@Yeeyee yes. In the guard you can go back to your civilian job between OTS and UPT... if you have one. I got laid off due to covid before TFOT so I will need to find a new gig, especially if the gap is going to be longer than 3 months. I might try to find a way to go to SERE school before UPT if the gap is long enough.

 

edit for buffoonery

Edited September 9, 20205 yr by mightymighty

4 hours ago, Yeeyee said:

When your in-between ots and upt, are you on full time orders or can you go back to your civilian job?

I had a gap in orders between OTS/UPT and UPT/PIQ, so plan for the worst case accordingly. USERRA is a wonderful thing if you do have a job by the time you leave for training. However, your unit should work with you and keep you on orders if the gap is less than 30 days.

13 hours ago, Yeeyee said:

When your in-between ots and upt, are you on full time orders or can you go back to your civilian job?

With the Reserves, yes, you will be on full time orders between all gaps in pipeline training. You start orders up the day before OTS and are solidly paid until you’re spit out at the other end as an winged and MWS-qual’d copilot. They aim for less than 30 day gaps in training, but you could have months’ of break, too. I have a Reserves friend that’s been “casual” at their home unit, post-UPT wings, awaiting FTU start dates for 6 months, getting paid/insured the whole time. It’s ideal if you don’t have another job and just need that paycheck/Tricare or are moving family around with you during training and giving up your place at home.

Guard is much more prone to breaks in training that aren’t on paid orders, so you may be funemployed with no income if you don’t have a job that’s holding a spot for you. If you are fortunate enough to have a job you can bounce back to whenever, it’s a good way to keep furthering your career/building seniority/possibly earn more money. Or you can save during training and go travel in the breaks. The COVID wrench may make this much less appealing, but last I heard nature doesn’t give you COVID. 

One size doesn’t fit all and some work better than others for certain folks, so do your research and make sure you’re ready for what may come. 

Figured I'd post here as therapy during this lovely hurry-up-and-wait game!  I hope you all are doing well during these crazy times!

Hired off the street for a Guard fighter squadron.

EDITED for updates.

AFOQT/TBAS: December 2018

UPT Board: May 2019 (selected as alternate)

Alternate to primary: got the call for the big leagues February 2020.

MEPS completed and signed off: May 2020

Enlisted and gained by the unit: June - July 2020

NGB approval for FC1 and OTS: 01 Dec 2020

FC1: 09 Feb 2021

OTS: Class 21-04 starting 06 Apr 2021

IFT: ???

UPT: ???

IFF: ???

FTU: ???

 

Stay safe out there!

Edited February 25, 20214 yr by FOX3
updates to timeline

At TFOT now and we graduate Oct 17.   A few have begun to drop UPT dates in my class this is what I have so far: 6 T-1 track dudes have gotten dates between June and August of next year.  3 T-38 track dudes have been getting dates in February and March.

On 7/8/2020 at 12:37 PM, mb1685 said:

are you perhaps an age critical candidate?

Is this a thing that can help if you bring it up in the appropriate channels with your unit?  I'm definitely on that bubble where I'm starting to worry about running up on age restrictions, especially given all the rumors of delays in the training pipeline. 

Any idea why it takes the Surgeon General many months to approve of a medical waiver? Going on 4 months. Can my sponsoring unit make a call?

Any idea why it takes the Surgeon General many months to approve of a medical waiver? Going on 4 months. Can my sponsoring unit make a call?

Are you a prior rated guy waiting on UPT dates? If your just a regular guy OTS bound or just done with OTS with no UPT dates, your FC1 approval packet goes to the end of the pack. They usually put priority to push 2992s for bros with school dates in hand or darn navy marine rated guys going direct to a PIQs


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Okay that makes sense, thanks! Yeah i'm a guy OTS bound with a Reserve sponsored slot

I was picked up in June 2019 then had to undergo a 6 month waiver process due to some issues from my past. Then Covid hit and I was lucky to squeeze into Wright Patt in July 2020. FC1 was stamped the first week of September and now I'm hearing that I may not make it to UPT until fall of 2021.

Dig in deep guys and gals it'll be a wait.

What are you all doing in the meantime to not go crazy? 

I was picked up in June 2019 then had to undergo a 6 month waiver process due to some issues from my past. Then Covid hit and I was lucky to squeeze into Wright Patt in July 2020. FC1 was stamped the first week of September and now I'm hearing that I may not make it to UPT until fall of 2021.
Dig in deep guys and gals it'll be a wait.
What are you all doing in the meantime to not go crazy? 

That's not far off. I had about 14 months in between my FC1 being approved and starting UPT. It feels like forever, but just keep the civilian job, save some money, and enjoy the free time before you're in the books.

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On 9/30/2020 at 9:59 AM, Cherokeeflyer said:

I was picked up in June 2019 then had to undergo a 6 month waiver process due to some issues from my past. Then Covid hit and I was lucky to squeeze into Wright Patt in July 2020. FC1 was stamped the first week of September and now I'm hearing that I may not make it to UPT until fall of 2021.

