Went to the USAF Recruiters today...advice? is this legit?

Re: Went to the USAF Recruiters today...advice? is this legi

"well, yeah it's possible to make things happen, but it is harder from what I hear to go enlisted to officer than directly from college. Anyway, going from enlisted puts you through another boot camp and the age might become an issue if you're 30 or so, for pilots the age cut off is 29, so if you procrastrinate....you lose."


Spot on, commissioning from enlisted is very competitive and it may be a few years before you finally commission. Pilot cutoff is 30 but most ofthe time they limit application cutoff to 28. There are waivers for age, but the less waivers you need, the easier it will be for you. As far as going for ATC, being an ATC on the officer side you get less actual controlling time than the enlisted side. Having a military ATC background makes you pretty competitive for the civilian side although I don't know too much about crossing over. Goodluck
 
Re: Went to the USAF Recruiters today...advice? is this legi

I really enjoyed my time as an enlisted soldier and wouldn't trade it for anything. Learned a hell of a lot - mostly about how to be a responsible adult.

I went from enlisted to officer fairly easily - not sure about the other services, but in the army it is a pretty straight-forward process.
 
Re: Went to the USAF Recruiters today...advice? is this legi

ok. so let me throw this back at your from what i read alittle here and there. if and when i get out after my 8 years, i am 100% qualified to be hired by the FAA for ATC regardless of whether or not i have a degree or not? or is it a MUST to get that degree on the side. would an associates be good enough?

regarding the air guard, naval reserve, and army reserve: they take ATC's too right? any benefits to this? i know that ive read that u have to go to school in teh same state as your base because the Guard is run by the state. how long is your enlistment? how often do u get deployed? the pay is crappy right? but who cares, u only go for 2 days a month.

should i look into that and work on a degree and have uncle sam pay for it?

oh, after basic, if i join the guard, i dont get assigned to a base, i go to the one that i applied at?

-Tyler
 
Re: Went to the USAF Recruiters today...advice? is this legi

CampbellsChunkySoupra said:
ok. so let me throw this back at your from what i read alittle here and there. if and when i get out after my 8 years, i am 100% qualified to be hired by the FAA for ATC regardless of whether or not i have a degree or not? or is it a MUST to get that degree on the side. would an associates be good enough?

regarding the air guard, naval reserve, and army reserve: they take ATC's too right? any benefits to this? i know that ive read that u have to go to school in teh same state as your base because the Guard is run by the state. how long is your enlistment? how often do u get deployed? the pay is crappy right? but who cares, u only go for 2 days a month.

should i look into that and work on a degree and have uncle sam pay for it?

oh, after basic, if i join the guard, i dont get assigned to a base, i go to the one that i applied at?

-Tyler
Click to expand...

Okay it seems like you're getting information overload. First you need to do all your research before jumping into anything. You have several options. You have the AF, who can't guarantee squat. You have the Navy who can guarantee you get ATC school in your contract, and you have ANG. Most ANG are based at regular airports which of course is run by FAA or private ATC controllers. I'm sure someone who is in the ANG can tell you more. Choose the one that suits your needs and gets you where you want to go, then go for it. Most reserves usually only take members who were active duty or will only recruit civillians into certain jobs.

As far as being qualified as ATC on the civillian side. From what I remember from all my ATC field trips. You can get hired directly into tower controller posotions. If you want to be approach/departure controller or center controller, you have to go to the FAA's school in OKC. You do not need a degree, but if you had one it would make you that much more competative.
 
Re: Went to the USAF Recruiters today...advice? is this legi

hah, talk about information overload! i come back here a few times a day and get all sorts of new info on different branches. it seems like every hour i go from wanting to be on an air craft carrier to sitting in school again as a guardsman. it is kinda hard. im trying to do all of my research here. which is good i think because im pretty sure that only 10-15% of enlistees actually search the web and talk to people about what they are up against.
ive learned ALOT! you have now idea. id be at miami-dade by now if i hadnt have found this forum.

when my dad gets home, im going to present him with all of the info that i have gathered about the branches and do pros/cons and see what turns out from it.

ill probably be talking with the ANG tomorrow. thanks.

-Tyler
 
Re: Went to the USAF Recruiters today...advice? is this legi

Haha, tons of info here for 'ya, be sure to use it wisely.

First thing Im going to say, If you want to be a reservist and ATC, prepare to be sorely dissapointed. In my class a "A" school we had one Navy reservist. He was told on T-1 he would never use the stuff he learned outside of the school house? Why? Becasue in the Navy reserve they dont really have ATC units. For his one weekend/month and 2 weeks/year he was going to be sitting in a room at some reserve building doing basic Navy stuff, basically just doing his time. i would imagine it would be the same for most other branches. In the Marines we do it a little differently. All the reservists, go back to there units for a week or two after A school only to find out there going back to AD again to get some qualls and so they will be an asset to their unit. I told you in another thread ATC is like an apprentiship(sp?). When you graduate from the school house you've only proven to tham that you have the ability to learn how to be an ATC. There is still many years of OJT ahead of you before you are really an ATC.
 
