Is it true that you do not have to have a college degree to be an aviator warrant officer in the U.S. Army?

Anthony Price — Mon, 16 Aug 2021 17:40:41 -0400

Response by CW3 Chuck Eastman made Aug 16 at 2021 5:48 PM

CW3 Chuck Eastman — Mon, 16 Aug 2021 17:48:29 -0400

True statement. As you progress in rank, they'll encourage you to get a degree to be more competitive for promotion, but it's not required to get the ball rolling. Heck...I finished my degree when I was 39!

Response by MAJ Ronnie Reams made Aug 16 at 2021 6:30 PM

MAJ Ronnie Reams — Mon, 16 Aug 2021 18:30:37 -0400

Yes, In fact at one time, and maybe even now, there was a From High School to flight school slogan.

Response by SFC Jeremy Boyd made Aug 16 at 2021 9:13 PM

SFC Jeremy Boyd — Mon, 16 Aug 2021 21:13:12 -0400

It is correct that you don't require a college degree to become an Aviation Warrant Officer, but if you are looking to enlist through the WOFT program from the civilian side first, then it would be of great value to you to have at least some college under your belt. To enlist for WOFT you are required to have a high school diploma at minimum, but being non-prior service you will have to attend a WOFT board conducted by your local recruiting Battalion headquarters, and I believe the approval authority if you pass the board is still the office of the Commanding General of USAREC.

There are only so many WOFT slots open to compete for in a given fiscal quarter or year, and there will be far more applicants than slots available. Those who already have college degrees and/or civilian rotary wing flight hours under their belts will be far more competitive than those without. If you do have any college completed already, my advice would be to attempt to at least complete a Certificate of Completion or an Associate Degree first before applying.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 17 at 2021 8:16 PM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 17 Aug 2021 20:16:11 -0400

I would go ahead and submit if you’re interested. It may look daunting, but you do not need a college degree. If you are not selected they will send you their suggestions on how you can best improve your packet. Strong test scores, letters of recommendation, and work history can go a long way.

Response by CW3 Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 18 at 2021 9:51 AM

CW3 Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 18 Aug 2021 09:51:03 -0400

That is true. Even better is that army flight school might yield college credit later. I was part way though a BS in Aviation Technology when I attended flight school. Army flight school translated to 33 credits (though my university only accepted up to 30 credits from the military) which shaved an entire year off of college. I had to do some leg work to get the university to adhere to their own polices and accept the credits.

Response by CW2 Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 18 at 2021 9:48 PM

CW2 Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 18 Aug 2021 21:48:21 -0400

No college required. But it always helps get selected.

Response by MSgt Frank Askins made Aug 19 at 2021 6:49 AM

MSgt Frank Askins — Thu, 19 Aug 2021 06:49:28 -0400

When I was at the induction center in 1968, I had signed up for the Air Force. Before we actually took the oath, the Army folks called four of us into a meeting where they encouraged us, 18 year old HS grads, to join the Army instead of the Air Force. Seems they were impressed with out test scores. It sounded like a good deal on the surface because they promised to make each of us a Warrant Officer instead of E-1's and showed us how much more money we would receive each month and also mentioned that those other recruits would have to salute us. The real kicker, they thought, was that they would teach us to fly helicopters. While the offer was tempting, none of us took it for one reason or another. For those who don't know their history, Vietnam was raging during this time and the probable life expectation of a new helicopter pilot in 'Nam were not very good. That had nothing to do with my decision to stay with the Air Force. My decision was based on my oldest brother already being in the Air Force. He was my idol as far back as I can remember and I wanted to be like him.

Ironically, after Vietnam was over I met several SSgt's who were previous W/O's who flew choppers during Vietnam. They were no longer needed as pilots and had been reduced to enlisted grades and given other jobs. In the long run, my Air Force career developed into a very productive career in cyber security with the Federal government. I doubt that would have happened if I had decided to join the Army instead of following my big brother.

Response by WO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 4 at 2021 8:53 PM

WO1 Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 04 Sep 2021 20:53:39 -0400

yes but there are other requirements that far surpass a degree (depending on MOS).

Response by CW2 Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 16 at 2021 6:50 AM

CW2 Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 16 Sep 2021 06:50:27 -0400

Correct. Haven't needed one for a long time.