Physician to WOFT... game changer, got questions, pls help!

[bwharton]

Hi all,

 

Been surfing the forums for a while and I am about an inch from starting this WOFT process. Just have a gamut of looming questions for anyone willing to help.

 

1) If I try as a civilian to enter Reserve WOFT, do I go before a specific reserve selection board, or do I choose my duty station AFTER flight school? Or will they simply place me in a reserve unit based on specific needs of the Army? Which one gives me the best chance of being selected? I guess I wouldn't fly as much if i went reserves eh?

 

2) My wife is in the PA Army NG... will she be able to transfer to a home station in Rucker (as a 2LT QM), then follow me to my duty station after flight school? Do Army aviators get stationed outside the US? (this would be a problem since my wife would need to stay stateside in the guard). Hence my question about the reserve option.

 

3) PRK- I saw on Lindsey's guide that the wait for MEPS is 6 months post surgery and 90 days for flight physical... so can I get a class 1A flight physical prior to going to MEPS?

 

4) With the WOFT option... can I really go all the way to the selection board without enlisting/ being obligated to serve in a non-pilot MOS? I thought you had to enlist prior to MEPS?? I love the Army, and the USA, but it's wings or nothing for me.

 

5) Where is the cut-off for service obligation? After BCT? The sources I read say that if you don't pass WOCS you will be required to serve the remainder of your 3 year enlistment obligation. In what MOS? I guess you would get stuck in an AIT after washing out? Can you try WOCS again? I don't plan or expect to fail, but I am curious.

 

Thanks to whomever decides to answer! Sorry for the barrage of questions... this would be a big game changer for us and I need facts before I act.. I am well established as a physician, but I want to fly with the best!

[I3uller]

 

1) I'm not super clear on the NG/Reserve side but I believe you go to a Reserve or NG unit that has helicopters and you are selected through them when the slots become available. EG: You will already know your aircraft and duty station before you even get to Rucker. These questions should be able to be answered by a Reserve recruiter, or worst case scenario find a Reserve unit and ask to talk to a pilot and they should know everything. As for your best chances of selection, I have consistently heard that NG and Reserve slots are rarely open so you would be waiting a while to even have a slot open. Depending on your stats civilian to AD might be your best option.

 

2) Again, I'm not sure how the Reserves work with anything but as for being stationed overseas, I would always expect to. Korea is a common duty station for Active Duty pilots.

 

3) The Army won't send you to do your flight physical until after you clear the basic MEPS physical. No reason to send you to a more extensive physical and waste the flight surgeon's time if you can't pass the basic one. Annoying, but makes sense.

 

4) I know for AD that you won't sign anything until you have been officially selected by the WOFT USAREC board. You absolutely do not have to enlist prior to MEPS. There are some people on this board who have probably gone to MEPS 4-5 times and are still a ways off from signing anything. MEPS will be where you sign your contract but that will be the last step in the process, after you have been selected.

 

5) The service obligation is 6 years after you receive your wings. With no bubbles (wait times between schools) you could be wearing your wings within a year and a half. With lots of bubbles it could be 2+ years until you get your wings. If you don't pass WOCS you will be reassigned to an enlisted MOS based on the needs of the Army. Cook, Mechanic, etc. could be anything. If you pass WOCS but fail out of flight school I believe you are assigned a WO job for a slightly longer obligation. Not sure about attempting WOCS again but I would assume you would not be allowed to.

 

Sorry I don't have more info on the Reserve specific side of things but if you can find a Reserve aviation unit and just ask to talk to someone there, they should have the info for you.

[KING]

To answer #2: Your wife should be able to request an inter-state transfer from PA to AL. If there is a slot available, then it shouldnt be much of a problem. Being NG she might have to travel from Rucker to wherever, but I'm sure you already knew that. I would recommend she call down to the Alabama NG and ask to speak with the Inter-state transfer coordinator or she can ask the one there in PA. Every state has one. They will be able to give her more exact information. The process should be the same once you move to your first duty station and there on out. Reservist dont get stationed overseas to my knowledge. As far as flight time goes, you will still have to fly at least the minimum each year to stay certified. Anything beyond that, I dont have a clue. I have spoken with AD and NG pilots and they both seem to say that they get more flight time than the other. So who knows. I hope that helps. Good luck!

[av8rnik]

Per you're contract you sign, you fail WOCS you revert to enlisted and needs of the Army as mentioned. You fail flight school and you lose you warrant rank and revert to enlisted and needs of the Army.

 

The reality as it stands at this moment. If you fail out of WOCS, you will likely be processed out off the Army. If you fail out of flight school, you will likely be processed out of the Army. With the draw downs, that is what we have been told. That is for active duty though, if you are guard or reserve it might work differently. Good luck.

