Army Warrant Officer or USMC OSC

[Flash]

...aircraft fairy missions from Sikorsky, etc...

Does that involve flying with this gal?

 

[RobLyman]

Fairy missions are what the CH-47 guys do. We do ferry missions. LOL

 

[Ralph]

Big Army paid for my ATP, so I'm ok "stuck flying a King Air".
Ralph, not really combat, but Europe and Korea deployments for most CABs. Day to day varies from unit to unit for the WOs and additional duties. I've never had it quite as bad as your linked post, but pretty close... it's a different Army now. Many changes in my 10yrs since my switch from the Navy. Doing it over again I would go the RobLyman route and check Guard/Reserve slots.

Lawman, the person who posted is delusional in my mind. Thinking that being an IP is worse than sitting behind a desk because you're not flying, the student is. I understand that times have changed but flying is flying. Would you still recommend AD Army? No one says that about the AF, Navy peeps are the outlier.

Deployments are still in the mix for the guard. We are doing another one soon (not to Europe or Korea) which makes it 4.5 years since we returned from our last. Not bad , but it sucks for those who have another outside job.

The full time guard/reserve side is a great gig, but there are some drawbacks:
1) It is really hard to get a full time slot. Timing is important. Attitude is REALLY important. Unlike the active duty, people stay in the same jobs for a LONG time, especially warrants. The guard rarely takes a chance on an outside entity. You'll have to be a superstar or they have to be desperate. In my case it was timing and more the latter than the former.
2) The pay is a little sub-par. GS-13 is great if you get it, but you have to wait for someone to die to get a GS-13 IP slot. My GS-12 pay is OK, but not nearly as nice as my pay when I go on orders. AFTPs and drill pay account for about $23k a year in addition to technician pay. So that is nice.
3) You still deploy to A-hole parts of the world in "austere" conditions.

On the positive:
1) I get to fly as much as I want
2) I get to do test flights, instructional flights and evaluation flights during the week
3) State missions can be cool and rewarding (fire fighting, live medevac, shipboard landings, aircraft fairy missions from Sikorsky, etc...)

I didn't realize Army was still deploying to the middle east. Is GS pay really lower or are you basing on all the tax free incentives? Is it difficult to use all your AFTP's without working long hours? $23k a year seems high for a part time WO.

 

[RobLyman]

"No ground troops" does not mean what John Q Public thinks it means. If you Google you can see we have troops in a lot of places the mainstream media does not cover. I'll leave it at that.

GS-12 pay really is lower. $61,846 for GS-12 step 1. Add 14% locality pay ($8,658) for a total of $70,504. You make more as you achieve step increases.

This year for drill pay I am sitting at $18,776 for the year stateside. That is 47 AFTPs, 10 drills (I missed Sep drill) and AT. I have 3 MUTA 6s left this year, $1,188 each. That's $22,340 for the year minus one drill. $23k is pretty much spot on for an average year. That is for CW3 over 20.

CONUS AGR pay is better. About $97k a year for CW3 over 20. $840/ mo flight pay doesn't hurt. BUT, you get no additional pay for drill or AFTPs. Flying AGR positions are harder to capture than unicorn farts.

For an OCONUS deployment with tax benefits it is MUCH better pay wise, but the environment sucks far beyond anything I experienced in the Navy.

 

[Ralph]

Do you have to work 12 hour days to get your AFTPs done? 97k for a CW3 must include housing and everything else.

 

[RobLyman]

AFTPs are 4 hour blocks, so you can do two per day. We have a rule that you must average 1.5 hours of flight time or better per AFTP. Yes, $97k includes all of the accouterments.

 

[Ralph]

But you have to work those outside of your normal working hours correct? Does that make for long days? I know the AF guys complain of 12 hour days so they don't leave money on the table. One of the biggest gripes about being an ART.

 

[RobLyman]

You can take leave from your technician job and complete two AFTPs during normal working hours. If you are AGR, you come in late and stay late, much like active duty. Of course AGRs do not get to do AFTPs, nor do thay get paid separately for drill weekends.

 

[Ralph]

Is that per month? Must not be enough to hit all of your extras or the Army does it different.

 

[samb]

Big Army paid for my ATP, so I'm ok "stuck flying a King Air".
Ralph, not really combat, but Europe and Korea deployments for most CABs. Day to day varies from unit to unit for the WOs and additional duties. I've never had it quite as bad as your linked post, but pretty close... it's a different Army now. Many changes in my 10yrs since my switch from the Navy. Doing it over again I would go the RobLyman route and check Guard/Reserve slots.

Don't get me wrong I'd love to fly a C-12. I'd gladly fly anything they put me in. But some dudes think the Army is guaranteed rotary wing and have their hearts set on helos and that is no longer the case.

 

[RobLyman]

You can complete 2 AFTPs per day. Max is 48 for a year, but it can be extended to 72. In addition, you have all of your drill and AT time. Drills can count 4, 5 or 6 periods over a 2 or 3 day weekend. AT is straight up 1 day for 1 day/point.

 

[Ralph]

But you can't complete all of those without working extra hours, correct?

For those AD guys would you still recommend WOFT?

 

[samb]

That depends. As a general rule I'd say yes but it's not for everyone.