New Member!

[park406]

Hello everyone,

New member here and this site has helped me a great deal in gaining information. I've been interested in the military since I was a boy and it's always been on the back of my mind. So I thought I'd finally join the community and maybe ultimately join the military.

I've recently graduated from the University of Illinois with a bachelor's in aerospace engineering, and even though UofI has several ROTC programs, I didn't seriously consider the military until now. So, I am a little late, but it's not too late yet.

I am in love with aircraft, hence my major, and I have my private pilot's license and am thinking about getting my instrument rating (depending on how soon I go to OTS or OCS). But ever since my first flight, I was hooked. So, I would fight my hardest to become an aviator in either the air force or marines. I know becoming an aviator is extremely difficult, but I'd rather fight to become the best and fail than never try at all. In the end, I'd become the best that I could ever have hoped to be while defending our nation.

Thank you so much for your help!

 

[rainstorm26]

Motivation is key, and you certainly seem to have droves of it. Good luck and gos speed to you.

 

[Spud]

You know, the Navy has an air force too.

 

[park406]

Thanks rainstorm26! Hopefully my discipline follows suit, but I guess the military will build it up.

And spud, yes I'm aware that the navy and army have air forces, and I'm completely open to them, but I guess I'm more biased toward the marines cause I had a strength and conditioning coach back in highschool who was a sergeant in the marines and served in the first gulf war, so I had mad respect for him and the marines. And I just included the air force cause I had heard about their monetary and living benefits, but I guess that's kind of selfish..

 

[Pima]

If you are considering the AF, you might also want to look into the AF Guard units. You will go to UPT knowing if you wing that is the airframe you will fly because you are in essence a direct hire for that unit.

As for OCS regarding AF, they hold two boards a year. Your PPL will help you, but the bulk of their pilots come from AFA and AFROTC. Many that go OCS are prior enlisted.
~ Our friends DS that commissioned via OCS last Sept. was sent to UNT. He was an engineering major, had some ppl hours too and basically told by the recruiter they did not give one pilot slot to an applicant that was not prior enlisted.

They need pilots, but the problem is the UPT pipeline. No room at the inn. DS winged 6 months ago, and the only OCS grads in his class were prior. Not saying you won't get UPT, just saying they may send you CSO, RPA, or ABM because that is how the rated board works for the AF.

OBTW it is not selfish to feel that way regarding the AF. The AF has always been called the corporate branch. They inherently believe that $$$ and living conditions are tied to retention. In the twenty years that Bullet served as an AF officer flying F15Es as a WSO, the common joke was:
A happy wife is a happy life!

AfF fliers are the golden boys/girls of the AF. Their family goes to the flight surgeon for medical care.
~ these docs will do house calls. You can call them for a phone consult, and if they think it is a biggie they will squeeze you in.
~~ When our DD got bit by a copperhead snake(3 bites) and rushed to the ER via ambulance. The squadron Commander and flight doc were informed that a dependent child of the squadron was being rushed in. Bullet went with DD in the ambulance, I followed a few minutes later with a friend. Before I could get back to the room Bullet was in the hallway with the Commander and the flight surgeon. The doc was talking to the ER doc about the prognosis and medical procedure. It was 10 p.m. on a Tuesday. The flight doc called Bullet the next a.m. and requested that we allow him to be her consulting doc. with the hospital. He called Bullet everyday. The day our DD was given 5 vials of anti venom, had less than a 20% chance of going into anti phalatic shock(I.e. heart attack was probable). He called us in our hospital room to calm my nerves. It was 5 p.m. he was the one to give her the all clear to return to school and made her feel like she was the special one! She walked into the flight doc on crutches and they looked at her at check in and said OH, you are the one that got bit! Doc So and So told us to bring you straight back so your foot can stay elevated instead of waiting in the intake room.

That is what I mean by saying a happy wife is a happy life. They know that many leave because the wife will say ENOUGH. Enough of the moves! Enough of the deployments! Enough of living paycheck to paycheck when you could make a lot more as a commercial pilot!
~ They also don't want them worrying about the home front when they are flying a multimillion dollar airplane.

I bleed BLUE as you can see! I have a lot of respect for every branch, and the fact is you need to look at what type of mission will make you happy. The reason why is you can throw all of the money and best living conditions in the world at the flier, but if he hates his job, there will be no happy wife because you are not going to be happy!

Good luck, and thank you for wanting to defend this great nation.

Before you apply, remember for the AF currently,you will owe 9 years upon winging. UPT is @55 weeks. That does not include IFS. If you meet the Jan. Board, expect between these three schools and down time between them, the earliest you may be winging is Nov 2016, and you will be in until 2025.
~ Jan 15 board
~ April - July OCS
~ Sept IFS
~ Oct UPT - Nov 2016

 

[park406]

Wow, thank you so much for the info. I'll definitely look into the guard and I'll also seriously consider what will set me up for success, which includes happiness and satisfaction.

As I'm just recently researching all of this, I don't think I'll be able to prepare in time for the January 2015 board, unless that's highly recommended. Thanks again!

 

[Sampia]

Welcome to the forums. There are many helpful people here. One thing to keep in mind when deciding what branch, "every marine is a rifleman". You would be out there going through all the hard training same as any other Marine officer. My son is in the NROTC, Marine option. He started out in the AFROTC but decided it was not his style. He was a lineman in the football throughout middle school and high school and he wanted something a little more active. He is currently thinking about going for a pilot position. His captain recently told him the Marines are in need of pilots. I do not know how the other branches are, but I read online recently that as a marine pilot, you can be put in various other duties the times that you are not out flying.

 

[kinnem]

One thing to keep in mind when deciding what branch, "every marine is a rifleman". You would be out there going through all the hard training same as any other Marine officer.

Additionally, every Marine officer is a rifle platoon commander.