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Battalion Board Interview


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It was an article out of Army Times detailing the latest Kiowa crash. He wanted me to know exactly what I am asking for; to know the reality of the situation. How does it apply? It is my prayer it never does.

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It was an article out of Army Times detailing the latest Kiowa crash. He wanted me to know exactly what I am asking for; to know the reality of the situation. How does it apply? It is my prayer it never does.

 

Lmao... Of course it doesnt apply but i didnt know what the article was about.

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  • 3 weeks later...

But all in all, I got max points from each of the officers and they wrote good comments on my sheet. They really liked the way I presented my packet. It was my recruiter's idea - we prepared 3 identical portfolios of my packet, with color copies of everything (diplomas, LORs, etc) in a nice binder, with tabbed sections and a nice cover page. It was very professional looking and it impressed the officers - they said so.

 

I was actually thinking about doing something similar. I figured it's a professional interview, and I've done similar things for a civilian job interview, why not do it for the WOFT board? However, my recruiter doesn't think it's a good idea. He said, they already have a copy of everything and have already reviewed it, so it wouldn't be any help to take the time and effort to give them a "nicer" copy of what they already have.

 

What do you all think? I'm still on the fence.

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I will just add one bit to help the decision.

 

It was apparent all three officers on my board had spent a significant amount of time reviewing my packet before I got there.

 

That said, I wouldn't worry about it. The only thing you are going to do is show you have some initiative. If your packet does say that about you already you may be in trouble.

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Just got back from my battalion interview, and got a favorable recommendation!

 

I decided not to do the portfolio idea. av8rnik, WOFTApp, and my recruiter all pretty much said the same thing. They already have my packet, and have reviewed it carefully.

 

I think that WOFTApp had the best advice. Take time to thoroughly reflect on why you want to do this. Why do you want to be a Warrant Officer, an aviator, a member of the US Army? What are your passions, and what are your motives for going for WOFT? Those are the things that I thought about before my board, and that helped me answer almost all of the questions they asked.

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  • 2 months later...

Gentlemen,

I am new to this site however, I have been monitoring the conversations for a while. I am currently in the process of applying to the WOFT program and can use ya'lls expertise.

 

Any one know if the USAREC website deadlines apply to civilian applicants? I have contacted some of the guys up at Ft. Rucker, however they told me they only deal with in-service applicants and only have information for those candidates. Does anyone know what deadlines are they are following to complete there packet?

 

Thanks,

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Welcome!

 

The USAREC site is a mixed bag for civilian applicants. The board dates are for civilian and military boards. However, the cutoffs are for military only. From what I have seen the cutoff date for civilian packets is the last business day prior to the board date.

 

Good luck on your board. Stay relaxed and flow with the interview.

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  • 2 weeks later...

DC8488,

 

thank you for your helpful experience! What I have been doing to prep for batallion is practicing in front of a mirror, making sure I present my facical expressions correctly to match my tone of voice, as well as practicing my vernacular (getting rid of ums, ahs, uhs, and weird things that we all do that we do not notice). I also video record myself and then watch it over and over.

 

I am finding that the best way to practice is to just talk about it with your family and friends! Everyone I talk to is ALWAYS super curious about the path I am taking to becoming a flight officer. They ask me questions I would never think to ask myself. It keeps you relaxed and on your toes at the same time.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hey everyone. I thought I would take a break from schoolwork and pay my dues. My board interview was this morning at 1000 with two O-3s and an O-4. One of the Captains was an aviator, which I will speak on later in the breakdown.

 

To begin with, I was given orders to enter the room after knocking three times and receiving the clear to enter from the board members. I was also informed by the NCO in charge of the board to shake their hands upon entering as they were prepared to introduce themselves. So, expecting to shake the board members' hands, I entered with confidence, approached them, received a blank stare from the Major, and recieved a command to be seated in a chair about five feet of the center of the table. As though I was not nervous, this made it a bit worse.

 

The first question of the entire board. "Where is Army Flight School." I tried to hold a laugh, but I responded with what was most likely a giddy smile. It lightened the tone and we proceeded on with the interview. The order of their seats from my left to right was Captain (Aviator), Major, Captain. They went down the line, one at a time, asking the questions they had. Most of the questions came from the aviator but they revolved around making sure I understood the type of environment Rucker is based on. I would like to emphasize to everyone what he made sure I knew...

 

"Don't go to Rucker with the idea that you aren't going to be spending hours upon hours in text books. Guys who do that end up hurting when it comes to selection"

 

Though this is obvious, it seems as though a lot of people are accepted and stop putting the 110% effort when it is only the beginning. The interview was incredibly conversational. I've listed some questions below just to give a basic idea of the type of questions I was asked. Please understand that every interview is entirely different than the others. I was not asked one direct question about my packet. They told me it spoke for itself, they just wanted to get to know me...

 

Ideas to think about....

1. Why you think you would make a good Warrant

----Know the true purpose of a Warrant Officer

2. Be able to explain why you should recieve a flight school slot over an O-1

3. Why you want to fly and what you hope to gain out of it.

 

Remember. The Army Aviation community is a team, a fraternity, and a close-knit group of guys. They are judging to see if you are someone they would want to be around.

 

I ended up with a 74/75, but great comments. I lost a point as I forgot to unbutton my suit coat upon initially sitting down for the interview. Wear a watch and have a pen with you. Preparedness counts.

 

Feel free to message me with any thoughts or questions.

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It would be nice to know how the USAREC board takes the points into consideration or if it's only required to have a "recommended." I would think it's a little bit of both, but I received 73/75 and I know one point was taken away since one Captain went to my rival high school. Marking a point off because my high school is better than his (haha, but seriously...) does still have a negative effect on my packet.

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zion,

 

If you think about it, it's a competition. If you have 73/75 and there are, let's just say, 5 slots for 8 applicants, it doesn't bode well for you. There's always a "but" and for this one: but you won't know until you get the call from your recruiter. There's always a chance if you submit and zero if you don't.

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