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I'm currently a Junior in high school, and I have my sights set high on doing something more exciting than a desk job. I want to fly helicopters, or do something of the sort.
First of all, I want to go to a military university. I want to serve my country, while accumulating the experiences that the whole package offers. Although after the 4 years (or is it 5?) required to serve I want to go back into civilian life, flying helicopters. Now it sounds like I have a good plan set up, but I have questions before I commit to it:
1: My dad told me a lot of the people who come out of the armed services (even after attending a 4 year school) don't have great job opportunities. Is this true?
2: I'm on my way to becoming fluent in German. If I am fluent in German upon deployment, will the chances of my landing at a base in Germany be higher or will it be looked over?
3: Can I specify what kind of helicopter I want to be a pilot of? For example pilot a transportation craft or a Black-hawk or an Apache.
If I have any questions I'll update the thread later.
Are you saying you want to go to the AF Academy/West Point? or you just want to do ROTC in a college?
I don't know the answers to your other questions but I am thinking you get to specify a preference for aircraft training but ultimately it is up to whoever is in charge of giving out slots for training. You also have to look at which services fly which rotary-wing aircraft you are interested in. For instance, I don't think the AF flys chinooks at all? I think that is an Army helo....
Perhaps CrewChief can help with this one...
Oh and if you go to a service academy or have ROTC pay for college, you incur a commitment upon graduation. You also incur additional commitment when you qualify on aircraft/finish pilot training. Between 4 yrs of school and then training and then your service commitment, I'd say 4-5 yrs is not realistically long enough. Maybe 8?
I want to got to USAFA, or any other military academy that can teach me how to fly. My dad is ultimately worried about me being a "grunt." I think that term can be kind of offensive, that's why I tried not to use it.
I understand that after an academy you're not a grunt. My parents don't. My dad is bent on everyone that comes out of service, even after an academy, is a grunt who took orders and after service isn't going to get a great job. Besides airline pilots.
Your job opportunities will likely be greater if you get qualified on fixed wing aircraft (and stay in long enough to get several) but I can imagine you could probably find work in rotary wing as well. Obviously it is just not as common as say, going and getting a job flying FedEx cargo planes.
Those "grunts" ("sweaties", enlisted people) actually can find good jobs after separation if they are in the right career field (think aircraft maintenance, police, FF, etc... of course some people don't consider that a good job but whatever).
I'm currently a Junior in high school, and I have my sights set high on doing something more exciting than a desk job. I want to fly helicopters, or do something of the sort.
First of all, I want to go to a military university. I want to serve my country, while accumulating the experiences that the whole package offers. Although after the 4 years (or is it 5?) required to serve I want to go back into civilian life, flying helicopters. Now it sounds like I have a good plan set up, but I have questions before I commit to it:
1: My dad told me a lot of the people who come out of the armed services (even after attending a 4 year school) don't have great job opportunities. Is this true?
2: I'm on my way to becoming fluent in German. If I am fluent in German upon deployment, will the chances of my landing at a base in Germany be higher or will it be looked over?
3: Can I specify what kind of helicopter I want to be a pilot of? For example pilot a transportation craft or a Black-hawk or an Apache.
If I have any questions I'll update the thread later.
Assume you will go Army-as it has by far the most rotary-wing aircraft.
If you can get in, USMA is the way to go for Army. It's miserable, but it's free and a solid experience. You can also elect to pay for a senior military college: Citadel, VMI, Texas A&M in the Corps of Cadets, etc.-similar experiences, but more money out of pocket.
If you don't go to a senior military college, and *really* want to go Aviation, consider University of North Dakota Army ROTC. IF you qualify, and graduate their Army ROTC program, you have a much stronger chance to go Aviation than a 'normal' ROTC program-it's one of the very few branch-specific Army ROTC programs around.
Almost any other Army ROTC program, is going to be a crapshoot-the better you do, the more impact you have on your branch, but very little guarantee.
Now for your questions-
1: Depends on the field you end up going into, and it also depends on how impressive your resume is. Generally, the fields that are most exciting while in are least marketable when out. Let me give you an example: Infantry, Armor, Field Artillery. 'But I'm a leader!'. Sure you are, but they can get a leader who was in Transportation, Signal, Finance.
However-depends quite a bit on the person. I have seen Infantrymen walk into 100K jobs, and I have seen Quartermasters unemployed. However, that is NOT the norm. Logistics, Signal, Finance, etc. = directly applicable to civilian fields (ran a warehouse, property accountability for a 20,000 person deployment, satellite ground station OIC, disbursement operations for a 50,000 person operation). Combat Arms = less applicable (platoon leader-twice, once in Tarin Kowt doing daily combat operations, executive officer responsible for 100 person company's administration, operations planner)-great leadership, but less applicable technical training and less resume fodder.
2: Pretty much looked over. It's always good to have a language, but German is not a rare one, nor difficult, nor do Germans tend to have much trouble with English.
3: You can influence what one you'd want to pilot, but you don't get to pick. As a cautionary note, get too pissy about it after branching Aviation and you might find yourself in a different career field: Aviation is one of the top 1 or 2 most requested in the Army officer branches, with plenty of completely qualified people who do *not* care what airframe they get desperately wanting Aviation.
What if I want to go into a school for something other than aviation and combat operations, but for aeronautical engineering? Will I still be able to go to school, then serve as an engineer on a base to pay for my tuition?
Engineering is usually a ROTC-approved major and you can check each service academy's website to see if they offer it and what kind of engineering, as well as checking the website catalog for the universities you are interested in attending.
What is the process then of schooling? ROTC then University then service?
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