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Am I too late to the game?


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Long time lurker, first time poster. I appreciate the wealth of knowledge on here and shared through here. Ive had a long time dream of being in the Army since I met my moms brother years ago and who is currently a CSM serving in Korea. I almost joined straight out of high school but glad I didnt. The Army and I wouldve had a bad relationship. Anyway, life went on and Ive matured and grown in many ways. I never completely lost my desire to serve, but didnt see anyway outside of starting life as a private and staying enlisted. With a wife and child now, it wasnt financially feasible. I found out about the warrant officer aviation program just a few months ago and it just clicked. Every time I hear a helicopter, my heart skips a beat. Lame, I know. I found this forum and have read about every post and tried to gain as much knowledge as I could. I talked with a Major in the Missouri national guard, but they informed me that I had about a 5% chance of making it into the Guard because Im 32. I figured active duty was going to be more my cup of tea anyway and knowing I wasnt given much hope makes me want to do it even more. I guess the whole point of this way too long post is, should I try and become an Army aviator, or accept the fate given to me? I dont mind wasting my own time, but I dont want to waste a recruiters time or anyone elses time. I figured those that have been there, done that, and have seen many try out would have a much better grasp on the odds. I really appreciate your time to read this

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33 is the cutoff for active duty without a waiver. Waivers can be granted if you exceed this limit; mine was, but that doesn't mean everyone's will. I can only assume it depends on needs of the Army if they approve waivers or not. So, if your passion is really to fly, what is the harm in trying? You should stop at nothing to achieve your goals. I say go for it. If there is any time to apply, it is now. You can read all of the other threads on this forum to realize there is a shortage on aviators. Good luck with your journey.

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The Army is pretty hard up for pilots right now and the acceptance rate from boards is very high. I've met a lot of guys with various waivers, even vision. Understand what it means for your family and your future though. You'll probably be 34 by the time you're wiggling sticks, 35-36 by the time you go to your unit with a 6 year obligation once you're out of Rucker.

I'm street to seat and currently sitting at Rucker waiting on my next phase of training. No regrets so far. WOJG/PrettyMuchOverpaidPrivate life has its ups and downs... lots of time at home with the family being the main up. Endless details being the main down, but c'est la vie.

 

I meet a lot of CW3's and 4's here who have really loved their careers, and many who haven't. It seems like its all perspective and what you make of it. Go for it if you really want to do it, but be prepared to be a soldier first, and a pilot second (or potentially 3rd or 4th).

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I appreciate the responses. Ive been doing the same type of work for 18 years so commitment to a job/skill set isnt something Im afraid of. Ive been thinking that as long as the Army and I would get along, that I wouldnt mind retiring in the military. My hardest part is getting my wife on board. I know there will be sacrifices (which I think is her main concern) but at the same time there are positives. I just dont want to regret never having tried

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My .02 is if you think you'll regret it the rest of your life, go for it. You only live once isn't just a cliche. Don't be that guy who "was gonna join but..."

Also, god bless you if you have been drywalling the last 18 years!

 

Look around this forum, it has been a super valuable tool for me and many others. If you spend a bit of time reading, you'll know the process better than most recruiters.

 

Mike

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My application process started with this forum. It was an invaluable resource throughout the entire process. Literally everything you need to know about applying can be found here. Id say you should get to work.

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My .02 is if you think you'll regret it the rest of your life, go for it. You only live once isn't just a cliche. Don't be that guy who "was gonna join but..."

 

Also, god bless you if you have been drywalling the last 18 years!

 

Look around this forum, it has been a super valuable tool for me and many others. If you spend a bit of time reading, you'll know the process better than most recruiters.

 

Mike

Ive been living a lot of the last 13 years wondering what my life wouldve been like had I finished enlisting like I was going to out of highschool. Im not complaining, as I feel like Ive lived a pretty fulfilling life up to this point. I started drywall when I was 13 and its been a good job for me since. My wife and I have been part time missionaries the last 10+ years as well (usually 1-3 months overseas a year) and drywall has given me the freedom to come and go as opportunities arise.

 

This forum has been a goldmine. Ive been going through the topics and trying to read every comment and learning as much as I can. I like to know as much about something as I can before I jump into it. Sometimes it gets mundane, but I still try and keep reading

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My 2 cents. If you get your wife on board, the worst they can say is no. If you feel ready and willing to become a warrant officer but arent sure if you are too old etc. Apply, if you are too old they will let you know and you will have the closure to your what ifs. If they say no you're not too old. Welcome aboard!

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  • 4 weeks later...

PaWOFTCandidate,

 

I'm currently a 31yo finishing up my street to seat application process. Due to age I'm pretty antsy to get through training as quickly as possible and nobody seems to have a decent answer for how long that takes. What have your hold up been? How long has your process taken?

 

Thanks

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Aside from the application and stuff I wouldn't worry about being too old once you get picked up. At 29 I am the youngest warrant officer in my unit. Many of the guys I work with are around 40 years old. So it's not just a young man's game, and giving it a shot is never a waste of time even if it doesn't work out for you.

Edited by SBuzzkill
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I was selected just past my 33rd birthday with a waiver in 2015. I began the process a year and a half out. This website is almost directly attributed to my success. You really have to want it. None of it was easy. I had to chase down nearly everything. I was married with two children when I was selected. It is possible.

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That makes me feel a lot better. I figured Id have to work on getting a waiver unless I could make it by the July board of 2018. Doesnt quite look like that will happen unless everything goes amazing. Being married, one child, and running my drywall business is keeping me a lot busier than I was anticipating lately. Im still shooting for the July board if possible, but hoping an age waiver wont hurt my chances too much if I dont

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  • 1 month later...

Hello all. I wanted to piggyback off of the original poster's post. I need someone to shoot me straight. I'm a 34 year old Police Lieutenant with 14 years on the job and I'm receiving my masters degree end of this month. I'll be turning 35 in April of 2018. I have zero flight time. And have never served in the military. It's been a life long dream of mine and I'm at a point in my life where it finally works for me to join the military in a reserve capacity. Unfortunately, I can't lie on my application about my age lol. Do I have any chance of getting a waiver? I've been poking around this site on and off for a couple years. I'm afraid I missed my chance at flying helos in the military because I waited too long. If I have no chance I'm trying to see what a comparable officer's career would be elsewhere in the military. I was looking at Armor Officer. Granted it's not flying but still pretty high speed. Please any advice will be greatly appreciated. Thank you for reading.

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It never hurts to ask. You said reserve (and presumably guard) side. My concern there would be it's a much slower process to get an application in, board, get a school slot, etc. If I'm lucky enough to get picked this time around, it will be just about 2 years from starting to work with a recruiter to getting to flight school, and I already have boot camp done from prior service.

You'll never know unless you try, though.

 

Mike

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Hey I'm also a lurker and finally made an account. I turned 30 in the summe and am just now starting to work on this. Don't give up! I know what you mean when you say your heart skips a beat when you hear a helicopter. My husband and I (he's former active duty) live on Hawaii and I see helicopters on the daily. Until now, I had never even considered it's feasible, but turns out with street to seat it is!

 

If you decide to pursue it and need a buddy to talk to about how the process is going, feel free to PM me.

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  • 6 months later...

I am 33 y/o Air Force Reserve/ DOD USAF civil service with 12 TIS. I am trying to get this process going and hopefully become a WO. My question is will my age or TIS kill my chances? Also how do I keep my DaOD job which is dual status with my reserve commitment till I get selected and that is if I do?

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