Best ways to connect with Aviation Warrant Officers as a civilian?

2018-09-13T17:18:34-04:00

Hello! I’m currently a civilian attempting to complete a WOFT packet. I’ve already completed the ASVAB, SIFT, and physical. After doing some research I came across this forum. What is the best approach to obtain letters of recommendation from Aviation Warrant Officers without any military connections? Thank you!

Response by CW2 Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 13 at 2018 8:35 PM

2018-09-13T20:35:46-04:00

Your best chance depending on where you reside is to get in touch with the nearest Aviation Guard/Reserve unit.

Response by 2LT Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 13 at 2018 9:14 PM

2018-09-13T21:14:08-04:00

If you go active your chances are pretty good right now. CW5s, COL or above, or congressman or representatives are your best options for letters of recommendation.

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Sep 14 at 2018 3:36 AM

2018-09-14T03:36:01-04:00

http://www.ausa.org

See if there's a chapter near you, and ask if any of the me!ners know any former Army rotsry-wing warrants, that occurred to me...however, that being said, I can envision other ways to cope with getting suitable recommends...first, elaborate on how much aviation exposure you've had thus far...high school level, incl vocational stuff, like FAA airframe and powerplant (A&P) training? Civil Air Patrol? JROTC? Navy Sea Cadets? College thus far? Assocs? Bach? Grades? GPAs? Specific actual course titles taken thus far? STEM related coursework? Non-STEM? Other svcs ouve looked into if any? If none, why not? Why specifically Army, or why solely Army, if only Army? There are numerous other options you might not have thought about...USCG rotary wing? NOAA Commissioned Corps, with its own rotary and fixed wing fleet? Have you done any flight training, of any kind, if so, how much, what type, what level? Sailplane/glider? Sport pilot, which is a somewhat newer FAA option? Private pilot? Instrument rating? Multiengine? Commercial pilot level at all, whether prop or other flight type? Have you ever even been up for a check ride with a helicopter flight school, just to pay for a single rde, if only to get the actual feel? When I was in, where I was, there was an aero club, that I went up with once or twice in a light plane, though I didn't make proper use of it...I'd trained for USAF nav/WSO, or UNT, you can't discount nav/WSO, I also tried for NFO with Navy, I couldn't get it, I redid the Navy NFO med exam while USAF, I was passed, though I wasn't able to go interservice. For some weird reasons USAF nav insisted on 20/100 minimum vision for UNT, I was 20/200, which made zero sense to me, as I'd have expected carrier landing needs for aircrew to have been tighter, though for whatever reason, that wasn't the case...I'm assuming you're 20/20, nonastigmatic, no color blindness, if no, elaborate, OK? Next, how much do you actually know about helicopter engineering? Man in the loop interaction? Aviation human factors? Aeromedical aspects, incl vertigo and disorientation? Next, out need to understand a few things, OK? I'm not saying this to dissuade you, merely try o educate you, honest...regardless of how much college you've had thus arz even though Army warrant only needs high school, minimum, to submit, I've read that, we had a family friend who'd been Army enlisted, he got Army WOCS, which I've read is a really rough program...he die a good many further years as Army rotary wing warrant, then did his bachelors in aviation at Emory Riddle Univ, after which Army released him, USCG picked him up, he finished his 20 yrs as an O-3...I was never sure if he was sent to an OIS, a direct commission indoc school, as opposed to USCG OCS, since he was Army warrant at the time, though I'd think that might've been the case, however, I'm not entirely certain, of course, so, we've known at least one instance where one my wife and I know did do what you want...that being said, I was Army ROTC, I went USAF OTS instead, I did it all wrong, I went in as a lime research engineer instead of on the clinical side as a bioengineer, as I'd hoped...I wound up in the wrong part of their world, wit the wrong people, though I was trained to do what thy expected...I needed a really, really long time to learn to even marginally function in the role, honest...when I was at USAF OTS, I knew many others who'd been prior enlisted in other svcs first, not solely USAF prior enlisted...I also saw the UPT/UMT guys, they'd be in flight suits, marching in their own flights, separate from myself and the rest of the OTs, that was when USAF OTS was at Lackland, before it was moved to Maxwell...now, you should understand that, had I been enlisted first, in any svc, I'd have adjusted far more readily, I assure you, I'm not saying you'd need that, I'm !merely observing I'd have quite clearly benefited from the adjustment time...I very nearly enlisted USCG after high school, hen, after my Bach, after Army ROTC, I nearly went Navy six year nuclear enlisted, and was going to try for Navy nuclear commissioned after Navy OCS, the NUPOC program, which a friend of mine undergrad gt, he changed his mind, it wasn't for him...to help you properly, we'd all bemefi from knowing