Unfortunately I did not come here before having a brief call with a recruiter yesterday (yes I read the sticky). If there was anyway for someone to get the mentor kickback thing still I'd be happy to help.

I'll start with a little bit about my self.

Male
Age 25
No college
I hold a GED, not a diploma (early child/marriage, divorced now)
Current career : work from home, remote tech support. I take over PC's remotely and fix them for clients (Geek Squad). Been in this company for about 7 years. Pay is pretty decent, approaching $20/hr. Very tired of working with the public and while I have always been skilled with PC repair, I'm highly bored of it. It's something I'm good at but have not really enjoyed in a long time.

6'2" and about 245-250 pounds. On a diet though and it's coming off slowly but surely.
Pretty out shape, can do a few pushups at best and running a mile would probably be tough for me at the current moment. Been meaning to go to a track and see what best time I can get.
In addition to the diet, which I've been doing fairly well on for the last 3 weeks or so, I also smoke. Phase 2 of getting healthier should be initiating soon, and I'll drop the cigs for e-cigs then try to ween off that as well.


I have a few questions for you guys.  No one person has to answer all of them, or multiple, or you don't even have to answer a question I suppose, just any input is welcome.

#1 : What is the minimum amount of pushups/situps and time per mile I should get to before I even think of trying to go to Basic? Over the phone the recruiter said my weight is no problem ,it's how I carry it but I doubt he realizes how soft 7 years of a desk job has made me.  I know it helps to be prepared, but I know that Basic will enhance my abilities so I figure I don't have to be Iron Man before I even enlist.

#1.5 - What techniques do you guys think I should use to get my PT where it should be? Just practice doing as many sit-ups and pushups as  I can? Weight training? For aerobic endurance I plan on starting to jog at a track and I have a pool so I'll probably be swimming soon.

#2 - Career choices - I have a decent skill set now, and I could try to pick an MOS that would go down that general field (IT). But at the same time, I am so tired of working on computers (especially for the public/consumers.)  Also, I'm approaching the cap ($22.50) for my job and I don't think I'll be satisfied with that forever. I'd like to develop skills that would translate into something profitable in the real world but at the same time, I've heard people say pick whatever seems fun to you and use the GI Bill money to get a degree in the field you want. Which would you do? Direct training in a field or pick something fun like playing with artillery for a weekend a month and go to college ?

#3 - This is one part I need your dead honest opinion on. I have always dreamed of being a pilot. But I don't have great eyesight. I have astigmatism in both eyes that causes pretty severe nearsightedness without my contacts. I also don't have a degree. So I gave up my hope of being a pilot. But recently I saw where Army/NG pilots don't have to have a degree, and eyesight standards are not as strict as a fighter pilot, even saw where some people went through flight school and actually fly wearing contacts.   I would pay for LASIK or PRK if I knew I was guaranteed a pilot job, but obviously since you have to enlist first and try to do that later I'm not going to worry about it right now.  Just some background. The question I have is… Just how hard is it to enlist as say, Apache repair, go through basic, AIT, then try to become a Warrant Officer to fly? Is it a one in a million shot, or is this something that just takes dedication and work? They say if you enjoy your job, it isn't work. This would be the one job I could think of like that, but I don't want to have it in my mind during enlistment and be a year in and realize it's unobtainable. If you tell me I'd never have a chance, I'll probably enlist anyway, because it's always had that higher calling feel to me. But I'd rather save myself the disappointment of having a delusion that I could fly and realize later I can't.

#4 - This one is simple. If there was anything about your enlistment you could go back and change, what would it be?



I appreciate your time. I have an ASVAB study guide coming, and when I go take it, I'll update the post with my score. I suspect it should be at least in the 80's

The National Guard is one weekend a month for the most part. You'll still need that job you don't like to survive. I think you should be looking at active duty and not the guard or reserves.

Yes I know it just once a month, so I will have to keep this job. But I could be at least meeting people, learning interesting things, doing interesting things.. Possibly pick up a new trade instead. Or go to college for a degree in a different field.

