Officer Aviation

[Caveman]

I was just awarded a ROTC scholarship, and am wondering if some one can tell me what the junior grade Os in the aviation branch do?

 

[Snowbird]

run the fridge fund in their local hangar. . .and fly on occasion.

 

[Polar Bear]

Fly Desk

 

[Doc P]

make coffee

 

[car]

VD Control Officer

 

[Caveman]

so why if they are essentially logistics officers, dose the army send them to flight school?

 

[AWP]

They go to flight school and they do fly, but the Army in it's infinite wisdom finds additional duties for young LTs to do. If you really want stick time then you need to be a Warrant Officer. All of my OCS counterparts that got Aviation flew, but they had way more keyboard time than stick time.

 

[rv808]

They go to flight school and they do fly, but the Army in it's infinite wisdom finds additional duties for young LTs to do. If you really want stick time then you need to be a Warrant Officer. All of my OCS counterparts that got Aviation flew, but they had way more keyboard time than stick time.

Very true. My father was a Warrant Officer pilot, and flew often until his mandatory retirement.

LTs do get allot of additional duties. It can suck...but embrace the suck and enjoy it! Your days as a platoon leader are the closest you will ever get to your troops.

 

[AlphaOneSix]

Junior officers act as platoon leaders in aviation units. They don't fly as much as warrant officers, but they do fly...unless you get shafted into a staff job.

 

[Caveman]

are there any billets with the 160th SOAR for junior officers, and would they be able to tryout for SF once they make captain?

 

[AWP]

I don't think that the Aviation Branch will release you to go SF. Too much money invested in letting you fly to let you reclass into a whole other branch.

 

[AWP]

To add to my post above:
Here is the current application process for a prospective SF Officer:
http://www.bragg.army.mil/specialforces/Application.htm

Target Year Group. The current target year group is YG 2006 male officers.

If you commissioned as an Aviation Branch LT in 2006 you would have graduated flight school approvximately 6 months ago. The Aviation Officers Basic Course is around 18 months long and is considered a PCS move. While I can find no information specifically stating that an Aviation Branch O can't apply for SF I think it is highly unlikely that 6-12 months into your aviation career your branch will release you.

For an O to get to the 160th (which is where an Aviation O will want to go) you need to look at this:
http://www.campbell.army.mil/newinternet/UnitPages/SpecialForces/officerFAQ.htm

Question: Is there a minimum on how many flight hours you have to have to apply?

Answer: There is NO minimum on how many flight hours you need to apply.

http://www.campbell.army.mil/newinternet/UnitPages/SpecialForces/recruit_officer.htm

I hope that clears some things up.

 

[AWP]

are there any billets with the 160th SOAR for junior officers, and would they be able to tryout for SF once they make captain?

Marauder06 can answer this better than I but I think most of the O's have time in another unit before going to the 160th. For example, an MI Officer will have time doing that job for a few years before showing up in the 160th. Same with the Signal Officers and other supporting MOS'.


Officer slots in the 160th:
http://www.campbell.army.mil/newinternet/UnitPages/SpecialForces/officerFAQ.htm

Question: What MOS's can apply to the 160th?

Answer: Here are the MOS's assigned to the 160th.

Commissioned MOS's
15 D,I,J,N,Y,G,Q
25C,35D,41A,42B,45A,51A,55A,56A,61N,73B,74B,92A,92B,92D,97A
Warrant Officers
151,152,153,154,251,350,351,420,915,918,920A7,920B7

Also, there are some support slots in SF Battalions for O's right out of OBC. They are rare, but they do happen. Those career fields are MI, Quartermaster, and Signal and with a new TO&E there may be other slots as well, I'm not sure.

Hope that helps.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=160th+soar+officer+application