Crew Chief Pursuing a Pilot Slot
Håfa Adai everyone!
Just wanted to introduce myself. I’m currently serving in the Air National Guard as a crew chief and finishing my degree in Business Administration at the University of Guam, where I currently have a 3.7 GPA.
I’m also a student pilot and recently completed my first solo flight, which was a huge milestone for me. My long-term goal is to become a military pilot, and I’m currently exploring multiple paths, including Air National Guard/Reserve opportunities, Active Duty Air Force, and Navy aviation.
I joined BogiDope to learn more about the different pilot selection processes, connect with people who have gone through them, and get advice on how to make myself as competitive as possible. I’m continuing to build flight time and prepare for the AFOQT and ASTB.
Looking forward to learning from everyone here, and I appreciate any advice or insight you’re willing to share!
Jared,
Welcome to BogiDope! If your goal is to become a pilot in the military, in any capacity, you picked the right community! BogiDope is specifically designed to help people like you live out your dreams and get hired in the ANG/Reserve and/or AD.
My advice, log into BogiDope a few times a week and just soak in some information for a while. Coaches are constantly posting current events, board information and answering FAQ which can help you answer a ton of your initial questions. Also, we provide free monthly webinars covering everything from interview prep to life as military aviator. I encourage you to attend as many as your schedule allows!
Looking forward to seeing you in some upcoming webinars!
-SIC
jared.aguon Thanks for the post! You are right that there are several different ways to become a military, and we are happy to explore all of your options. If I may offer some guidance, based on personal experience going through ROTC and having watched folks in your exact shoes be successful, is to set realistic goals along the way. Work on the requirements first (medical, test scores, etc) and give yourself a couple months to make it happen. Then set the next goal for another 30-60 days out where you gather letters of rec, perfect your resume and cover letter, and decide your dream list of squadron. And then once you start applying, dive head first into the interview prep.
This process definitely takes some time and can be overwhelming if you're trying to do it all at once. So pace yourself, but hold yourself accountable to those dates. Also, anything that you have control over (test scores, performance) needs to be priority one. Don't let anyone else outwork you, especially if this is your dream job!
I'm looking forward to seeing you around the community.
Smax
SMAX Appreciate the advice! Currently prepping for all the tests and building up my hours.
I was enlisted Marines in college, went the Navy OCS route (big part of that was studying for the ASTB) to become an NFO, and am now in the Air National Guard as a KC-46 pilot going through FTU (part of that was studying for the AFOQT/TBAS and showing up to my first interview with a PPL). Wyatt’s advice is excellent-do that.
If you have any questions about active duty Naval Aviation or going the ANG route, please feel free to DM me. I’m biased, I’d recommend going ANG instead of Navy haha BUT at the end of the day it’s one team one fight! Happy to answer whatever questions I can about either path for you.
jared.aguon to echo what the heroes above have said: looks like you're on a good path. With some measurable goals, the future is looking bright.
Based on your post, I assume you currently reside in Guam? I was recently in Guam as part of a deployment and it is amazing but VERY far away from mainland USA. As you get closer to the rush/interview process, put some thought towards logistics. I have spoken to several successful candidates who leveraged their opportunities to go TDY with their unit on trips that were also advantageous for rushing/interviewing in person. It's a bit down the road for you, but a great way to use your status as a crew chief to your advantage.
