Join ANG/AFR as an Officer?

[Guest fly_guy78]

Is it possible to join the National Guard or the Air Force Reserves as an Officer? It seems like all the information on the recruiting websites pertain to enlisting...

Thanks in advance for the replies...

[Guest rumblefish_2]

Yep, after you're selected you'll go to the Academy of Military Science (AMS) for commissioning.

[STR1CK]

AMS is 6 weeks in Knoxville TN and your Guard Unit will give you everything you need. (ANG)

OTS is 13 weeks at Maxwell AFB/Federal Penitentiary and you will have to foot the bill for almost $1700 worth of uniforms. (USAFR) (USAF)

[Guest dumaisj]

I just got all my gear before I leave for AMS...why does the Guard take care of it while OTS guys are paying for their own crap?

[Guest sleepy]

fly_guy78,

I see that this is your first post. Welcome to the board! Yes, as it has been said above, you can join as an officer for any career* field that an officer does that the Guard/Reserve unit needs. I'm trying to do that myself. And you are right...the webistes aren't much help.

You will find that a good many of the folks lurking around on baseops either are pilots, or are trying to become pilots. My guess is that the latter is the majority. This is not a hard and fast rule, though, so any question you have can most likely be answered. (Big hint: look now at the top right hand corner of the page. You will see, in small print, the words "search function." It is your friend. Learn to use it, and everyone else will be your friend, too.)

Depending upon what you are looking to do in the Guard/Reserves as an officer, the road to get there can be very political. So, if you don't know anyone in a specific unit and you are hoping to do something that could potentially be political, you should start networking, holding hands, shaking babies, etc.

Sorry if this response isn't overly helpful, but keep in mind that I am not too much farther along than yourself. I felt obliged to respond with a little bit of a more detailed response than what you had gotten so far. Nothing against those who have posted before me. I just think that we assume a little too much sometimes.

Cheers!

*Keep in mind that most career fields in the Guard quickly become part-time jobs.

[Guest rumblefish_2]

Originally posted by dumaisj:

I just got all my gear before I leave for AMS...why does the Guard take care of it while OTS guys are paying for their own crap?

The AF will give you a one time uniform allowance, but it will be after you've already paid. Your intro to the military star card...

[Guest dumaisj]

Thank you! Yeah, I need to get someone to walk me through a few things before I leave. Apparently, I am reinventing the wheel right now and it's made worse by the fact that it's Sept and the end of the fiscal year. Tough to really get much done with that working against you.

[STR1CK]

Rumblefish I believe the USAF uniform allowance is $400. At OTs they make you buy like $1600 worth of uniforms. Thats a alot of coin to have to cough up. That star card is a rip off. It has like a 20% interest rate. I can remember several of my classmates at Nav. school being in debt to pay off their uniforms.

[Gravedigger]

How much do you make at OTS? I made about a grand for 6 weeks of FT at Maxwell, so I gess you would double that. Can you use this money to pay for uniforms? Also, what about people that already have uniforms, do they only have to buy rank?

[ 25. September 2005, 14:42: Message edited by: c17wannabe ]

[Guest rumblefish_2]

Granted, I went to OTS almost six years ago, but I do remember getting completely reimbursed for everything, including my mess dress. Not sure why your bros only got $400. That's not right. According to the reg these are the current rates for the initial Air Force clothing allowance (which is the only one an officer will get): Male - $1252.09; Female $1453.58. The interest rate on my last Star statement was 11.24%, which is less then the 11.9% rate on my USAA credit card. Both are pretty good for the national averge APR which is 14.9%. Not sure where you are getting your info.

If you aren't prior service with higher rank, you will get paid as a SSgt at OTS.

[ 25. September 2005, 17:21: Message edited by: rumblefish_2 ]

[Guest fly_guy78]

What's the best way to apply to the Guard or Reserve as an Officer? Or...what does the process involve?

Thanks again in advance for the help...

[Guest sleepy]

fly_guy,

First, if you haven't taken the AFOQT, take it. Schedule it with ANY AF recruiter...just tell them you are interested in becoming an officer and that you want to take the AFOQT. Don't get into specfics with them, just tell them you simply want to take the test at this point. There's some paperwork (Form 680, I think) for that, but it's no big deal. (Use the search function both here and on the internet in general to find out information on it.)

Once you have your (good) scores, get in touch with the unit(s) where you want to apply, politely waiving those (good) scores. You'll have to do a lot of the work yourself, but you'll figure it out as you go.

If you have any more specific questions, feel free to PM me.

[Guest AE6400T]

Fly_guy,

How does one go about getting back in as an officer with prior service in another service branch (ie Army going to USAF?)

Thanks,

LB10

[flyerpapa]

fly_guy78,

Check out https://www.goang.com/careers/category.aspx and in the “Select Category” box scroll down to Officer Positions. Be aware that all vacant officer positions may not be listed on the web site. As Sleepy said, you need to check with the particular guard unit you are interested in, and it can be a political process.

