Army WOFT... Should I do it?

[TailDraggar]

Hello all. I've been a loooooong time lurker and I'm looking for a bit of advice. Since I could breath I wanted to fly jets, they are just the neatest machine made by man, as I'm sure you know, but really anything military will do. I'm 29 now, former Marine enlisted. Had planned on doing PLC air, then during my enlistment a number of years ago, I screwed up my back pretty good snowboarding. I could hardly do shit and the thought of OCS and TBS was just ridiculous. It took me years to figure out how to deal with it and as of the last 12 months I finally feel back at full strength. The problem is, yeah, I'm 29 now with an AA degree and I can not think of any career other then mil flying that will make me happy. I'm about to take my check ride on the 14th to get my ppl. I'm flying a Citabria. =) Which is about the only thing that makes me happy these days.

Since I'm a tad old for OCS now, what do you guys think of going through Army WOFT and then if possible changing service later on? It seems to be my only option now, I'm just uncertain about the Army life.

P.S. A few years ago I was talking with a couple of F-18 pilots while watching the F-18 demo at the Miramar Airshow. "Duck" and "Corky", thanks for taking the time chatting with me and signing the poster for my uhh ... lil bro. I still have it.

 

[Single Seat]

If you go WOFT, you're not going to get a flying billet in any other service if you look to to a lat txfr.

Other than that, I'd do it. CH-47 is a big bitch, and the AH-64 is just wicked. Plus those guys are still in the thick of it over there.

 

[highside7r]

Tail,
There are a few of use on here that fly Army. I would first search the threads and then check a few other Army related sites: www.kiowapilots.com and www.hawkdriver.com. At one time I had 5 other prior Navy guys in my unit, and went to flight school with several Marines. The WOFT program is open to every service. The trend now is the Army guys are doing their 6 years, then transfer to the USCG. The Coasties are getting high time/high NVG time (most in combat) guys.

Your age is not an issue, as I applied late in the game as well, and most waivers will be accepted. You could also look into the Army Guard/Reserve route as well. Since you have had a break in service, you will have to go through Army bootcamp prior to attending WOCS. As far as switching services later, thats where your age will come into play, as I am dealing with this right now trying to switch back to the Navy, or USAF Reserves. I'm out of the time in service for limit for the USCG as well.

 

[TailDraggar]

Thanks for the info! I kinda looked at the guard/ reserve route and I actually talked to some WO recruiter a while back and she said that you have to enlist in the guard before applying to be a pilot. There is no way I am enlisting anywhere to roll those dice. But on the other hand, I guess I can apply to be accepted as a pilot in the regular Army.

I'm not sure of the feasability of this idea, but I was thinking that maybe I could get in as a WO pilot and then finish the last two years of my degree online or in some other flexible manner. Then become commissioned and do a transfer. That way I would be a commissioned rated aviator and hopefully have the option to transfer to another service.... I don't know, it was an idea though. I'm going to check out those other web sites, I don't think I've seen hawkdriver.

Thanks!

P.S. I kinda like the big bitch CH-47! I have a feeling the competition to get a seat there wouldn't be fierce... lol

 

[Gatordev]

One thing to keep in mind about coming over to the Navy (and I think the Marine Corps, but not completely sure) is that even though you're a winged Army aviator, they'll send you through the full Navy syllabus. There was a guy who finished Primary the week after I did and he was a former Apache driver. He smoked the program, but it is more pain to go through.

If you went the CG route, there's obviously still some (re)training to accomplish, but it's not quite as long a path.

 

[TailDraggar]

And with the CG route I can do the Direct Commission from the Army as a WO and not have to worry about trying to get a commission. Does the CG have F-18s? jk...

 

[Coota0]

I'm at Rucker now, finished WOCS recently. I went through with guys from every service, and every age. I'm 28 and I was nowhere near the oldest and we had kids as young as 19 with us. The Army Aviation forum at Military.com helped me out a lot when I applied. As far as going back through basic, I doubt it, I know guys who had been out of the military for a decade and came straight to WOCS without going through basic or warrior transition. Let me know if there is anything I can help with.

 

[highside7r]

Gator: My crazy idea came up after spending a few years in Army aviation and comparing it to the Navy. I'm tracking the Navy Flying CWO program and looking to re-transfer service that way, and going thru CAT II for the 60S/R or something like that, hell I would even take HT's at this point!

