Chances at an ANG Fighter Squadron

[Stoker]

10 hours ago, ZenBrendan said:

Hi I have a similar question.  I recently took the AFOQT and TBAS and just recently got my scores back.  I am wondering if I will be a competitive applicant for any unit.  I would love to fly fighters, but I am open to anything and anywhere.  I would love to fly C-130s as well.  I received a high Pilot score and a relatively high PCSM score, but the rest of my scores aren't the best.  I'm wondering if my current PCSM, AFOQT, GPA, and flight hours would be strong enough to be considered as an off the street hire at any unit.  Do you think I should retake the AFOQT?  Is it possible to get more flight hours and recalculate the PCSM without retaking the TBAS?  Thanks!

Scores/Application Overview:

GPA: 3.70

Flight hours: 74.3

PCSM: 85

Pilot: 95

Nav: 67

Acad: 62

Verbal: 66

Quant: 56

 

 

I had the almost exactly the same flight hours, PCSM, and pilot score, lower GPA, higher other AFOQT scores. I was able to get a couple phone interviews with ANG fighter squadrons, nothing more than that. My guess is that I was competitive enough that if I had meshed really well with the squadrons at the drill weekends I attended, I'd have had a shot, but who knows? I was hired by the first heavy squadron I interviewed with (and received multiple other calls to interview in the weeks after I was hired). Long story short, if you're 23 and have plenty of time to pursue fighters for a while (to the point of applying to / visiting your dream units over multiple boards), do that. If you just turned 28 and are about to require an age waiver if you don't get hired ASAP, then you should apply to heavy squadrons as you have a good chance there.

[EvilEagle]

I sit on our hiring boards.  Adding flight hours to boost PCSM doesn't really do anything for us.  The scores at 201 hours are the only way to actually compare apples to apples.  Civilian flying doesn't really mean much when you strap a jet on.  It's important that you have SOME flying, but adding up on the PCSM won't do as much as boosting your other scores on the AFOQT.  Neither are as good as visiting a unit.  YMMV.  

[matmacwc]

Don't do phone interviews, show up if you are serious, make it happen.

[Stoker]

1 hour ago, matmacwc said:

Don't do phone interviews, show up if you are serious, make it happen.

In my case it was generally something they did before the in-person interview, after I had visited the squadron over a drill weekend. I agree, I strongly prefer to interview in person.

[toinfinitynotbeyond]

I am going through a degree program that includes flight training and recently started to consider applying for ANG or Reserve UPT boards before I hit the age cutoff. I separated active duty a couple of years ago as an O-3.

I moved to a state where recreational marijuana is legal and experimented with it twice more than a year and a half ago, six months before starting this degree program that includes flight training. 

I am about to retake the TBAS since I did comically poor on my first attempt and may retake the AFOQT if necessary. My AFOQT scores were Pilot: 50; Navigator: 73; Acad Aptitude: 62; Verbal: 54; Quantitative: 66.

I do also have cataracts, but my vision is within regulation standards and correctable to 20/20. I also have on record that they are asymptomatic and nonprogressive so in theory, I could get a waiver for this.

Do I have any shot, or would I be immediately dismissed as a candidate for activities after separating?