Yet Another "Rate Me!" thread, do your worst, gents!

[nightwing22]

Hey Everyone,

This is my first post and first thread here at the Baseops forums. Hoping to get some insight and look forward to contributing to the community as much as I can, as I've already learned so much from simply browsing the site so far.

Anyway here goes. Bit about myself:

-Recent university grad (Large state university) - 23 y/o

-B.S. Information Systems. minor Business, GPA 2.8 (Not the best, I know.)

-Currently employed with a large next day air cargo company as an air ops. supervisor, main task is jet weight and balance (2 years here) but have been working my entire young adult life.

-Good health (no known ailments) and great vision. Never needed glasses in my life.

-Physically fit

-Currently at 0 flight hours, but the company I work for has some great education benefits that kick back in January 1st, 2019 that'll basically pay for my PPL (35-40 hours)

First I'll say that I'm yet to get in contact with a recruiter, so I don't have any test scores for you guys yet. I do have some questions that I'd like to get some input on.

1. I've jumped around from school to school to eventually earn my degree. I did a semester with a private university when first starting my current job and exiting a serious relationship, which resulted in me not finishing out the semester. None of these credits are counted toward my current degree and I assume wouldn't be necessary to eventually submit to a hiring board, but I do currently have private loans for this specific semester. Anyways, will this show up on a credit check and eventually be a factor in possibly being selected? I realize I'm on my own for this loan as it's through a private company. Will this affect my G.I. bill for the loans from the state school I attended?

2. My dream is to fly the F-22, or any fighter for that matter.  Would it be worth it to spend the money out of pocket to obtain my private this coming fall semester and use my company's education benefits once they kick back in to get my instrument rating so I'll have more hours built up by that time? Is a 2.8 GPA for fighters in the guard/reserve even close to being competitive?

3. Is there anything else I could be doing to increase my chances other then building flight hours and studying for the AFOQT/TBAS? I've read about rushing units and getting to know your potential squad but I'm not too sure how go about contacting bases and determining when they'll have a drill week, so I'll save that for another thread. Any suggestions on types of volunteering that look great to a hiring board?

4. As far of letters of recommendation go, I'm thinking of 2 managers form my employers, 2 from my college professors, and one from a current 2nd lieutenant. Is this a solid group to pull from?

Thanks for reading, and I appreciate any feedback from you guys!

Edited July 25, 2018 by nightwing22

[GDAL]

STEM degrees are what's most competitive, and your GPA is low. So you don't have much going for you there. Good news is that's not the end of the world. But those are the only stats you've given, so you had better work hard to stand out in other areas. 

1. No one gives a shit about your student loans. They might come up when you get your clearance, but it won't be a big deal if you don't owe exorbitant amounts of money.

2. Get your PPL ASAP. You want to fly F-22s but you have 0 flight hours? I'm seeing a pretty big disconnect here. And no, I wouldn't consider a 2.8 GPA in information systems competitive for a fighter guard unit. But again, GPA isn't the end all be all. If you're a good bro with a well rounded application in other areas, you can still be competitive.

3. Build flight hours, study/take your PPL written, study for AFOQT/TBAS, and then take AFOQT/TBAS.  Then come back and ask to be rated and you'll get a better answer.

[Stoker]

Absent a PPL, you probably have zero shot (at a Guard/Reserve squadron). With one, you have a shot, provided you rush the units, make best buds with the people there, and are just plain good. On the plus side, given your age, you have plenty of time to chase the dream of fighters and still have time to apply for transports and tankers when/if that fails. If you're on the hunt for fighter slots for a year, say, and you don't even get called for an interview, you know you probably aren't competitive and can shift your sights or refocus your future plans.

I'd say five letters of rec is too many, pick your best three.

[nightwing22]

Thanks for the input guys. Currently registered at the local flight school for the upcoming semester and hope to have my IR and 80+ hours by the end of April and in the meantime studying up for the AFOQT/TBAS.

Also, would it be worth mentioning in an interview situation that my last four semesters (and my overall major GPA) are stellar compared to my first four with the transcripts to back it up?

Is there anything else I can be working on in the meantime?

[Stoker]

3 hours ago, nightwing22 said:

Thanks for the input guys. Currently registered at the local flight school for the upcoming semester and hope to have my IR and 80+ hours by the end of April and in the meantime studying up for the AFOQT/TBAS.

Also, would it be worth mentioning in an interview situation that my last four semesters (and my overall major GPA) are stellar compared to my first four with the transcripts to back it up?

Is there anything else I can be working on in the meantime?

That's not a bad idea. I had horrible grades at the first college I attended, transferred and did better (not great, but a solid 3.something). I didn't just let the numbers speak for themselves though, I made it a talking point about dedication to doing better.

You should get your AFOQT done first, this can probably be done easiest by going to the nearest AFROTC detachment. It can also be scheduled through a recruiter, but the less you have to deal with one the better. After that, you take the TBAS which generates your PCSM. I'd probably go to local flight doc and get a first class FAA medical. It doesn't count for anything with the military, but some Guard units require a First Class (vs a Third Class) to apply, and it costs only a few dollars more, usually. Getting your civilian medical will at least ensure you aren't disqualified right off the bat, say, you have no color vision.

[nightwing22]

19 hours ago, Stoker said:

That's not a bad idea. I had horrible grades at the first college I attended, transferred and did better (not great, but a solid 3.something). I didn't just let the numbers speak for themselves though, I made it a talking point about dedication to doing better.

You should get your AFOQT done first, this can probably be done easiest by going to the nearest AFROTC detachment. It can also be scheduled through a recruiter, but the less you have to deal with one the better. After that, you take the TBAS which generates your PCSM. I'd probably go to local flight doc and get a first class FAA medical. It doesn't count for anything with the military, but some Guard units require a First Class (vs a Third Class) to apply, and it costs only a few dollars more, usually. Getting your civilian medical will at least ensure you aren't disqualified right off the bat, say, you have no color vision.

That's awesome. I already have an appointment for my first class, so that's perfect. What are you flying now if you don't mind me asking? 

[HU&W]

I finished my first year of college with less than a 1.0 GPA.  I graduated with a 3.2.  It was hard work to get there.  Developing self improvement through learning goal setting isn't hard to explain.  

My advice?  Go fly.  Then fly some more.  Then get a few more hours.  Then apply to every unit that's hiring.