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Careers: Military--Army, Navy, Airforce, Marines, Coast Guard/Rotary Pilot Transition
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Question
Hello, I am a CW2 in the army, and have been flying Apaches for 4 years now. I am slowly coming up on the end of my 6 year obligation that i incurred after becoming a rotary aviator, and am looking to weigh my options. I am pretty sure that I want to stay in the military, however I am trying to explore if there is an option to switch services. I have asked around post, and gotten mixed information, and I can't seem to get a straight answer out of any recruiters on the specifics. In my time in the Army, which total will be 11 years at the time that my obligation is over(which puts me over the limit for the coast guard direct commissioning program), I have received my BS in Professional Aeronautics. I would love to go fixed winged, however rotary would be fine as well. Any information on the matter will be greatly appreciated!
Hi Steve,
If you were applying for a commission in the Air Force, Navy, or Marine Corps, then it would be possible. You could apply (through an officer recruiter) for OCS/OTS, and -- if accepted -- you could have a "Conditional Release" approved, and be discharged early in order to attend OCS/OTS (OCS for the Navy and Marine Corps, OTS for the Air Force).
However, the Coast Guard does not fall under the Department of Defense (it's under the Department of Homeland Security), so you can't do this. In order to join the Coast Guard under their direct commissioning program, you would have to complete your Army commitment, separate from the Army, and then apply for a Coast Guard commission under the Direct Commissioning Program.
For more information about the United States Military, feel free to visit my U.S. Military information site at: http://usmilitary.about.com
Hope this helps!
Rod Powers
http://usmilitary.about.com
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Answers by Expert:
Rod Powers
Expertise
Rod Powers is considered one of the premire experts about U.S. Military career information on the planet. He has more than 30,000 articles about U.S. Military career information on the About.com U.S. Military Careers Information website at: http://usmilitary.about.com. Additionally, he is the author of "ASVAB for Dummies," "ASVAB AFQT for Dummies," (available in Dec 2009), and "Veteran Benefits for Dummies," all published by Wiley Publishing. He is also the author of "Barrons' Guide to Officer Candidate School Tests," published by Barron's Educational Series.
Experience
Rod Powers is a retired Air Force first sergeant, with 23 years of active duty service, 11 of those years as an Air Force First Sergeant. He has helped thousands of military members, recruits, and military applicants since he took over the About.com U.S Military Careers Information site in 1999. He has a reputation for "telling it like it is," so questions may not be answered based on "what you want to hear," but will be answered based of the bast available information, concerning the service/situation.
Education/Credentials
Rod is a distinguished graduate of the Air Force Noncommissioned Officers Academy, the Air Force Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy, and the Air Force First Sergeant Academy. He also holds an Associates Degree in Personnel Administration from the Community College of the Air Force (CCAF).
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