I keep sitting behind my desk everyday thinking that I should be doing something more and I keep looking at the Army Recruiting website trying to decide if I should sign up and get my commission, but I want some honest answers about the process and my ability to get the MOS that I would want.

First of all, I am 28, 6'0" 185lbs (broad chest no gut) and in good physical shape.  I have a slight back ache from a car accident when I was 18, but otherwise I am physically GTG.  I don't wear glasses except for a very slight prescription for reading (mainly due to eye fatigue issues) but my vision checks out at 20/20.  My undergraduate was in psychology and I have my JD.  Currently, I am a practicing attorney, but JAG is out of the question.  

Now here are my questsions:

1:  What are my chances of getting into Army Aviation and how is that determined?  Is this a question of me going through OCS and seeing where I am assigned, or is there any track that you can be placed on through the process?

2:  I know that there is an aviation component of the reserves, but can you join and get the training in the reserves or do you have to go active first?

3:  Anything else that I might want to consider?  Obviously, if I couldn't get aviation I would rather go into combat arms.

Thanks,
Kyle

Hi, I don't see a lot of responses in your thread yet, so I wanted to keep this going. I am merely a cadet in college (very frequently referred to by people in the real Army, doing real service, as a "F***ing Cadet"), but expect that when enough people get off work, some helpful information will come your way. I would like to offer what little I know, and others may feel free to jump in and correct me if I say anything that doesn't jive with reality:

First, it sounds like you're a bit confused about officers vs enlisted terms. As an officer, you get a commission, and do not really have an MOS, but a branch, such as Aviation. Warrant officers have a warrant commission, and a lot of people in specialized fields tend to be WO's.

I am not too clear on the route a person such as yourself (degree and then some already) would take to becoming an officer--if that is your goal. This is probably the first thing you should do--determine where your interests and abilities lay, and decide from there whether enlisting or an officer program is better for you. Then apply the particulars of your situation to the best route, as in, "how does a guy with my resume go about being a _________, etc.?"

You sound qualified to do damn near anything in the Army, as long as your back does not give you trouble during PT (lots of sit-ups). I would encourage you to becomes familiar with all your options (all MOS', branches, how a WO differs from enlisted/differs from officer), and visit military.com. It's a web site run by Monster, and I think it does a pretty fair job of teaching people what they are getting into.

Hope this was mildly useful.

if i were u I would go into the Army National Guard, I was prior service enlisted as a 11Bravo now i am getting a commission and i signed a GRFD so i can choose what branch I want within the reserves.

You can fly helicopters in the Guard if you want to, either as a Warrant Officer or a Commissioned Officer.  Warrants deal with less BS and are purely pilots, whilce Officers get better pay and benefits.

Look around for an Aviation unit somewhere near you, or near where you would like to move.  They aren't everywhere.

I am a new 2LT in the Army (active).  I was commissioned on 14 Apr 05 from OCS at Ft. Benning and was branched MP, my third choice.  I can answer any questions you might have about OCS and the commissioning process.  The one thing I will tell you now is if you actually want to FLY helicopters, go warrant officer.

1.  Aviation is one of the hardest branches to get especially for a commissioned officer.

2.  I am pretty sure you can go straight into the Reserves or Natioanl Guard first.

3.  Go MP, I know I might get some crap for this but MPs are mounted infantry.  We have everything from AT4s, M2s, and MK19s, to M9s.  The MP corps is one of the fastest growing branches in the Army.  We currently have about 38,000 and are in the process of expanding to approximately 70,000 due to the high demand in OIF and OEF.  Just me .02


MPNelson

Oh yeah, and I am from Bellevue, NE!

Quoted: if i were u I would go into the Army National Guard, I was prior service enlisted as a 11Bravo now i am getting a commission and i signed a GRFD so i can choose what branch I want within the reserves.

Guaranteed Reserve Forces Duty

This is what I saw when I was in college.  I was a cad"idiot" until I was medically dq'd and unable to be commissioned.  Incidently, that was two weeks before commissioning

If you want to fly, get yourself into a reserve or guard unit aviation unit.  Because you're already in the unit, they're going to want you to branch aviation.

This is the way it was with cadets.  Cadets would request guard or reserve in the packet.  They would already be in an aviation unit in either the guard or reserve.  This way, it was a lot easier to get branched aviation apon commissioning.

You're best bet is to find the guard and reserve recruiter.

I believe you're too old to be a chopper pilot. When I was 'branching', the requirement for Aviation was that I be under 28 by conclusion of flight school.

NTM

There are age waivers.

Quoted: I am a new 2LT in the Army (active).  I was commissioned on 14 Apr 05 from OCS at Ft. Benning and was branched MP, my third choice.  I can answer any questions you might have about OCS and the commissioning process.  The one thing I will tell you now is if you actually want to FLY helicopters, go warrant officer. 1.  Aviation is one of the hardest branches to get especially for a commissioned officer. 2.  I am pretty sure you can go straight into the Reserves or Natioanl Guard first. 3.  Go MP, I know I might get some crap for this but MPs are mounted infantry.  We have everything from AT4s, M2s, and MK19s, to M9s.  The MP corps is one of the fastest growing branches in the Army.  We currently have about 38,000 and are in the process of expanding to approximately 70,000 due to the high demand in OIF and OEF.  Just me .02 MPNelson Oh yeah, and I am from Bellevue, NE!

I was interested in MP but most of the people i talked to turned me off to it, maybe i should give it another look.

But why MP over infantry?

Just a guess, but I'd say these 2 reasons:

1.

MPs are mounted infantry

2.