Re: Went to the USAF Recruiters today...advice? is this legi

MDPilot said:
Looking at the ANGs Career website, only 12 units in the nation currently have vacancies in ATC. Better start by calling those units specifically.
http://www.goang.com/careers/detail.aspx?career=c92ec30e-1094-45de-a613-301417050508
Click to expand...


Yeah, i did see that too. im sure there are probably more spots. i dont know though. ill have to call them tomorrow to find out for sure. so if my ASVAB qualifies me and i pass the physical, am i guarenteed the job at those bases?

there has got to be more units out there that need ATC's. the Navy Reserve does not list their vacancies from what i have seen online.

-Tyler
 
Re: Went to the USAF Recruiters today...advice? is this legi

You gotta realize that not all, or even most, ANG units have ATC specialty requirements. Most ANG units don't need ATCers, the ones that do are most probably in a "combat control" position where deployments are the only time you get used.

ANG slots, whether pilot/ATC/whatever are rarely just given to anyone that qualifies. There is usually enough compeition for those slots that the unit has their pick of the applicants, not the other way around.
 
Re: Went to the USAF Recruiters today...advice? is this legi

We'll make it simple for you... just join the NAVY :D
 
Re: Went to the USAF Recruiters today...advice? is this legi

skywestseth said:
Just like Skidz said...join the ARMY
Click to expand...

Only if you have a death wish!;)

Actually I'm all for whatever service that gives this gentleman what he wants out of life and won't make his a truck driver in a convoy somewhere in Iraq.
 
Re: Went to the USAF Recruiters today...advice? is this legi

MDPilot is right - just because an Air Guard Station or Reserve Base has aircraft, it doesn't mean they have traffic controllers. Our base shares the runway with Pt. Mugu NAS and we use their ground/tower services. The majority of Guard bases are at civilian airports and therefore no ATC jobs to enlist into at that unit.

CampbellsChunkySoupra said:
i know that ive read that u have to go to school in teh same state as your base because the Guard is run by the state.
should i look into that and work on a degree and have uncle sam pay for it?

-Tyler
Click to expand...

No, you will go to tech school where ever that specific school is, no matter what state your unit is in. I enlisted into the CA ANG and spent over 6 months at tech school in Arkansas.
Yes, you should look into using the GI Bill for your degree.
 
Re: Went to the USAF Recruiters today...advice? is this legi

ok, regarding the Naval Reserve -

is it the same way as the ANG? how do i check and see if they have positions open? do the Naval Reserve bases have ATC's? i saw that there are several bases or units [i dont know what u call them] in the states not close to the coast. are these potential places to get on and get stationed at? i saw that there was a unit in kansas city and even one in south dakota. id love to still be a part of the navy so that when i potentially get called up, id get to go on a big boat.

once again, just weighing my options. u guys must think im crazy for taking so long to make a decision. im sure it was like 2 weeks and all of you guys were "off to basic." sorry for all of the questions, you guys have been helping me out ALOT!

-Tyler
 
Re: Went to the USAF Recruiters today...advice? is this legi

CampbellsChunkySoupra said:
ok, regarding the Naval Reserve -

is it the same way as the ANG? how do i check and see if they have positions open? do the Naval Reserve bases have ATC's? i saw that there are several bases or units [i dont know what u call them] in the states not close to the coast. are these potential places to get on and get stationed at? i saw that there was a unit in kansas city and even one in south dakota. id love to still be a part of the navy so that when i potentially get called up, id get to go on a big boat.

once again, just weighing my options. u guys must think im crazy for taking so long to make a decision. im sure it was like 2 weeks and all of you guys were "off to basic." sorry for all of the questions, you guys have been helping me out ALOT!

-Tyler
Click to expand...

See above post, if you join the Navy Reserve as an AC, you probably wont be doing too much ATC. Remeber controlling is a skill, its not something that can be taught between 16 weeks in a school and then one weekend a month and two weeks a year. If you want to make ATC a career you NEED to go AD. If your really into the guard though I know there are some units who have full-time ATC. Basically just the same as AD but your stuck with that unit. The Wyoming ANG I know does this.
 
Re: Went to the USAF Recruiters today...advice? is this legi

CampbellsChunkySoupra said:
ok, regarding the Naval Reserve -

is it the same way as the ANG? how do i check and see if they have positions open? do the Naval Reserve bases have ATC's? i saw that there are several bases or units [i dont know what u call them] in the states not close to the coast. are these potential places to get on and get stationed at? i saw that there was a unit in kansas city and even one in south dakota. id love to still be a part of the navy so that when i potentially get called up, id get to go on a big boat.

once again, just weighing my options. u guys must think im crazy for taking so long to make a decision. im sure it was like 2 weeks and all of you guys were "off to basic." sorry for all of the questions, you guys have been helping me out ALOT!

-Tyler
Click to expand...
You will not be able to go ATC in the Navy Reserves, unless you have been previously active duty. I asked my buddy at BUPERS (Bureau of Personnel). He asked the AC detailer for me. If you want to be ATC and be in the Navy, you're just going to have to go active duty.
 
Re: Went to the USAF Recruiters today...advice? is this legi

Good luck, dude!

When you started this thread you were all Air Force, did all us squids finally convince you? ;)

So, you are doing that A2E program? Were you able to get an enlistment bonus?
 
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