What are some tips on how I can transfer from Active Duty Army to Active Duty Air Force?

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 15 Apr 2020 17:49:12 -0400

Good afternoon,

I served in the Air National Guard from 2011 to 2017 and soon after pursued the Army to try and provide a life for my wife and newborn son. As I'm almost in my reenlistment window; I am seeing that the quality of life in the Air Force and job progression was far better in the Air Force than in the Army. For background information, I am a 12T (Technical Engineer) assigned to Fort Bliss; never so much as touched a total station since AIT.

My question is this: as I'm finding it harder to get into the Air Force from the Army, are there folks who have successfully made the transistion and how do I begin?

Thank you for your help!

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 15 at 2020 9:18 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 15 Apr 2020 21:18:00 -0400

You should pick a different MOS. 12T is so over strength that it's on the precision retention program and SL1 have to request an exception from HRC just to reenlist.

As for the Air Force, you will need to be out of the Army with a DD214 in hand until they can process you. Be careful of AF recruiters because they love to tell Army people they can out them into the AF and they will give you a DD368 Conditional Release, telling you that you can be released early. They may or may not have a job for you, but they will usually tell you that they can get you in. As for the DD368, it doesn't apply to AD and you will have to have your 214 in hand and be completely ETS'ed before you can go to the MEPS.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 16 at 2020 6:02 AM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 16 Apr 2020 06:02:32 -0400

Another option would be to go back to the Air Guard or Air reserve to prevent a break in service and work to get activated or go active duty.

Response by SPC Erich Guenther made Apr 16 at 2020 12:47 PM

SPC Erich Guenther — Thu, 16 Apr 2020 12:47:22 -0400

I did observe an Active Duty Marine transfer over to Active Duty Army without a break in service. So that path can be done but it does as others have claimed mean the specific Marine had to be at the end of their Marine enlistment. And it involved TDY, timing of his Marine seperation and terminal leave along with his future unit opening. He pulled that off about 2005 or 2006. They flew him to a seperate Army base just to get new Army uniforms and CIF issue, then flew him to his Active Army unit. He had to do all the research himself to find out how it was done. Never heard of it from Army to Air Force. One thing you might consider is the Armys early release program they have for ROTC. They drop the last 2-3 months of your contracted enlistment if you sign a contracted ROTC position with a University ROTC detachment. If you want to make that happen forget about Active Duty anybody. You have to contact the ROTC Commander at the University you want to attend and they will advise you of next steps. In regards to your original wish of Active Duty Army to Active Duty Air Force without a break in service. IF that can be done..........nobody in Active Army or was in Active Army will usually know anything about it. You do need to contact someone in the Air Force that has followed that path or a USAF Recruiter that has knowledge in that area (lots of work on your part there). BTW, I explored all this way back in 1987 when I left the Army. Nobody back then had a clue in Active Army about the ROTC early out program because it is not the Regular Army's focus to help Soldiers about to ETS......they only really knew the retention to Active Army options. It's you on your own doing the phone calls and legwork yourself. So I interviewed with the ROTC Commander (a Major). He stated quite candidly, "Don't worry about your CO or 1SG, I am skilled at making this happen and it will happen if you sign up".

Response by TSgt George Austin made Apr 16 at 2020 2:59 PM

TSgt George Austin — Thu, 16 Apr 2020 14:59:55 -0400

Find a good recruiter, means an older one, find out what he likes to drink and bring a couple of expensive brands when you meet. Start in March for the 1 Oct open window. They limit acceptance to just a few hundred per year so Oct 2 they are gone for the year. Be willing to go anywhere cause any reason to deny will be used. Get ready to lose 1 grade in rank. Once you are in, means sworn in, go party cause the force is sooooo different than the Army. Been there, done it. Start NOW or it will be too late.