We currently have about 38,000 and are in the process of expanding to approximately 70,000 due to the high demand in OIF and OEF.

= good chance of faster promotion in the MOS

Quoted: Oh yeah, and I am from Bellevue, NE!

Bellevue, NE.   I lived there when I was an air force LT stationed at HQ SAC (Strategic Air Command) and my son was born in Bellevue.  

Nice place but the rendering plant made a bad smell on days when the wind was blowing the "wrong" direction.

- CD

Quoted: Just a guess, but I'd say these 2 reasons: 1. MPs are mounted infantry 2. We currently have about 38,000 and are in the process of expanding to approximately 70,000 due to the high demand in OIF and OEF. = good chance of faster promotion in the MOS

My buddy is an enlisted MP and he says rank is anything but fast. He said he knew enlisted guys that made E-5 in Infantry twice as quick as him( granted infantry is a fast promotion track MOS).

Quoted: The one thing I will tell you now is if you actually want to FLY helicopters, go warrant officer.

My dad was a comissioned officer in the Army  for 20 years.  He was a  pilot for a while and absolutely loved it.  He flew OH-58s and later on CH-47s.

Once the promoted him to major, the only thing he flew was his desk.

He says if he could do it all over again, he would have gone warrant officer.  Those guys will fly for their entire career.


However... I think the max age to apply for warrant officer flight training (WOFT) is 27.  Waivers are always possible though... best bet is to contact a recruiter on this one.

Quoted: My buddy is an enlisted MP and he says rank is anything but fast. He said he knew enlisted guys that made E-5 in Infantry twice as quick as him( granted infantry is a fast promotion track MOS).

Infantry as a fast track? Is that an army thing?

Warrant Officer Flight Training (WOFT)(Civilian, Member of a Reserve or National Guard) Contact your local Army recruiter to start your Warrant Officer Flight (WOFT) Packet. This will consist of you taking the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB), the Alternate Flight Aptitude Screening Test (AFAST), and the basic enlistment physical. You must be at least 18 and not have reached your 32nd birthday at the time of selection. Age waivers above the age of 32 have an approval rate of less than 2%. You must be a US Citizen. Legal infractions above traffic violations will require a waiver. You must achieve a score of 50 or higher on the ASVAB test while achieving a GT score (one of ten sub test scores from the ASVAB) of 110 or higher. You must score 90 or higher on the AFAST test. A Class 1-A/W Flight Physical will then be scheduled. You cannot have had Radial Keratonomy eye surgery. Your eyesight cannot be more than 20/50 and must be correctable to 20/20. There is a study group being conducted on personnel who have undergone eye surgery for entry into the Warrant Officer Flight Training Program. Please visit this site for additional information concerning the study group: http://www.rucker.amedd.army.mil/dept/aama/ You will have to provide a copy of your high school and college diplomas and transcripts, references from no more than 6 of your closest friends in as high a position within the community as possible. Your references should include community service, volunteer work, character, physical ability, scholarly and leadership traits. You will have to complete a signed, one page, handwritten, narrative addressing the statement "Why I want to be an Army Aviator". No assistance in preparation of the paper is authorized other than the use of a dictionary. You will also be required to get a full-length photo in professional attire. Your packet will be forwarded to the recruiting battalion headquarters for review; they will convene a board of officers for you to appear before. Their recommendation and your application packet will be forwarded to the USAREC Selection Board. Once the USAREC Selection Board has adjourned and the results are approved, the recruiter will be notified of the results. If selected, you will have 10 days to go to the MEPS where you took your physical and enlist into the Army as a Warrant Officer Flight Training Candidate. You will not leave that day, you will be given a report date from 3 weeks to 12 months later. You can also find information on the Warrant Officer Flight Training program at goarmy.com Mr. Joe L. Howell OCS/WOFT Program Manager 1-800-223-3735 ext. 6-0467 COM 502-626-0467 DSN 536-0467 [email protected] Option 2 Warrant Officer Flight Training (WOFT) Enlisting in the Army and applying for WOFT at a later time is a second option. If you choose this option, you will work with a local recruiter to enlist in one of over 200 career specialties. Your recruiter will advise you of any incentives and bonuses you may be qualified to receive. After completion of Basic Combat Training and Advance Individual Training you will be assigned to your first duty station. Six to eight months after you arrive in your unit you can begin your application for the Warrant Officer Flight Training Program. You must be selected prior to turning 32. Age waivers above the age of 32 have an approval rate of less then 2%. You can find additional information on the in-service Warrant Officer Training Program at http://www.usarec.army.mil/hq/warrant/warrant.htm CW3 Anthony Edwards Chief, Warrant Officer Recruiting Team DSN 536-0328 COM 502-626-0328 [email protected]

Quoted: Quoted: My buddy is an enlisted MP and he says rank is anything but fast. He said he knew enlisted guys that made E-5 in Infantry twice as quick as him( granted infantry is a fast promotion track MOS). Infantry as a fast track? Is that an army thing?

I'm Army infantry...

I'm eligible to go the the E-5 board at the end of the year.  I joined as an E-1 in Nov 2003.  If I went to Ranger school a year ago I'd probably be an E-5 right now.

Well kiss my grits. There's something the Army does right :)

Run, don't walk, to the recruiter and tell them you want to go for the flight program.  Start your WOFT packet today.

Don't let them bullshit you and tell you that you have a better shot by enlisting in an aviation related MOS forst and then applying.... they will do this because they do not get the same credit for recruiting for the flight program as they do a regular enlistment.

Be prepared, however, for WOCS right after basic. Most classes there will only graduate 70% or less or so of those who start, you have to really want it. My class started wth 53 and graduated 37.