TD: My route was different, I was a inter-service transfer, no break in service, but another former Navy guy had to go to boot even as a prior E-5 due to having over 12 months break. The DI's basically gave him the schedule and told him where he and his recruits needed to be, they really didn't mess with him that much. As far as the USCG, there is another thread on DCA in the forums, but I really think by that time you (like me) will be outside the age limit. Correct on the Guard track, but depends on the unit when they have the slots for WOFT, I know several prior enlisted Navy/Marines that went this path as well.

A company within my battalion just got the new CH-47F's, the glass pit is nice, but it's still a Chinook.

 

[TailDraggar]

Thanks for the tip on the military.com forum. There is lots of info there. Here is the link in case any one else is interested.

http://forums.military.com/eve/forums/a/frm/f/3241924461

 

[Gatordev]

My crazy idea came up after spending a few years in Army aviation and comparing it to the Navy. I'm tracking the Navy Flying CWO program and looking to re-transfer service that way, and going thru CAT II for the 60S/R or something like that, hell I would even take HT's at this point!

If you can swing it, great, but I really wouldn't put a lot of hope into that happening since the Flying Warrants come from w/in the Navy and are pretty selective and have such small numbers picked. I also don't think the Navy is as free and easy as the CG is about just making the switch and then showing up at the RAG. Like I mentioned before, I'd guess they'd send you through flight school again to a) have you learn the "Navy" way and b) make you "truly" unrestricted (if you went helos). By the time you showed up at the RAG, you might be a CAT III if you went Sierra, but probably a CAT I for Romeo since there's lots of other goodies and sea-based tactics to learn.

But like I said, it's worth a shot. Just giving my two cents.

 

[Stearmann4]

A company within my battalion just got the new CH-47F's, the glass pit is nice, but it's still a Chinook.

Those worn out 15,000 hour Hawks are nice...except for the not carrying guns part. We don't all sling Howitzers and fuel blivets ya know.

TailDraggar, As a point of reality, whichever flight program you choose to pursue, I'd dig deep and see if you're prepared to spend a career in that service. While it's great to have a future plan, you can't sign on the dotted line based on expectations. "Hope is not a course of action.". The hard truth, with the application process, WOCS, program delays, flight school, and progressions, expect to spend a good 7-8 years in the Army before you can apply for an inter-service transfer. Match that up with your current age, what sister services entertain transfers for a pilot of that vintage, and you'll get a realistic formula of whether your plan will work out. The system hasn't changed too dramatically the last 10 years, and it will probably look similiar for the next 10.

That said, if you decide to go to WOCS, be an Army pilot, and take advantage of the good deals if you're still eligible...but don't bank your long range plans on it.

Sailor, Black Bus Driver, Citabria instructor.

 

[Uncle Fester]

"Hope is not a course of action."

...if you decide to go to WOCS, be an Army pilot, and take advantage of the good deals if you're still eligible...but don't bank your long range plans on it.

+1. Don't go be an Army Warrant pilot unless you want to be an Army Warrant pilot. Keep other ideas - CG, Border Patrol, Bob's Cropdusting, WONK Morning Traffic Copter, whatever - in your back pocket for the day when you may seek employment elsewhere, but don't bank on it.

highside: The Navy FWO program is really new and still very small. There's no mechanism right now for transfers in from other services...which means if you apply, it'll be up to whoever's desk it lands on. My experience with trying to do anything in the Navy that doesn't already have a set mechanism in place is that everyone who chops it will say no, and then the guy at the top flips a coin.

My money would be on "No," but what the hell, couldn't hurt to ask.

If by chance you were accepted (BIG if), I would imagine they would regard you the same as one of the gazillion-private-hours CFII studs we get from time to time - i.e., an accelerated syllabus, but still the whole enchilada. Definitely wouldn't count on simply going to the 60 RAG as a CAT II; a lot of the CAT I syllabus and time in the RAG is warfare quals.

 

[Autorotate]

I kinda like the big bitch CH-47! I have a feeling the competition to get a seat there wouldn't be fierce... lol

Nice. Quoted for ignorance...

 

[Coota0]

This week a bunch of guys who had selected 47s (but hadn't started class yet) were told to reselct, their choices were 64s or 58s. We are somewhere around 400% on 47 drivers.

 

[Stearmann4]

I hate to spread negative gouge to aspiring aviators but...

In my flight school era, the Hooks' and 60s went first followed by the bottom two biggest dumb*sses and a chic who were forced into AH-64s. So, you've got that going for you when you scream for gun support...

In the Army there are two kinds of people who fly gunships; guys who are really adapted to fly guns...and lunch money victims who saw their big chance to make a change.