[I3uller]

Didn't know you reverted back to enlisted if you failed flight school. Seems like the Army would want to make use of the 7 weeks you spent learning to be a WO...but it is the Army after all.

[Ardo09203]

Not sure about failing WOCS, but my friend who just left Rucker said two guys failed primary and were fiven the choice of staying a warrant in electronic warfare, or dropping to enlisted

[av8rnik]

Were they prior service or street to seat?

[av8rnik]

Didn't know you reverted back to enlisted if you failed flight school. Seems like the Army would want to make use of the 7 weeks you spent learning to be a WO...but it is the Army after all.

The problem is that any other warrant mos requires time in that enlisted mos before being eligible. But maybe that is not the case given what Ardo said above.

 

But, I wouldn't worry about failing out of WOCS, flight school I can't speak to personally yet. The academics in WOCS is not difficult. The biggest hurdle is landnav, and even that isn't too hard if you listen to the advice being given during the brief. What I was told about flight school is that as long as you are doing the needed prep work for each day and showing that you are actually trying then the instructors will work with you. I guess if you just really can't grasp flying or something like instruments then they might let you go, but I wouldn't worry about that right now.

[Ardo09203]

Were they prior service or street to seat?

That I do not know...

[bwharton]

All,

 

Thanks for the helpful info. So it sounds like AD is the best option. My question about getting stationed outside the country was actually directed toward the AD option... If I am AD and my wife is NG (and therefore would not be able to follow me to say, Italy or Korea) will the Army make sure I am stateside? I know deployments are to be expected, but I am hoping my duty station at least would be stateside. I know the word "guarantee" is a dangerous word to use when it comes to the Army, but any info on this situation would be appreciated.

 

So if I am thinking about this correctly, my plan would be something like the following:

 

1)Get PRK

 

2)During the 6 month wait for MEPS:

a) Fill out the forms that I can without the recruiter

Get to a 300 APFT

c) Study for the SIFT and ASVAB

d) Write the essay

e) Look for a recruiter with experience with WOFT

f) Get medical files

g) Get school transcripts and diplomas/ resume together

h) Get LORs

i) Full length photo

 

3)Make contact with recruiter and get the electronic forms filled out and schedule APFT, ASVAB, SIFT and MEPS.

 

4)Ace the APFT, ASVAB, SIFT and MEPS

5)Schedule flight phys and pass that

6)Go before selection board and pass that and get selected

 

did I miss any major details/ would you all do the process in a different order?

 

here's where I get foggy, at what point do I tell my boss... "I'm in the ARMY now" ?? After I sign the forms at MEPS? After I get my orders for BCT? Lag time between selection and BCT is long or short??

 

thanks everyone!

[ftxag76]

Just FYI you can not go "street-to-seat" in the Reserves. You have to join the unit first and be MOS qualified before you submit your flight packet.

 

I already tried that route was declined by USAREC and USARC and instead placed in the acute duty pool and got selected.

 

I am a professional engineer and I informed my company 2 weeks prior to shipping out.

[Ardo09203]

All,

 

Thanks for the helpful info. So it sounds like AD is the best option. My question about getting stationed outside the country was actually directed toward the AD option... If I am AD and my wife is NG (and therefore would not be able to follow me to say, Italy or Korea) will the Army make sure I am stateside? I know deployments are to be expected, but I am hoping my duty station at least would be stateside. I know the word "guarantee" is a dangerous word to use when it comes to the Army, but any info on this situation would be appreciated.

 

So if I am thinking about this correctly, my plan would be something like the following:

 

1)Get PRK

 

2)During the 6 month wait for MEPS:

a) Fill out the forms that I can without the recruiter

Get to a 300 APFT

c) Study for the SIFT and ASVAB

d) Write the essay

e) Look for a recruiter with experience with WOFT

f) Get medical files

g) Get school transcripts and diplomas/ resume together

h) Get LORs

i) Full length photo

 

3)Make contact with recruiter and get the electronic forms filled out and schedule APFT, ASVAB, SIFT and MEPS.

 

4)Ace the APFT, ASVAB, SIFT and MEPS

5)Schedule flight phys and pass that

6)Go before selection board and pass that and get selected

 

did I miss any major details/ would you all do the process in a different order?

 

here's where I get foggy, at what point do I tell my boss... "I'm in the ARMY now" ?? After I sign the forms at MEPS? After I get my orders for BCT? Lag time between selection and BCT is long or short??

 

thanks everyone!

Sounds like you pretty much got it

 

As far as the job goes, I guess it really depends on your boss/company. Some people tell their employer the day they decide to pursue WOFT and the employer is supportive. Other times I hear people say they wait until the last minute to tell their boss because it may put a target on their back.

 

In my case, I am not telling my employer right away, but I do plan to tell them before board time (I also plan to get a LoR from the CEO or at least VP). I want to give them approximately 2 months notice to allow me to train my replacement.