The main reason I am not looking for active duty is because I have an almost 7 year old daughter that I'm not sure I want to miss seeing grow up. If I were married, and my little family could live on base, that would work. But being a single bachelor I'd miss too much.

Don't know about the eyesight for Warrant Officers - they do accept certain types of eyeball whittling.  I do know that Guard aviation is cutting back severely, and this is not a good time to be trying to fly for Uncle.  However - there are 53 National Guards.  How badly do you want to fly?  If you're willing to move to Guam, North Dakota, Puerto Rico, and Rhode Island, etc, eventually I'd wager you'd get a flight slot.  If you want to stay home w/ your daughter?  Try again in 5 years.

The Guard is a good deal regardless of flying.  Reserve GI Bill, Federal Tuition Assistance, and State Tuition Assistance if your state has it.  Part time OCS @ 90 hours of college, enlist up to age 35, commission up t 42.

Run, do pushups, do situps.  http://usmilitary.about.com/od/army/a/afpt.htm  You should @ least be in the 70's in all categories before you ship to Basic.  The better your APFT, the easier time you'll have.

I would've skipped 5 years of Navy Reserve enlisted service & gone straight to the non-degree Guard OCS had I known.  But I would have lost out on a lot of experience in the Navy, and I figger I'm a better officer for it.

Except for those 5 months schools & 11 month deployments.  

Thanks. Very informative. If I could land an pilot slot, I probably would move, just so I could get the experience that would allow me to apply for a civilian helicopter job such as Life Saver, law enforcement, etc. Then come back. But that is probably the only position I would move for.

It's worth mentioning I can take my civilian job with me anywhere that has internet. I could move if I wanted, and could frequently come back home.

Given the expected amount of hours in the Guard, you may find you're not competitive for the jobs vice former active-duty pilots.  If you really want to fly, get some college hours @ community college.  Get your eyeballs fixed by a .mil acceptable method.  Get your Sport pilot's license, @ a minimum.  Then take your high grades in math & science, & plump for an active-duty warrant slot.  If you can't afford all that, enlist in the Guard, take the Reserve GI bill money, go to community college, & flight school.  Then drop an active-duty flight warrant packet.

For the first option, full degree? Or just some hours?  I also don't suppose flight school is covered by the GI bill is it?

Some hours. IT IS.  

You need a high school diploma.  Services are cutting back and can pick who they want.  I hate to burst your bubble but that is a major obstacle.

Go to night school and get an adult diploma.  I'm serious.  Recruiter may not even give you the time of day without it.

Take the ASVAB, see what you qualify for.  Remember, the recruiter is trying to fill a quota.  Hold out for the job you want.  Get it in writing.

Get your body in shape.  You're asking about minimum passing scores.  That shit don't cut it, if you manage to get in you'll understand.

Get a green light at MEPS, THAT MEANS KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT ABOUT THE BEE STING THAT MADE YOUR ARM SWELL UP AND THE SNIFFLES WE ALL GET. EHEN THERE'S A LITTLE POLLEN IN THE AIR.  

As for flying, you have a long hard road, I'm not saying it's not possible, but there are people out there that have prepared their whole lives.  You are up against them.  How bad do you want it?  Be prepared to fulfill your first contract in the MOS you are schooled for.  They paid to train you and expect to get their money's worth.

If you don't have commitments go active duty.  Do your bit and use the MGIB to go to college.  Profit.  

The recruiter didn't seem to think it was a problem. He invited me to come take the ASVAB next Tuesday but I think I will prep for a little longer than that. Hopefully I can score a 90+ and 7 year with one employer will help my case that I am a hard working, dedicated individual. Also I know you need more than the minimum but I can't even hit the minimums yet. So it helped to know hard numbers of what I need to meet/exceed

Tagged for interest - I have similar reasons for considering enlisting in the NG. However the PT side I'm good on.

True but that doesn't mean he wont' still need his civilian job to survive once he's done with that 5 month school and 11 month deployment. When he gets back he's behind in his "real job" and needs to catch up and possibly missed raises and promotions.

