Recruiters saying no WOFT Reserve

Hebertaviation · February 14, 2018

So my recruiter is telling me that he is finding out from higher that myself as a prior service member or any civilian that wants to apply for the WOFT program you have to sign for a three-year ACTIVE DUTY commitment and then you will finish out the rest of your time in the reserve units. Or something along those lines. I am trying to find where the regs are for this but I was at the mep station today and wasnt able to sign my contract because of this issue. I was Selected Jan/Feb board.

Can anyone help with info on this? My recruiter and I thought that you could process for this program street to seat into the reserves.

PaWOFTCandidate · February 14, 2018

Flight school is a 6 year ADSO upon completion. I came in street to seat as active, and have only met one person who came in street to seat from a guard unit. That person went to the guard unit, establish report, and the unit agreed to send them. That guard unit is also not in their home state. I have never met or heard of anyone doing reserve guard.

Thedude · February 14, 2018

Is it an active duty commitment for training or after training?

Hebertaviation · February 14, 2018

Is it an active duty commitment for training or after training?

Active for training wocs, flight school etc. After completion of training I would be at the needs of the Army.

Day one of 3yrs starts the day I go to Prior Service Basic training aka Warrior Transition Course, then WOCS...........

Merdoc · February 14, 2018

This is from http://www.usarec.army.mil/hq/warrant/WOgeninfo_faq.shtml

"Q: Why am I applying for WO, US Army Reserve, I want to serve on active duty?

A: Don't worry; you will be serving on active duty. All warrant officers receive their appointment in the U.S. Army Reserve as a WO1. This is why you check “Warrant Officer - Army Reserve” in block 1 of the DA Form 61. A Reserve appointment does not affect your pay or type of service. You will serve full time on active duty and will receive the regular active duty pay for WO1. You will be tendered Regular Army upon your promotion to CW2. Note that packets are no longer being accepted if block 1 is check incorrectly."

I don't have any official source for this. I was told this information in a Warrant Officer Brief, so take it with a grain of salt.

When you are first selected for WOFT you incur a three year service obligation. This is due to the fact you are entering the Army as a pay grade E-5 to attend WOCS. Upon graduation from WOCS you will become a WO1 and at the point you incur a six year service obligation. SIx total not added to the initial three.

Example: If you went to WOCS thru the WOFT program and failed the course you would either be processed out or forced to serve your three year obligation as an enlisted service member. Once you graduate and become a WO1 you owe six years.

As far as I know all newly appointed WO1s are in the Reserve. I have been told this is the case due to the Army to playing a numbers game with the overall amount of officers they have and budget constraints. They place newly appointed WO1s in the reserve, so that they can still meet force cap numbers as far as allowed amount of officers and total active duty force numbers.

Though officially in the reserve these WO1s are essentially on permanent active duty orders. As far as I know WOFT is an active duty program.

Once again I I have no official regulation for this. This was the explanation i was verbally given. No point of reference.

Merdoc · February 14, 2018

Service Obligation

3 year active duty service obligation upon enlistment for WOFT. Upon completion of Warrant Officer Candidate School there is a 6 year service obligation
- If applicant does not complete the Warrant Officer Candidate School they are still obligated for the remaining of their enlistment option

Check out

Officer Candidate School and Warrant Officer Flight Training Programs

USAREC Regulation 601-91

Regular Army and Reserve Components Enlistment Program

(9–10. Enlistment Program 9D, U.S. Army Officer/Warrant Officer Enlistment Program)

AR 601–210

Hebertaviation · February 14, 2018

MERDOC

Appreciate your time to dig that up. Thank you I will look up the reference numbers that you have posted.

If anyone else has anything to add, your insight is greatly appreciated as well as I try to gather as much info as possible

PaWOFTCandidate · February 15, 2018

The six year ADSO starts after the completion of WOBC-B at the end of your advanced aircraft training. Many of the people coming in to flight school believed it began at WOCS graduation but it was clarified by B-co as not starting until the completion of WOBC, of which there are two parts. This makes what some people think of a 6 year commitment in to more of a 8 year commitment if you catch long bubbles in flight school.

Creep0321 · February 15, 2018

The six year ADSO starts after the completion of WOBC-B at the end of your advanced aircraft training. Many of the people coming in to flight school believed it began at WOCS graduation but it was clarified by B-co as not starting until the completion of WOBC, of which there are two parts. This makes what some people think of a 6 year commitment in to more of a 8 year commitment if you catch long bubbles in flight school.

not saying your wrong, cause thats what I was told, and believe. But Ive been out of rucker for almost a year and my service obligation is still listed as being complete 6yrs from my WOCS graduation date, along with all the other junior aviators at my unit. Either way Ill be in for longer than that.

