Any pilots here???

Matt S

Matt S

USMC
I'm in ASU ROTC and i'll be competing to get a pilot slot in the next year. I've really got a lot of work to do and I was wondering if anyone had been down the same road. Thanks ;f
 
I'm a Blackhawk pilot in the Army, but I took a different route. I was enlisted for 7 years and put in a Warrant Officer Flight packet. Warrant officer Flight packets can be put in by enlisted or civilians. Most people don't know that.
 
I was just thinking about going to the AF academy for a pilot slot. but i dont think im going to do it. i work with alot of the pilots that were in your spot tho..
 
You could have joined the Air Guard. Have them pay for school and when you get your degree apply for OTS. Pilot slots are easier to get in the Guard. You could have gone in as a crew chief learned your A/C and then got to fly it. With the flight time you could then have gotten a job with the airlines. All for the low price of 2 wknds a mth and 2 wks a yr.
 
Its funny you mention that two weekends a month and two weeks a year. I just spent 7 months in baghdad with some guard guys who don't believe that statement too much anymore
 
I spent 12yrs in and right after 9/11 I was activated and sent overseas. That trip ended my career in the Guard. I seperated six mths after because of just what the guard guys are saying. There is a difference when you are talking Army Nat'l Guard and Air Nat'l Guard. The Army guardsmen are being sent alot more than Air guard. My brother is a full time Air Guardsmen. They have not been anywhere in over a year. I support the Troops 100%

I miss it sometimes.
 
I don't want to offend anyone. But, anybody who joined the Guard to work once a month for the college money, joined for the wrong damn reason. I heard so many guard guys crying about how 'they didn't join for this sh1t' or 'they had to leave in the middle of spring semester (which the gov. is paying for)'. And to top it off, the pregnancy ratio went up like %300 when units started getting deployed. WTF
 
You don't spend 12yrs for the college money. If that was the case I would have been gone in 6. Its a good outlet for the ones whose parents can't afford to send them to college. Yes the draw back is that you might get activated and sent off, and that is a decision some will have to make. Oh yea, and I am sure all the active duty personnel prior to 9/11 joined for the right reasons. We had not been to war in over a decade, so what were the chances, right. It doesn't make a difference how you serve your country, Active or Guard. In the eyes of the military 20yrs is 20yrs.

One last thing about the Guard or Reserves. These people are sacrificing as much as you are,if not more. I speak fom experience. Some of the Men/Women make good livings to support their families. Well some companies don't make up for lost salary. Think what would happen if you made 60k a yr and all of sudden you were sent away and didn't know how you were going to make up the difference. There are laws inplace to help but you get so far behind you think you will never catch up.

I am proud of the troops,because pay and benefits have gotten better. I think the military should be paid more because of the JOB they perform. I still have friends and family in the service and I support them 100%. I still miss it sometimes but it was a choice I made. The military will have a retention problem in the next couple of years after all this.
 
I joined before 9/11 and it wasn't for school and not for benifits. I wanted to serve my country. This is my second time to Korea in 6 years.
 
RED, I wasn't directing my statement to you, it was to agree with Whitefish's post. I spent 5 years in the Guard with some great people. After Desert shield I decided I wanted to be in the Active Army. Since then I've been deployed three more times. And I have worked with some awesome Guard guys. Unfortunatly, I also worked with some like the ones described above. Your right, Guard retention is going to be terrible. I think the RA will be a little better though. To be honest, I can't wait for the day I punch out, but I would never bite the hand that feeds me. That's the point I was trying to make. We all knew the risks when we joined(Guard and Active) So, when you see "one weekend a month my a$$" on a 5 ton rolling thru Bagdad on CNN, that pisses a lot of people off.
 
Its cool, I guess I get a little hot under the collar sometimes. I agree there are some good guard guys and some whiners. I enjoyed all the deployments I went on. Good Luck and stay safe.
 
Hey Matt I just commissioned from the USC Det 060 and am currently awaiting Nav training at Randolph AFB. Your commander's rating is huge so focus on being a good cadet. Let me know if you have any other questions.

Sorry to get things back on track fellas!
 
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