Search the Community

BLUF: Trying to get as much info on flying in the National Guard as possible. I've been spinning up a packet to apply to an AD WOFT board as a sister-service (USMC) IST. I'd like to weight all my options, so I'm looking into flying for MT National Guard. I know virtually nothing about how the Guard functions, so I got in touch with the WOSM and she answered some questions. There were a few things she didn't know so I wanted to reach out to this community and see what I could learn. Hopefully this will help others weighing their options as well. 1) Any personal experience or opinions in general? Has anyone in here gone AD to Guard or vice versa? 2) How does flight time work? Do you only fly during drill weekends or can you fly when you have spare time as well? 3) Does Guard rate flight pay? What about BAH/BAS? 4) For retirement, as I understand, pay is a percentage of whatever you would rate on active duty based on yearly points. Are there any restrictions on medical benefits? 5) Are there any current signing bonuses for aviation? 6) Are there any opportunities to attend AD training for things like 160th SOAR?

Hello, I'm currently close to coming off a deployment and am close to starting the application process for a number of jobs. EMS seems like a good fit for me due to the mission set (rewarding), stability (family man), and scheduling (flexibility). I'm currently in the National Guard and plan to continue that until I reach 20 years at least, which for me is about 10 more years. I'm a little shy of most companies minimums with ~1700 hours total time, close to 600hours NVG/Night time, and with less than 100 hours of WX time. I'm an Instructor (CFI/CFII rotary) and have a lot of recent experience. I'm optimistic I may be able to get into the EMS field. My question to you folks, have any of you have had an experience with NG aviators who also work in the EMS field on the civilian side and if so: 1. Do most companies work with the demands of NG aviators schedules and minimum flight requirements (It shouldn't be much of an issue with 7 on 7 off) 2. Is being a NG aviator looked at as an asset or a detriment during the application process? 3. Are any of the prominent Medevac companies more or less hospitable towards NG? 4. How valued is the Instructor rating, it seems most civilians have a CFI to build hours? 5. Any recommendations for the application process? Thanks for your time.

Hello to everybody reading, First off, this website is awesome, there is plethora of info on here. A bit of background of why I am posting this. I am currently a 2LT in Texas Army NG. I am branch qualified as an Infantry Officer. I have been flying fixed wing on the civ side(trying to get my PPL) for about a year now. I never exercised the thought of becoming an Aviator in the Army until a couple of months ago, since I thought to myself it was too late make the switch. A couple of months ago I met a the aviation recruiter for Texas, I just decided to ask him a couple of questions to see if someone like me, who is already branch qualified can switch. Fast forward till now, I am currently building my packet to put in for the April board the State is holding. I have not taken the SIFT (scheduled for Feb) yet, I will update my score on here when I do. Also I will update this thread if anything major happens during my process. I mainly wanted to start this thread, so someone who is in the same situation as me can have a source to go off. Please feel free to comment any guidance. Thank you.

Just curious what National guardsmen received after flight school? My IERW orders from 2005 are Title 32 Active Duty for training, but I didnt get either a DD-214 or NGB 22 after that tour was over. Granted I'm from Mississippi, but just curious what other states issued if anything, or if Rucker issued a DD-214 on outprcessing. Thnx

This is the dilemma. I am active duty Navy and I have recently been selected into active duty WOFT. While I was putting In my package I was advised to interview for the national guard as well. Turns out I was selected into both. My conditional release states that if I am selected for Army Warrant then I am good to leave the Navy. National guard says as soon as I swear into meps, I am part of the Guard. They simply call the Navy and have them change my EOS and they'll send me a DD214. Seems off. Anyone have any insight to this. I've searched high and low, and nobody seems to have gone from active to the guard. If this is even possible. I am waiting on my email from active duty, and from then I have ten days to make a decision.

Hello All, As my first post on this website, I have a somewhat tricky question that I have been unable to find a relatively clear answer to; and figured I would entertain you all with my question here, before I started raising eyebrows at my unit. Can a National Guard 1LT aviator switch to regular army aviation, and how does that process work? I am a recent IERW graduate (April 2016) and since returning to my home state, I have been deeply dissatisfied with my CAB. To be clear, I am not having any personal issues, but from a professional standpoint, this organization is rotting from the inside out, due to a piss poor officer corps. Our prior ARMS inspections will vouch for that. Since returning from flight school in the spring, I have seen absolutely no mentoring for junior WO/CO, no OPD/ counselings/guidance. A dog eat dog attitude, office politics and nepotism are out of control in this particular organization. There is also a vast schism between the AGR full timers who drill mday and part timers like myself. All the full time AGR/ techs, seem to collaborate and horde information/ knowledge for their own benefit, for nothing more than to have a leg up on the strictly M-day guys for the next promo board. This organization is nothing but a tax payer funded flying club, with very little emphasis given to the CTL. I have learned very little about leadership/ planning and how to effectively manage a unit. So basically does anyone have any knowledge on how possible it is to transfer to active duty?

Quick question for you all: How well can your report date to IERW be predicted when you sign your contract? Do they schedule you for a specific IERW start date when you sign a 153A contract? What if that starting class gets pushed back or cancelled? Does that happen? I'm about to turn 32 early next year and I want to make sure I'll be in a flight school seat by my 32nd birthday. I'm trying to avoid getting hosed, since as far as I know age waivers aren't granted anymore once you turn 32. To put it in context, I'm a ARNG street to seat civilian WOFT applicant. My packet's done, SIFT passed, flight physical stamped, and I'm going to be boarded soon. If they pick me up, from what I've been told so far, they'll expect me to sign a 153A contract. I just want to be sure that when I sign that contract I won't find out later that I'm hosed on timing and forced to do an enlisted MOS. I know that if I flunk out of flight school I'd have to do an enlisted MOS and that would be on me. Thanks!