's you'll prolly get:

1.) Be an officer first

2.) UTFSF SNAP

3.) Somebody will quote the part about "I won't risk a pilot slot over it"

From me:

Go ROTC. If you put a lot in, you'll get a lot out (sts).

[Guest Bad News]

Popping my popcorn now.

Here's the variants of the answer's you'll prolly get:

1.) Be an officer first

2.) UTFSF SNAP

3.) Somebody will quote the part about "I won't risk a pilot slot over it"

From me:

Go ROTC. If you put a lot in, you'll get a lot out (sts).

Didn't mean it in the douchebag way. I'm not a pilot-or-nothing type, I just meant I didn't want less of an opportunity to become a pilot.

Edited March 21, 2010 by Bad News

[brabus]

Your chances of flying are much higher in ROTC than they are in OTS. I would have liked to avoid ROTC and do 12 weeks of Maxwell and call it good. However, less time in that gay training environment wasn't worth the lower chance of getting a pilot slot.

[Guest Bad News]

Your chances of flying are much higher in ROTC than they are in OTS. I would have liked to avoid ROTC and do 12 weeks of Maxwell and call it good. However, less time in that gay training environment wasn't worth the lower chance of getting a pilot slot.

So you think I shouldn't even try for the guard or another service and just go for ROTC?

[Ballman]

So you think I shouldn't even try for the guard or another service and just go for ROTC?

You're not contractually obligated to the Air Force until a) You accept a scholarship or b) You enter the POC (After Field Training, which is after sophomore year, at the earliest).

Enroll in ROTC and apply to Guard units during the first two years.

I've got a pilot slot and I'm in my 10th and final semester in AFROTC. I will be commissioning in May. I definitely recommend the route I took. I matured, learned a lot, and made some great friends.

[Guest Bad News]

You're not contractually obligated to the Air Force until a) You accept a scholarship or b) You enter the POC (After Field Training, which is after sophomore year, at the earliest).

Enroll in ROTC and apply to Guard units during the first two years.

I've got a pilot slot and I'm in my 10th and final semester in AFROTC. I will be commissioning in May. I definitely recommend the route I took. I matured, learned a lot, and made some great friends.

You can do that? Apply for a commission without having graduated?

[Ballman]

You can do that? Apply for a commission without having graduated?

Oh yeah. Just do ROTC.

[Guest Bad News]

Okey dokey. Is this also true of OCS?

[brabus]

OTS requires you to graduate college (or I think be within 6 months of a degree to apply), then get accepted and even then still get a pilot slot. The odds are much less compared to ROTC. Getting a slot through ROTC generally is not that difficult provided you put the effort in, get good grades and don't get arrested. If I had to do it again, I wouldn't change a thing. I know there are many people who are happy having gone to the guard, OTS, etc. I'm just telling you what has worked for a large portion of the pilot force. OTS and guard guys are definitely a far lower number. It's simple math.

[WheelsOff]

OTS...then get accepted and even then still get a pilot slot.

Not quite. If you're applying for a pilot slot when applying to OTS then it's just that - you either get selected for it or you don't. It works that way on all the "rated" boards (pilot, nav, abm - i.e. flying jobs).

"Non-rated" boards (i.e. non-flying jobs) work the way in which you describe; where you get selected first, and then they assign you a job.

EDIT: for clarity

Edited March 23, 2010 by dml02b

[Karl Hungus]

Go to a large football school in a state with a great climate and hot women. Major in something you enjoy and wouldn't mind doing if the AF thing doesn't work out. Do well in school, volunteer a bit on the side, study abroad, get your PPL, etc. Apply to a guard/reserve job flying something you think you'd like in a location you think you'd like to live in. Stay as far away from active duty as possible, but if you must, go AD via OTS. Laugh at your academy (and to a much lesser extent, ROTC) bros in UPT for how much more fun you had and yet still got to the same, if not better, place. It'll be worth the student loans.

[Guest Flying Bucky]

Go to a large football school in a state with a great climate and hot women. Major in something you enjoy and wouldn't mind doing if the AF thing doesn't work out. Do well in school, volunteer a bit on the side, study abroad, get your PPL, etc. Apply to a guard/reserve job flying something you think you'd like in a location you think you'd like to live in. Stay as far away from active duty as possible, but if you must, go AD via OTS. Laugh at your academy (and to a much lesser extent, ROTC) bros in UPT for how much more fun you had and yet still got to the same, if not better, place. It'll be worth the student loans.

hahaha....yes!

[Guest SDW@k]

Go to a large football school in a state with a great climate and hot women. Major in something you enjoy and wouldn't mind doing if the AF thing doesn't work out. Do well in school, volunteer a bit on the side, study abroad, get your PPL, etc. Apply to a guard/reserve job flying something you think you'd like in a location you think you'd like to live in. Stay as far away from active duty as possible, but if you must, go AD via OTS. Laugh at your academy (and to a much lesser extent, ROTC) bros in UPT for how much more fun you had and yet still got to the same, if not better, place. It'll be worth the student loans.

