Commissioned Army Officer to Aviation Warrant Officer

Creep0321 · October 30, 2017

I am active duty currently a 13A out of Fort Riley, thanks for the info! How many additional letters of recommendation would you recommend?

3 are required and thats all that I, or others would probably recommend, due to the limited time the board has with each packet.

Drew · October 31, 2017

Unless one of those 3 isnt the greatest, I would stick to 3

BravoWhiskey23 · November 2, 2017

How long does one of these applications usually take like from start to finish

Luofynerd · November 4, 2017

How long does one of these applications usually take like from start to finish

average 6 months. My first one took 9 months due to being medically disqualified for my eyes. 1 year wait for non select. While waiting I revamped it. Selected 1 year 4 months after NC-NS so total time for me was 2 years + but some are luckier than others, more high speed than others.

BravoWhiskey23 · November 4, 2017

average 6 months. My first one took 9 months due to being medically disqualified for my eyes. 1 year wait for non select. While waiting I revamped it. Selected 1 year 4 months after NC-NS so total time for me was 2 years + but some are luckier than others, more high speed than others.

What was wrong with your eyes and what is NC-NS?

Luofynerd · November 4, 2017

Left eye had astigmatism. 1.75 diopters limit is 1.5 diopters. Had to do corrective surgery. Non competitive non select. The status everyone gets after their second non select in a row.

BravoWhiskey23 · November 4, 2017

Left eye had astigmatism. 1.75 diopters limit is 1.5 diopters. Had to do corrective surgery. Non competitive non select. The status everyone gets after their second non select in a row.

So do they only do it once a year now or is it every two months?

Luofynerd · November 5, 2017

So do they only do it once a year now or is it every two months?

I'm pretty sure officers only do January board. Everyone else has the every two month boards

BravoWhiskey23 · November 9, 2017

Does anyone have an example MFR for a conditional release?

Geniee · November 9, 2017

Does anyone have an example MFR for a conditional release?

Send me your email, I'll get you an example.

Apache5032 · November 13, 2017

PLEASE HELP.Greetings all, this is all so much input, I love it. I heard luofynerd took 2+ years, I know where your coming from!! Long story short, 2 years ago, optometrist at my 1st Class 1A gives me DQ (keratoconus,"KC"), then, I get cleared from a COL Army Ophthalmologist, 3 cornea specialists, 2 FS AND I still have heard nothing from Rucker. I was 31 when I started and 33 in March. Who do I need to call? I implore any advice. Thank you for your time. 209.470.1819.

P.s. all of them said I did not have KC

JH11B · November 13, 2017

PLEASE HELP.Greetings all, this is all so much input, I love it. I heard luofynerd took 2+ years, I know where your coming from!! Long story short, 2 years ago, optometrist at my 1st Class 1A gives me DQ (keratoconus,"KC"), then, I get cleared from a COL Army Ophthalmologist, 3 cornea specialists, 2 FS AND I still have heard nothing from Rucker. I was 31 when I started and 33 in March. Who do I need to call? I implore any advice. Thank you for your time. 209.470.1819.
P.s. all of them said I did not have KC

Did your flight surgeon resubmit the physical ?

idiotteSalo · November 24, 2017

Can only Warrant Officers apply for Night Stalker Training? or can commsioned Officers appy to? I am in Army ROTCI am a freshmen is there anyway for me to get a guranteed Aviation slot? If I cant get a guranteed Avition Slot how good do you think the chances of me getting an Aviation slot are?

Thanks

Apache5032 · November 25, 2017

My flight physical was resubmitted, but WITHOUT the COL findings. I need help submitting them via AERO.

JH11B · November 25, 2017

My flight physical was resubmitted, but WITHOUT the COL findings. I need help submitting them via AERO.

Only someone with full AERO access can submit documents, more often then not its not the flight surgeon but one of the nurses that do it. I would go to the clinic in person and try to straighten it out.

Lindsey · November 25, 2017

Can only Warrant Officers apply for Night Stalker Training? or can commsioned Officers appy to? I am in Army ROTCI am a freshmen is there anyway for me to get a guranteed Aviation slot? If I cant get a guranteed Avition Slot how good do you think the chances of me getting an Aviation slot are?Thanks

Not with that spelling and inattention to detail.

dovq2011 · November 29, 2017

Not with that spelling and inattention to detail.

Shindig 3.0?

Dmurray · November 29, 2017

Shindig 3.0?

The legend continues.....

MichiganHoosier · November 30, 2017

Hey guys!

Great thread. Currently an 11A O-2 with three years in service (OCS commission). Have some schools, good OERs, and two deployments (Afghanistan, Iraq/Kuwait). On one right now slated to return in September of 2018.

Very, very interested in going Warrant so I can fly. I always wanted to, but OCS gets the bottom of the barrel when it comes to branches and it is hard enough to get a recruiter to do an OCS packet, yet alone help with an aviation packet.

Where my plan gets a little unconventional is my end goal. My commitment ends in May of 2018, so I can walk at anytime after that. I would like to move back to my home state in the Midwest and pursue a career that I always wanted. My wife is a doctor and just finishing up her residency, and is ready for kids, so she wants to get back close to family as well. But, I'm not quite ready to completely hang up my boots.

Does anyone have any insight into resigning a commission to go warrant to go National Guard? If I can avoid totally having to REFRAD and trying to have to fight my way back into the Army, that would be ideal. I just didn't know if there was a way that I can secure an NG WOFT slot while still Active Duty?

If anyone has any sort of lead at all on with whom I should be contacting about this, that would be much appreciated.

Hope all is well with everyone on this thread!

