Coast Guard Aviation Selection out of OCS

[kacraven]

From what I've read on here and coastguardocs.org it sounds like you get selected for flight training out of OCS based on your performance at OCS and your ASTB score - my question is how much is each part of that weighted and what exactly does performance at OCS mean? Is it based off of academics? physical fitness? leadership qualities? some combination of stuff?

Basically my situation is my school's non-blue 21 qualifying so my only shot is straight OCS then apply from there. I did well on the ASTB so if thats heavily weighted I think I got a good shot straight outta OCS, otherwise I'll have to wait a while...

Thanks in advance!

 

[sardaddy]

I don't know the exact breakdown of how each is weighted because each class if different but here is the gist of how selection goes.

Your assessment of what OCS performance means is pretty accurate. It is simply how well you do overall in class compared to others in your class on all subjects.

So let's say you have 50 people in your class. 5 people want to go to flight school but only 3 flight school slots are available. All of you will take the ASTB and all of you will take a flight physical. If you pass you passed. That is pretty much where the scoring on that ends. Now it is all up to your class standing. You don't have to be the top 3 in your class, you just have to be one of the top 3 out of the 5 people that want flight school. Even if you don't get flight school out of OCS you have a few years to apply for flight training. In my experience most that apply later do get in but it is not guaranteed. We send more through flight school that way than directly through OCS.

Good luck. If you work hard, you can do just as well as anyone in OCS. Don't sell yourself short.

 

[kacraven]

So you're saying the guy with an ASTB of say, 8/8/8 has no advantage over the guy with 4/6/6 (minimum)?

Not trying to sell myself short on how well I'll do in OCS - its just with the current selection rates I got a feeling the competition is going to be tough!

 

[Brunes]

SARDaddy is right- There is no mathematical formula- They look at the whole package. They are able to see you performance trackers from OCS, your test grades, your transcripts, etc. The 8/8/8 guy might test real well and prove to be a clown in person...That'll show in the package.

I've never seen someone apply more than 3 times to a flight board...They either get picked up or they find something else they enjoy and stop applying.

 

[positiveg89]

I've never seen someone apply more than 3 times to a flight board...They either get picked up or they find something else they enjoy and stop applying.

How often is there a board and is there a limit on have many times you can apply?

 

[sardaddy]

There are usually two boards a year and you can apply up until the time you are an O-3. So you have 4 years from starting as an O-1. Now there is a big caviat. Not many people are leaving the service and we are nearing 100% on our pilots so the amount of flight school slots may dwindle just as the OCS roles are dropping as well.