Nothing that I know of. Unlike AFRC, ANG's orders aren't always continuous so I'm just planning on not being on orders then. Hoping they don't try to slide SERE in last minute. Once you start UPT and officially PCS I think there is an allowable gap between training portions before having to PCS again and come off orders but in not sure what that is off the top of my head (I'm guessing 60 or 90 days). That doesn't really apply to the gap between OTS and UPT though since you don't actually PCS to OTS. At least that's what I've been told. If you're AFRC though, you should be on continuous orders the whole time. I believe AFRC usually does SERE in that gap between OTS and UPT. 

 

Edited July 21, 20232 yr by Burt

Going to SERE before UPT is uncommon. AFRC didn't always used to put people on continuous orders, for the record. This was a newly adopted technique once the AOR of pilot trainee management was subrogated to the 340th (a fairly recent evolution). Traditionally it had been the home unit that was responsible for procuring the training dates for their trainees, from OTS all the way to B-course and MQT (now TI).

The centralization of student management to the 340th is generally a good thing for Guard guys, since their prior oversight while in the UPT pipeline has not always been smooth or funding continuous, if I may be euphemistic. AFRC has always had a more solid fund site and expediency of training scheduling than the ANG.

The ANG has a ton of perks over AFRC, getting paid and getting expedient training is not two of them.

BL, I wouldn't worry about getting sent to SERE before UPT. Not with those dates as listed. 

5 hours ago, bs98 said:

@hindsight2020 I'd be curious to hear what the pros of ANG over AFRC are. I was an enlisted guardsman and felt we always got the absolute shaft of things, relying on state funding. Obviously that varies state to state (Utah always got the best toys)

 

It's mostly friendly ribbing among the ARC crowd, but anecdotally the Guard has a slight more degrees of separation from RegAF compared to AFRC, which some people put a premium on.  They also have more 11F units than AFRC, and expand more geographically naturally. That's about it.

On the money front, it's no contest, AFRC is a more secure and reliable source of funding. Title 32 is chocolate mess compared to title 10. ANG units are more likely to be cool with letting you wither on the vine until new FY, whereas AFRC units have more ample sources of MPA, mainly due to the regAF adjacency. Guard guys have to leave their zip codes more often to look for troughing opportunities.

Training allocation expediency has also been significantly quicker in AFRC compared to my peers in ANG in the period where that training was a central part of my life as a young guy. Not insignificant delays either for the Guard guys. Most of that has been ameliorated by having AFRC adopt the ANG kids under our Group while they undergo their undergraduate training (which itself was a subset of the larger consolidation of officer training at OTS).

I'm not saying any of these things are outright show stoppers, nor would be things one would necessarily use to dismiss one over the other. I ended up dancing with AFRC because it's the one who gave me a shot (the Guard didn't after years of interviews), so I'm partial to it. But I'm a title 10 crack addict, and within 3 years from an active Retirement, so I'm blue juice all the way now. My career has been regAF-lite, no question about it. We stopped being Reservists circa 2008 for me, thanks to TFI arriving at our door. The Guard is the only place left where some units are distant enough to not feel that yet, but that too is coming to an end.

Good luck, I was young once; it was only yesterday I was on here asking these very questions. Don't blink, you'll miss it. Cheers.

 

There are no one size fits all answers. I know several CAF ANG units that refute every single point hindsight made…and I also know units who (at least in the past) resembled hindsight’s points. Feast or famine as they say, but even in famine I’ve never seen guys not make something happen. Getting as far from AD (ANG no associate is the farthest) is a premium worth every penny you pay for it. There is simply no comparison between QOL/QOW in an ANG FS vs. an AFRES FS. I can’t say for MAF, AETC, etc. In the end though, dance with the one who gives you a shot (as hindsight put it), you generally won’t regret it. 

On 7/21/2023 at 3:40 PM, hindsight2020 said:

Going to SERE before UPT is uncommon. AFRC didn't always used to put people on continuous orders, for the record. This was a newly adopted technique once the AOR of pilot trainee management was subrogated to the 340th (a fairly recent evolution). Traditionally it had been the home unit that was responsible for procuring the training dates for their trainees, from OTS all the way to B-course and MQT (now TI).

The centralization of student management to the 340th is generally a good thing for Guard guys, since their prior oversight while in the UPT pipeline has not always been smooth or funding continuous, if I may be euphemistic. AFRC has always had a more solid fund site and expediency of training scheduling than the ANG.