I largely agree with you, Karl, but I suggest we laugh to ourselves. You're point is well-taken with ROTC folks, but Academy students receive the best undergraduate education in the world, and they (along with Ivy League grads) disproportionatly represent corporate and government leadership. Of course, I pity the ones who dream of flying fighters, because at 18 they didn't comprehend how small a chance they'd have in this environment. Also, I'd add competitive graduate school (e.g., law or medicine) to your narrative, especially for those who plan on applying off-the-street. A guy with an undergraduate degree from [large football school], 150 hours, solid GPA, and solid AFOQT/TBAS scores won't even land interviews at most Guard/Reserve fighter wings, let alone be the one person hired. Case in point: latest AFRES HQ UPT hiring board...1/2 the guys were age critical. Units generally won't hire a 21/22/23 year old when they've got a 28 year old lawyer (or, more likely, civ pilot w/ 2500+ hours) applying.

Bottom line: I agree with you but want to give a reality check to guys who think it's a piece of cake to get hired. Getting hired today requires a compelling history of excellence.

[Guest Winning]

rotc

[WheelsOff]

rotc

Is for suckers!

[CJ-6A]

Enroll in ROTC and apply to Guard units during the first two years.

That doesn't make any sense. Guard UPT boards usually want you to have a degree or be within a semester or so of graduating.

To the OP: Despite what some may say, the Guard route is not necessarily the golden ticket to the chocolate factory. There are still some hoops to jump through (with greater consequences). Example: I was recently picked up at a fighter unit with the Guard - went to AMS... day one, was eliminated by not having proper form on the last of my sit ups (4 short of the min)... max points for waist, almost maxed the push-ups, etc. Done - no if, and, or buts, that was it... end of the road... no more pilot slot. Four sit-ups killed my opportunity. Obviously, if I would have performed better on the PFA, I wouldn't be sharing this.

ROTC is a great option - don't throw it away without extremely good reasons if your end goal is to fly in the AF.

[scoobs]

If you go Guard/Reserve figure out what your going to do to pay the bills.

[Infamous]

Go to a large football school in a state with a great climate and hot women. Major in something you enjoy and wouldn't mind doing if the AF thing doesn't work out. Do well in school, volunteer a bit on the side, study abroad, get your PPL, etc. Apply to a guard/reserve job flying something you think you'd like in a location you think you'd like to live in. Stay as far away from active duty as possible, but if you must, go AD via OTS. Laugh at your academy (and to a much lesser extent, ROTC) bros in UPT for how much more fun you had and yet still got to the same, if not better, place. It'll be worth the student loans.

haha agreed :beer: :beer: :beer: 6 pack for you sir

I went AD via OTS and attended a large football school with hot women and parties like crazy. I would not trade my college experience for anything. Now I'm at Sheppard for UPT and I'm exactly where I want to be after 13 shitty weeks at Maxwell AFB (as compared to 4 years) And yes I definitely feel for the dudes who didn't get the "crazy" college experience but they all I'm sure have great memories from their universities too.

That being said... It's far easier to get the UPT slot out of ROTC than it is for OTS. They open and close the hiring floodgates all the time and there honestly aren't that many slots out there. It is very competitive, and timing is everything... you just can't predict what's going to happen when it's your turn to apply...

I largely agree with you, Karl, but I suggest we laugh to ourselves. You're point is well-taken with ROTC folks, but Academy students receive the best undergraduate education in the world, and they (along with Ivy League grads) disproportionatly represent corporate and government leadership. Of course, I pity the ones who dream of flying fighters, because at 18 they didn't comprehend how small a chance they'd have in this environment. Also, I'd add competitive graduate school (e.g., law or medicine) to your narrative, especially for those who plan on applying off-the-street. A guy with an undergraduate degree from [large football school], 150 hours, solid GPA, and solid AFOQT/TBAS scores won't even land interviews at most Guard/Reserve fighter wings, let alone be the one person hired. Case in point: latest AFRES HQ UPT hiring board...1/2 the guys were age critical. Units generally won't hire a 21/22/23 year old when they've got a 28 year old lawyer (or, more likely, civ pilot w/ 2500+ hours) applying.

Bottom line: I agree with you but want to give a reality check to guys who think it's a piece of cake to get hired. Getting hired today requires a compelling history of excellence.

Well based off the guard fighter guys in my class right now, it seems the criteria to meet is to be a prior E in the unit. one is a civilian straight off the street without much flight time, and the other is an airline dude. From what I hear about getting hired w/ Guard/Reserve, it's pretty difficult to get hired as some random dude off the street bc they don't know you.

As for AD... I applied with 30 hours (was still working on PPL), 3.4 GPA w/ a marketing degree, and 6 months corporate job experience. Took damn near 2 years to actually attend OTS though after being accepted and picked up on my first application, that definitely sucked. I'm not sure if things have changed, but I doubt it... make sure you are patient bc the OTS route takes quite a while since the training pipeline is all backed up.

Edited June 19, 2011 by Infamous

[guineapigfury]

I'd recommend the OTS route if you can make it work. I walked off the street into a pilot slot, so it can be done. My class was full of pilots, but that ebbs and flows. If you want to be an Air Force Pilot or not in the Air Force at all, OTS is the road to take. You know that you've got a pilot slot before you show up. Plus, it's only 12 weeks, and only the first 2 are hard. Or you could go through 4 years at a military college in Colorado then drop out of UPT after your dollar ride. It was always Academy dudes who pulled this stunt, I still can't figure out why.