Thedude · February 15, 2018

not saying your wrong, cause thats what I was told, and believe. But Ive been out of rucker for almost a year and my service obligation is still listed as being complete 6yrs from my WOCS graduation date, along with all the other junior aviators at my unit. Either way Ill be in for longer than that.

It will stay like that for quite some time and might not ever update on the ORB but it is a six year commitment from the time you complete all your flight school requirements.

Creep0321 · February 15, 2018

It will stay like that for quite some time and might not ever update on the ORB but it is a six year commitment from the time you complete all your flight school requirements.

Which Im tracking, but in addition to my ORB, there is no ADSO on the new AIM portal either. Any idea where in my record that would be listed? Just curious.

Thedude · February 15, 2018

Which Im tracking, but in addition to my ORB, there is no ADSO on the new AIM portal either. Any idea where in my record that would be listed? Just curious.

I don’t think it shows up in any records you will have. AR 350-100 specifies a 6yr ADSO on completion of flight school.

d10 · February 20, 2018

My recruiter and I thought that you could process for this program street to seat into the reserves.

That's definitely not the case, other than the previously mentioned technicality that all W1's are appointed in the reserves but actually serve on active duty. That's more of an administrative trivia fact though. If your goal was to go to flight school then only work weekends that's not going to happen. 3 years active isn't happening either. That's only if you sign your enlistment contract but fail to make it through WOCS for whatever reason. 6 years from the end of WOCS is another barely relevant number because it only comes into play if you finish WOCS but fail to make it through flight school. Once you complete flight school you get a fresh 6 year active duty commitment. That means realistically you're committing to 7 1/2 to 8+ years of active duty.

Sorry if that's not what you expected especially after going through the time and effort of putting in a successful application. You can still back out if you haven't signed a contract yet (and probably even after, up through the day you ship). But if you sign up, expect about 8 years of active service.

Anthony2447 · February 20, 2018

I think this is a question for an actual warrant recruiter. Maybe you can reach out to them via their FB page or using the USAREC site. I have never personally wrote a AR WOFT ( quite a few RA) contract but I was always under the impression as long as you had an acceptance letter from the unit commander into a valid vacancy, then you can go AR. For those saying there is not a AR Civilian WOFT Program, check out the top of the USAREC site (http://www.usarec.army.mil/hq/warrant/prerequ/woft.shtml)

Hebertaviation · February 21, 2018

D10 is absolutely correct. I have had a few phone calls regarding the error in processing me in what was thought to be a street to seat WOFT reserves only packet. From the recruiters all the way up to the guy I sat down with to sign my contract at MEPS was misunderstanding the process, but we all learned from it and hopefully will help with future candidates. We have figured out what my next step is going to be and its very promising. I will be seeing some of you guys at Rucker sooner than later. Next up for me is Warrior Transition Course!

Anthony2447 · February 21, 2018

D10 is absolutely correct. I have had a few phone calls regarding the error in processing me in what was thought to be a street to seat WOFT reserves only packet. From the recruiters all the way up to the guy I sat down with to sign my contract at MEPS was misunderstanding the process, but we all learned from it and hopefully will help with future candidates. We have figured out what my next step is going to be and its very promising. I will be seeing some of you guys at Rucker sooner than later. Next up for me is Warrior Transition Course!

To clarify, WOFT is for RA only and for AR you must be currently serving? USAREC should probably update their website lol

Anthony2447 · February 21, 2018

This subject was brought up on the USAREC forum today, assuming because of this situation but no names were mentioned. Anyway, everything was confirmed. USAREC gave the AR WOFT mission to ARCD (reserve in-service recruiters) in 2002 but our regs were never fully updated. Funny how it made its way back.

d10 · February 21, 2018

What does that mean? There is actually a reserve only WOFT program but the application is different?

Anthony2447 · February 21, 2018

What does that mean? There is actually a reserve only WOFT program but the application is different?

Correct but you have to currently be in the Army Reserve to apply for it. You apply through a career counselor (79V).

Hebertaviation · February 22, 2018

This subject was brought up on the USAREC forum today, assuming because of this situation but no names were mentioned. Anyway, everything was confirmed. USAREC gave the AR WOFT mission to ARCD (reserve in-service recruiters) in 2002 but our regs were never fully updated. Funny how it made its way back.

lol must be me. My unlucky situation. We got it fixed best we can. And I agree, the website needs to be updated