There is no where to go upwards in promotions really. You don't get seniority in promotions or anything either. I could go up one level to manager of a team but they are salaried and I could probably work a little overtime and come out to close to what they make.  Catching up wouldn't be too bad. If I missed an annual raise, I missed at most 50 cents.

Your GED won't likely be a problem, as long as you also have the 15 college credits too. My GED didn't hurt me any, but I also had 60 college credits and a 98 ASVAB.

If you want to get better at push-ups, do more push-ups. Same with sit-ups and running. Basic is good enough at getting you to the 50/50/50, but you would likely fail your initial diag at AIT, not that that is important, it's the EOC that's important. So it's better if you come in in decent shape, that way you're not getting smoked daily in remedial pt.

As for your mos, choose a job that interests you, but don't expect to actually do it much outside of AT or deployment (and even then that's iffy). You might like 25B/N/S/U. Or maybe not.

Also, single parents (well, parents in general) in the guard still miss out on parts of their kids lives.

To comment on upward mobility, the guard sucks at that. To make E5+ you're likely going to be in line for people to ETS/retire/die in your state to make rank. The reserves is better in that regard.

There is also a difference in the post 9/11 GI Bill and the Montgomery GI Bill. For the post 9/11 to be the better choice in most cases you'll need at least 3 years AD time.

Thanks to USERRA, you wouldn't miss that annual raise while you were deployed.

I am a recruiter for the NH Guard and you are tracking... you can become a pilot but it is very competitive. I have several good friends that I have known for 10 plus years that did it. We don't "hire" into warrant slots. You must be in the Guard to board for those positions. I wouldn't call it anywhere close to one in a Million. The best thing you can do is get in good shape and stay in shape. Everything will stop if you get fat and or fail your PT test. The minimum standards for shipping to basic are 13 pushups, 17 setups in one minute and run 1 mile in 830. These are the MINIMUM standards. You will have a much better time at Basic if you are double or tripe that standard... don't worry about the GED as it is not an issue. Concentrate on PT and civilian education.

Side note.. we were down in Dothan a few months ago for training with some recruiters down there..I found them to be some pretty good guys

Awesome, thanks! For some reason I can handle sit-ups pretty well but my push ups are pitiful. I have been a computer tech for 7 years though, it's easy to go soft. That's also a side consideration for joining the National Guard. Get in shape, and have more motivation to stay that way. .

As far as competitive, it won't be the first time I've had to prove I am the man for the job. In my civilian job I have been promoted 4-5 times in not quite 7 years. I'm definitely willing to work hard.



Also, anyone got any more input on the eye site part? I wouldn't mind PRK surgery but that would be a burdening expense at the moment. The only way I could think to pay for it would be sell my 2014 Polaris RZR 570 I bought a few months ago. I paid half down and I could get the $1300 extended warranty refunded. So I could come back out positive I believe. But I hate to give it up

How badly did you say you wanted to fly?

Touché. I'll see what I can come up with before that, maybe part with a few rifles and reloading supplies. But if it comes to it, I'll see what I can get.

I wouldn't bet on the pilot stuff unless you are scoring a 290+ on the PT test. My buddy was just accepted on this last board with extremely high score on his ASVAB, flight testing, 298 on his PT test, and over 8000 hours as PIC for airlines and corporate flying. Perfect physical, beyond perfect eyesight.



That's what you would be up against. You could consider SATCOM or intel jobs - damn near guaranteed jobs outside the Army if you look.



 

From what I have seen from the NG, PT standards don't seem to apply to them

But in all seriousness you will want to be able to do above the minimum.  Try to do a few hundred push ups and sit ups spread out throughout the day.  Working on bench press also helps with push ups.  Running................well.........just run.  

Don't expect not to deploy just because you are NG, I have seen way more NG deploy than active duty.

Deploying is something I have accepted.  One thing is for sure, I really am not even close to even the minimum PT requirements. So I have a while yet. But I am working on it. Started with diet, after two weeks I'm now starting pushups every other day (albeit a wimpy version to get me started. I do them till I just can't do any more in that sitting). Next thing I will ease into soon is cessation of smoking, then finally, after I feel I can breathe decently, running. Situps will be mixed in-between because they don't bother me much. Basically rather than make all these drastic changes at once, and possibly make myself so miserable at one I quit, I'm just easing into it.