The ANG has a ton of perks over AFRC, getting paid and getting expedient training is not two of them.

BL, I wouldn't worry about getting sent to SERE before UPT. Not with those dates as listed. 

I am currently a reservist awaiting UPT and the 340th has sent a bunch of us to SERE prior. This must be fairly new. 

19 hours ago, pwhockey11 said:

I am currently a reservist awaiting UPT and the 340th has sent a bunch of us to SERE prior. This must be fairly new. 

Since we’re on the topic of SERE, I’m coming from the AD USMC to an ANG unit and have already gone through SERE with the Navy, does anyone know if that satisfies the USAFs requirement? Or will it have to go to USAF SERE too? 

3 hours ago, BL_224 said:

Since we’re on the topic of SERE, I’m coming from the AD USMC to an ANG unit and have already gone through SERE with the Navy, does anyone know if that satisfies the USAFs requirement? Or will it have to go to USAF SERE too? 

AFI 16-1301 is the governing instruction, and for whatever reason, it has a specific carve out for USN/USMC refugees:

2.2.4.1.2.  S-V80-A may not be waived for cross-Service personnel who have completed US Navy East (FASOTRAGULANT-Brunswick) Level C or USN West (FASOTRAGUPAC-Coronado) Level C.

Don't ask me why...

Off the street Guard C-130 Hire Timeline:

 

-Interview: January 2022

-Job Offer: Early February 2022

-MEPS: Early August 2022

-MEPS Waiver Sent and Approved: Early October 

-Packet sent to State / NGB without swearing in (recruiter fault): Early March 2023

-Packet kicked back from NGB with notice to appoint (swear in): Mid April 2023

-Swear in: Late April 2023

-Packet sent to back to State / NGB: Late April 2023

-Packet approved by State / NGB: Early July 2023

-FC1: Mid July 2023 (One waiver recommended)

-FC1 Approved: ?

-Orders: ?

-OTS: ?

-UPT: ?

 

While I'm here anyone have an FC1 waiver pass recently and have a timeline on that?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

15 hours ago, HerkJDriver said:

Off the street Guard C-130 Hire Timeline:

 

-Interview: January 2022

-Job Offer: Early February 2022

-MEPS: Early August 2022

-MEPS Waiver Sent and Approved: Early October 

-Packet sent to State / NGB without swearing in (recruiter fault): Early March 2023

-Packet kicked back from NGB with notice to appoint (swear in): Mid April 2023

-Swear in: Late April 2023

-Packet sent to back to State / NGB: Late April 2023

-Packet approved by State / NGB: Early July 2023

-FC1: Mid July 2023 (One waiver recommended)

-FC1 Approved: ?

-Orders: ?

-OTS: ?

-UPT: ?

 

While I'm here anyone have an FC1 waiver pass recently and have a timeline on that?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Thats interesting that the unit got you all the way to the NGB approval level before sending you to FC1.  From what I've seen thats the first step before they do any paperwork...

 

 

Question for the group..  

Are packages usually sent back to the unit recruiter level after State approval to be sent to NGB or are they sent straight from state to NGB?  My package went to the state for TAG signature this week and I'm just curious what the next steps look like.

9 hours ago, twoTangoKilo said:

Thats interesting that the unit got you all the way to the NGB approval level before sending you to FC1.  From what I've seen thats the first step before they do any paperwork...

 

 

Question for the group..  

Are packages usually sent back to the unit recruiter level after State approval to be sent to NGB or are they sent straight from state to NGB?  My package went to the state for TAG signature this week and I'm just curious what the next steps look like.

Definitely untraditional from what I can tell after talking with all the other Guard and Reserve fellas at FC1. As you can see by my timeline my recruiter also isn't the most punctual or squared away recruiter in the world since my packet went through NGB twice (kicked back the first time since they didn't know I had to be gained and sworn in first)

Timeline for guard heavy

Enlisted into guard as maintenance - Dec 2017

PPL - Sept 2020

AFOQT - April 2021

TBAS - May 2021 

Applied to my unit - May 2021 

Interviewed - Aug 2021 

Selected as Alternate - Aug 2021

Applied again - April 2022

Bachelors earned - July 31st 2022

Interviewed - Aug 17th 2022

Notified of Selection as Primary - Aug 23rd 2022

FC1 - Oct 17th 2022

Package submitted to NGB - Jan 19th 2023 

Package kickbacked because TS clearance wasn’t initiated - Feb 10th 2023 

Clearance initiated and package resubmitted - March 20th 2023 

NGB approval - March 31st 2023 

Received OTS dates for 23-05 (Aug 1, OTS class was then cancelled) - April 14th 2023 

