Fishing for options, another old dude edition

[airmanjoker]

Hello there everybody, figured I'd do the same as most people on here and throw out my numbers to get some feedback since the AD board is in January. Little bit about myself, currently 26 and been in the guard since I turned 18, coming up on 8 years next month. Now you all are probably going to laugh, but hell I am too, I'm probably the only case you've seen of an enlisted Security Forces troop trying to jump in a plane, but I think I may just have the numbers to do it.

GPA: 3.13

AFOQT: 92 Pilot, 86 Nav, 85 Acad, 98 Verb, 60 Quant

PCSM: 62 because I have a whopping goose egg when it comes to real life seat time, however my "prospective" score as I keep seeing get thrown around in other threads is 97. That should count for something right?

LORs: Still working on getting them in hand from within unit first before looking elsewhere

So all things considered, should I stick with my current plan of action of waiting to see how I fare at the active board before I start fishing with other guard/reserve units or start throwing them out there ASAP?

[OnlyInCleveland]

4 hours ago, airmanjoker said:

Hello there everybody, figured I'd do the same as most people on here and throw out my numbers to get some feedback since the AD board is in January. Little bit about myself, currently 26 and been in the guard since I turned 18, coming up on 8 years next month. Now you all are probably going to laugh, but hell I am too, I'm probably the only case you've seen of an enlisted Security Forces troop trying to jump in a plane, but I think I may just have the numbers to do it.

GPA: 3.13

AFOQT: 92 Pilot, 86 Nav, 85 Acad, 98 Verb, 60 Quant

PCSM: 62 because I have a whopping goose egg when it comes to real life seat time, however my "prospective" score as I keep seeing get thrown around in other threads is 97. That should count for something right?

LORs: Still working on getting them in hand from within unit first before looking elsewhere

So all things considered, should I stick with my current plan of action of waiting to see how I fare at the active board before I start fishing with other guard/reserve units or start throwing them out there ASAP?

I personally would start applying ASAP but that depends on what you want to do as a career and whether that involves favoring AD or flying civilian or even something else entirely. If you want a good shot at fighters and the family doesn't mind moving around for a while then AD is the way to go. The scores look good but I would advocate doing at least some single engine GA flying to bump it up a few levels and get to that first solo at a minimum.

[airmanjoker]

9 hours ago, OnlyInCleveland said:

I personally would start applying ASAP but that depends on what you want to do as a career and whether that involves favoring AD or flying civilian or even something else entirely. If you want a good shot at fighters and the family doesn't mind moving around for a while then AD is the way to go. The scores look good but I would advocate doing at least some single engine GA flying to bump it up a few levels and get to that first solo at a minimum.

Going active is the dream, but I'm not entirely sure on the lead time for the board's decision nor how long it would be for guard/reserve units to make a decision, thus why debating on waiting or not. I will definitely be looking into some sort of flight school though since I have until January for the board, so thank you for the heads up.

[pilot]

Scores look good. Curious....Why active and not guard or reserve? I’d go fly and turn that goose egg into 20 hours at least, solo, preferably get a PPL. That will increase your PCSM, your knowledge base, and give you an idea of what you’re getting into. Good luck 

[airmanjoker]

19 minutes ago, FlyArmy said:

Scores look good. Curious....Why active and not guard or reserve? I’d go fly and turn that goose egg into 20 hours at least, solo, preferably get a PPL. That will increase your PCSM, your knowledge base, and give you an idea of what you’re getting into. Good luck 

I'd like to be able to go to at least a few duty stations, especially something OCONUS for at least one if possible, during my career. I've studied various parts of the PPL theory in my spare time but haven't really had the time or money to actually work on trying to get behind the stick until now. Like I said in the other reply, it's a good thing I have 2-3 months to pack it in depending on what time it is in January then.

[admdelta]

If you're 26 and you wanna go active, get that ball rolling ASAP. I started trying to get in when I had just turned 27 and it took me freaking AGES to make any headway in terms of finding a recruiter that actually paid any attention to me. And by that time, they told me I was too old to fly in AD because of how long it takes to get to OTS. Start making the calls pronto.

As far as your flight hours go, I'd definitely recommend getting some flight time but for Active Duty you probably don't need to break the bank going for broke on your PPL just yet. Maybe shoot for your solo, but don't delay your application for it. Even small numbers of flight hours will boost your PCSM considerably, and AD boards seem less hung up on having actual ratings than Guard and Reserve units, at least in my experience and from what I've heard (there are AD guys in UPT who literally start out with 0 hours). Take that with a grain of salt though, someone else might come in here and say I'm wrong lol.

[airmanjoker]

5 hours ago, admdelta said:

If you're 26 and you wanna go active, get that ball rolling ASAP. I started trying to get in when I had just turned 27 and it took me freaking AGES to make any headway in terms of finding a recruiter that actually paid any attention to me. And by that time, they told me I was too old to fly in AD because of how long it takes to get to OTS. Start making the calls pronto.

As far as your flight hours go, I'd definitely recommend getting some flight time but for Active Duty you probably don't need to break the bank going for broke on your PPL just yet. Maybe shoot for your solo, but don't delay your application for it. Even small numbers of flight hours will boost your PCSM considerably, and AD boards seem less hung up on having actual ratings than Guard and Reserve units, at least in my experience and from what I've heard (there are AD guys in UPT who literally start out with 0 hours). Take that with a grain of salt though, someone else might come in here and say I'm wrong lol.

Thankfully the recruiter I've been with has been mostly responsive, though I suppose part of their screening is seeing just how much legwork you go and put in yourself towards whatever it is you're trying to do. As far as I've been told basically all I have left to do is go back to MEPS for the preliminary physical (why in gods name they don't do the Class 1 BEFORE the board is beyond me) and slap everything for my actual packet together prior to the board in January. Per the other suggestions in this thread so far though I'm definitely beating feet to get what hours I can in before that point in order to get my PCSM perked up.

[nunya]

2 hours ago, airmanjoker said:

suppose part of their screening is seeing just how much legwork you go and put in yourself towards whatever it is you're trying to do.

No, no.  It's not an orchestrated personality test.  They're just lazy humans.  Secondary effect and unintended consequence, though, is to condition you to accept subpar support once you're in.

Edited October 5, 2018 by nunya

[EvilEagle]

If you do go to the ANG, there are programs to send people to OCONUS assignments for a couple of years.  We had a guy that was going to Kadena for a 3 year assignment, changed his mind as it got close.  It's not as often as AD, but I don't know anyone in the ANG that ended up going to staff, school or white jets that didn't ask for it; not the case on AD. 

 

Either way, good luck! 

[brabus]

VLPAD has opened up a lot of options (likely what Evil was referencing with the 3 yr Kadena assignment). I've seen multiple Viper guys stand their ground and get exactly what they wanted with AFPC - location they want with caveats in their favor (i.e. no non-vol deployments).  As long as that program or variations exist, there will be good options to do a lot of 3 year assignments elsewhere if one chooses to do so.  You also have an option to do operational test later on if you're looking for a few years change of pace  (and you're the right guy for the job).