Hey guys, quick question about commuting.

I'm a civilian pilot and want to get on a flight crew for the air guard. I don't have a degree, so I'm looking to enlist right now as a load master. However, there isn't anything really close to me. How easy/possible is it to commute to your guard job?

Good question that I have some good experience with. I live 3 hours from where I drill. I commute up Friday after I get off my civilian job, and commute back after duty is over Sunday of drill. You will not be paid mileage for drills or AFTP's. AFTP's are what status you are in when you fly your training missions to stay current. At a minimum, you will have to pull a couple of these a month, added with drill and trips for other training and annual training. For Annual training or coming up to the base before you go TDY/Deploy, you will be re-imbursed for your mileage, but other than that, you fork out the cash for gas.
Overall, look at making 3-4 trips a month to the base you are flying out of. My wife is a boom operator and this is what she will be doing once she is back in traditional status. A lot of people do this, so its whether or not you really want to serve. Dont make your choice solely on commuting distance, as there is so much more the an ANG commitment that makes it worth it.

so it's worth it for you to commute 3 hours every weekend? that just seems like it would get really old, really quick.

you mention that there is so much more to a commitment that makes it worth it... in your opinion, what?

Every weekend meaning one weekend a month....not literally every weekend

Reasons I do it and so many others do...
1) SERVING YOUR COUNTRY
2) Engineering Bachelors's degree completely paid for that landed me my civilian job
3) PAID Worldwide travel....been to 4 different continents.
4) Extra income from Drills, etc.
5) Cheap life/health/dental insurance
6) Working amongst friends and other patriots
7) Get to fly on local missions/air refuelings
8) Sense of belonging to something larger than myself
9) Because I can't imagine being the guy who sits at home and takes his freedom for granted and does not serve in the military
10) Working towards a military retirement check after I put in 20 years
11) Have learned skills that will aid me the rest of my life and could possibly save my life someday(survival training, 1st aid, etc)
12) Get to watch planes take-off all day long when on base or TDY
13) Breaks up the monotony of a somewhat boring civilian job
14) Most of all, The challenge

I know guys who have 5-6 hour commutes to drill. I would honestly be in the Guard for free, the pay is just a nice addition.

I hate to pry on the open forum, but I guess I can't PM yet.

Problem for me is, right now I live in Annapolis, MD, but I'm not going to stay here too much longer... I'm a civilian pilot, I'm a flight instructor. I want to eventually end up in the front of a 16, 17, or 130. So I figure I would enlist to get my foot in the door and pay my dues. However, the civilian job I want is in Ft. Lauderdale, FL... theres not much in the works for the Guard in southern FL. Thereis, however, a 16 reserve unit @ homestead and a 130 reserve unit @ patrick afb. i've always wanted to join the gaurd, so the reserves gives me some reserves, no pun intended

I'm pretty sure there is a guard fighter wing up in jax, but I'm not sure. That would be a 5 hour commute. I think I could handle 2 hours, but 5 hours? ehhhh... And I think if I enlist I'd rather be on a flight crew as a loadie or boomer rather something else.

But yeah, I agree with all 14 reasons you mentioned. A lot. As those are all the same reasons I want to join.

What do you do for the guard?

quote:

Originally posted by k_mart:
I hate to pry on the open forum, but I guess I can't PM yet.

Problem for me is, right now I live in Annapolis, MD, but I'm not going to stay here too much longer... I'm a civilian pilot, I'm a flight instructor. I want to eventually end up in the front of a 16, 17, or 130. So I figure I would enlist to get my foot in the door and pay my dues. However, the civilian job I want is in Ft. Lauderdale, FL... theres not much in the works for the Guard in southern FL. Thereis, however, a 16 reserve unit @ homestead and a 130 reserve unit @ patrick afb. i've always wanted to join the gaurd, so the reserves gives me some reserves, no pun intended

I'm pretty sure there is a guard fighter wing up in jax, but I'm not sure. That would be a 5 hour commute. I think I could handle 2 hours, but 5 hours? ehhhh... And I think if I enlist I'd rather be on a flight crew as a loadie or boomer rather something else.

But yeah, I agree with all 14 reasons you mentioned. A lot. As those are all the same reasons I want to join.

What do you do for the guard?

You are not prying, don't worry. I sent you a PM to answer this there as well as the way the ANG selects pilots..