Daniel Posted February 4, 2008 Report Share Posted February 4, 2008 Title pretty much says it all. I understand the difference between the two rank structures, what they mean, etc. The only thing I don't really understand is what role each plays in the actual operation of a helicopter. Can commissioned officers even be helicopter pilots? If they are, how much flight time do they get? Less than a WO obviously, but are we talking negligible-to-none, or significantly less but still fairly regularly? Is it possible to stay a pilot for a while if you're commissioned or will you inevitably get promoted away to a desk job? I've got a strong draw to going back to ROTC and getting my commission but I want to fly, too. Does anyone have any words of wisdom for me? Thanks in advance =) (By the way I'm currently enlisted and at Ft. Eustis waiting for a 15X class to open up.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Velocipede Posted February 5, 2008 Report Share Posted February 5, 2008 Title pretty much says it all. I understand the difference between the two rank structures, what they mean, etc. The only thing I don't really understand is what role each plays in the actual operation of a helicopter. Can commissioned officers even be helicopter pilots? If they are, how much flight time do they get? Less than a WO obviously, but are we talking negligible-to-none, or significantly less but still fairly regularly? Is it possible to stay a pilot for a while if you're commissioned or will you inevitably get promoted away to a desk job? I've got a strong draw to going back to ROTC and getting my commission but I want to fly, too. Does anyone have any words of wisdom for me? Thanks in advance =) (By the way I'm currently enlisted and at Ft. Eustis waiting for a 15X class to open up.) Here's my disclaimer: I was a Navy pilot. But, the organizational theories are the same in any branch of the military. The primary job for a WO is flying. The primary job for an Officer is leadership. WOs are there to fly the helos/airplanes. That's their reason for being. Commissioned Officers are there to be developed into the Army's leaders. They will have flying tours of duty, but that's just so they can learn the warfare specialty. You are expected to have tours of duty in desk jobs, service colleges and support billets so you can learn the other side of the warfare specialty. If you just want to fly, be a WO. It you want to be a General, go commissioned. If you go Commissioned, realize that the flying will always be a secondary aspect of your career choice. I wish the Navy would have had WO pilots when I went through. That's the choice I would have made. I wanted to fly. Period. I had no aspirations to higher command. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Lyman Posted February 5, 2008 Report Share Posted February 5, 2008 ... I wish the Navy would have had WO pilots when I went through. That's the choice I would have made. I wanted to fly. Period. I had no aspirations to higher command. I'll second that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
palmfish Posted February 6, 2008 Report Share Posted February 6, 2008 (edited) Title pretty much says it all. I understand the difference between the two rank structures, what they mean, etc. The only thing I don't really understand is what role each plays in the actual operation of a helicopter. Can commissioned officers even be helicopter pilots? If they are, how much flight time do they get? Less than a WO obviously, but are we talking negligible-to-none, or significantly less but still fairly regularly? Is it possible to stay a pilot for a while if you're commissioned or will you inevitably get promoted away to a desk job? I've got a strong draw to going back to ROTC and getting my commission but I want to fly, too. Does anyone have any words of wisdom for me? Thanks in advance =) (By the way I'm currently enlisted and at Ft. Eustis waiting for a 15X class to open up.) Traditional "commissioned" pilots (WO's are commissioned too) don't necessarily fly less than WO's, especially in the early years. As a platoon leader and later, company commander, you might fly just as much as your WO counterparts - depending on what kind of unit you're in. It's not unheard of for "commissioned" aviators to even be instructor pilots! For the first 5 or 6 years, there may not be a significant difference in flight time, however, once you have been a CPT for a few years, you will start seeing staff assignments and begin spending less time in the cockpit. That's just the way the career track works. If you just want to fly and don't care about ever being in command, then go WO. If you like the idea of being a commander and leading/mentoring soldiers, then go to ROTC. You might also consider the fact that WO's earn less money than traditional officers - the gap is negligible in the early years, but grows significantly as you advance in rank/years. Another consideration is whether you will be active duty or reserves. If on AD, the gap widens sooner because you gain rank faster (you'll see staff duty sooner) and the pay difference is greater (reservists are basically paid only 4 days/mo vs 30 days/mo on active duty). Finally, consider that you could advance as a traditional officer, and then at some point if you decide you just want to fly, you can apply for a direct appointment to WO. You don't see this too much on active duty because the cut in pay from CPT or MAJ to WO1 is very large, but it's much more common in the reserves, where there is always a shortage of WO's and the pay difference is only a couple hundred dollars every month. For what it's worth, I am a career reservist. I climbed through the officer ranks and spent 3 years as a MAJ before deciding that I missed flying. I accepted a direct appointment to WO1 several years ago and have been enjoying my time as a WO. However, I admit that the best times of my career were as a young LT and CPT - serving as a platoon leader and company commander. You can't imagine what it's like to be a young officer responsible for millions upon millions of dollars worth of aircraft and equipment, and the welfare of 40+ soldiers - including WO's. It is a lot of responsibility to be so young and in command of an entire company - an amazing opportunity that I wouldn't trade for anything. Your personal goals and aspirations should dictate which way you go. Just remember, you have a lot of control over your path as long as you're willing to take hold of the reins and are not afraid to follow the road less traveled once in a while. Edited February 6, 2008 by palmfish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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