WOFT Applicant - Round #2 (I'm Going To Rucker)

[zVo]

*******UPDATE*******

I was notified of selection for U.S. Army Warrant Flight Training today,

Monday, March 14th, 2011.

 

My Application

21-year old male, non-prior service

61 college credits, 3.5 GPA

127 GT

127 AFAST (same as GT)

274 AFPT

Included civilian resumé

Approved flight physical

PRK eye surgery (waivered)

121 hours flight experience, dual private (fixed- & rotary-wing)

5 Letters of Recommendation

United States Air Force Brigadier General

Army Brigadier General (former 160th aviator)

Army Lt. Colonel (ret., aviator)

Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 (ret., aviator)

College Professor

 

 

-Zack

Edited March 14, 2011 by zVo

[TheStig]

Good luck this time around! Looks like you have even more college credits and a higher GPA which is always a plus.

[rmiller]

That'll be my first board as well! Good luck to you and my fingers are crossed that we both come out as selected in the end!

[MichaelRyanSD]

Good Luck, just getting my packet together

[Medic14]

Good luck! Someday, I hope to be creating a thread like this. Hopefully this summer sometime...

[TmqWard]

Good luck. The army loves to keep you on pins and needles but stay motivated and you can make it happen.

[JMcDonald]

Our packets are pretty much identical. What kind of scores did you get at your battalion board?

 

I would strongly recomend getting a LOR from an aviator. I had three letters, one from the mayor of my town, and two from Army Aviators CW3 retired and CW4 retired.

 

Your packet looks solid.

[sdhopeful]

Greetings all,

 

I want to wish everyone on the February board good luck as well. Hopefully the needs of the Army will allow us ALL to be selected! Can anyone confirm the exact date which the Feb. board convenes? I have heard it is during the first week but also possibly on the 7th (thanks Rmiller). I know it doesn't make a huge difference, but I want to plan on when I should hear back from USAREC.

 

Thanks all,

 

-SD Hopeful

[sdhopeful]

See latest update

[zVo]

Thank you for the encouragement everyone.

I hope all of the February '11 candidates get selected; we're all working toward the same goal. I'm interested in hearing how you all did!

 

As with everything in the WOFT application process, there always seems to be hangups and hitches along the way. I was supposed to be boarded in February, but my application came to an impasse. A lieutenant attempted stonewalling my packet from reaching the battalion level - his motivation? I have no idea, but I have a feeling he was in collusion with the enlisted recruiters to get me to enlist - which is obviously not on my agenda, especially when I am so close to getting boarded. He did not have the authority to keep my packet from getting submitted, yet he was acting as though he had the final say as a "mediator" between the recruiters and the board. This obviously got under my skin and I was not going to let this guy try to bamboozle me.

 

This lieutenant said he would not submit my packet and my only option was to enlist. His rationale? "You're simply not competitive; you do not have a college degree, and in order to be competitive, you need one. I want to save myself the embarrassment of submitting your packet. You have two options: enlist and apply from within, or finish your degree and apply again." I argued my case that I had made some significant improvements to my packet, yet it fell on deaf ears - his logic was circular and it was pretty obvious my packet wasn't going anywhere.

 

Not knowing who to get in contact with, I called some different contacts and managed to get in touch with some very helpful people at USAREC who "made some phone calls" and voila! Now I'm on my way to being boarded again. I got a phone call from my recruiter - "You're not going to believe this, but you're going to get boarded this month after all!" I am disgusted with the amount of recruiters out there so willing to con potential enlistees and officer candidates.

 

Anyway, I am projected to be boarded on February 22nd. I am not sure when the USAREC WOFT selections are supposed to happen, but I was told they convene on March 14th. All I can do at this point is hope.

 

Tmqward, I hear you on the motivation. If you're not willing to fight for what you want, there's a good chance you're not going to get it.

 

JMcDonald, last time I score (I believe) it was 75/75; it's 25 pts per officer sitting at the board, correct? I'm hoping to do as well at the interview this time - it really depends on who is doing the interviewing. The Army brigadier general and the retired lieutenant colonel were both aviators, so that has to carry some weight.