I think I have decided on 15T (Black Hawk Repairer). That's what the recruiter suggested, maybe there will be a bonus. But I read its tons of fun for some people and you do get to ride some at least.

Probably no bonus.

Oh well. Would of been nice to pay off the car or Polaris or something, or use the money for PRK. But no worries. Money isn't the motivator for enlistment

If you get active duty, they will do the PRK for free. I never got the opportunity to with schools and deployments and such, but I know many who have.



 

Nice. If I ever get married again and the future wife is willing, I might switch to active

Pretty hard to do the NG to active transition.  Currently the only option is to come active as an 18x(special forces candidate).  Which means going back to "infantry training" aka OSUT aka basic training.

I definitely have the beard growing capacity for SF. But iirc I think the NG site said SF requires a degree and I have no college so it'd be awhile

Dont need a degree for active duty SF, not sure about the NG side.

With us out of Iraq, winding down in Afghanistan, and reduction of the active Army, going from the Guard to active is very tough. The Guard is a state organization, unlike the Reserve. I was a SSG/E-6 in the Guard and went back on active duty as a PFC/E-3 because I had 2 years of college. Getting flight school would be difficult. As pilots leave active duty with less than 20 years they usually join the Guard or Reserves to complete 20 years for retirement. There are a finite number of pilot positions/slots. SF would also be a tough route to take. I have a friend that enlisted for SF, made it through Basic, commo AIT, jump school, and failed the selection course. I recently worked with soldiers who went through the selection course who were in great shape, and they failed. I went to jump school with a Captain who was an athlete, he broke a rib during ground week doing PLFs. Lots of people make it, but it's not guaranteed, and you usually don't get a second chance.

If you join the Guard, pick an MOS you would be happy with, you may have to live with it. Don't plan on going active, it may be possible today, but it may not be possible at the time you want to.

As far as would I do anything different? Not a thing! I retired after 26 years, 20+ active and 6 Guard, as a CW3. I converted to DoD civilian going back to the same computer I was on in the Army.

Good luck!

I'm actually content to be a part timer. I'm going to go wit 15T most likely. Even if I can't be a pilot I'll still enjoy being around them and being a crew member. Thanks for all the feedback guys!

Update  : Took the ASVAB today. The computer system was down so she had to administer the paper test to us. Won't have real score until tomorrow or Thursday but the "unofficial" score I was given was a 94.

Too bad the Air force probably still wouldn't take me with my GED  

Getting closer to signing. He said once I pass physical I would drill in RSP until time to go.

I am currently in the Guard, I am lucky I have an AGR position (Active Guard). After serving active duty for 10 years and in the NG for another 12, I would like to throw in my $.02.
1) I like the Guard better, you actually get to do the job you signed up to do, no where NEAR the BS that I had to do on active Duty.
2) After moving my family around the world a few times, and 8 total deployments (5 of them before the Iraq war) I was VERY glad to settle to one location, get to know people and not move away from them, really helped with my wife, being able to have long term friends.
3) The guard is a family, unless you choose to move on, you can move up the ranks in the same Unit, that means you get to know everyone, and you become close.
4) Experience levels are normally high in Guard Aviation Units, the experience doesnt move every 2-3 years, and new Soldiers are able to learn from very seasoned professionals.
5) Promotions are slower than active duty, however that is NORMALLY due to the individual not wanting to move within the state to advance.
6) The guard normally gets a bad rap, because we are focused on getting the job done, and hate all the other BS.

I have been in for almost 23 years, and I can say that I have loved about 95% of my time in, you cannot go wrong either in the Active Duty or the Guard.

Thanks for the opinion! While there are some Active Duty Air Force MOS's I would like, I do like the idea of staying in one location. I can drive 200 miles to drill if I need to, since it's just one weekend a month. I have myself narrowed down to 15T and UAV operator (I forget which it is. 15W?) and I think I would like either one for different reasons. The Air Guard and Air Reserve in this state have NO interesting MOS's for me in this state either.