Drew · December 1, 2017

This is definitely possible and there are a couple routes you can go. I dont understand everything on how the guard does there aviation spots, but that route was my backup plan if I couldnt get the active duty Conditional Release stuff to work. The way it was going to work for me, I had met a COL in the Delaware Guard (was stationed in Maryland at the time) who was in command somewhere with their aviation unit. He gave me the opportunity to come and interview with them, and come check out how they do operations there. The way I understood it, when my contract was up, I would join the Delaware guard as a warrant and they would send me to flight school. Lol. It sounded a bit too good to be true, but the way they do assessions is totally different then the active side. It appears its based on slots available in that specific unit, and its up to them to send who they want.

If I were you, I would figure out which guard unit closest to where you want to end up, has aviation units. Contact them and talk to whoever is in charge about their aviation program and fill them in on what you want to do. I was in flight school with someone who started at their guard unit as an LT, but came to rucker as a WO1 because they only had a warrant officer aviation slot available. So I know it happens.

mike0331 · December 2, 2017

Guard is weird. I'm PS enlisted usmc and working on going WO. My recruiter was essentially 90% wrong and not until I met with the unit did I have a clear idea as to what to do. It seems you basically want to get yourself in front of the aviation board for whatever State you are interested in and they can work some magic from there if they want you. I met with a Captain who is an aviator and was previously in another MOS. After getting to know some aviators he boarded and went on to flight school - in his case maintaining the commission.

Get the contact info of some of the aviators at the unit. I went from recruiter to senior enlisted to CW5 guiding me through the process. At that level they are the final word and they can make things happen. Full disclosure, still in the boarding process.

Best of luck

Mike

MichiganHoosier · December 2, 2017

Thank you all for the feedback. I was originally pretty upset that on my current deployment I'm spending more time in Kuwait than Iraq, but after learning you can do a Class I flight physical here it's a blessing in disguise. So I'm going to try and knock out that and the SIFT to make sure I'm even qualified.

I did send out an email to my states' Warrant Strength manager. I'll probably give her a week or so to respond. Would you suggest that I try and reach out to aviation units individually as well? Should I be beginning to talk to people on the active side who deal with transitioning to the guard? Also, totally away from what I'd ideally want, but if there are no warrant aviation slots, would it be worth it to try and keep my commission and somehow VTIP/restart my MOS once I hit the guard?

On another note, I plan on doing grad school after all of my training is complete and getting a civilian job. So I'm not trying to gun for an AGR slot. Just a chance to fly..

Again, thank you for the help and sorry for the potential ignorance in some of my questions.

mike0331 · December 2, 2017

I'd have the WOSM get you a POC at the actual unit you want to fly for, and figure out what they want from there. The WOSM was way more helpful than my recruiter (who still was helpful, just not knowledgeable on the aviation stuff). What happened with me was I was told I would have to enlist as a repairer and put a packet together from there -- in reality after a meeting with one of the senior AGR enlisted at the unit, I was put in touch directly with a CW5 who ultimately was one of the members sitting on the board. He helped me get my packet together from the outside and recommended against enlisting first. Furthermore Guard units are "small" in the sense that if you are talking t one of the senior guys, they can get you all the answers fast, and in many ways they are the ones who ultimately make the decisions anyway.

The SIFT is easy, there are a bunch of threads on here about it, but essentially read the FAA handbook and buy a study-guide book and you'll be all set. It's pass/fail, but I'm glad I had a high score when I went before the board.

As someone about to graduate from a full-time law school, I could easily have managed to have done this in the reserves/guard, even with sometimes weekly obligations flying. I wish I pursued this a few years back. It's going to be a bit trickier positioning the start of the whole process with applying for civilian jobs. I think med/dental school would be much more challenging if not impossible to balance. I'm sure you know the hell your wife went through, all my friends doing MDs or DMDs have literally no life and I can't imagine them balancing AFTPs and drill weekends. The JDs and MBA students though -- cake

Mike

MichiganHoosier · December 2, 2017

Small small world, brother. Looking at starting law school as well. Good to know that it is do-able. I'm also glad you didn't go with the enlisting first option. My recruiter tried to get me to do that, but I had a forum like this telling me that is was a BS ploy by the recruiter to not have to do as much paperwork. In the end it worked out okay though. And I honestly don't think my recruiter meant any harm by it, he just didn't know anything about doing an OCS packet.

But yes, my wife is about to start her residency, so this will hopefully all line up with her starting full time/getting full pay. Will definitely be awesome to not have to deal with the stress of finding a high paying job. Also, the GI Bill is clutch.

Good luck with the job hunt! The army is always looking for JAGs too

mike0331 · December 2, 2017

I certainly didn't want to enlist if I didn't have to.

Word of caution on law school: Make sure you want to practice law. There's a reason I'm trying to fly helicopters and not be a JAG. I'll need some respite from law, lawyers, and law things on my weekends if I end up practicing. Happy to talk either on here or via PM about law school, using VA benefits, LSAT, schools, etc. I also did 6+ years in the USMCR, though the time commitment was not as great as Guard Aviation from what I understand, but I have an idea of what is required as far as PME, conference calls, 4 day "weekends" etc.

I'll reiterate, totally doable. My wife is going the NP route, and that is also much more of a time suck than law school. My last year of school is 3 day weeks without about 3-5 hours of homework a week on top of 15 or so hours of class a week. The first year is very much a M-F thing, but there is not an overwhelming amount of work. The last 3-4 weeks of each semester can be brutal with studying and papers, but it doesn't compare to the amount of time my friends are investing in medical programs, or even what I invested as pre-med in undergrad.

Mike