Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Pilot Select doing JAG instead comments

To answer your question of whether Top Gun has heard of anyone set to do pilot training but then going to JAG instead is No. This is his advice though. Call the Chief Recruiting Attorney, Captain Laura DeSio at 1-800-JAG-USAF (800-524-8723) or email her any questions at laura.desio@pentagon.af.mil

Pilots who begin pilot training but then decide that they don't want to be pilots could be discharged from the Air Force. Top Gun says if you want to do JAG and just came out of ROTC then he'd suggest getting out of the Air Force for an education delay, go to law school, then apply for JAG. Another route could be FLEP, Funding Legal Education Program which you could ask the recruiting JAG officer about.

Good Luck with your decision. We are surrounded by Pilots in training at our base!

5 comments:

  1. Thanks for the advice. I'm glad I asked the question here first. I didn't know they were discharging for that. I have had some friends who just got reassigned in the past.

    I have looked into the FLEP program, but if I were to be discharged it would be of no use. Also I think it is too late for an educational delay. I will have to use the contact information you gave and look into it.

    Also, after reading through a good amount of your posts, I think we are stationed at the same base.

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  2. Pilots get reassigned when they fail out of the course or are deemed medically unable to be a pilot. But if you just say, hey I don't want to be a pilot anymore, then they generally discharge you.

    Do you like Texas? If you are already stationed here awaiting Pilot Training then I would definietly call that number and get her advice.

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  3. Yea I guess the AF wouldn't hold it against you if you couldn't take the demands of pilot training, but to quit is something different entirely. My only worry, if I did happen to fail out, is I'm not sure how good that would look on the FLEP application...Sorry just thinking out loud.

    Texas is great!!! How do you like it??

    Thanks again. I will use that contact information today to see what my options are.

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  4. Hey!! So Top Gun read my post and I changed what I wrote. You won't automatically get discharged but you could potentially be discharged. Sorry about the misleading comment earlier. Let me know how your phone call went.

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  5. Thank you for all your help. I am not sure what they would do in my case. They paid for my college so they may want me to continue service somehow.

    I emailed Captain Desio and here is what the result came down to.

    I can apply for the Funded Legal Education Program or the Excess Leave Program. Typically, you are not able to apply until after you have two years of active duty and will be released by your career field. There are even more restrictions for Pilots. AFI 51-101 para 2.4.4. notes that if you are rated and on flying status, as of the first day of classes you must have served 3 years from the date of completion of the training which resulted in the award of an aeronautical rating.

    So I could complete pilot training, fly for 3 years, then hopefully be accepted for JAG. I am still in contact with her and will update you on any other information. I am still contemplating my options...

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