Service Commitment

Does it depend on your placement in your class as to whether you pick that path or not? It seems to me (and please correct me if I am wrong!:redface:) that if you place first or near the top of your class and then pick aviation, you would only owe your original 5 year commitment.

When we were visiting West Point a couple of weeks ago, one of the cadets said something about being able to sign up for the cadet's prefered branch with additional service time in order to serve in the branch they wanted that might be out of slots when they get to pick.

I would be interested in hearing if different branches have longer commitments and what exactly the additional service times/branches are if anyone knows.
 
Does it depend on your placement in your class as to whether you pick that path or not? It seems to me (and please correct me if I am wrong!:redface:) that if you place first or near the top of your class and then pick aviation, you would only owe your original 5 year commitment.

Is the basic time that you owe 5 years for AFA, WP, NA?
 
Does anyone know what the extra service commitment is after flight school out of USMA?

You will owe 5 additional years after flight school.

Does it depend on your placement in your class as to whether you pick that path or not? It seems to me (and please correct me if I am wrong!:redface:) that if you place first or near the top of your class and then pick aviation, you would only owe your original 5 year commitment.

When we were visiting West Point a couple of weeks ago, one of the cadets said something about being able to sign up for the cadet's prefered branch with additional service time in order to serve in the branch they wanted that might be out of slots when they get to pick.

I would be interested in hearing if different branches have longer commitments and what exactly the additional service times/branches are if anyone knows.

Aviation is the only branch that requires further commitment because the Army is investing a lot by sending you through flight school.
 
Thanks, also do you know where flight school takes place and how long it is?

Fort Rucker, Alabama.

It's supposed to last about 18 months but I heard that if you go Aviation you will probably end up serving about 8 years active duty total as part of the commitment if that is what you're looking for.
 
Upon Commissioning from USMA, NA, AFA - the service commitment is 8 years. This is broken down to a minimum of 5 years Active Duty and the 3 remainder years may be served as Reserve, Guard or IRR.
As AF noted going to flight school brings an additional commitment which is tacked onto the service academy commitment. This needs to be served consecutively, not concurrently. Hence, those who fly must serve longer than the 5 years AD.

NV USMA MOM - The Army currently had a ADSO program for both West Point graduates and ROTC graduates. Looking to increase job satisfaction and increase retention it is possible in exchange for an additional 3 years active duty to be selected to a different branch, post or even graduate school. Initially one could not ADSO Aviation but now you can (the need for helo pilots is high) and that additional three years can be serves concurrently along with the flight school commitment.

Also if you go to Graduate school, Medical School or are selected later on for Law school your service time jumps accordingly.
 
Aviation

Fort Rucker, Alabama.

It's supposed to last about 18 months but I heard that if you go Aviation you will probably end up serving about 8 years active duty total as part of the commitment if that is what you're looking for.

That sounds about right. My son is thinking Aviation and says he will owe the Army 2 more years because of flight school.
 
You will owe 5 additional years after flight school.



Aviation is the only branch that requires further commitment because the Army is investing a lot by sending you through flight school.

Incorrect. Aviation requires a 6 year ADSO following the awarding of your Army Aviator Badge. Not a 5-year ADSO.

All told, you can owe anywhere from 7 to almost 9 years, depending on the amount of time you spend in flight school. Currently, the AH-64D and OH-58D courses are terribly backlogged due to parts, aircraft, and IHADSS helmet availability. Some folks in the AH-64D course are spending between 2 and 3 years in flight school, much of it on hold. The primary course itself is now backlogged. Student aviators who arrived in July got to start flying in March. None of that time is subtracted from the ADSO of 6 years. You can do the math.
 
Aviation

Incorrect. Aviation requires a 6 year ADSO following the awarding of your Army Aviator Badge. Not a 5-year ADSO.

All told, you can owe anywhere from 7 to almost 9 years, depending on the amount of time you spend in flight school. Currently, the AH-64D and OH-58D courses are terribly backlogged due to parts, aircraft, and IHADSS helmet availability. Some folks in the AH-64D course are spending between 2 and 3 years in flight school, much of it on hold. The primary course itself is now backlogged. Student aviators who arrived in July got to start flying in March. None of that time is subtracted from the ADSO of 6 years. You can do the math.

That is some valuable information right there. I would assume most of the cadets know this prior to choosing there branch. Also, what do the newly commissioned officers do while they are waiting?
 
That is some valuable information right there. I would assume most of the cadets know this prior to choosing there branch. Also, what do the newly commissioned officers do while they are waiting?

Most cadets will not know this prior to branch selection. That is one of those things you find out when you get to Rucker, as flight school is forever in flux.

Duties during a "bubble" or "hold" can vary greatly. LTs will be tasked out to various scutwork assignments. Many will end up on funeral detail, as FT Rucker is the Casualty Command for Alabama, eastern Mississippi, and the FL Panhandle. LTs and WO1s will travel on one-day or multi-day TDY and render honors at the funerals of veterans, retirees, or on occasion active duty personnel.

Other jobs include providing extra bodies for SERE school, working a slingload detail for UH-60/CH-47 slingload training, yardwork, or pretty much any other tasks that require captive labor. Funeral detail is a good chance to see the area, but is depressing for obvious reasons.
 
Most cadets will not know this prior to branch selection. That is one of those things you find out when you get to Rucker, as flight school is forever in flux.

Duties during a "bubble" or "hold" can vary greatly. LTs will be tasked out to various scutwork assignments. Many will end up on funeral detail, as FT Rucker is the Casualty Command for Alabama, eastern Mississippi, and the FL Panhandle. LTs and WO1s will travel on one-day or multi-day TDY and render honors at the funerals of veterans, retirees, or on occasion active duty personnel.

Other jobs include providing extra bodies for SERE school, working a slingload detail for UH-60/CH-47 slingload training, yardwork, or pretty much any other tasks that require captive labor. Funeral detail is a good chance to see the area, but is depressing for obvious reasons.

My son may have a problem with that. LOL - as much as he would love to see the southeast, he is a true north easterner; but he does love good barbaque.
 
My son may have a problem with that. LOL - as much as he would love to see the southeast, he is a true north easterner; but he does love good barbaque.

Remind me when the time comes, as I plotted out the good ones around the area. If he does in fact branch aviation, he'll get some of the best around when his IP flies him to Florala and Andalusia-Opp. Both airports provide free BBQ to aircrews.

Just_A_Mom said:
NV USMA MOM - The Army currently had a ADSO program for both West Point graduates and ROTC graduates. Looking to increase job satisfaction and increase retention it is possible in exchange for an additional 3 years active duty to be selected to a different branch, post or even graduate school. Initially one could not ADSO Aviation but now you can (the need for helo pilots is high) and that additional three years can be serves concurrently along with the flight school commitment

Well, not really. Aviation is a branch that always "closes out" during the branch accessions period. One of the big sources of contention is that USMA gets more aviation slots than ROTC, which makes it a rarity among the branches. The ADSO choice was not because of a lack of interest in aviation, but rather because aviation is so competitive yet suffers from a low retention rate. Even with flight pay, many officers leave active duty when their ADSO is complete. The bonus with the ADSO in aviation is that it not only attracts people with a higher desire, but it puts most officers over the 10 year mark, which is the point where most people decide to make it a career and resignations drop off sharply.
 
Back
Top