Newbie here!

sailor_pianist Senior Member Birmingham, AL

Hello everyone!

My name is Tarria and I'm enlisting in the U.S. Navy as an Air Traffic Controller. I leave for basic training in June and will be 24 when I enlist. I'll be 29 when I get out of the Navy, will I still have a shot at getting hired by the FAA (I know I'll be cutting it close)? Should I apply a year before I get out of the Military? Also, does anyone know how I can become CTO certified while in the Navy (I know controlling aircraft on a carrier doesn't count. I just need some advice on ensuring I can get that CTO certification)?


It's nice to meet all of you. I hope you don't mind the many questions I have.lol

noid Curtis E. Carr Jawja

Welcome to the site and thank you for your decision to serve your country.

You "should" have enough time, but it all depends on the hiring trend around the time you get out of the Navy. When you are at the school house in Pensacola, do your best to be the top of the class, that way you get first choice of duty stations. If you end up on a ship first, do what you can to get E-5 while you're on there as it will help in training at the shore facility when you transfer. When it's time to transfer, try to get to a good facility that will help you out in getting your CTO. If you don't mind going overseas (by yourself), Diego Garcia would be a great choice for getting a CTO. Otherwise, call around and see how many people there are in training at the facility options you have and go from there.

Admin I'm Kind of a Big Deal Houston

Welcome to StuckMic, glad you joined! You will enjoy Pensacola, FL for your A-school.

Make sure you tell all your classmates about this site when you get in so they can stay up to date on the latest ATC information!

Take care.

GolfJuliet F*** Terrorism

I know a guy who just got transferred to Pensacola as a Navy ATC Instructor.

Rosstafari Daaaang. /X

Congratulations. Thanks for your service.

RFDATM Trusted Member IL

Good plan and good advice in previous post - try to get the NAS (Naval Air Station) assignment out of "A" school. What is the process now for getting the AC designation prior to enlistment? Did you have to wait a long time for the school assignment? Is it a 5 year enlistment minimum for AC?
Thanks - I'm a Navy vet (AG) and have a 21 year old son who is looking at the military as an option VS PUBNAT or CTI program.

sailor_pianist Senior Member Birmingham, AL

Hi RFDATM!

I actually got VERY lucky in getting AC in the Navy. There were absolutely no AC jobs when I went to sign my contract at MEPS, and they told me I could take what they had or wait for potentially a year or more for an AC job. Well I took a computer job, then it turns out the only AC at my recruiting station was kicked out for not showing up to DEP meetings. Needless to say, I begged to be rolled into her job and was given the job since I qualified for it.

It is a 5 year enlistment minimum for AC, but from what I heard, a lot of AC's have been getting out early through the Navy Early Separation program. The AC's can serve a 4-year contract then apply to leave early without losing their VA benefits (except maybe a reduction in the GI Bill I believe). I'm looking into this as a possibility, but who knows, I may enjoy the Navy so much I decide to stay the 5 years.

As for your son, I would definitely go the military route. From what I've been hearing, military AC members are the first pick for the FAA, followed by CTI graduates, and lastly OTS candidates. There's even talk they were offering military controllers bonuses to join. Good luck to you and your son, and please let me know what he decides to do!

--Tarria

Heyitsryan Newcomer

So, if you get into the ATC program with the navy you won't be fully certified to work as a civilian ATC?

ucf2K6 Newcomer

Congrats on getting that slot, sailor_pianist! I just got turned down by the Air Force OTS board for ATC (even though I knocked out a near-perfect AFOQT score). I thought about going enlisted, but the USAF is the only branch that oftentimes doesn't guarantee your job at MEPS, but rather a general area. It's totally backwards. So I'm glad you got your job at the Navy.

Also, doesn't the FAA give waivers on the max age if you are prior military?

sailor_pianist Senior Member Birmingham, AL

Hey Ucf2k6, I know what you mean. I got a 95 AFQT and the Navy almost refused to give me Air Traffic Control because they wanted me to go in Nuclear Engineering or Officer Candidate School (since I have a degree)! I said no way, and told them I wasn't going in until they gave me Air Traffic Control. Then they told me at MEPS they didn't have any slots open, and I told them to call me when they did. All of a sudden the one person in AC in my district is "let go" and I get the slot.

I know you may not want to go enlisted, but you should consider the Navy for Air Traffic Control too. Having a high ASVAB gives you a lot of leverage in getting the job (at least I think so for the Navy). I initially went to an Air Force recruiter but decided against it when he told me they wouldn't pay back all of my student loans(which the Navy will)..haha!

As to your last question, the FAA will only waive the 31 age requirement if you've retired from the military. What I've seen a lot of Navy Air Traffic Controllers do is get out a year early under the Navy Early Separation program. The Navy is so overmanned they're allowing certain people to get out of their contract early with full benefits. I know of two other Navy Controllers who got out early and were able to get employment offers from the FAA before they turned 31.

Also, don't fret over not making OTS. My recruiter told me it's EXTREMELY political in getting accepted. He actually told me that my being African-American, a woman, and having a high ASVAB would almost guarantee me a spot, despite the fact that my degrees are in the humanities (and they favor technical degrees in OTS). I think your best bet to getting ATC if you want to use the VRA announcements, is to go Navy and use the early separation program. That would put you right at 30, and since VRA's are usually processed a little faster, if you apply 4-5 months before your separation, you could have a spot in OKC right after you get out and shortly before you turn 31. Or, you could always go the fast-track CTI route...