College Air National Guard Options

I'd recommend enlisting in a unit you are interested in ASAP, I think that alone will greatly increase your chances of getting picked up as a pilot and help pay for school.

AJ,

Good Question! I will always encourage people to enlist, if that is what they are passionate about. However, I caution against enlisting for the sole purpose of using your enlisted experience as a stepping stone to becoming a pilot. Choosing to enlist is a deep and personal choice and comes with its own commitment and expectations. It CAN BE an amazing resume builder on your way to becoming a pilot, however, it is highly dependent on how you approach your enlisted experience. People who enlist for the sole purpose of using it as a stepping stone may inadvertently not be fully engaged or committed to their enlisted commitment. This attitude may carry over into their work environment and rub enlisted supervisors the wrong way; That perhaps you did not enlist for the right reasons. Pilots and enlisted supervisors talk all the time, and a reputation that you enlisted simply for the sole purpose of becoming a pilot will eventually make it back into squadron discussions between pilots. This may be counter-productive to your desired end state.

On the flip side; If you choose to enlist because you are passionate about serving your country, passionate about learning a valuable skill and looking forward to meeting new people and experiencing once in a lifetime opportunities as an enlisted member of the armed forces, then enlisting is exactly what you should. Your attitude and passion for being the best enlisted member in the Air Force will shine through. Your work and reputation will all reflect that. Ultimately, this route will help you build a reputation in the armed forces which few people from the civilian sector will be able to match on a resume.

This is exactly why I caution people against enlisting simply to use it as a resume builder. Understand your commitment, understand your desires and become the best military member you can, regardless of your rank and job title, and you will find purpose and enjoyment in your career.

Good Luck!

AJ,

To echo what SIC said, you need to want to serve to make it worthwhile. Some quick empirical data for you decision-making process: of the last 10 UPT hires I have seen (multiple units), 5 of them were prior enlisted (all services). Of those 5, two were hired by the unit they worked for already, and three were hired by another unit/service. DISCLAIMER: small sample size, but recent data.