In my special situation, will I be able to become an Army Warrant Officer?

Sgt Austin Janutol — Wed, 02 May 2018 13:20:33 -0400

Good Morning Ladies and Gentlemen,

I served 8 years 7 months in the United States Marine Corps, prior to attending the university i am currently attending full time at. After talking with recruiters, looking at chat forums, watching YouTube videos, and reading the prereq's, i still feel like i am in the "gray" area when it comes to being able to be selected as a pilot. I will skip the whole "I really desired to be a pilot speech" for if i didn't dream of being a pilot why would i be searching for answers in this forum then. My concerns are the following:

1. Though i have years of enlisted service in the USMC as an Infantry Squad Leader, I just turned 29 years old with 2-3 years left of education until i am able to receive my bachelors degree in Criminal Justice. Will being 29 years old (currently) hinder my chances to be a helo pilot?

2. I am currently going through a divorce, and have 1 child-- which i hope to be able to have joint legal and physical custody. Will me being a "single parent" affect my ability to become a pilot? When i was looking at the Army's WO program, they said it was impossible for me to be active duty helo pilot because of this. It caught me off guard, but i began to worry that the Airforce would go the same direction. In fact, the recruiter stated that i would have to pretty much give up my custody in order to fly and be a helo pilot active duty. This isn't even up for questioning, i wouldn't choose the military over my son.

3. I am currently getting together Letters of Recommendation from my old commands, mostly from commissioned officers.

4. What can I do now, besides doing as best I can in school, to prepare for this? I know I want to retake the ASVAB, take the SIFT, and will maintain being physically fit, but I am looking for a mentor that could potentially help me head in the right direction.

Thank you for taking the time to read my message, I understand if you aren't willing or able to respond.

Respectfully,

Austin

Response by CW2 Private RallyPoint Member made May 2 at 2018 1:30 PM

CW2 Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 02 May 2018 13:30:45 -0400

I’m going to answer your questions based off the order:

1. No your age will not affect your ability to complete WOCS or be accepted as a pilot. I am 30 (almost 31) and I recently just completed the school.

2. Based off what I know and hear from other pilots, being a pilot can sometimes take you away from your family due to training and deployments (as prior military, you should expect this). I don’t think it would completely remove you from your child’s life. It hasn’t for me. I think your recruiter needs to do his research.

3. I could be wrong but I believe LOR’s have to be within a year of serving under the recommenders (besides the senior WO)

4. Study for the SIFT (get a study guide off Amazon), continue your bachelors degree, complete the GT improvement, maybe grab a FAA handbook for helicopters to gain general knowledge on aviation, and continue to get into shape.

If you need any more advice I’d be glad to help you.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made May 2 at 2018 2:02 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 02 May 2018 14:02:09 -0400

1. You must be 18 years old at the time of enlistment and no older than 33. (Applicants must not have passed their 33rd birthday at the time of enlistment).

2. I don't know about active duty, but in the Guard I know pilots that are single parents. The one major hurdle with that would be the year and a half of WOCS and Flight School. A WO recruiter would be able to answer that question with a much higher level of certainty.

3. LOR Requirements: All In-Service applicants must have a digitally signed letter of recommendation from an Army Aviator (CW3 to CW5) currently serving (Not Retired). In-Service Applicants may supplement (not replace) the Army Aviator (CW3-CW5) LOR with hand signed LOR's from Retired Army Aviators as desired. Active or Retired Army Aviator LOR’s for Non-In-Service applicants (WOFT) is encouraged but not required. If the unit commander or above is a field grade aviator, the aviator interview may be part of the commander's endorsement. In this case, the commander's endorsement must contain the same statement required for the aviator interview. Use a memorandum format and start with the statement I have interviewed (your name) and find (he/she) has the needed personal characteristics, motivation, physical stamina, and qualifications to be appointed a U.S. Army Reserve warrant officer and appears acceptable for selection into the WOFT program as a warrant officer candidate. Applicants from other military services may be interviewed by a field grade aviator from their branch of service if an Army aviator is not readily available. Army aviators will conduct the interviews whenever possible.

4. Get the study materials for the ASVAB and the SIFT to prepare yourself. My biggest piece of advice is don't drag your feet or make excuses. 4 years isn't a long time so you need to get the ball rolling.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made May 2 at 2018 3:07 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 02 May 2018 15:07:45 -0400

I can tell you why you are getting conflicting stories. There are 2 main routes to become a pilot in the Army. One is for active duty service members and the other is for those who are not. If your not on active duty then you need to find an Army recruiter and in your case I would do it quick. If you can get boarded and selected while your still legally married then your good you can handle the rest of it on the back end. If you are a single parent and have to meet non active duty standards you will be disqualified. A recruiter cannot tell you to give up custody of your child or even hint at it. Also if it is found that you relinquished your custody for the sole pourpose of meeting qualifications you can be disqualified.

Response by WO1 Private RallyPoint Member made May 8 at 2018 10:32 AM

WO1 Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 08 May 2018 10:32:38 -0400

All good responses however the main barrier might be the age at this point. I was recently trying to help a prior service (PS) Marine in the IRR make a move to aviation repair. A fellow senior enlisted soldier currently in recruiting stated that for PS personnel trying to come back or transfer over, the cutoff age of 35 is altered for PS to equal to the cutoff age minus your years of AD. In your case, that would be 27. Warrant Officer requirements can differ and most everything is able to be waived, but I would contact your Warrant Officer recruiter to verify if this would apply to you. You should be good considering you haven't hit your early 30's yet. Best of luck and feel free to reach out to me directly if you would like more information.

Response by CW3 Kevin Storm made May 8 at 2018 12:01 PM

CW3 Kevin Storm — Tue, 08 May 2018 12:01:06 -0400

Keep in mind both the Guard and Reserves have Flight Warrants. Find a unit near you and talk to them. This would give you the chance to finish school and go flight.

Response by CW4 Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 19 at 2020 6:49 PM

CW4 Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 19 Feb 2020 18:49:46 -0500

Sgt Austin Janutol shoot me a message and we can figure out your beat course of action. A lot of your questions are based on what ifs and may not come to fruition. While you situation is unique none of it is insurmountable. I will try to help you get solid answers from the warrant officer recruiters and answer any other questions you may have.