Clearblue

My buddy joined the marines about a year ago. Had a great MOS lined up with a sign on bonus and everything.After basic though they jerked him around for about a month, saying stuff like his job was filled or no longer available,said they were try to find him a new one. He ended up a line service tech fueling planes in japan with no bonus. From what he tells me it's a down right pain trying to switch jobs. Is the ANG like that? I need the advice of someone with first hand knowledge. What are the chances of them putting you were they want you then just getting stuck there. I'm really turned off by the "playing politics" thing. I just want to be good at what I do and move up. Do I have a better chance staying in college then trying to apply for a pilot position?

And can someone clear up the educational requirements for me? I thought you had to have 60 college hours and be working on a BS to apply to be an officer, but I've now been told you have to have the BS first. Which is it?

Thank you

F16Driver

Grunt Work? First off, wrong attitude. As an officer, surprise, you still do grunt work.

The air guard doesn't jerk around new recruits like that. Why? Because we are not active duty, there is no need to.

You need a BS to be an officer. You might want to enlist and see if the military is for you. Have the guard pay for college while you're at it.

Spartan07

Just FYI from someone that did four years of "Grunt work". If you approach enlistment/commissioning intelligently and receive every "promise" from the recruiter in writing then the military has to honor that contract. If it is in writing and is not given that constitutes a breach of contract (The same as if you lied about having diabetes or asthma, etc) and makes your enlistment null and void to the best of my knowledge. Just a heads up.

And just because you're an officer doesn't mean you won't have a less than desirable job/quality of life. I wouldn't necessarily consider anything other than a combat arms MOS as actual grunt work but if you are worried about not being in a "cool" job that is "easy" and "lots of fun" then you might want to reconsider your primary motivation for joining. If serving your country and bettering yourself as a service member and a person isn't your main focus then you will find yourself hating life about a year and a half in to your contract.

P.S - Fueling planes in Oki sounds like a pretty sweet gig, tell your buddy to quit complaining

blastoff

I believe the Guard has a program that allows guys to get pilot slots without degrees and then they have 4 years to finish their degree (basically before they pin-on Captain), or else they get the boot. I'm pretty sure this isn't available to guys off the street since I think it was designed to promote enlisted guys within a unit.

Just get your degree. You'll find the resentment grow around here when people try to get jobs they didn't earn.

Starlifter

I remember this program too but i think it may have changed. Last time I saw it was in the late 80s or early 90s.
I'm guessing if you could get an e-mail contact at the Guard Bureau they could let you know if the program still exists.

Lifter

135TOAD

I went to UPT without a degree in Jan 98 but I had 10 years enlisted time. Eight as an aircraft mechanic and two as a boom operator. I also had 116 credit hours and was one semester from finishing an aero degree and about 150 hours of flying time. I pretty sure this program is no longer around at least that's what I have been told. I have also sat on my squadron's hiring boards for the last several years and I can honestly say that if one of our enlisted dudes(dudettes) is qualified I am looking at them first. You need to consider the possibility of activation or mobilization delaying graduation. The ANG has great benefits and college programs but there is no such thing as a free lunch. Now, having said that, I have been in for almost 20 years & I wouldn't change a thing.