dumpster flyer

Not true for me. My recruiter pushed me through to get FC1 done before the UFT board so that I didn’t have to wait around as long (had a couple of months before the UFT board met.) Had a buddy who was picked up by his squadron and was accepted by the UFT board in April. He wasn’t able to get FC1 scheduled until June. Took him until the end of July / beginning of August to get the stamp of approval from the powers that be. Many ways to skin the cat it seems like. Some longer than others, though!

Another updated timeline for everyone.

Update for all y’all: non-prior/off-the-street hire at a heavy reserve squadron: AFOQT/TBAS: October 2022 Reserve Recruiter Contact: November 2022 MEPS: December 2022 Interview/Job Offer: March 2023 IFC1: May 2023 Package sent to July UFT board: June 2023 Package approved by UFT board: August 2023 In-Processing @ Randolph: October 2023 OTS: November 2023 SERE: February 2024 UPT: March 2023

Heard the list was out. Had a buddy in another squadron say he got the call from his commander moments ago. Still waiting here.

No news on my end yet. Also waiting to hear back.

Awesome AFOQT pilot score. Retake the TBAS and get as many flight hours as you can. Aim for a 90+ PCSM. If going reserves or guard, some squadrons won’t bother with you at 0 flight hours and that PCSM score.

I think only you can answer whether or not you will be able to handle it all at the same time or if you need to break it up. When I took the AFOQT/TBAS, I already had my degree, PPL, and IFR. I also learned about this process much later than you, so we are coming from different life stages. I thought that some of the aviation sections of the AFOQT were a walk in the park due to the general knowledge I already had from getting my licenses. YMMV. For what it’s worth, most people I ran into throughout the process (trying to get hired by guard/reserve units) had at least a private pilot license before they took the AFOQT.

The right squadron who really feels like they connected with you enough to want to hire you would look past those AFOQT scores. Now, it definitely wouldn’t hurt for you to try and get a waiver for a 3rd attempt. It can quickly turn into a numbers game in which the squadron needs to find the easiest way to “weed out” the record number of applications it just received this year. Instead of looking at 150 cover letters and etc., it’s just a little easier to look at 30. Now, how you choose which 10 or so out to an interview is beyond me haha. I DIGRESS: If you haven’t already, I’d challenge you to start broadening your horizons and figure out which squadrons are worth spending your time and money on when rushing/visiting. If the squadron posted a hiring announcement on Bogidope, I can almost guarantee you that you will be fighting an uphill battle against some amazing applications unless you have a personal connection with that squadron. Try doing some research off of the main path…. You will find that some squadrons don’t get a lot of traction because they may not be in “desirable” locations. Some squadrons don’t even post their hiring announcements anywhere on the internet. These are places you may want to try focusing your attention. Email, call, and do whatever you need to in order to find that one genuine connection. There’s that saying about the “squeaky wheels getting the grease.” Cut your losses and keep at it. Getting offered the dream job is definitely a magic combination of hard work, being at the right place at the right time, and a little bit of luck. Hope this helps!

Honestly, I’m not surprised. Lots of people are really wanting these spots. I know of a HEAVY unit that had over 150+ applicants. They didn’t allow any formal rushes. They decided to weed out potential interviewees by scores at first. That left them with about 40 solid packages to choose from. How do you choose a group of people to come in for an interview when everyone has stellar scores, amazing LORs, and such?

Talked with the Lt Col who hired me.. they said that it is highly unlikely that the AFRC board would deny someone hired on by a unit. YMMV

1) Can't speak for the fighters or rotors, but I can say that your scores look competitive to me on paper for heavies (pending PCSM). My AA and Q were not as high as yours. You have more flight hours than me. We are the same age, and I just got picked up by a heavy squadron. If I'm being picky, I'd like to see more leadership roles... Sounds like you have good LORs. 2) If you can explain the employment history thing confidently and honestly during the interview (if they ask about it), I could see it working out OK. Yeah, it maybe does raise some eyebrows (how are you paying for university/flight hours?) Your biggest concern will be how you personally stand out from a group of 100-250+ applicants. Are you able to visit squadrons and shake some hands? Personal connection and excellent social interactions are a HUGE part of this process that I don't think many people realize. Somebody may be a little bit more qualified than you on paper (straight 99s on scores, amazing LORs from O-6+) but if they aren't confident, if they are awkward, or if they are weird, it'll be hard for the squadron to really connect to that kind of person. Hope this helps/gives some perspective.

non-prior/off-the-street hire at a heavy reserve squadron: AFOQT/TBAS: October 2022 Reserve Recruiter Contact: November 2022 MEPS: December 2022 Interview/Job Offer: March 2023 It is not an easy path, but it can be made simpler by the amount of up-front work you put in on your end.

Heyo! I would love to learn more about your story. I pm'ed you.