So thanks for re-affirming my choice in Branch :)

I just enlisted as a prior service Marine into the National Guard with the MOS of 15T. My first drill is next month, I'm very excited about it. I'd say go with 15T because at least you will have a real job to do when you go to drill. I doubt they are flying UAV's much.

Nice. I considered UAV operator because you do the FAA Ground school which is half a pilot license already. On Active Duty, long long days flying drones may get old, but you're right, not sure what they would do on drill. Possibly a simulator? I know the FAA doesn't much like drones over US soil. 15T is my original hunch. I'm just trying to get my recruiter to come clean about what MOS's may have a bonus. I thought they were quick to offer that info if there was one, but not this one. He said he doesn't like to tell people about cash bonuses so they follow the job they want and not the money. If they tell you it has a bonus at MEPS, then "Surprise!" That's definitely cool, but I'm not fresh out of high school. I need to know how I'm going to pay my bills while at Basic and AIT because I'll be taking a like a 66% pay cut during that time

I've talked with a few active duty UAV operators, they almost never actually fly UAVs.  They inventory all their equipment at least once a week, and sit around waiting to go home every day.

Eww. That sounds terrible. Definitely makes me consider 15T more. I don't want to be a front line infantry man, but I wouldn't mind manning a gun in a chopper from time to time to see a little action. No reason why I can't risk a little with so many people risking it all.

I'm lolling at the naïveté of people thinking they will do their MOS on a drill weekend. If you get to do your actual MOS more then 2-3 times a year, you have found a holy grail.

Report back after next month.  A lot of Marines do well in the Guard, but the culture shock is going to be enormous that first weekend.

In Florida, our 15T's always work on drill weekend, and AT.

You sound like a pretty poorly qualified candidate and are incredibly unlikely to go anywhere near a cockpit with a GED.

There are always exceptions. I wouldn't have talked to you until you were able to pass the PFT. The recruiter you talked to is apparently different.

You're basically in the highest risk category for an enlistment, i.e. divorced, kid, languishing in life, old (over 22, although National Guard trends a lot older), unfit, and missing useful job skills. So think long and hard about whether you want to do this, because if you get out there and realize you don't like it, which is likely, you're going to be a huge drain on your unit, and on the taxpayers that are funding your little adventure.

Thanks for the motivation. I'll be sure to report back after graduation. Also, I may have a GED, but I've been with the same company for 7 years and my official ASVAB score was 93 with linescores from 125-135. Compared to the guy who graduated high school that went with me and made a 20. So don't be so harsh on GED applicants.

I've also been training on my PT, It's helping.

One last question, since I still can't get signed up on the NG forums. If I go 15T or 68W , is there anything I should ask for on my contract?

Also, is there a way to find out what each unit in the state is on my own? 15T is offered in one location currently, trying to find out if its a flight unit. 68W is offered in 7 cities at the moment, trying to find out what kind of units they are. Looking them up by Google or Yellow pages is not telling me what kind of unit they are.

Call them.  You'll get the readiness NCO, so be quick about it.  The one that takes the time w/ you to explain the unit & how you'd fit in it - that's the unit you want.  As soon as you arrive the readiness NCO will be transferred across the state.

Thanks. I hadn't ruled out an old fashion phone call but I figured they might be busy. So I wanted to see if there might be other options. That sounds good. I'll call the nearest ones first and get a gauge for helpfulness.

One more question. When I take leave from work my health insurance will end after 30 days. Will my daughter (who I am not the primary custody holder of) be able to be on my insurance while I am at Basic and AIT?

I provide her insurance with my work insurance for now.

Going pilot in aviation might be tough with your eyes and no college. I wouldn't hesitate to encourage you to enlist however. There maybe other aviation mos that you could get into as well. Benefits are great, choose and mos that sounds like you would actually enjoy doing, then use GI bill to go to college for civilian career. Basic will get you in shape, but it will hurt if you don't start now. Concentrate on the basics, pushups and sit ups and running. Good luck whatever you decide to do.

Yes, after you enlist make sure she's enrolled in DEERS before you ship to BCT

Thanks, both of you