Edited February 12, 2011 by zVo

[akscott60]

So you had an LT try and "block" you out of a WOFT slot? He is probably pissed that he has an exciting staff job instead of flying, or his WOFT packets were turned down so he went OCS

 

Good luck. Your resume is similar to mine, and I am at Rucker right now....and many of my classmates have ZERO college.

Edited February 11, 2011 by akscott60

[sdhopeful]

Hello all,

 

February board results are posted! There were 35 candidates and 15 were selected. Unfortunately, I was not selected so I will have to wait for next month's board for round two.

 

Anyone else hear anything?

[SBuzzkill]

Why are you dealing with an LT?

[zVo]

akscott60,

You nailed it. I've never met him face to face, but he lied and tried posing as someone from battalion - it turns out he's a gold bar recruiter at a different recruiting station. It didn't (and still doesn't) sit right with me that they would attempt to be so deceptive. If I wasn't so well versed in the WOFT process from making multiple application attempts, I would probably have believed the guy. You're right, the guy is probably bitter and wishes he didn't do ROTC/OCS. That's encouraging about the college situation - just goes to show you that they look at the whole person concept.

 

sdhopeful,

I'm sorry to hear that, but don't get discouraged. They'll have an entirely different selection board convene in March, so that could definitely be a plus! I'm curious as to who else, if anyone from this site, got selected in February. I know there were a few applicants that post here.

 

SBuzzkill,

My thoughts exactly. I'm obviously not an Army recruiter, but even if there was a middle man, a lieutenant would not have that sort of authority.

 

 

 

A lot of my MEPS stuff is expiring in the next month or two, so to be safe, I retook my ASVAB and physical. I scored higher on my AFQT and GT (127 instead of 119) and redid my MEPS physical. Everything is cleared, I obtained my security clearance, and my packet met the cut-off.

 

They moved the local BN board up to Thursday, February 24th. I'm unbelievably excited for the interview and am already anxious for the results. According to schedule I received stating the USAREC civilian WOFT selection board dates, they convene on Monday, March 14th. For anyone applying for the March selection board, mark your calendars.

Edited February 17, 2011 by zVo

[zVo]

I had my BN board today - 75/75 points and solid recommendations from the Major and two Captains. Now the waiting game begins...

[setlab]

Great news!

 

Did they throw you any oddball questions or anything that caught you offguard?

[zVo]

Believe it or not, the interview was super easy.

 

Major: "You've applied to this before, correct?"

Me: "Yes, sir."

Major: "Do you know why weren't selected last time?"

Me: "No, sir."

Major: "I don't know why you weren't selected either, and frankly, I'm confused. We're going to skip the formalities and just ask you a few questions, and you'll be out of here."

 

It was 15-20 minutes long at most. There was another WOFT applicant that was boarded before me and his interview lasted 45-50 minutes.

Edited March 3, 2011 by zVo

[BoxDude]

Good to hear - lets hope it works out for you this time! Good luck!

[zVo]

The results are in...

I was selected for WOFT in the FY 11 March board!

 

I can't believe it. I've applied three times over the past two years and got the call from my recruiter this afternoon that I'm going to WOCS.

 

Thursday morning, I'm headed to MEPS to sign my 09W contract.

It's a surreal feeling.

[SBuzzkill]

Congratulations!

[AirOneMatthew]

Congrats!!

 

Cheers,

Matthew

[rmiller]

Congratulations! After 2 years you certainly deserve it!

[zVo]

Thanks! It felt like a tremendous uphill battle just to get to this point, but I still have a long, long road ahead.

 

I signed my contract yesterday.

I'm attending BCT at Fort Leonard Wood on May 31st

and WOCS on August 11th.

 

Anyone attending that particular WOCS should contact me. Me and two other selectees are from the Chicagoland area and we all contracted yesterday. The three of us are attending the same BCT/WOCS and most likely the same IERW class. That being said, we're trying to network with classmates ahead of time.

 

Also, if anyone is interested in the selection statistics from the last board, PM me.

[akscott60]

Good ol Fort Lost in the Woods. Have fun. Oh, you will be in a Summer Surge with probably 90% of your BCT Company being 17 year old kids on a Split Option.

 

Have fun

[Packmule]

Congrats! Hopefully I will have a mutual feeling from the board in July. I am currently deployed and find it a little difficult getting all the necessary items needed for the board. Does anyone have the contact information for a reliable recruiter?