HAWAII ANG for ATC

wrexpert Newcomer

Im in hawaii and i talked to one recruiter on the phone today for ang atc. They said there was no slots available. He said there won't be for at least 6 months to a year. Is this true? I really want to be an atc Im 24 and time is running out for me. ANG is my only option. Any suggestions on a surefire way of getting a slot. Please help my life is meaningless and this seems like the only route i want to take and have ever decided to really pursue. thanks

fletchrush17 Rookie

find christ/allah/buddah

Special_K Junior Member

Unfortunately, if a unit has no slots there is not much you can do about it. Is your goal to become a FAA controller? Here are some other options:

1.) Find out which ANG units have immediate openings for controllers and join one of them.
2.) Wait on Hawaii to have more slots. In all honesty, a six month to year wait isn't too bad if getting slots to follow on schools goes smoothly. Keep in touch with the recruiter, as sometimes people take hardship discharges or get out early. It is VERY easy to get out before the terms of a ANG contract have been fulfilled compared to active duty.
3.) Find a cheap community college with a CTI program and enroll there.

I guess the big question is how willing are you to move in order to fulfill this dream of yours. While in training to be ATC in the ANG you will have a full time job. Once you complete training and go into traditional status, you will need to find something else. You may be able to volunteer for temporary tours which usually last six months or less at the unit or you can volunteer for deployments. You could also do the "guard bum" thing and go from temporary job to temporary job if that's your thing. Travel will be great and if you have nothing else holding you down it would be fun and I think worthwhile. A deployment is highly recommended if you plan on applying to the FAA as it'll give you five veteran's preferance points.

Bottom line is you have a lot more options than you think. If you're willing to move just about anywhere, I'm sure there are multiple ANG units with immediate openings for ATC. Hope everything works out for you.

SSgt Young StuckMic Marine Corps Liaison California

Join a branch of the military. We always have slots available for atc and you can get your cti quals out of the way before you are 29/30.

chris13650 Senior Member

Call other ANG locations around the USA join with them through your hawaii location

wrexpert Newcomer

fletchrush17: I started to go to church again and i want christ in my life. I believe he's telling me that the ANG is my path.

Special_K: Thanks for the info I really appreciate it you totally didn't have to reply but you did so thank you. I do want to join the faa as soon as possible. That's why i know that i cant join air force or any other branch because it would cut the age limit deadline way to close. I like the idea of joining air guard in another state that has an opening. How will this work? Is my only option to move? How can I join through my Hawaii location like chris13650 said. How does this work too?

I am really serious about becoming a ATC through military because thats the only way for me. I don't have the money for AT-CTI school. I have my A.A. and it took me forever to get and I'm still attending college but i just know that it's not for me. I know that if i got a slot for atc i could do it. I'll do anything to get a slot. Please help.

Special_K Junior Member

More than likely you would need to at least temporarily move. I know what chris13650 is referring to, but I've only ever seen that done with people who were in a unit and later on moved further away. Essentially you do your drills with another ATC squadron while still belonging to a different squadron. Usually this seems to be used as a temporary fix until either the member gets out or fully transfers to the unit he/she is now closer to. But I do know of one person who was doing this for a number of years now.

While in upgrade training you will need to either be trained at the guard unit or sent elsewhere. Typically those sent elsewhere are radar controllers where the unit has documented need of radar controllers but doesn't actually have the ability to fully train them. For example, a unit with a mobile RAPCON but no fixed base RAPCON and thus no airspace or just a GCA.

Once you are done with your training, than you will more than likely become a DSG (drill status guardsman)/traditional guardsman unless you are able to snag full time work. Then it doesn't matter where you live as long as you can make drills. However, most units are flexible and may allow you to bunch a quarter's worth of drills into a week, so all you might need to do is come up once a week every quarter to get your time. This could be especially useful to you as flying back and forth between Hawaii and the continental US would get very expensive. Like chris13650 mentioned, they may even let you do some of your drills with the Hawaii unit if you still want to live there.

There are a lot of options when it comes to the guard, and it would be almost impossible to go over all of them with you on a message board. You would need to talk to a unit with openings and a recruiter and maybe they could help you out with a plan that would work best for you and the unit. Regardless, you will probably at least need to temporarily move to complete some training.

schanii Newcomer

The problem with HI ANG ATC is there's only a handful.. and they're all officers. Without a college degree you're pretty much SOL. Aside from that it isn't going to help you be a controller because they don't hold FAA licenses, they just do air intercept control. The Navy does the controlling before they are established in the warning areas.

Special_K Junior Member

You're referring to a completely different AFSC (NEC in Navy speak) than air traffic control. What you have just described is an air battle manager/weapons director. You're right though, ABMs or their enlisted counterparts are NOT air traffic controllers and abide by completely different sets of rules when working with aircraft.

schanii Newcomer

Well, either way, in Hawaii there's only Bradshaw (Big Island) that provides services and they're mostly Army controllers. Wheeler is only Army & contractors.