I have less than 1 year left on my contract. Will I have to extend before I can get a flight school slot, or does that not matter?

2017-01-10T12:34:19-05:00

Response by CW3(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 10 at 2017 12:48 PM

2017-01-10T12:48:45-05:00

The best thing to do would be cintact your Warrant Officer Recruiter. They shiuld have the answers you are looking for. Good luck

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 10 at 2017 1:04 PM

2017-01-10T13:04:01-05:00

From what I can find with my Google-Fu, you will have to be accepted to the WOCS first in order to become a pilot. Then there is the length of the school itself. So, depending on how long it takes to get accepted to WOCS, you may very well have to extend your contract. I would recommend contacting your Career Counselor to see if they have additional info for you. Otherwise, you could contact the WOCS @ [login to see] /1967 or DSN 558-1287/1967 or http://www.rucker.army.mil/newcomers/students/

Student Information

The 1st Battalion, 13th Aviation Regiment manages new recruits that have come to Fort Rucker to receive their military occupational specialty identifier before reporting to their first duty station. The battalion orchestrates and implements the majority of enlisted training at Fort Rucker. Read More

Response by CW2 Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 10 at 2017 1:20 PM

2017-01-10T13:20:40-05:00

Are you active or Reserve? Have you passed the Selection Board already? Did you take a Flight physical already? These are some of the major questions that have to answered to give you some guidance. Either way you are going to have to extend or reenlist. You don't even have enough time left to get into Candidate school.

Response by Cpl Justin Goolsby made Jan 10 at 2017 1:29 PM

2017-01-10T13:29:34-05:00

Well I guess that question is are you staying in or are you getting out?

It's very rare for them to send you to any professional school of development if you are getting out. If you are getting out, they're not going to want to invest any more time or money into you. Not only that, but it'll also free up a school seat for some young soldier who has decided to stay in for another enlistment.

So yes and no, the time on your contract does matter. If you are waiting for a reenlistment to be approved, you might have to file an extension to get a hold of a school seat.

Response by CW2 Kameron Read made Jan 10 at 2017 2:53 PM

2017-01-10T14:53:11-05:00

It doesn't matter. Once you complete WOCS you have an ADSO and your enlisted obligation is removed. All WOs have a 6 year requirement after pinning WO1.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 10 at 2017 3:24 PM

2017-01-10T15:24:31-05:00

Basically, everything I've read indicates there is an SRR of 12 months for WOCS, though I've only seen the documentation for Big Army and not National Guard. I'm trying to verify if this is correct.

Response by CW3(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 13 at 2017 12:50 PM

2017-01-13T12:50:56-05:00

Andrew -

So here's what will happen. Just like any school, WOCS will have an ADSO requirement. (Before I pinned WO, I was my Guard Unit's Career Counselor). WOCS is gonna be 7 weeks for you, so you will require the appropriate length remaining to attend WOCS (I want to say 2 years for a school over 30 but less than 180, but don't quote me). Then, as everyone else is mentioned, you're going to incur the 6 year which begins at pinning, NOT after finishing flight school. That's an odd exception, because similarly lenghthed schools such as DLI require 4 years following completion of the school, therefore you need 6 remaining just to attend. If you're very serious about WO and flying, I would suggest extending. Remember, we don't reenlist in the Guard, we just extend current contracts. You may extend only for the time required to attend the given school, but since you're going to incur the 6 years it doesn't hurt to just extend for 6 anyway. But that's something you'd have to decide. Because let's say you don't pass WOCS, do you want to be in for another 6, versus maybe 3? That's between you, your family and your Warrant Recruiter. What state are you in? im in CalGuard, and if you are having serious issues connectin with your recruiter, let me know and I can likely get you in contact with ours out here. At least just for information. Feel free to reach out to me

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