Dig in deep guys and gals it'll be a wait.

What are you all doing in the meantime to not go crazy? 

Scanning the forums to see if anyone has the slightest bit of news. It's probably making me even crazier. I'll update my timeline since its been awhile.

Hired: Oct 2019 by Reserve Tanker Squadron

MEPS: December 2019 /January 2020

FC1: June 2020

AFRC Board: Missed July board waiting on FC1 to be stamped, Submitted for Oct 2020.

I've heard these boards are impossibly backed up so I could be in the rotation of these for a long time. 

On 9/30/2020 at 9:59 AM, Cherokeeflyer said:

I was picked up in June 2019 then had to undergo a 6 month waiver process due to some issues from my past. Then Covid hit and I was lucky to squeeze into Wright Patt in July 2020. FC1 was stamped the first week of September and now I'm hearing that I may not make it to UPT until fall of 2021.

Dig in deep guys and gals it'll be a wait.

What are you all doing in the meantime to not go crazy? 

Hot java. I just had my FC1 last week, I sure hope the UPT wait wont be that long. Have you gotten OTS dates yet?

Not yet man. Rumors from my squadron are that the earliest could be April but don't plan on going until at least August. That's just from my squadron with my situation. 

We had a guy who got hired the board before me just drop OTS dates for this October class that starts like next week or something. Did your squadron submit for OTS dates then? Or is your ascensions package still routing?

Everything is still enroute. Hopeful to hear something before Thanksgiving. 

Does anyone know when they typically announce the results of the AFRC upt boards?

Yet another, I can finally finish my timeline!

 

Reserve Heavy Squadron

Interview & hired - Oct 2018

MEPS - Dec 2018

FC1 - May 2019

AFRC Board - Nov 2019

Swear in - Dec 2019

340th In-processing - Oct 2020

OTS - Oct 2020

UPT 2.5 - Feb 2021

 

Age waiver, medical waiver, and a pandemic...don't give up!

My timeline for guard fighter squadron:

Hired: AUG 2020

MEPS: ? (hopefully soon)

FC1: ?

OTS: ? 

UPT: ? 

Was told to expect between 6 mo- 2yrs to start UPT.

How long can you expect your FC1 to be scheduled after you finish MEPS? It looks like from previous posts, 4-5 months seems to be the average. Not sure if I should text my recruiter fo updates every week or so just to make sure stuff is getting done. Going the sponsored reserves route, not sure if the MEPS to FC1 process differs with the ANG.

@Yeeyee I had my FC1 3 months after my MEPs physical, however, I'm sure that that timeline isn't realistic anymore due to Covid. I would expect 4-5 like you mentioned.  I would definitely stay on top of your recruiter, so to speak.

Completed Timeline: 2 years and 4 months from hire to UPT

Most of my guard buddies at TFOT were tracking 8 to 9 months between graduation of TFOT and start of UPT, with some exceptions.

Guard/Fighter - Non-Prior

Hired: March '19

MEPS/Enlistment: June/July '19

FC1: October '19 (Failed)

FC1 Re-Test: December '19 (Passed)

FC1 Stamped Approved: December '19

Package sent to NGB: February '20

TFOT: August 25th

UPT: June 2021 (Vance)

On 11/8/2020 at 9:19 AM, glockenspiel said:

My timeline for guard fighter squadron:

Hired: AUG 2020

MEPS: ? (hopefully soon)

FC1: ?

OTS: ? 

UPT: ? 

Was told to expect between 6 mo- 2yrs to start UPT.

Yep. I was hired Nov 2019, still waiting to get my FC1 back from AETC. I was at Wright Patt at the end of September. Im probably not going to know dates until 2021, and I'd bet I wont see UPT until late 2021.

Its a long ride, so just prepare for that. 

2 hours ago, mightymighty said:

Completed Timeline: 2 years and 4 months from hire to UPT

Most of my guard buddies at TFOT were tracking 8 to 9 months between graduation of TFOT and start of UPT, with some exceptions.

Guard/Fighter - Non-Prior

Hired: March '19

MEPS/Enlistment: June/July '19

FC1: October '19 (Failed)

FC1 Re-Test: December '19 (Passed)

FC1 Stamped Approved: December '19

Package sent to NGB: February '20

TFOT: August 25th

UPT: June 2021 (Vance)

Did you have to get your package approved by NGB first before you applied for OTS/UPT dates?

 

This is definitely confirming my suspicion of a late 2021 UPT date for myself. 

11 hours ago, Yeeyee said:

How long can you expect your FC1 to be scheduled after you finish MEPS? It looks like from previous posts, 4-5 months seems to be the average. Not sure if I should text my recruiter fo updates every week or so just to make sure stuff is getting done. Going the sponsored reserves route, not sure if the MEPS to FC1 process differs with the ANG.

Once we applied for my FC1 date, it was roughly 3 months. I had some time in between MEPS and applying for FC1, dont remember why. I think my unit had to wait until I swore in to do it.