Thinking of Joining the Special Forces...

[SP 7M]

The current AF pilot training commitment is 10 years after you complete pilot training and pilot training lasts a year. Effectively, you sign up for 11 years when you accept a pilot training slot. There is no 15 year commitment that I'm aware of...either your Captain is confused (he added his pilot commitment to his initial one) or he spent several years in another job before going to pilot training; the 11 years takes him to the 15 year career point.

All the pilots that have joined my squadron have been in the Marine Corps for about four years when they've checked in, which includes everything from OCS (Officers Candidate School) through their final flight school. Maybe they've got a longer commitment than other branches.

I don't think anyone is confused, it just may be that some people are acting as if they know slightly more than they may know, in all actuality. I haven't yet ruled that out.

 

[jdub]

All the pilots that have joined my squadron have been in the Marine Corps for about four years when they've checked in, which includes everything from OCS (Officers Candidate School) through their final flight school. Maybe they've got a longer commitment than other branches.

Well, if the officer has been in for 4 years, pilot training takes a year, and the pilot training commitment is 10 years...that takes the officer to the 15 year career point.

I don't think anyone is confused, it just may be that some people are acting as if they know slightly more than they may know, in all actuality. I haven't yet ruled that out.

If this is a Marine Squadron, then the commitments can be different. I was talking about it from the AF perspective. I'm in the officer recruiting business now (I'm in the USAFR) and flew for the AF for 15 years AD...if you are referring to me, I do know what I'm talking about

 

[Greg55_99]

Well, if the officer has been in for 4 years, pilot training takes a year, and the pilot training commitment is 10 years...that takes the officer to the 15 year career point.




If this is a Marine Squadron, then the commitments can be different. I was talking about it from the AF perspective. I'm in the officer recruiting business now (I'm in the USAFR) and flew for the AF for 15 years AD...if you are referring to me, I do know what I'm talking about

Say... you weren't an AWACS Crewdawg were ya?

Greg

 

[CTsupra]

if you want to go sf (i'm guessing army here). call a sf recruiter, talk to him, and whatever recruiter he sets you up with for a 18x contract find out that you will be his bitch for at least a year untill you get that contract. i hope you can max out the pt test and then some, right now.

 

[jdub]

Say... you weren't an AWACS Crewdawg were ya?

Greg

No, but I worked with "Dark Star" many, many times
Take a look at my Avatar...we referred to the AWACS as "Death Star". That was a compliment...any enemy aircraft detected by an AWACS had a very short lifespan. :bigun2:

 

[SupraDerk]

Any idea how long an officer's "contract" is for (from what I understand, they can give up their commission to get out; correct me if I'm wrong)?

For the non rated people it's a 4 year initial commitment. (8 year total, 4 years reserve, 4 years active duty). But from what I heard from one of the new butter bars, I have a 5 year commitment at first (since I will have done basically 5 years in ROTC before I go AD) but I'm not too sure how accurate that is. I'm gonna go talk to my commander about that.

And they were doing something where you could turn down your commission (before you commissioned obviously, haha) when they were hard at work on force shaping (the AF anyways), but now not so much. But after your initial commitment is up, then you have a choice of stayin in or gettin out

 

[jdub]

For the non rated people it's a 4 year initial commitment. (8 year total, 4 years reserve, 4 years active duty). But from what I heard from one of the new butter bars, I have a 5 year commitment at first (since I will have done basically 5 years in ROTC before I go AD) but I'm not too sure how accurate that is. I'm gonna go talk to my commander about that.

And they were doing something where you could turn down your commission (before you commissioned obviously, haha) when they were hard at work on force shaping (the AF anyways), but now not so much. But after your initial commitment is up, then you have a choice of stayin in or gettin out

You're correct for AFROTC...4 years AD. USAFA...5 years AD. Both assume non-rated.

 

[SP 7M]

If this is a Marine Squadron, then the commitments can be different. I was talking about it from the AF perspective. I'm in the officer recruiting business now (I'm in the USAFR) and flew for the AF for 15 years AD...if you are referring to me, I do know what I'm talking about

Yeah, I was just ruffling your feathers. You obvisously do know what you're talking about with the AF. Applying the expression "confused" to one of the pilots I'm closest with was off, though. No big deal, though.

Is the length of flight schools all the same in the AF whether the pilot is going rotary wing or fixed? I don't know if it is in the Marine Corps, just curious about the AF, though.

 

[jdub]

Yeah, I was just ruffling your feathers. You obvisously do know what you're talking about with the AF. Applying the expression "confused" to one of the pilots I'm closest with was off, though. No big deal, though.

LOL...that's ok. Confused was actually not a put down...pilots are notorious for ignoring some of the personnel/paperwork aspects of the military. Especially a fairly new Captain

Is the length of flight schools all the same in the AF whether the pilot is going rotary wing or fixed? I don't know if it is in the Marine Corps, just curious about the AF, though.

