Opening my mind to military aviation

[jamesah]

Hello everyone, I'm going to be a freshman in college at Louisiana Tech University. I'll be majoring in aviation and I've been considering military service while in school and possibly after graduation.

I tend to ramble so I'm going to ask questions as clearly as possible and make statements that i think can be beneficial to this post.

I do not have perfect vision and I'm not sure what the 20/20 version of my vision is.

I have a -5.5 contact prescription for both eyes and I'm pretty sure I am eligible for laser surgery.

I am 6' 3" tall and weigh 137lbs.

There is an AFROTC program at my school which I can take or I can join the Air Force reserves and commute to Barksdale once a month.

I am told in ROTC that I will be required to go active duty Air Force once I graduate and become commissioned reguardless of if I get into flight school.

I have been told that in the reserves, I am not requried to go active duty unless i want to. (this meaning that I can stay reserves and if I do not get accepted into flight school, I stay home and live a mostly civilian life)

Both routes will help me pay for college immensly and look good on a resume. The thing with either of these is that I will not be eligible for any money from them for at least a year. (ROTC has scholarships, Reserves has a GI Bill, etc).

I can't join the reserves for another year because I have to get my braces off my teeth.
ROTC requrires I stay in for a year and then try for scholarships.

To me the reserves seems like my best bet. What do you guys suggest and do you have any input on this aspect of my situation?

Eventually I want to fly for a large airline, on a large plane, get a large paycheck, and travel our large world. =)

The military seems like it would definately help me to achieve that goal.

I'm not really interested in flying figher jets because larger aircraft seem to fascinate me more. The figher jets are bad ass but something about flying an air-bus over an ocean seems more appealing.(but I sure as hell would love to catch a ride in co-pilot seat of one)

--- I feel like I have more questions but can't quite put them down--- anyone's take on this is much appreciated.

 

[MIDNJAC]

This forum is for folks primarily interested in Naval Aviation (read: United States Navy, Marine Corps or Coast Guard), not joining the AF reserves or AFROTC. That said, if you want to FLY for the Air Force, why waste your time and enlist in the reserves first? You will need to commission as an Air Force Officer one way or another before you can start flight school, so the most logical route would be to apply to the AFROTC program at your school. There are a few folks on this forum who are Air Force types, and I'm sure they can give you a more in-depth answer. Have you checked out baseops.net? That's a good place to start for all your Air Force queries

 

[jamesah]

Yeah, I meant to ask about another forum that is mostly Air Force based. I have not looked into naval aviation but if anyone has anything to comment on that, I'm open to that as well.

Well with reserves I won't be required to be active unless I choose( right now I don't really want to be active unless i can fly).

I do have to become an officer regardless though so I'm not sure. that last post now pushes the ROTC door back more into play.

 

[Herc_Dude]

I have not looked into naval aviation but if anyone has anything to comment on that, I'm open to that as well.

It's sweet...

 

[HeyJoe]

Eventually I want to fly for a large airline, on a large plane, get a large paycheck, and travel our large world. =)

The military seems like it would definately help me to achieve that goal.

I'm not really interested in flying figher jets because larger aircraft seem to fascinate me more. The figher jets are bad ass but something about flying an air-bus over an ocean seems more appealing.(but I sure as hell would love to catch a ride in co-pilot seat of one)

--- I feel like I have more questions but can't quite put them down--- anyone's take on this is much appreciated.

The large aircraft you seek are in the Air Force and the forum you need to visit is indeed Baseops.net. They have excellent gouge on all things related to flying Air Force. Air Warriors has the gouge for flying for Navy, Marine Corps or Coast Guard.

 

[AJB37]

Well with reserves I won't be required to be active unless I choose( right now I don't really want to be active unless i can fly).

One of the guys with more knowledges can inform you more on this, but you do understand that going into means you could still be deployed right? That could happen in the middle of your semester and put college on hold for you. It happened to a buddy of mine during his sophomore year, he still has not gone back to school, so that can always happen to you in the reserves.

2nd, 6'3 137#, eat some damn meat

 

[Flash]

I have been told that in the reserves, I am not requried to go active duty unless i want to. (this meaning that I can stay reserves and if I do not get accepted into flight school, I stay home and live a mostly civilian life)

You have been told wrong.

If you are in the reserves and they want to activate you, they are not going to ask for your permission first. When you sign the dotted line you are commited, and you can be called at any time.

You may volunteer to be deployed, but you cannot opt out if they choose to deploy you without you volunteering.

Please be aware of the consequences before you sign up. I don't mean to scare you, but once you sign on to Uncle Sam he owns you, even if it is in the reserves or National Guard.

 

[HeyJoe]

You have been told wrong.

If you are in the reserves and they want to activate you, they are not going to ask for your permission first. When you sign the dotted line you are commited, and you can be called at any time.

You may volunteer to be deployed, but you cannot opt out if they choose to deploy you without you volunteering.

Please be aware of the consequences before you sign up. I don't mean to scare you, but once you sign on to Uncle Sam he owns you, even if it is in the reserves or National Guard.

National Guard and Reserve billets are no longer a sleepy hollow...from Defenselink:

IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 576-08
July 09, 2008


--------------------------------------------------------------------------

National Guard (In Federal Status) and Reserve Activated as of July 9, 2008


This week the Navy announced an increase, while the Army, Air Force and Marine Corps announced a decrease. The Coast Guard number remained unchanged. The net collective result is 2,001 fewer reservists activated than last week.

