Active USMC Officer (non-rated) Applying for ARC UPT

[Jetpower]

Greetings All, 

 

I am an active duty Marine Corps officer who is looking to applying for a UPT slot in the Air Force Reserves. I just wanted to gauge how someone like myself has a chance of being selected for a UPT slot. My recruiter stated that obtaining an age waiver (ETP) is just a matter of paperwork and should not be a showstopper. Below is my brief stat:  

Rank: O-3

Commissioned Service Time: 7 years 

Active Duty Time: 5.5 years 

Age: 30

MOS: non-rated

Flight Experience: PPL (Airplane-SEL)

 AFOQT: Pilot 89, Nav 71, Acad 33, Verb 27 (no clue what happened..), Quant 45 

PCSM: 93

 

 

Edited January 27, 2019 by Jetpower

[JimNtexas]

"Verb 27 (no clue what happened..)"  Well in the USAF we do encourage speaking in multi-syllable words.  😁

Seriously, You look like a good fit.

[dotonfire]

You'll also need an ETP for your total commissioned service as well, but that shouldn't be an issue, either.

[pilot]

I know a dude with a similar profile as you. He got no love from fighter units but got picked up by a herc unit. Ended up doing well at UPT and snagged a chick’s T38 slot who wasn’t hacking it. He ended up in vipers. I’m older than you and had more years commissioned service, albeit with a flying background, and got age/TFCSD ETPs.

I got about 69 no’s before I finally got hired. Many units (especially fighter units) crap on old people applying. Especially old, already commissioned people. And extra especially old commissioned people with flying backgrounds in helos and heavies. Perhaps statistics and/or anecdotal experiences back that up as Evil says, but I know on the AFRC side there have been a ton of age waivers/ETPs lately, and I’ve heard the same for the ANG as well. Anecdotally I know several in the last few years who went thru fighter and heavy tracks with age waivers.

But you really have to convince a unit that hiring you, with 12 years left, 10 after training, over a young, yet-to-be-commissioned guy who can give the unit/ANG/AFRC 20+ is a good choice, and that’s no small task. I failed to do so for about 95% of the units I applied to, rushed, or otherwise contacted (all fighter, can’t speak to the heavy side).

If you aren’t in the fighter or bust camp, you’ll probably have an easier time getting hired. Either way, just know you need to get out and rush and meet the bro’s. For an active duty guy with no airline flight benefits, that gets time consuming and expensive, so try to contact as many units within driving distance as possible. Possibly some where you have ties or where you would want to live when you get out. Make a plan and start rushing. Good luck. 

[Jetpower]

All, thanks for the prompt response. 

FlyArmy, I am not really dead-set on an airframe at this point - honestly I'd be happy to fly anything at this point. 

[FlamingTornado]

I'm in a similar boat as OP. Non-rated, 31, AFRC, 7ish years commissioned service, very strong AFOQT scores, though I don't have a PPL nor any specific flying experience. Strong engineering background and experience and I can get letters of rec easily written by civilian sups and several pilots, including an F-35 pilot AND an F-22 pilot. 

I've looked at Bogidope but been pretty much told by friends and mentors to just start to cold-call flying units out there.

FWIW, I actually don't want to do fighters and have a greater interest in heavies, ideally a C-130. 

Seems that I may need waivers if I lolligag for very much longer. But right now, if I get the ball rolling, am I correct in believing that I have a shot?