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Army Reserve to Active Duty Warrant Officer


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I am seeking advice on going from reserve status to submitting my Warrant Packet and going active duty in aviation. Any advice will help.

 

1) I am currently a reservist drilling with my unit, normal reserve status.

 

2) My goal is to go active duty with my Warrant Packet.

 

3) I have been told a few different things as far as how to get into the active side of aviation.

a) I must apply as a reservist and go thorough training, graduate, report to a reserve aviation unit, then apply for active duty

 

b ) Get a conditional release from the reserve and submit that with my initial warrant packet, then get assigned an active unit after I graduate, given that I fulfill all of my proper training.

 

 

I think that is the basis for the scenario I find myself in, and I am having lots of trouble with figuring out what to do. I am aware of waiting for slots, but I have been told I will have to wait nearly a year just to submit a packet. If there is any advice or contact info or anything it will be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks!

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I was selected through the Reserve program. Here's a few things I've seen so far (I leave for WOCS 10 May, so much of this may not be correct):

 

I originally though I was applying for an AD slot due to my lack of questioning the situation. I went through an Officer Accessions NCO for the Reserves, which should have been my first flag but I'm less than 2 years TIS, so I blame my naïveté on that. Doing it over again, I would have definitely talked to an actual AD recruiter. Perhaps you should at least look into that.

 

Regarding what you mentioned about after training, I've always heard that it's nearly impossible until your contract is up. The reserves aren't going to spend all that money just to let you go. Adding to that, right now the only way to move over is to meet the requirements for AD, which at this point is for CW2 or higher for 160th.

 

I'm honestly praying for mobilization of my unit after I finish flight school. I plan to at least ask once I get to Rucker about making the transition during any part of training.

 

Good luck to you!! Definitely start with talking to an AD recruiter.

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I am a drilling reservist also applying for active duty. I am working with a recruiter. Like Dnr said, you need a conditional release.

 

Depending on the terms of your contract you may or may not have difficulty getting the 368. I'm on my second contract. It was only three years with no bonus. It still took several months to have my signed 368. I can imagine you would have to pay back any bonus money you received.

 

Be sure to utilize all the resources you can from the reserve. You get the benefit of being enlisted while still applying as a civilian.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Thanks for the responses, they have helped. I did attend an informational meeting with a CW4 who answered a lot of questions. So anyone else who might have questions on going active duty from reserve should look into those meetings. It's on the Warrant Officer Recruiting web page, the only down side is that they are all on military bases, so unless you live close to a base it may be out of question.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

I was in the Guard for five years when I submitted my packet to my unit. They said "we like you and you're approved but it will be two years before we have a slot for you in the unit." After some research and a lot of prayer I took my packet down to the local active duty recruiting office in September and I was at Rucker in January!(09) The recruiter didn't know anything about warrant officers but he did have a good relationship with the Guard headquarters in my state. I owed one year on my contract so I had to talk to my battalion and brigade commander but after that my recruiter went with me to my state's guard HQ and he did all the talking to get my 368 signed. I didn't pay any bonus back because I was getting the bonus in ever other year payments. So I forfeited the last payment.

 

So I would say visit recruiters in your area and find one that has poached from the Guard/Reserve before. If they claim to have experience in this make them give you detailed account of how they helped the service member get through process with the 368 and so forth.

 

Keep in mind you'll have to go through mepps again. It wasn't as bad the second time since I was an E5 and went in uniform. The only big problem I had was that they didn't tell me I had PTDY. They just booked me a flight and travel orders ten days prior to when I really needed to be there which was in the middle of exodus. They were real jerks about it because that's mepps I guess. I had to miss a paid for Disney cruise(not cheap) with my family that was departing the day after Christmas. But I digress...

 

Long story longer... you may be able to get out of your contract but it depends on your unit's need for you and your contract time(how much of their investment they think they need out of you before you go) If they say no see if you can work a deal. At what point would they say yes etc. It may have helped that I had already completed a packet and tried to go warrant with my unit.

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Would you or yamer mind explaining how Guard contracts work? The enlistment contract is voided after being selected for flight? Then you owe six years after pinning your wings? After that are there re-up contracts or could you transfer to active duty/get out?

 

Thanks and sorry if my post isn't clear.

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  • 5 weeks later...

PM me for my phone number, I went USSR to AD. It's not hard, you don't need a recruiter until after you are selected.

You don't need one but it definitely helps. I'm also in the process of going USAR to RA. I'm just waiting on the results of the July board now. Having a recruiter was very helpful in my experience.

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  • 8 months later...

Hey all just had a question. Im currently a commissioned aviation officer in the IRR (Used to be in the Reserves) trying to go active duty warrant. Is it legit that the recruiter I'm talking to said I have to go to a board with their battalion before I submit my packet for the AD warrant officer selection board via USAREC? Or should I just submit my packet when its done? My packet is complete just waiting on the 368.

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