Received OTS/UPT dates for 24-03 - July 20th 2023

OTS 24-03 - Nov 7, 2023 

UPT at Vance - Feb 16, 2024 

On 7/29/2023 at 11:31 AM, Flylowandslow said:

 

UPT at Vance - Feb 16, 2024 

Is that the base you wanted?

22 hours ago, Yeti_72 said:

Is that the base you wanted?

Vance or Columbus were my preferred options, honestly I just did not want Laughlin 

23 hours ago, Flylowandslow said:

Vance or Columbus were my preferred options, honestly I just did not want Laughlin 

Pfff, Laughlin was great. 

On 7/29/2023 at 5:31 AM, Flylowandslow said:

Timeline for guard heavy

Enlisted into guard as maintenance - Dec 2017

PPL - Sept 2020

AFOQT - April 2021

TBAS - May 2021 

Applied to my unit - May 2021 

Interviewed - Aug 2021 

Selected as Alternate - Aug 2021

Applied again - April 2022

Bachelors earned - July 31st 2022

Interviewed - Aug 17th 2022

Notified of Selection as Primary - Aug 23rd 2022

FC1 - Oct 17th 2022

Package submitted to NGB - Jan 19th 2023 

Package kickbacked because TS clearance wasn’t initiated - Feb 10th 2023 

Clearance initiated and package resubmitted - March 20th 2023 

NGB approval - March 31st 2023 

Received OTS dates for 23-05 (Aug 1, OTS class was then cancelled) - April 14th 2023 

Received OTS/UPT dates for 24-03 - July 20th 2023

OTS 24-03 - Nov 7, 2023 

UPT at Vance - Feb 16, 2024 

if you don't mind me asking, what was your PCSM?

congrats btw!

Edited August 3, 20232 yr by wikz

3 hours ago, wikz said:

if you don't mind me asking, what was your PCSM?

congrats btw!

It was 82. Thanks, super stoked! 

6 hours ago, ryleypav said:

Pfff, Laughlin was great. 

Haha, I mean I’m sure it would have been just fine. I’ll be too busy studying and flying to really care where I’d be, just happy to be in pilot training.
 

But for my wife and kiddo’s sake, glad not to be there I think. I have lots of family in north Texas too so it’s actually closer being in Oklahoma 

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

Edited September 18, 20232 yr by dumpster flyer
Update timeline

@HerkJDriver, holler when you get your dates/location. Headed to OTS later this year, UPT early next myself through the guard.

On 8/3/2023 at 12:47 AM, Flylowandslow said:

Haha, I mean I’m sure it would have been just fine. I’ll be too busy studying and flying to really care where I’d be, just happy to be in pilot training.
 

But for my wife and kiddo’s sake, glad not to be there I think. I have lots of family in north Texas too so it’s actually closer being in Oklahoma 

You'll have a lot more time than you think to enjoy the area you're in and explore. 

It might be an off the topic question, but do you guys know if you need interim TS to submit the packet to the NGB? 

On 8/3/2023 at 10:29 PM, dumpster flyer said:

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 Start: April 2024

UPT Complete: Oct 2024

FTU Start: Jan 2025

Update x2 again.

Edited November 3, 20241 yr by dumpster flyer
timeline updated

Anyone have any recent info on timeline from Approval to Appoint to receiving OTS dates? TIA!

On 9/18/2023 at 12:50 PM, dumpster flyer said:

Another updated timeline for everyone.  

Thanks for sharing! Also a reserve hire here. Looks like you were able to get FC1 before being selected by the board. I was told that FC1 can only be scheduled after UFT board. Do you by chance know if that’s true?

On 9/22/2023 at 1:37 AM, boba1024 said:

Thanks for sharing! Also a reserve hire here. Looks like you were able to get FC1 before being selected by the board. I was told that FC1 can only be scheduled after UFT board. Do you by chance know if that’s true?

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!

Edited September 24, 20232 yr by dumpster flyer
Explanation/words