At any given time, services may activate some units and individuals while deactivating others, making it possible for these figures to either increase or decrease. The total number currently on active duty from the Army National Guard and Army Reserve is 85,517; Navy Reserve, 5,757; Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, 11,499; Marine Corps Reserve, 8,239; and the Coast Guard Reserve, 787. This brings the total National Guard and Reserve personnel who have been activated to 111,799, including both units and individual augmentees.

A cumulative roster of all National Guard and Reserve personnel who are currently activated can be found here.

 

[Lobster]

Hello everyone, I'm going to be a freshman in college at Louisiana Tech University. I'll be majoring in aviation and I've been considering military service while in school and possibly after graduation.

Both routes will help me pay for college immensly and look good on a resume. The thing with either of these is that I will not be eligible for any money from them for at least a year. (ROTC has scholarships, Reserves has a GI Bill, etc).

I can't join the reserves for another year because I have to get my braces off my teeth.
ROTC requrires I stay in for a year and then try for scholarships.

To me the reserves seems like my best bet. What do you guys suggest and do you have any input on this aspect of my situation?

Eventually I want to fly for a large airline, on a large plane, get a large paycheck, and travel our large world. =)

The military seems like it would definately help me to achieve that goal.

I'm not really interested in flying figher jets because larger aircraft seem to fascinate me more. The figher jets are bad ass but something about flying an air-bus over an ocean seems more appealing.(but I sure as hell would love to catch a ride in co-pilot seat of one)

--- I feel like I have more questions but can't quite put them down--- anyone's take on this is much appreciated.

Just to go off what you originally said and throw my two cents in. You are in the summer going into your freshman year in college. You've got plenty of time to make a decision so don't rush into anything first off. You don't want to jump into an ROTC program and not be sure you want to do it. There are also other ways to get your school paid for by the military for example, the Navy has the BDCP program. Don't jump into something just because it looks like easy money. Make sure you do your homework on military aviation and look into both branches, there is a ton of gouge on this site that will help you with the Navy side of it. My hunch is that once you come to find out about the aviation world in the military you'll come to love and want to pursue a career much as myself and numerous others on this site have. The military is also a great way to see the world. And the whole large plan thing? You could Fly Navy and get P-3's or still get to experience a cat shot flying the E-2 or C-2 and the Marine's have the C-130. Yeah, clearly i'm biased to the side of Naval Aviation but that's why I'm here. Good Luck.

 

[boxflyer]

Real men have golden wings, fly Navy or Marines! You've got plenty of time and options to figure out your military flying career, don't put all your eggs into just the A.F.

 

[Lobster]

Real men have golden wings, fly Navy or Marines! You've got plenty of time and options to figure out your military flying career, don't put all your eggs into just the A.F.

That's true and of course there is the whole "Air Force wings are made of lead" thing to take into consideration.

 

[Spekkio]

There are also other ways to get your school paid for by the military for example, the Navy has the BDCP program.

Just to clarify, BDCP does not directly pay for your schooling under normal circumstances. BDCP offers you the chance to get paid by the military while you go to school (E3 salary + BAH + BAS for flight), which will certainly amount to more than you can make working any part-time job while going to school full time.

 

[puck_11]

Just to clarify, BDCP does not directly pay for your schooling under normal circumstances. BDCP offers you the chance to get paid by the military while you go to school (E3 salary + BAH + BAS for flight), which will certainly amount to more than you can make working any part-time job while going to school full time.

$1587 (E3)+ $930 (avg BAH)+ 294 (BAS) = $2811 per month or ~ $700 per week, probably a little more than you could earn while on a full time job in college

 

[Spekkio]

$1587 (E3)+ $930 (avg BAH)+ 294 (BAS) = $2811 per month or ~ $700 per week, probably a little more than you could earn while on a full time job in college

Glad we agree . I went nuke, so I got E6 pay prior to OCS .

To OP:

In working out with the SEAL wannabes here, I have seen a couple people who originally wanted to be officers get lured away by "omfg enlistment bonuses" or "omfg they'll pay my loans." Thing is, they're being dumbasses on two fronts: first, if you want to be an officer (such as flying in your case), then apply to be an officer. Enlisting first is only going to make it harder for you to obtain a commission. Secondly, a person like this is an idiot because he obviously hasn't taken a look at any military pay charts. Those bonuses are there because the military needs some way to convince a college graduate to take a < $20,000 a year salary as an E2/E3 with no freedom to live off base. In about 4 years, assuming same time of entry, an officer's base pay is nearly double that of his enlisted counterparts -- and that's assuming that the enlisted guy makes E5 in that time.

Bottom line: if you are interested in flying, then that means you want to be an officer. Pursue avenues that involve becoming an officer, and see what perks you can get from that end. Don't be lured away into something else because the military will pay for your student loans. Considering that you'd be sacrificing your goals for a little extra cash up front, it's not as good of a deal as it seems.

 

[srqwho]

Whatever you decide to do keep in mind that the better you do NOW in college and in the extra-cur stuff the more options you'll have as far as commission goes. Getting into OCS is difficult, and as a pilot is even more difficult... and GPA is very important in your application package. There are a lot of folks here that are juniors and seniors in college and are desparate to boost their GPA a few points in order to be competitive. A little too much fun as a freshman or sophomore can sink whatever hopes you have of flying any type of militray aircraft... let alone the "large" ones.