Pat,
I am glad you are finding the forum to be useful. Let us know how we can help you.
Chris
Moustafa,
Just to add to what Adam said. From what I’ve personally seen from the 15-20 military pilots that have made the transition to the majors it looks pretty painless. They usually get their log book cleaned up and put into a format the airline log book reviewer likes then go out and get an ATP-CTP on their own during leave. Don’t get me wrong these guys put tremendous effort into their applications and interview prep so it’s not easy but there aren’t any additional hoops for them.
From other posts I see you’re in High school. I’m not going to deter you from the military route but please make sure you understand you know what that means. College degree (4 years), flight school (2-3 years depending on platform) then you have an service obligation which depends on which branch and platform you select. Oh and by the way none of that is guaranteed no matter what the recruiter tells you. You could make it all the way to flight school and be placed in UAVs. Guys I work with have to serve eight years AFTER they get their wings so around 10 years of service before you can get out. The pay is pretty good and the benefits are amazing but they come at a cost of being deployed away from family and friends, long hours, etc. It’s been a great career and I love serving but if you’re going to join the military for the sole purpose to get “free” flight training and log hours to get to the airlines I don’t recommend it.
What I do LOVE is your motivation. I can’t say I was reaching out on forums about my future career when I was in High School. The world is your oyster!
-Jason
Thanks so much Jason! I am indeed a high school student and I’ve been looking at how to achieve my dream of being an airline pilot. Thanks to the AWESOME people who post and share experiences on this site I’ve been able to learn so much about the path to achieving my goals. (Some other forums are full of trolls and overly biased opinions.)
As to the military, I am not really sure yet whether it is the right path for me. I am just looking at that as a potential option for me in the future. To be clear, I would never view flying for the armed forces as “free flight training,” and I actually would be so proud/honored to serve my country. I am just not sure if its the right path for me, so I was just exploring my options.
Thanks for your great input again, Jason, and thanks also for your service!
I want to reiterate what Jason mentioned earlier. If you are unsure if the military is for you, then don’t do it. It is a different lifestyle and is definitely not for everyone, but there are great benefits, and it looks great on a resume. Just remember if you go active it’s 4 years until you can get out, and guard is 6. I’d recommend active, because I was guard, but my deployment and training time took up 2 years of my 6. I wish I went active, why make it a part time job when you can have your job with the service of your choosing.
Guard is a hassle in the end.
Thanks, this is awesome information!
Jason,
I just stumbled upon this thread some 6 years after your initial post. Im in a similar position and curious how everything has worked out for you. Was COVID much of a “curveball” for you?
Im a ‘00 Prowler NFO, but transitioned to FAO. Only had about 1000 hrs and plan to retire in 2027. Just got my PPL and flying for fun. Going on my last overseas tour soon and unlikely to fly in that 3 year stretch. Will try to use VR&E and GI Bill to get ratings, hrs, etc.
Would love to hear how your story has panned out.
V/r,
Mez
Mez,
Since Jason hasn’t posted in 5yrs, I’m thinking it’s optimistic to think he’ll respond now.
Since you can’t fly for 3yrs there’s not much you can do now. That said if you have any questions please feel free.
Adam
Hi Adam,
Roger. I was hoping the forum would send him an email or some tipper that someone had posted…
Thanks for replying.
My best,
Mez
Mez,
Well, maybe just maybe, Jason has his preferences set to email him when someone pings on the thread. Time will tell us. 
Brady