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Active Duty Enlisted to ANG UPT


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I apologize if this has been asked before, I did a search and couldn’t find anything. 

Is it possible to go from Active Duty to ANG UPT while I still have time left on my contract? Is something like this treated as a palace chase? I’ve done a little research and couldn’t find anything about it. 

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Pretty much exactly what I did.

Still had time left on my AD contract, palace chased into my prefered ANG unit with the aircraft I wanted to fly. Used my GI Bill to finish school, worked my butt off, interviewed and was hired last October. Now I'm just going through the motions waiting for class dates. 

Word of caution with palace chase, nothing is guaranteed. I had to apply twice, and only with the help of my superintendent, was released on the second go. 8 months of wait time.

Enlisting into the unit that you'd like to fly for gives them a chance to get to know you, and likewise gives you the opportunity to feel out the vibe. Who knows, you may get there and completely hate the dynamic/mission. But, if you're smart, I'd reach out to a recruiter beforehand and schedule a visit. 

While you're still active, and if you already have your degree, I'd look into taking the AFOQT and TBAS. Never hurts to knock those out beforehand. Maybe get some flight time...

Best of luck!

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4 hours ago, HoverHold said:

Pretty much exactly what I did.

Still had time left on my AD contract, palace chased into my prefered ANG unit with the aircraft I wanted to fly. Used my GI Bill to finish school, worked my butt off, interviewed and was hired last October. Now I'm just going through the motions waiting for class dates. 

Word of caution with palace chase, nothing is guaranteed. I had to apply twice, and only with the help of my superintendent, was released on the second go. 8 months of wait time.

Enlisting into the unit that you'd like to fly for gives them a chance to get to know you, and likewise gives you the opportunity to feel out the vibe. Who knows, you may get there and completely hate the dynamic/mission. But, if you're smart, I'd reach out to a recruiter beforehand and schedule a visit. 

While you're still active, and if you already have your degree, I'd look into taking the AFOQT and TBAS. Never hurts to knock those out beforehand. Maybe get some flight time...

Best of luck!

Congrats on getting selected, that’s awesome!

 

I’ve already got the AFOQT scheduled and everything, and the degree should be done by August of next year. I guess if there’s no way to kinda transition right into a UPT slot without palace chasing first I’m probably gonna have to go active, or wait 3 years for my ADSC to finish. I haven’t heard of anyone in my AFSC getting approved for palace chase.

 

Also, did you feel limited when you palace chase to your unit? Did you apply to other UPT opportunities, or just to the board your unit was putting on?

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On 7/27/2018 at 1:45 PM, NattyBo said:

I’ve already got the AFOQT scheduled and everything, and the degree should be done by August of next year. I guess if there’s no way to kinda transition right into a UPT slot without palace chasing first I’m probably gonna have to go active, or wait 3 years for my ADSC to finish. I haven’t heard of anyone in my AFSC getting approved for palace chase.

 

Also, did you feel limited when you palace chase to your unit? Did you apply to other UPT opportunities, or just to the board your unit was putting on?

To the extent of my knowledge, no, there is no way to slide into an ANG pilot slot if you still have time left on your AD commitment WITHOUT palace chasing or separating from AD. In other words, the ANG can't just "pull" you from your Active contract. Applying for active commissioning opportunities is a different story though. In your case, I would start building a package for active --> OTS. I think you can apply within 6 months of degree completion*. (Too lazy to research)*. 

 Did I feel limited? Not necessarily, but, there are a lot of factors to consider when separating from active duty and transitioning to Guard/Reserves. Have a plan, have a backup plan, and have a backup-backup plan (Work, school, living accommodations, area cost of living, etc.). PM me directly if you have any specific questions, I'd be glad to answer them! You have time on your side currently being active. You have a lot of resources, use them to your advantage. 

Was it a cookie-cutter transition? No. Was it a decision that I'd make again? Yes. 

Everyone's situation is different, but, if you have the motivation/determination to achieve ________ (insert dream goal here), good things will come your way!

 

*Oh, forgot to mention, I only applied to my unit. 

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