more, hobbies, reading, interests, sports incl martial arts if any...how physically prepared are you now? Can you run 2 miles in 18 mins? I had to whole Army in fatigues and combat boots, USAF OTS insisted on q mile and a half in 12 mins in short and sneakers...let me send this, then I'll try to send you some other sites, OK? Honestly, I see a good many career/educ questions on here, and I'm forever asking hose like you to do a really detailed through biosketch, which I never get...have you done civilian work? Aero related? Non aero? What level? What type? Have you had any serious jobs, under what type of bosses, and for how long? Is tour family military? Friends? Relatives? What exposure have you had at all to service life? Do you realize you'd need expected to have ADSL sites as any warrant or commissioned would? I wasn't doing solely engineering...I was tasked with many things having nothing directly related to my main tasks...writing up an accident by an enlisted junior airman where a truck was damaged for my airbase group (it wasn't his fault, I'd found, though it could've caused him a fine, and maybe an Article 15 if I'd found it otherwise, it was a snow day, and the truck lost traction, and crashed into a guard rail on a sloping parking lot)...spending a day with the base commander, an O-3 had me do that I was under then...Company Grade Officer Council (CGOC) meetings...disaster preparedness for my unit, having t brief my whole unit, which got me a plaque from my unit CO, a Vietmam War hero I chatted with for an hour after, about why I needed so long to adjust to svc life, I was quite wrung out afterward, I gotta tell ya...I found out later he'd gotten the DFC in Vietnam and flown 150 missions as an O-2 armored Piper Cub forward ai controller (FAC), among other things...charity work, helping repair recreation facilities as a volunteer, hen doing my masters, as well as profsnl mil educ (PME), specifically, USAF Squadron Ofcrs School (SOS) and USMC Command and Staff nonresident, all of which was seriously reqd...and, first and foremost, keeping a diary to organize my work, going on trips with civil servants supervising me...being reqd to work till 3 AM then be in at 8 AM the next day, to brief a GS-15 I was under, and get told I was q manifest incompetent...getting screamed at...going on permissive TDY hopping flights to try to go to a conference...doing really serious work for really serious people, who didn't have the slightest interest in my goals, aspirations, and ambitions, and need in to basically have my head practically pounded into pavement and stomped on to realize where I was, what I was doing, and why my reaonsibilties were...learning that hat svc was mu profession, not being an engineer...learning that my sole functions was to help my unit, and be above reproach at all tmes...you !at think you're seeking t be a pilot, however, you're seeking to be Army, or some other svc, and THAT is your job, flying helicopters is !merely what you MIGHT he ALLOWED to do, IF it all goes right...life in a svc has a weird way of going sideways when you least expect it, you can't plan it or control it beyond a certain point, no one can, you can he told all the stuff that's SUPPOSED to go right, but NO ONE can EVER tell you all the stuff that can go wrong, no one cam, ever....you only find that out the hard way, by often bitter, disappointing experience, all too often frequently learned at very great personal cost, to you, your family, your friends, everyone around you..don't misumdersand, I'm glad I did it, I'm glad I survived it, I just often wish I'd been WAY netter prepared, and informed, and known, way in advance, what specific questions to ask, who to ask them of...one USAF OTS recruiter tried to send me to a USAF Boomed Sci Corps (BSC) recruiter to go into the Bioenviron!mental Engrs, (BEES), which had bioengineering, and was where I should've been, I was too stupid to see he was trying to help !e, which would've saved me years of heartache, and being now total perm disabled, as a result, and that:s the Gd:s truth...understand, the sun shines, the world revolves, however, there are certain life cjamgng events...getting married...getting my clinical allied health doctorate, though, once again, I was woefully and abysmally unprepared for reality, we shut my allied health license sevl urs ago due to my disability...I'd wanted to have been a flight surgeon, or should have gone into the USPHS Commissioned Corps, which I didn't even know existed ten, any more than I knew NOAA Corps existed...my next younger brother was USMMA Kings Point, I commissioned him into USNR, he was offered Navy aviator at Pensacola, he passed on it, our Dad was offered Navy aviation Observer training and passed on it, which always nagged at him, as passing on aviator always magged at my brother...I thought to relate all that to illustrate a good many of the REAL hints you'd see, which I could only do by relating anecdotally all I'd seen, or a fair fraction of it...I'll try to send you those other sites...I'd be most eager to chat of you'd want, anytime, I hope that at least gives you some fundamental insight, I'd be most eager to hear more should you wish to elaborate about all I'd mentioned, so far as you'd see fit, honest, I hope of was all of at least some genuine help, as well, OK?

