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Switching Services for Pilot Slot

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ghostrider21

New Member
I am currently a senior at Michigan State University, have been in th AFROTC program without scholarship since my sophmore year. I am supposed to be commision May 2008. I have a 3.0 in a Graphic Design major, which seems to give me some problems. I am currently waiting on a Pilot Slot from the Air Force, others in my detachment have already recieved pilot slot due to the fact they are engineers. Even though I have been a distinguished graduate from Field Training, 98 percentile of the Pilot section of the officer qualifying test, and they highest TBAS score in my class. I have already passed my Class 1 Flight Physical and have no health problems. Not being selected right away has discouraged me and with nothing else in Air Force's career fields interesting me other than being a pilot, I have been looking to switch into the Navy or Marines if I don't recieve my slot soon. I wondering what my options are to switch services and get my package in for Flight School.
 
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Goob83

Active Member
None
ghostrider21 said:
I am currently a senior at Michigan State University, have been in th AFROTC program without scholarship since my sophmore year. I am supposed to be commision May 2008. I have a 3.0 in a Graphic Design major, which seems to give me some problems. I am currently waiting on a Pilot Slot from the Air Force, others in my detachment have already recieved pilot slot due to the fact they are engineers. Even though I have been a distinguished graduate from Field Training, 98 percentile of the Pilot section of the officer qualifying test, and they highest TBAS score in my class. I have already passed my Class 1 Flight Physical and have no health problems. Not being selected right away has discouraged me and with nothing else in Air Force's career fields interesting me other than being a pilot, I have been looking to switch into the Navy or Marines if I don't recieve my slot soon. I wondering what my options are to switch services and get my package in for Flight School.
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If I understand you correctly you are not on scholarship and owe the airforce nothing. Is this correct? if so then go take the ASTB and apply to FLY NAVY. It may not be this simple but I have had two folks jump from AFROTC that were not as far in the program as you. Again these folks had no payback of any type to the AF
 
MattWSU

MattWSU

Well-Known Member
pilot
Contributor
It's my understanding that anyone post-field training is on scholarship and/or contract. Does the AF even allow you to switch without serving any of your active duty commitment?

I can definitely understand your sentiments in wanting to switch.
 
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ghostrider21

New Member
For the AF it is called the TBAS (Test of Basic Aviation Skills). I am contracted but I have talked to a marine recruiter and he said as long as I am not recieving money for school I can get out of that. Can I apply for Naval or Marine Flight School now without commiting all the way?
 
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Goob83

Active Member
None
you can apply if you are not contracted. there is no commitment from the Navy till you are selected and you choose to sign on the dotted line. I cannot speak for any other service. If you are under some kind of commitment to AF you can get a release of some sort I would bet using what we call a 368 form conditional release. If the Chain of COMMAND in the AF wants to sign this the you will be released to join the Navy if your are accepted
 
Swanee

Swanee

Cereal Killer
pilot
None
Contributor
ghostrider21 said:
For the AF it is called the TBAS (Test of Basic Aviation Skills). I am contracted but I have talked to a marine recruiter and he said as long as I am not recieving money for school I can get out of that. Can I apply for Naval or Marine Flight School now without commiting all the way?
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TBAS is different than the ASTB, much different. The ASTB is more like the AFOQT but a bit easier IMO. The ASTB for mre didn't go as deeply into the math section and there are less sections you have to take. The TBAS (the new version of the BAT- Basic Aptitude Test) is pretty much a video game. That's pretty much all I can say about it as they have you sign a bunch of stuff saying you won't divulge any information about it.

Before you select the red or the blue kool-aid look into the Air National Guard first. If you get a Guard Unit to select you for pilot training coming out of ROTC you pretty much are lined up for a full-time ART/AGR career (it's how my old man did it). It's called Palace Chase and basically you transfer your AD commitment to the Guard or Reserves.

The upsides are that you know what you will be flying and you will pretty much stay around the same unit for your entire career, with a few tours at HQs possible at ACC or the Guard Bureau. You also don't have to worry about Force-Shaping for getting selected for Reapers or Predators out of T-38s. Downsides are that the Guard is steadily losing their airplanes through each BRAC round, and if the unit transfers airplanes so do you (look at the 174th in Syracuse: Vipers to Reapers:eek:!) Also, Units like the 192nd in Va went from having their own Vipers to sharing iron with the 1FW. As of right now, there are still no Raptors at Langley with any Va ANG Tail flashes.

I seem to be the guy who knows about pledging the ANG units around these parts. I just had a couple of interviews with a couple different units, but I am finally getting my Navy OCS paperwork in as well. (Active Duty AF is out of the question for me, I don't see that being a stable career right now)

PM or reply if you want more info. I'm more than happy to share any knowledge that I have.
 
TheGreatWaldo

TheGreatWaldo

Registered User
pilot
I made the switch from AFROTC to the Marines and am currently about to finish up Primary. Are they still letting guys get out due to force shaping without any repercussions? I guess it doesn't really matter......if you don't get a pilot slot soon, you can just go to the nearest USMC OSO and apply for OCS with a guaranteed pilot contract. Tell your PAS before, that you want to get out. Even if they say you have to pay it back (which may happen), once you commission in the Marine Corps, you just fax or mail DFAS your commissioning papers and they will waive whatever money you would owe (happened to me). If you do decide on the Marine Corps, you will have to go through OCS and TBS before flight school.
 
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dood

New Member
I can tell you from my university the NROTC unit commissioned about 8-12 pilots a year and the AFROTC 3-5. Pretty much everyone in navy could get SNA if they wanted and marines got flight contracts no problem. Navy has 2 year scholarship programs for ROTC and marines would take anyone with enough time left in school to get them ready for OCS. Most people interested in the marines past their sophomore year were guided towards the PLC program.

I just realized that MSU doesn't have a NROTC program though... so I guess none of that helps you.
 
Grant

Grant

Registered User
He's not on scholarship, but he still signed a contract and has a commitment to the AF.
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Thats how Army ROTC works too. A buddy of mine paid for all 4 years of college. The first 2 years are commitment free, but he had to sign a contract at the beginning of his junior year in order to continue in ROTC.

He said that non-scholarship ROTC cadets incurred only a Reserve or National Guard commitment, whereas scholarship ROTC cadets were bound to go active duty.
 
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