Smack-Meier
USAF Pilot
Forum Replies Created
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Roberto,
A couple questions to get this started:
1.) What is your current AF job/location?
2.) Do you have AFOQT/TBAS dates yet?
3.) Do you have any contacts in the flying world?
4.) Have you applied/rushed any squadrons yet?
To answer your initial question: A shotgun blast of mailers will likely net you very little in the way of correspondence. Most units (not all) are coordinating hiring through email and MilRecruiter. The Job Board is a great place to start that will point you toward hiring POCs. Many of these boards will be very explicit about age requirements in the job posting. Hit us up with additional questions.
Smack
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CGOM
To pile-on to Huskys great advice, here is the most common refrain I have heard from units regarding informal/formal events with UPT candidates: “This dude just wasn’t authentic”. A crowd like you’re describing isn’t really out to evaluate you, but get to know you a bit. Don’t tell people what you think they want to hear, just be yourself. They can sniff out people playing a part very quickly.
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Rowan,
Digging a bit on the 142d Wg site, it looks like 1 Oct is when you can submit applications; up until 1 Nov. Luckily, they are accepting apps through MilRecruiter so you can work on it early. The POC for the board for further questions is 142.WG.123.FS.UPT.HB@us.af.mil
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Biggs, great question about sUAS and the challenge/opportunity that they present. As for the USAF utilizing a new sUAS pipeline? Wild idea! But maybe more opportunities to fly. The WoR article does a great job of laying out how small, inexpensive, and ubiquitous drones change the game. I have been looking at this problem form many angles. Academically as a student, and tactically as a homeland defense pilot here is my opinion:
1.) The drone defense problem is just the next iteration of the force protection problem. Since warfare was invented, the protection of fielded forces has always been a paramount issue. This is the next step. Instead of looking at the “air littoral” as an air domain, I see it as an extension of the ground domain. One that the JFLCC is far more concerned with than the JFACC. Localized force protection measures (likely in the EM spectrum) seem like the logical counter.
2.) The USAF’s hold on air superiority became tenuous long before the advent of Ukraine-style drone tactics. There is not a singe USAF pilot that expects US air superiority in a contested AOR ever again. But localized air superiority, or even air parity, is where we make our money now. Deep interdiction and precision strike will still require full-scale assets. We can see that peer adversaries are thinking along the same lines as evidenced by the appearance of manned “6th gen” prototypes in China.Great discussion!
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I’ll go first: “A Nightmare’s Prayer”. Great account of the first USMC Harrier unit to stand up ops at Bagram in 2002.
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Rowan,
Actually a super relevant question. Especially for UPT/non-mil applicants. The data I have is from the CO ANG, so could be different elsewhere, but probably a good start. For rush events and zoom meetings (pre-interview events), business casual seems to be the standard. At the very least a collared shirt. For interviews, a suit is the norm. Doesn’t need to be a certain color or anything, but something you would wear to an interview in the civilian world as well. The CO ANG does not publish any official guidance, but every hiring board manger usually throws down with attire in the interview/rush correspondence. When in doubt, don’t hesitate to reach out to the hiring manager directly. Once again, this is just one data point from around the last 10 boards here.-Smack
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Charlie, congrats on the OTS/UPT spot! You’re going to love it. My personal experience: 5x kids on active duty, 2 of them in UPT/FTU. These are just a few of my lessons learned from my time at UPT/FTU with that family.
LL: Hoss was spot-on in the previous comment: having the admin portion of your family squared away PRIOR to day 1 of UPT ground classes will be a huge weight off your shoulders starting out. In the same vein, being new to the USAF and the base is daunting if there are snags. Trying to fight the admin machine for your family while also fighting the T-6 is challenging. Far too often, students let a problem go too long in their personal lives and it ends up affecting flying. You will have a student squadron (STUS) flight commander (likely an 0-3ish IP) that can help these type of personal roadblocks. Utilize them early and often as a resource, even if you’re new.
LL: We lived off-base at the start of UPT, and ended up moving on-base about 6 months later. The days at UPT are sometimes rough, and made rougher by a commute home. Time is at a premium, and that was time I was unwilling to spend in the car. Also, most of the older/married/family types lived on base. It created a great community, within walking distance, that helped each other out with childcare etc. It also made the PCS out of there much easier. You’re only there a year and change, and the buying/selling/renting process can be hit or miss. -
Allen,
Sounds a lot like it may depend on the location. And after that, if the IPT program survives. Some feedback coming out of the pipeline is not exceedingly positive. If you already have some but not all the ratings (PPL, MEL, Inst) then you MAY be sent through. I wouldn’t stress at this point as it is all subject to change. -
Cage,
Quick update: Holloman AFB is the primary for F-16 FTU. Highest likelihood for assignment. Luke AFB is now fully out of the F-16 (USAF) game. There are no more TX/FTU there, just the RSAF squadron who is posturing for a move to Ft Smith, AR. Kelly is now running 2x FTU per year. Tucson is still also running an FTU.
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Kyle, keep up the hard work! Yes, a recruiter should (as long as you are degree-complete) help you get scheduled for testing locally. It should not matter if you are their recruit or not and should have the best information pertaining to testing sites.
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Eric, got your questions; tune in to the webinar!
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Chaos, got it! We will cover it!
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Hey Colin,
I did both UPT and FTU with wife/kids. Actually had 2 of them during the formal courses. My experience was between 2013 and 2014. Here are some of my biggest takeaways:
-The weekdays are busy. Most of your focus goes toward learning, both at work and at home. As long as your family is primed with this info, you can get into a routie.
-There will be a lot of talk about “work-life” balance in the USAF. True, it is a good thing. But there are likely times you will need to violate the balance for short sprints. This is just the nature of upgrades in military aviation. Again; a somewhat known quantity.
-Prioritize your family first on every off day you have. A great way to do this is to BRING your wife and kids with you to class events. There will be other families. And even the single dudes will appreciate it. I still have friends that my kids call “Uncle XX” that were just single dudes in my pilot training class.
-There will be more than enough time with the boys upcoming in your career. Between TDYs, cross country, deployments, and routine trips, you will be eventually begging for more time at home.
-The most important piece: keep your flight leadership in the loop about what is happening in your family’s life. If your wife/kids are not doing ok, you will not be doing ok and your flying will suffer. Speak up. I approached flight leadership more than a few times when a kid was sick and I got no sleep, or when my wife was fighting the TRICARE monster and running into roadblocks.Hope this helps!