Anyone have experience with the ROTC to ANG/AFR track?

[ayz33]

Looking for anyone who may have first hand experience on this track, or are on the receiving end of this that can give me any information/recommendations whatsoever on the process.

I'm looking to commission into a guard unit straight from ROTC. I am a 7 year ANG vet and I'm now on scholarship with ROTC at a part 141 flight school. I can provide more information if necessary. This process is quite new and i have spoken with the Col. who is the man in charge of the program. He said i would be the first one to go through this program and he would like to use me as a success story so i'm really trying to make this happen.

Anything helps!

[Siegzy]

AFROTC holds a non-sponsored AFRC board every October. It's not advertised, so you have to get your det staff to fill you in and get an application. Even without it, nothing is keeping you from rushing guard or reserve units. If you get hired by a unit, AFROTC will change your status and allow you to pursue that option. I got picked up in this year's AFROTC/AFRC board, so message me if you have any questions man. Best of luck.

[thingsthatfly]

A friend from my unit got a pilot slot strait out of ROTC into the guard. I am not sure this is the same program and they may have let her off of her active commiment because they commissioned to many that year. PM me if you want me to get you in touch with them

[VigilanteNav]

As a current ROTC Det CC (Guard VLPAD'r), here's what I know about the process.  First of all, you will need to get "hired" by the ANG unit before ROTC will give you the EA (Enrollment Authorization) that officially designates you as going to the ANG upon commissioning.  You can't apply to the ANG in general.  So, if you are hoping to join the ANG unit you currently belong to (or did) and they want you, that is a good start.  As of the last briefing I got on this program (a couple weeks ago), the ANG gets 15 total EAs a year.  Since the program in its current form is new and not well publicized, those 15 slots are not being fully utilized. So, you should have a decent shot at getting one (unless there has been a rush on them in the last couple weeks).  From what I understand of the situation, the individual ANG units may have no idea about this program so you may need to educate them on it (PM me if you want ideas on that part).  Knowing how up to speed the Guard Bureau is (A1 specifically), they might be giving out bad poop to the units so don't settle for some response like "we checked with the Bureau and they said the program doesn't exist (AKA, I'm too lazy to get off facebook and make a phone call)"...I once got promoted way earlier than I probably should have by not taking the first no for an answer and making a few calls.  Good luck and I'd like to see this work too!      

[ayz33]

4 hours ago, VigilanteNav said:

As a current ROTC Det CC (Guard VLPAD'r), here's what I know about the process.  First of all, you will need to get "hired" by the ANG unit before ROTC will give you the EA (Enrollment Authorization) that officially designates you as going to the ANG upon commissioning.  You can't apply to the ANG in general.  So, if you are hoping to join the ANG unit you currently belong to (or did) and they want you, that is a good start.  As of the last briefing I got on this program (a couple weeks ago), the ANG gets 15 total EAs a year.  Since the program in its current form is new and not well publicized, those 15 slots are not being fully utilized. So, you should have a decent shot at getting one (unless there has been a rush on them in the last couple weeks).  From what I understand of the situation, the individual ANG units may have no idea about this program so you may need to educate them on it (PM me if you want ideas on that part).  Knowing how up to speed the Guard Bureau is (A1 specifically), they might be giving out bad poop to the units so don't settle for some response like "we checked with the Bureau and they said the program doesn't exist (AKA, I'm too lazy to get off facebook and make a phone call)"...I once got promoted way earlier than I probably should have by not taking the first no for an answer and making a few calls.  Good luck and I'd like to see this work too!      

Bolded: Isn't this what i will get that allows me to go to field training? I might be misremembering. I'm going this summer and i am on scholarship so i don't think i will have issues getting a slot

I dont plan on going back to my old unit, Knob Knoster MO is not exactly my ideal living location.

Are these all rated? Or is it non-specific

Hopefully i could somehow utilize the Colonel contact I have. We spoke on the phone and he sounds like a great guy and i think i asked him if I could call him up in the future if i had any issues like this and couldn't convince them it was a real thing (somehow)

 

I knocked my TBAS out this week (way early) so i could start talking to units as soon as possible with all my scores and building a relationship as well as figuring this whole thing out. I wonder if i will still have to board against others even though i am doing it the non-conventional way. Also i wonder if units can even hire this far out, I graduate in 2020, and I wonder if i have to be hired before i get picked up(if i do) for a AD UPT slot.

 

Appreciate the response!

 

 

 

[VigilanteNav]

AYZ33,

Ok, I wasn't sure what year you were in ROTC on my first post...but I think you should be able to do what you are wanting to do.  In my current understanding of how HQ ROTC is rolling at this time, they can "flip" your AD EA to an ANG EA once the ANG unit tells them they have hired you (up to that max of 15 EAs per year).  So, I think you can keep on track as you are for an AD Rated slot while trying to get hired by an ANG unit.  As far as the unit being able to hire you for a 2020 gain date, I think they could do that but some units may be more apt (if they are short on pilots especially) to do it than others.  Some might just tell you that you would have to interview in 2019.  I don't know if HQ ROTC has a cutoff date (prior to the rated board, prior to commissioning date, etc) to make the flip.  I can ask the next time there is a briefing on it and try to update this post. 

The ANG EAs for ROTC are all non-specific so HQ ROTC doesn't care what career field they are given out for. 

[ayz33]

Terrific, thanks for the input. I'd really like to get in with a unit sooner than later so i can visit during drill weekends as often as i can.

[ayz33]

Any updates out there?

I noticed a posting for Dover and they mentioned as one of the education options "or in a current Air Force ROTC scholarship program and before your junior year of college"

I am asking since I am about to go into my junior year and i have already contacted several units who told me to contact them next year, but this contradicts what they were saying. What does this mean and why does it have to be before junior year?

I can e-mail the contact on the posting if i can't find my answer here.

 

[Trapped in ROTC]

4 hours ago, ayz33 said:

What does this mean and why does it have to be before junior year?

Likely its because most ROTC cadets go through Field Training before Junior Year. After field training you have to sign the Active Duty contract if you haven't already for a scholarship. If you would apply and get accepted before your commitment, you could drop ROTC and do OTS into the Reserve instead.

If you plan on pursuing the ROTC Reserve Rated Board option, then I would be very surprised if they didn't let you apply after your Junior year.

[ayz33]

31 minutes ago, Trapped in ROTC said:

Likely its because most ROTC cadets go through Field Training before Junior Year. After field training you have to sign the Active Duty contract if you haven't already for a scholarship. If you would apply and get accepted before your commitment, you could drop ROTC and do OTS into the Reserve instead.

If you plan on pursuing the ROTC Reserve Rated Board option, then I would be very surprised if they didn't let you apply after your Junior year.

Well i am on contract already which is why i was wondering why it HAD to be before junior year even if one is already contracted