Association of the United States Army

Voice for the Army – Support for the Soldier

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Sep 14 at 2018 3:37 AM

2018-09-14T03:37:04-04:00

http://www.ocsfoundation.org

Look through this, the forum pages don't include Army WOCS, however, I think you'd find it quiw useful....

OCS Foundation

SERVICES FOR: Candidates Alumni Officer Families

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Sep 14 at 2018 3:37 AM

2018-09-14T03:37:48-04:00

http://www.IEEE.org

Look at their transactions on aerospace electronic systems....

IEEE - The world's largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology...

There are currently 1.1 billion people who live in energy poverty due to lack of access to electricity. That's why IEEE Power Electronics Society (PELS) has chosen to address this opportunity through the IEEE Empower a Billion Lives initiative:

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Sep 14 at 2018 3:38 AM

2018-09-14T03:38:26-04:00

http://www.aiaa.org

Look at this, as well, esp searching on rotary wing flight....

www.aiaa.org

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Sep 14 at 2018 3:39 AM

2018-09-14T03:39:08-04:00

http://www.afcea.org

This also, esp acoomic aspects, for rotary wing....

www.afcea.org

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Sep 14 at 2018 3:39 AM

2018-09-14T03:39:28-04:00

http://www.crows.org

This also....

www.crows.org

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Sep 14 at 2018 3:41 AM

2018-09-14T03:41:09-04:00

https://www.omao.noaa.gov/

Read this....

Office of Marine and Aviation Operations |

Learn about the NOAA Diving Program, which trains, certifies, and equips personnel to safely support underwater missions

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Sep 14 at 2018 3:42 AM

2018-09-14T03:42:29-04:00

https://www.gocoastguard.com/faq/how-do-i-become-a-coast-guard-pilot

You'll want this....

How do I become a Coast Guard pilot?

To become a Coast Guard pilot, you must first become a Coast Guard officer or be a graduate of another armed service's flight school, and have served on active duty as a military pilot. Prior service military pilots may apply for Direct Commission Aviator positions that become available semi annually. Please contact your nearest recruiter to find out when the next opening will

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Sep 14 at 2018 3:44 AM

2018-09-14T03:44:00-04:00

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Marine_Corps_Aviation

Look up USMC rotary wing, start here....

United States Marine Corps Aviation - Wikipedia

United States Marine Corps Aviation is the air component of the United States Marine Corps. Marine aviation has a very different mission and operation than its ground counterpart, and thus, has many of its own histories, traditions, terms, and procedures.

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Sep 14 at 2018 3:45 AM

2018-09-14T03:45:46-04:00

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_flight_officer

There's qnoter Wikipedia page for naval aviator, howecer, read this so you understand it, as an option, OK?

Naval flight officer - Wikipedia

A naval flight officer (NFO) is a commissioned officer in the United States Navy or United States Marine Corps who specializes in airborne weapons and sensor systems. NFOs are not pilots (naval aviators) per se, but they may perform many "co-pilot" functions, depending on the type of aircraft. Until 1966, their duties were performed by both commissioned officer and senior enlisted naval aviation observers (NAO).[1]

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Sep 14 at 2018 3:46 AM

2018-09-14T03:46:52-04:00

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weapon_systems_officer

Same with this....

Weapon systems officer - Wikipedia

A Weapon Systems Officer ("WSO", pronounced "wizzo") is an air flight officer directly involved in all air operations and weapon systems of a military aircraft.

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Sep 14 at 2018 3:47 AM

2018-09-14T03:47:40-04:00

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combat_systems_officer

And this....

Combat systems officer - Wikipedia

A combat systems officer (or CSO, differs from CSOp)[1] is a member of an aircrew in the United States Air Force and is often the mission commander in many multi-crew aircraft. The combat systems officer manages the mission and integrates systems and crew with the aircraft commander to collectively achieve and maintain situational awareness and mission effectiveness. CSOs are trained in navigation, the use of the electromagnetic spectrum, and...

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Sep 14 at 2018 3:48 AM

2018-09-14T03:48:27-04:00

I can send you way, way !ore, however, digest all that, elaborate, gave me your thoughts, and if you want more, I'll send it, OK?

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 14 at 2018 6:49 AM

2018-09-14T06:49:05-04:00

I agree with CW2 Mark, I’d speak with your recruiter, have them escort you to the nearest Army Reserve or Active Duty Post and schedule an appointment with a Senior Aviation Warrant Officer (CW3-4). I’m sure they would be more than willing to give you some of thier time. Be professional, start with an email and have a short bio/resume prepared. Let them know who you are and why you are applying to WOFT.