So far my attempts to enlist as an aviator have been fruitless. My recruiter says that because I don't have a pilots license or a bachelors degree that it will basicly be pointless for me to even try and send in the paper work for it. Should I let this go and select a different MOS or should I keep trying. I am 27 and according to him scored well on the ASVAB, well enough to have any job I want(within reason). My scores were all over 110. Please let me know what i should do.
Find a different recruiter. He/she doesn't want to put forth the effort in fulfilling your desires/dreams. Never take NO for an answer in life when you want something badly enough.
If you enlist, you'll make the recruiter very happy in reducing his/her work load on submitting a enlistment packet vs a WOFT packet.
The answer to your question comes down to this. Do you want to forefill your dream or do you want to make the recruiter happy? No brain food required.
Find another recruiter who will serve your interest. Because when you join the Army, you will always serve the interest of the Army and your interest will not matter as far as the Army is concerned.
You know what you want....so don't settle for less. You're not the first person to hear that from a recruiter. I was 27 when I got accepted and I remember having to motivate my recruiter (sometimes they won't take you serious). Have you taken the AFAST? If not, that should be the next thing on your "to do" list. Good luck
I have been reading the forums, and have seen the support given to us "wannabe" pilots. It's great to see, and reassuring. I have not yet taken my test, but believe me, it is high on my priorities. Thanks again.
My recruiter says that because I don't have a pilots license or a bachelors degree that it will basicly be pointless for me to even try and send in the paper work for it
That is a BS statement by the recruiter and a cop out. If you meet the minimum requirements then make him submit the packet. You may not get selected but your chances are better than if you don't submit a packet at all. If he won't do the drill find another recruiter.
Neither a degree or pilots license is required and in truth neither make you that much more competitive on those boards. Both are just a check in the block to where if it comes down to a point where there is only one slot left and two otherwise equally qualified candidates, there is now a hard and fast discriminator between the two.
OK, I had to chime in on this one. Brian, like these other fine individuals have pointed out to you, let you be the one that decides your future, you know what you want, GO FOR IT. Do not let some ill informed lazy piece of #$*@* be the reason for you not submitting your packet. If you have to go to his boss, then go to his boss and request a different recruiter or even go to a different recruiter station. If you don't get picked up on your first board, you will automatically be reboarded on the next flight board (every other month). If you don't get picked up for that one, then you can resubmit (I think it is 6 months later but not sure....I did mine a very long time ago.. ). If you don't get picked up at all then you can enlist into the Army (if you still want to) and then you can go that route. Any of the guys/gals that has gone thru what you're going thru will tell you that it is WELL WORTH THE TIME AND EFFORT.
good luck and if you have any questions feel free to message me.
I'm not sure on requirements for civilian applicants, but for active duty you can reapply right after you're deemed Non-Select; Not competitive. I was armed to shotgun my packet every two boards (153A boards are held without fail every other month!)
Find someone who will take the time to set you up for success in YOUR eyes... joining the army enlisted is still a success I can claim... but had I been better informed in the process, there is a good chance that I COULD have been flying for the last 4 years, instead of JUST now getting selected for WOCS.
Hello, I was an Officer Strength Manager for the National Guard, and I am currently at flight school. This means that I was an Officer in charge of 17 recruiters just like the one you have been talking to. I was also the Aviation Recruiting Officer for the state. I can tell you from experience that Aviation packets are not easy. I could even send you the packet checklist that we required in in my state if you would like. The point is that if you would like Aviation it is competitive to get, but not impossible.
I will tell you how the situation is for my state, and from what I have heard from Cadre at Ft. Rucker. In my state we do not push "High School to Flight School" anymore. This means that the applicants that we accept are currently in the National Guard, or are in ROTC in the state. Although this may seem bad for your dreams I can also say that Army Aviation is growing faster than Rucker can produce pilots. The Army needs Soldiers who are qualified to become pilots.
My best advice for you would be first talk to your recruiter. Remember the recruiting system is small and your recruiter has a lot of pull at the MURC for your state. If you have to get a new recruiter then try to end it on good terms. Give the recruiter a chance to help you, but let him/her know that you understand the system and you want to pursue Aviation. My second advice is to take the AFAST (aviation qualification test). You are not able to get aviation without it. You must get above a 90 in order to qualify. The score is good for life so if you ever had to postpone Aviation for a period of time you previous score would still be good. Their are other posts about the test on this forum.
Like I stated before Aviation is hard to get. You have to fight for it and do not accept no for an answer. I know that in our state perseverance is a good quality when it comes to Aviation. Talk to your state and see if your National Guard is hurting for pilots. If they are it might be easier to get a slot from them, over active duty.
Aviation is a hard branch to judge. I was accepted for active duty Aviation, but when I tried to switch to national guard I was turned down at first. This was with great scores (300+, 3.8 college GPA, and top 6% of all cadets in the nation). By meeting with the State Aviation Officer (SAO) I was able to secure a slot. Like I said this is just what I have seen in my state, and at Rucker. Each state is different. I hope this helps explain the system a little more. Just remember if you take the AFAST and are qualified for Aviation then it will be much harder for them to turn you away. Good luck and keep trying it is well worth it! Remember Aviation packets are hard for a reason. It costs over 1 million dollars to send an Army pilot to flight school. This money is paid up-front and is not returned if the Soldier fails training. The Army needs to make sure you will succeed. Good luck and keep pushing, it is a good thing!
Excellent, thanks for all of the replies. I guess the hardest part for me.. atleast in my mind, is the "Why I want to be an Army aviator" essay. I have never been good at these, any suggestions on what I should and shouldn't include in there?
I would start with why you want to be an Army aviator. Thats about as simple as it gets. If you need further clarification I would suggest seeking employment elsewhere.
Originally posted by bwirth1213: Excellent, thanks for all of the replies. I guess the hardest part for me.. atleast in my mind, is the "Why I want to be an Army aviator" essay. I have never been good at these, any suggestions on what I should and shouldn't include in there?
Aside from the blunt, however true comments of my colleague, I would leave out the whole "it has been a dream of mine to fly, blah blah blah." you know the deal. It's an old tired story that has been heard for way too long thousands of different times. The Army isn't here to make your dreams come true. If that's what you want, I hear Disneyland has some great discounts going on right now....
Think mission, and soldiers first. The rest will come.
). If you don't get picked up at all then you can enlist into the Army (if you still want to) and then you can go that route.