Depending on your particular goals and circumstances, one option is to enlist in the guard and go up through the ranks. That would give the unit an opportunity to get to know you.

And, AE6400T, as a point of information, I work with a guy who, as an officer, went from the ARNG, to the Army Reserves and finally to the ANG. The last move involved an unmentionable amount of politics, but the ANG was where wanted to be, and he did all the “networking, holding hands, shaking babies, etc.” to make it happen.

[Guest guardhopefull]

To clear up some things. Air Guard goes to AMS, Reserves go to OTS. If you are in the Reserves your sponsoring unit WILL pay for YOUR uniforms. The only thing they won’t pay for is a mess dress and PT uniform. My advice, don’t buy mess dress as you can rent one for cheap right off base at Maxwell. And yes your flight commander will let you go off base to rent it. My unit told me that aside from OTS and UPT, I would probably never need one again. But check with them on that. Except for rank insignia after OTS graduation, I did not have to pay anything for uniforms when I went last year. I did have to buy that PT uniform and OTS sweater ($50-$70 bucks for the entire thing I think). As far as I remember the other reserve guys/girls paid nothing for their uniforms either. All is unit funded before you leave for OTS but show with 2-3 hundred bucks and a credit card just in case.

As far as pay you will be paid as an E-5.

[Guest lakefisher]

fwiw, my reserve unit recently sent an NCO to AMS for a non-flying position.

[Guest guardhopefull]

Originally posted by lakefisher:

fwiw, my reserve unit recently sent an NCO to AMS for a non-flying position.

Yes it happens, especially with non-flying folks. My unit has sent several to AMS. I tried to convince them to send me but no such luck. I think OTS had a better program, but thats just comparing notes with the two guard guys in my UPT class right now.

[Guest jassayag]

As far as the uniforms go for a reservist at OTS, my unit issued me all of my uniforms prior to attending OTS and reimbursed me for any additional uniform expenses at OTS. The AD guys and gals in my class had to pay for it and got the one time $400 uniform allowance but they were required to initially pay out of pocket. Hope that helps and this is current as of eight months ago.

[Guest Ryan Paul]

Guard/Reserve Hopeful and H82LAND,

Can you guys help me out with the uniform issue? I'm a Reservist pilot selectee and the POC at my unit doesn't know anything about getting me uniforms. He's under the impression that I have to pay for everything.

Is there a reg somewhere that I can bring him up to speed with?

I leave in a month. If I can't clear things up with my unit in time, I assume from your previous posts that I can get reimbursed when I get back?

(BTW, I live several states away so simply filling out an AF 656 and going to my unit's clothing shop is not an option).

Great tip about renting the mess dress!

[Kevin Finney]

I am considering joining the Air Force Reserve, hopefully as a pilot.  I have a college degree and have completed the TBAS, AFOQT, etc.  I have no prior Air Force experience other than a year of Air Force ROTC.  I have essentially completed everything needed to join except for MEPS.  I have a private pilots license, instrument rating, commercial pilots license, and my multi-engine add-on, all with 250 hours of flight time and I do have a private sector company expressing an interest in me. With research I understand it the process is OTS, IFT, Sere training, UFT, then UPT.  My questions are:

1)  With my flight credentials, would I have to attend IFT considering it looks like flight school all over again?

2)  Would I have to attend UFT?

3)  I have been reading posts on this sites with a number of Reserve members expressing trouble finding a sponsor, what happens if a candidate cannot find a sponsor?

4)  What are the advantages of joining the Air Force Reserve?

5)  What are the disadvantages of joining the Air Force Reserve?

[arat]

I am considering joining the Air Force Reserve, hopefully as a pilot.  I have a college degree and have completed the TBAS, AFOQT, etc.  I have no prior Air Force experience other than a year of Air Force ROTC.  I have essentially completed everything needed to join except for MEPS.  I have a private pilots license, instrument rating, commercial pilots license, and my multi-engine add-on, all with 250 hours of flight time and I do have a private sector company expressing an interest in me. With research I understand it the process is OTS, IFT, Sere training, UFT, then UPT.  My questions are:
1)  With my flight credentials, would I have to attend IFT considering it looks like flight school all over again?
2)  Would I have to attend UFT?
3)  I have been reading posts on this sites with a number of Reserve members expressing trouble finding a sponsor, what happens if a candidate cannot find a sponsor?
4)  What are the advantages of joining the Air Force Reserve?
5)  What are the disadvantages of joining the Air Force Reserve?

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://afreserve.com/downloads/AFRC_UFT_Guidebook.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjj6aLnir_3AhXOJt8KHfEEBLEQFnoECAMQAQ&usg=AOvVaw2ixicYSqgd-9KtvS96sHNZ

[Flyman]

What is the training like after OTS for officer positions in the reserves (non-rated positions) ? Is there a tech school for officers?

Edited July 31, 2022 by Flyman