Your path to an officer career?

JGriffis

New Member
Hey guys i'm currently a grad student and I was just wanting to hear some experiences or advice as to how you became an officer or how I should? Right now i'm researching and laying some groundwork for my future. I'm interested in becoming an officer in the ang or reserves, but i'm also looking at officer training programs through all branches of military. I would like to be a pilot someday, but i'm willing to go in and serve my country in another career at first...I know how hard it is to earn a flight spot. In the ang or reserve to you just have to find an officer job opening and try for it? Thanks for sharing your experiences and advice.
 
I will be leaving for OTS in a couple months with a reserve pilot slot waiting for me. From my experience the guard seems to be a lot more difficult to get any interest from. Just make a list of all the reserve units you're interested in and start calling until you get to speak with the chief pilot. They'll want to know how you did in college and what your pcsm score is, but the most important part is just letting them know this is important to you and you will be committed to them after they put you through training. Let me know if I can answer any more questions.
brian
 
First of all congratulations. Thank you for your reply. So you're saying don't even talk to recruiters? You go to the same OTS as any active duty officer would go right? What are your pscm scores? Thanks in advance!
 
Talk to the recruiter to schedule your tests and your medical. They will also be able to assist in the paperwork part but much of it will be up to you because they may not know the answers since they may have not even helped a pilot candidate before. Yes you go to the same OTS and pilot training as active duty. My PCSM was 96 with about 150 hours flight time. The main thing is get all the tests and the medical done as soon as possible you will most likely encounter many delays in this process and most squadrons will want to make sure you have all this done before they will spend their time interviewing you.
 
I'm sorry I wasn't being nosey asking your score, I was actually wondering what a PCSM score is? Did you take the AFOQT or ASVAB?
 
Thanks again for your help. What material did you study for the AFOQT test?? In particular the parts about being a pilot or navigator?
 
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There's no more officers or even perspective officers in here??????

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I'm around. The last time I took the AFOQT was 1989. What little I remember, the pilot/navigator portions didn't really correspond to any specific study material. Even afterward, I couldn't say which questions/which section necessarily corresponded to the pilot/navigator sections.
 
Borders book store has a study guide for the AFOQT....i forget what section it was in, there were alot of other study guides for other tests in that area.....just go over the practice sections and whatever else is has and you should be ok....and there arent certain tests for pilot or navigator really, you just do the sections and youll get a specific nav. or pilot score based on whatever test sections go into the nav. or pilot composite.....i remember the math sections were the toughest for me, my word problem skills wernt too sharp when i took it......
 
i guess there was a section with aviation material in it, like instrument comprehension and other flying related questions, but there was no navigator specific area of the test, you just somehow recieve a navigator score based on how well you did in other test areas....like remembering what the capital of brazil is and what is the slowest mammal on planet earth is, you know, the important stuff to being a navigator....
 
Thanks, I found a complete guide yesterday at Barnes and Nobles to all military flight tests...whether its the AFOQT, BAT, AFAST, it has guides to all of them. I haven't really studies all that much yet but it seems like there is a lot of good info in here! Also i'm a little curious about one other thing...if your ultimate goal to become an officer and pilot or navigator in the military, what would your preferences be??? Air Force, Navy, Marines, Coast Guart, Army? All inquiries appreciated!
 
I'm currently going through the process of OTS selection as well. I can tell you that my opinion is, if you want to fly then join the Air Force. They exist to fly missions. I understand that it's virtually impossible to get a Navy slot right now, and if you're looking at the Marines then you better want to be a Marine. Remeber, Officer first...Pilot Second. Army only flies helos. The Air Force all around looks like a better fit for me. Better lifestyle, missions.
 
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Army only flies helos. The Air Force all around looks like a better fit for me. Better lifestyle, missions.

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Army flies some fixed wing too. Curious what better missions the AF flies? Marines and Navy fly the same missions as the AF.

AF lifestyle is slightly better......truth be told, all the military lifestyles sorta suck.
 
Mike, have you had to go aboard any ships yet? Just curious if you had gotten to that part of your job. What did you think? I can't tell you about officers. As an enlisted guy I can say the AF bases are a lot nicer than any navy base I have been on. Our ships stink literally. You get to sleep in a room with 80 - 100 of your closest friends in a bed that is 6'2" long 2 1/2' wide and 3' of verticle room. You get a locker that is like what you had in high school and your pit has a storage space. Of course Mike has been using a coat for a pillow so maybe we do have it pretty good.
 
The army pilots that I've spoken to said that flying fixed wing aircraft for the army is more of an exception rather than a rule. They have very few fixed wing planes, therefore very few fixed wing slots. Those slots are usually given to a someone who has flown helos for a while already. Even then, it's still stiff competition. What I was getting at, is don't join the army unless you plan on flying helos for awhile.
 
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The army pilots that I've spoken to said that flying fixed wing aircraft for the army is more of an exception rather than a rule. They have very few fixed wing planes, therefore very few fixed wing slots. Those slots are usually given to a someone who has flown helos for a while already. Even then, it's still stiff competition. What I was getting at, is don't join the army unless you plan on flying helos for awhile.

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Helos are cool.
 
there are two books you need to study, the military fight tests and officer canditate tests.
 
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The army pilots that I've spoken to said that flying fixed wing aircraft for the army is more of an exception rather than a rule. They have very few fixed wing planes, therefore very few fixed wing slots. Those slots are usually given to a someone who has flown helos for a while already. Even then, it's still stiff competition. What I was getting at, is don't join the army unless you plan on flying helos for awhile.

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Helos are cool.

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Helos are sweet. 120 knots 20 feet off the trees at night I hear is quite a rush. I'd love to go fly helos for the army right now(almost sent my package through last year ) except that I know for a fact I get treated better being a newbie ang enlistee.
 
Just some more info for you, on the Marine side of the house...As someone has written in here already, Marine officer first, pilot second. I've known Marine pilots who have been pulled from their flying duties to be an infantry platoon commander.

As far as the selection process goes...I understand that it is very difficult for grad students to get accepted to attend OCS (Officer Candidate School). But you can get a gauranteed flight contract. Providing you pass the air physical and air test.

Now is a very interesting time to get into Marine Corps aviation with the introduction of the Joint-Strike Fighter, Osprey, and upgrades to the existing helo fleet.

If you are interested in the Corps, contact your state OSO (Officer-Selection-Officer).
 
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