Please Help me find the QUICKEST route

Hello all, a friend of mine from another forum lead me to this forum b/c he knew the plan that I was trying to accomplish.

Here is my situation.

I am 25yrs old, I have 15 hours credit from a community college from back in 1996. I am married, 2 kids, and a store manager for a Car Audio and Auto Glass Retailer.

I have had a dream since I was a little kid to fly a F-16 for the Air Force. Well, being that I am 25, I am running out of time.

I am trying to figure out the VERY FASTEST way to get a degree in ANYTHING so that I can go in as an officer. Otherwise, I won't qualify to fly, b/c you HAVE to be an officer.

Any help in showing me the QUICKEST route to getting an associates will be GREATLY appreciated


Allen

 

Why not try a Bachelors'? You might want to visit Lawrie Miller's site at http://www.geocities.com/ba_in_4_weeks/

I'm sure other forum members will offer some good advice.

 

My favorite piece of advice for fast credits -

I would look at the military passing rates for CLEP/DANTES/ECE exams and started with the exams with the highest passing rates that I knew something about. Start with those tests for easy credit and make them fit into a degree plan. I had the greatest luck with Charter Oak State College

passing rate links-
http://www.dantes.doded.mil/dantes_web/examinations/dssts.htm

http://www.dantes.doded.mil/dantes_web/examinations/clepgeneral.htm

http://www.dantes.doded.mil/dantes_web/examinations/clepsubject.htm

http://www.dantes.doded.mil/dantes_web/examinations/ece2.htm

Best of luck.

 

Excelsior College

Excelsior College is a good option. You can finish your degree through testing, DANTES, CLEP and Excelsior exams, and finish quickly. Excelsior is regionally accredited and the military is very familiar with it (it is included in a variety of military education brochures). If you want a military commission you'll likely need an accredited school. Thomas Edison State College and Charter Oak State College are also popular. However, I can speak from personal experience about Excelsior College. A Liberal Studies degree is a flexible option.

 

Can you become an officer w/ just an associate's? Or was this going to be a starting point for you?

Best Regards,
Bill

 

Have you spoken with the Air Force

Allen,

Have you spoken with an Air Force Officer recruiter?

You should be able to find contact information here:

http://www.airforce.com

It would be a good idea to discuss your education plan with an officer recruiter to ensure it meets the requirements of the Air Force.

FYI. The Navy does not assign aviators to a community (helos, jets, maritime patrol, etc.) until after completion of initial flight training. The Air Force may have a similar policy. The Air Force Officer recruiter will be the best person to answer this and other questions.

There are many other careers available in the Air Force, if your "jet jockey" dreams do not come to be.

Your desire to serve is admirable. Good luck.

 

Also, you could enlist and work your way toward becoming an officer. The Air Force has a decent tuition assistance program and you can meet people who have actually taken the path you want to take. Just be aware that fighter pilot slots are highly competitive. Would you be content flying anything other than fighters?

By the way you WILL need a bachelor's to become an Air Force Officer. Also, a somewhat technical degree may give you a slight advantage as you compete for a slot.

If I were not such an old, crusty, decrepit, broken down and hobbled 35 yo enlisted person, I might give it a shot myself.

Good luck and be nice to the maintenance pukes....without them you'll be just a pedestrian in an odd looking jumpsuit.

 

Re: Have you spoken with the Air Force

He is, indeed, running out of time. He'll have to be commissioned within the next couple of years in order to be eligible to fly. That means completing a degree, then taking the AFOQT, getting accepted to Officer Training School, then having his class begin, then get through it, then graduate after the 93-day course. Even after graduation, he'll have to pass FSPOT (a 4-week flight screening program). And everything is based on the huge assumption that:

1. He'll have a good enough academic record.
2. He'll otherwise qualify physically, test-wise, and pass a background check.
3. He'll compete successfully against other potential candidates.
4. The Air Force needs pilots at the time he applies.
5. He gets it all done before turning 27.

Believe me (and I have direct, relevant experience in this area), getting a degree is the least of his challenges.

The Air Force splits people between helicopters and fixed-wing prior to sending them to flight school. It also splits them between pilots and navigators before sending them. Each school is entirely different.

(My experiences are now 7 years old, so if I'm off on one point or another, sorry. But you get the idea.)

 

He won't have time. He's got less than 2 years to get it all done. Otherwise, I wholeheartedly agree with enlisting in order to complete one's education.

 

Not in the Air Force.

 

You'll require a bachelor's degree to qualify for Officer Training School. And you'll have to be commissioned by age 27, IIRC. That assumes you're otherwise qualified, can compete successfully for a slot, and the Air Force needs pilots when you apply.

The quickest available routes to a degree rest with "the big three":

www.excelsior.edu
www.tesc.edu
www.cosc.edu

I'm afraid you're too late to start working on this dream.

 

Not going to argue w/ the fact that I am going to have to have a BA. But the age to be commisioned and apply for Pilot Program is 28 1/2. I found it on the web site.

Gonna talk to a recruiter (advisor as the AF calls it today), will let you guys know what he says.


Allen

 

If it is indeed 28 1/2, I apologize for the mistake. The rest of my cautions still apply, however. But it would give you more time.

 

I came of age in the ‘60s when military service wasn’t an option. We have similar interests and I seriously entertained tossing my hat in the ring for flight school. A major greaser, I think I knew how to use a torque wrench before I could read. I applied to both the Air Force and Navy which required a series of rigorous medical and psychological evaluations. While I passed the tests, in the end I couldn’t get behind the idea of trading six years for wings so I met my military obligation as an Air Guard EM. I eventually became a psychologist and, in retrospect, I realize those assessments measured hardwired abilities like night vision and visuospatial functions. I remember items like a series of plates depicting the horizon from which the examinee was to determine the movement of the aircraft. The tests were really tough and you weren’t permitted aids like using your hand to simulate movement although I was able to achieve the same purpose with my foot which went undetected by the proctor. My point is, degree aside, there are some very stringent requirements for aspiring pilots and aviators. One suggestion is to talk to the recruiters to see if you might be able to take the tests to ensure you have the right wiring. My other thought is to think about Army aviation. When I came along it was possible to become an Army warrant officer pilot with only a high school diploma and, for me, it looks like it would be very cool to pilot an aircraft like an Apache or a Blackhawk.

 

Maybe you should consider getting an AS in Criminal Justice at Crown College. Their program can be completed in 14 months, and it is completely online. Check out their website at http://www.crowncollege.edu

 

That wouldn't be a bad idea, but I'm looking more for FOUR MONTHS vs FOURTEEN MONTHS.....


Aj