The AF does not do rotary training...the few that we have is done by the Army at Ft Rucker. Fixed wing is started in the T-6, then the call is made for the candidate to go heavies or fighters. Heavies go to the T-2, fighters go to the T-38. This is what takes a year and incurs the 10 year commitment. After initial pilot training, the candidate goes to the specific aircraft training....fighters is the longest at 6-8 months depending on type. Once the pilot is trained and goes to an operational squadron, the next step is mission qual...that takes about 6 months. To get a fully qualified AF pilot takes at least 2 years

 

[Nick M]

I just want my M16...

 

[Troyota]

I just want jdub's F16

 

[RHDMK3]

F22 owns F16!::fundy::

 

[jdub]

The Raptor owns the sky

Every other fighter that has gone against it has lost. A very good friend of mine is working the tactics test and evaluation at Nellis AFB for the F-22...he tells me the leap in technology is the same, if not more, as when the jet replaced the piston motors in fighters after WW II. Of course at a cost of $150M a copy...it should be!

 

[Troyota]

That's not to say that the F16 isn't still a viable/potent platform now or long into the future. I really like the F16. Of course the F22 is going to be superior...like jdub said, for $150M dollars a piece, it had better be!!!!

 

[RHDMK3]

I am on the waiting list for an F22! My E4 salary should cover it. I could park in it a hangar next to the Supra.

 

[tte]

always love to be in the Air Force when I was younger but now I have leaned more closer to man to man combat...marines

I have been going on the alot of the miltary forums and talking to people who have been in SF....If I decide to do this, I will need to train on my own and so it would increase my chances of being accepted.like run 10 miles/ day.
I do think i have the mental ability to do this because my life has been very hard and i have had to rely only on myself to survive.

But one thing bothers me...I keep reading that soldiers sent to Iraq and who are supposed to come back are still being kept there. Does the military lie to these soldiers and not let them return at the end of their term?

I have a 4 year engineering degree. I heard having a degree would make you an officer or at least in higher rank...Is that correct?

:bigun2: If I join then I might bring back Osama bin Ladin for Supramania or die trying.


Cheers,
Roy

 

[jdub]

always love to be in the Air Force when I was younger but now I have leaned more closer to man to man combat...marines

I have been going on the alot of the miltary forums and talking to people who have been in SF....If I decide to do this, I will need to train on my own and so it would increase my chances of being accepted.like run 10 miles/ day.
I do think i have the mental ability to do this because my life has been very hard and i have had to rely only on myself to survive.

But one thing bothers me...I keep reading that soldiers sent to Iraq and who are supposed to come back are still being kept there. Does the military lie to these soldiers and not let them return at the end of their term?

I have a 4 year engineering degree. I heard having a degree would make you an officer or at least in higher rank...Is that correct?

:bigun2: If I join then I might bring back Osama bin Ladin for Supramania or die trying.


Cheers,
Roy

Roy - Some soldiers have been extended on their SW Asia tours. It's not as common now, but you can expect to be deployed for at least a year.

As stated earlier in this thread...you cannot go directly into SF. It's a selective process and easier to be accepted if you are enlisted. There are fewer officers in SF...it's just satistics.

If you have a 4 year degree, you are eligible (assuming a good medical) for OCS to become an officer. I recommend this route...the pay is better and the leadership opportunities are very good.

 

[Troyota]

Risk v. Reward. That's how you are thanked by your government for going and getting edumacated!!

 

[SupraDerk]

always love to be in the Air Force when I was younger but now I have leaned more closer to man to man combat...marines

I have been going on the alot of the miltary forums and talking to people who have been in SF....If I decide to do this, I will need to train on my own and so it would increase my chances of being accepted.like run 10 miles/ day.
I do think i have the mental ability to do this because my life has been very hard and i have had to rely only on myself to survive.

But one thing bothers me...I keep reading that soldiers sent to Iraq and who are supposed to come back are still being kept there. Does the military lie to these soldiers and not let them return at the end of their term?

I have a 4 year engineering degree. I heard having a degree would make you an officer or at least in higher rank...Is that correct?

:bigun2: If I join then I might bring back Osama bin Ladin for Supramania or die trying.


Cheers,
Roy

If you have a degree then you have the ability to become an officer, it doesn't automatically make you one. You have 3 choices for going the officer route and that's (in the AF), ROTC, OTS or the Academy.

Since you already have a 4 year degree the Academy and ROTC aren't really a choice unless you want another degree, and OTS has cut back on the amount of people they accept every year, and it's incredibly competitive to get in. (My dad tried a few times before he was finally accepted and that was in the late 70's).

But I think if you already have a degree and you talk to recruiters about it, you can come in as an E-3 or E-4

 

[jdub]

Derk - You are correct about the AF. Officer accessions is pretty much limited to the USAFA and AFROTC right now due to the "Force Shaping" that's going on. The Marines and Army are different. A big source of officers for the Marines is the OCS route...they get limited numbers from the USNA and NROTC units. ROTC for the Marines is far less common than AFROTC units.

Having said all that...the Marines have no problem meeting recruiting goals...officer or enlisted. In that sense, the Marines are a competitive service to enter.