Pilot Commitment Information/Questions

[BigBlueSky]

I am a civilian that wants to fly fighters with the Guard for 10 years, and I know that the 10-year commitment to the ANG begins after getting wings. I haven't found a good source of information regarding this commitment, however. As such, my questions are only in regards after you get wings, since washing out prior to UPT graduation incurs no commitment. I have questions like:

1. What happens if you are medically disqualified from flying after being winged? (Also, where can I find more information on what can medically disqualify me?)

2. Under what conditions would that commitment be cancelled? 

3. In what scenarios would one be committed to the ANG, but not doing what they initially signed up to do (like fly fighters)? I see this happening, for example, if someone washes out of IFF or B-course after UPT. In that case, what happens... could you take a non-flying job? Are you still committed for 10 years? 

4. Is there any source of public information for this 10-year contract? 

 

@EvilEagle @roto

Edited July 24, 2019 by BigBlueSky
grammar

[flammable]

1.  You owe 10 yrs

2. Maybe another drawdown like 14 or a couple DUIs

3. If you’re decent they’ll put you in a heavy jet maybe but since you failed out of iff that means you graduated UPT. 10 yrs

4. Call AFPC

[N730]

Not being fighter qual’d and failing UPT are two different things. If you aren’t recommended for fighters, you’ll most likely have to find a heavy unit.

I haven’t hear of anyone being given to option to get out “no harm, no foul” because they weren’t recommended for fighters.


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[EvilEagle]

1.)  If you get wings you owe 10 years.  There are lots of non-flying jobs in the USAF for pilots.  

2.)  Commitment would be cancelled if you wash out or drop out - the 10 year commitment.  You're still an officer though, and there's some basic commitment (4 years I think) when you go to officer training school.  

3.)  Yes you are still committed (you have wings).  Most of the time we call other units and help guys find a flying job somewhere they'd like to live if fighters doesn't work out for them.  

4.)  Not sure if there's a public commitment thing.  Honestly if the 10 years is a show stopper for you, I'd move along.  No good fighter pilot is looking for the door before they even suit up.  

[chalk88]

Question for Guard/Reserve, when going to UPT did you actually sign paperwork that said you would serve a 10 year commitment?  

Reason this came up is a few people I know who were guard sponsored for UPT show up on virtual MPF as an 8 year commitment from initial enlistment, no reference to a UPT commitment.  After asking some active duty friends to look at their vMPF, they show a 10 year UPT commitment.  

This is on the vMPF page then:

> Duty History (bottom left of home page) > Service > Military service obligation

This question may be important because of a $20,000/ 4 year additional commitment bonus for rated DSG's which has now been adjusted by NGB to no longer include anyone within the 10 year UPT commitment. 

 

[CharlieHotel47]

It varies per state. I had to sign a 10 yr commitment to the ANG. Not sure how the reserves work. Because the agreement is with ANG it will not show in MPF. MPF tracks the standard 8 yr for off the street folks coming into the military with 4 of those yrs in the IRR if things don’t work out.


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[iRobot]

Reserve applicant here. I signed a DD Form 4/1 the day I swore in, which states an 8 year Enlistment (w/ 6 in the IRR) as a Pilot Trainee, along with submittal of an IAW AFRCI36-2102 (Attachment 2) form which outlines my commitment to 10 years in the Selected Reserves AFTER completion of UPT.

Hopefully this helps.

[Stoker]

20 hours ago, Flyman said:

Anyone know what happens if you wash out of UPT before you get your wings as a Reservist? Do you get sent back to your unit to do another job? Are you guaranteed to go back to your sponsoring unit or is there a possibility you could be sent somewhere else?

There's no guarantee of anything. I think generally you'd be sent to the IRR (technically in the reserves, but you don't show up, ever, or get paid) until your two year commissioning service commitment is done. I've heard of people being reclassed to other career fields but that's highly dependent on what leadership thinks of you and what the Air Force needs at the time. Why reclass a disgruntled failure pilot when they could pick a deserving prior-E?

[brabus]

On 7/30/2022 at 9:20 PM, Flyman said:

Anyone know what happens if you wash out of UPT before you get your wings as a Reservist? Do you get sent back to your unit to do another job? Are you guaranteed to go back to your sponsoring unit or is there a possibility you could be sent somewhere else?

Talk to your reserve sq/cc back home about options; anything on here is conjecture and may or may not be applicable to your situation today. 

[FDNYOldGuy]

On 7/30/2022 at 11:20 PM, Flyman said:

Anyone know what happens if you wash out of UPT before you get your wings as a Reservist? Do you get sent back to your unit to do another job? Are you guaranteed to go back to your sponsoring unit or is there a possibility you could be sent somewhere else?

Had a good buddy at UPT that was Guard SIE (self-induced elimination) and he ended up staying with his unit but just just in a different career field.

Knew of another guy in our Reserves batch that got almost to the end (or might have even gotten wings; can’t remember exactly), but never found a home (he was unsponsored) unit. Think he just walked away, but no idea if he was put on IRR or not. 

As @brabus said, talk to your squadron and see what your options may be. If you’re a Reservist, your hiring squadron doesn’t technically own you (the 340th FTG does) until you’re through PIQ, so I think it likely requires a little more work and coordination. Either way, it’s a lot of moving pieces, but can usually be somewhat flexible, depending whether you’d rather stay or go.