To go rated or not?

[Akrogan]

Greetings all, I am a contracted AS100 in AFROTC studying civil engineering.

While it is early in my college career, I already can tell that I love what I'm doing and have been very successful on my tests that I have had.

Anyhow, I thought for sure that I wanted to be some form of engineering officer...but then the famous urge to fly hit...

Basically I'm wondering if going rated would decimate my chances to ever work as a professional civil engineer later in life...I absolutely love civil engineering, but I also love the thought of being a military aviator.

I know its early, but I'd just like to hear some of the wise voices on this board give me some advice.

Thanks so much!

 

[Pima]

The reality the answer is it depends. Look, if you go pilot you will be out of that field for @ 11 years at the least. 1 year to wait to go to UPT, 1 year at UPT and 9 years owed. Around the time you can walk, you would have already made or up for O4. If they still offer the 6 figure bonuses at that time(the bonuses currently are 225k for fighter pilots to stay until 19, 125 for heavies to stay until 14 with another 25 a year afterwards), it makes it very difficult with those 2 pay increases, plus the 845 flight pay monthly to walk away when you are the ripe old age of 33.

So if you look at the fact that every career field changes a lot in their processes over a course of few years, but as a rated officer can you imagine how outdated your college education will be in a decade or two?

The reason I said it depends is because there are guys that continue their education and keep one foot in that non-flying world. It is rare, but they can manage to do it. Most pilots that I know when they leave they take one of two paths....bus driver in the sky or defense contractor tied to flying somehow. I.E. like Bullet working on the AF 35.