Expert: Howard Lorenz - 4/3/2009

Question
QUESTION: hello my name is jarrett smith and i was reading a answer you did for a
young man, i think his name was steven. He asked if he could do the army
rotc scholarship and then switch to the air force. I have been wanting to be an
Air Force pilot very bad. The only problem is my parents. They hate the fact
that i want to do it and the fact that i want to go to the air force academy,
and the fights are getting ridiculous. I have almost come to accept that the
air force academy is just not in the cards for me because of my family. It is
not worth tearing my family apart to me. Now to my question. I am looking at
going to either texas tech university, where they have a af rotc, or Tarleton
state university, where they have a Army rotc program. I want to go to
Tarleton as my first choice, but, as you can guess, i cant do AFROTC there. I
want to know if i can get a air force commission if i DO NOT get a
scholarship for army rotc at Tarleton. I want to be a fighter pilot, and i am
working at getting a private license right now. I just want to know my
options, and if it is possible to get a cross commission like it is at the
academies. thank you so much for all of your help sir.

ANSWER: Jarrett,

This is where I usually get myself in to trouble. Family squabbles can be risky, especially where I offer advise to folks like you who hare being torn between what YOU wnat to do and what the family wants..!!

This is my advise to you ... Take it for what its worth..

I know that there is some degree of family pride, but I have to put my foot down to families who do not consider what the child wants in their career..

So here it goes... Jarrett, You are the one who has to live with the decisions you make...NOT YOUR FAMILY!! If you want to be a Fighter Pilot...Then BE A FIGHTER PILOT!! Dont be one of those guys like me who Hemed & Hawed over what I should do vs what my family wanted..

What I have learned from in the past is that the family may not like what you chose to do...But you have to live with the decision you made and LIKE the job you ended up with!! The family will come around when they see that you are successful at what YOU chose to do!!

GO DO WHAT YOU WANT TO DO... GO FLY PLANES IF THATS WHAT YOU WANT TO DO...LIFES TOO SHORT TO WORRY ABOUT WHAT OTHERS WANT YOU TO DO!!

Just remember to tell them you love them...and that you're happy, they will get over it eventually... if not They are wrong!!

H

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: thanks a lot for your help. That is pretty much how i have been thinking of it,
but it is tough after my Dad told me he would not speak to me if I did it. But lets
say i did not go to the USAFA. What would my options be. Thank you again.

Answer
Just because you didnot go to the USAFA doesnt mean you cant become a pilot, you just have to apply differently. COntact your local recruiting office to have them put you in touch with the Officer Recruiting department to get the specifics on flight school or go to www.airforce.com and request an advisor to contact you...

Happy Flying!!


H

PS Your dad will be pissed as all hell for a while, but he will come around.. Once he sees you flying a jet, how could he not?