Hey! So I need some help.. I have so many questions and hardly anyone has been able to give me answers.. SO ALL OF YOUR HELP WOULD BE APPRECIATED!!!
Tomorrow I am enlisting in the ARMY Reserve for Air Traffic Control Operator - 15Q. I really, really wanted to go active duty but the job was not available at the time. I leave for BMT at Ft. Jackson, SC on January 4, 2016. I start AIT at Ft. Rucker, AL on March 18, 2016. My unit is located at Ft. Rucker as well.
So here's my biggest concern:
I want to make a career out of Air Traffic Control. But all of the training and ATC background I will have will be from what I learned in AIT. I'm very lost when it comes to figuring out what I'm going to do when I graduate AIT... Pathetic, I know.
I know obtaining my CTO is what I will need to pursue this career; Will I get that certification while I'm in AIT? Does Ft. Rucker even offer it? HOW DO I GET MY CTO???? Is there additional training I will need after I get out of AIT? If so, what is the training and experience I need get after I get out of AIT? After I get out of AIT, do I need to go to a technical college and receive additional training?
Does EVERYONE have to go through the FAA Academy/FAA Training to get their CTO? I'm neutral when it comes to working for the FAA in one of their towers, that'd be rad. But I'm also very interested in just working for a private contractor. How do I pursue working for a private contractor?
My recruiter has been extremely helpful, but there's just some things he can't answer. We've researched stuff up but both of us are kind of clueless on some things. I know I want to be an Air Traffic Controller. I just need your help pointing me in the right educational direction after I get out of BMT and AIT. Are there places that accept entry-level Air Traffic Controllers (like people that will have the training and experience I will have when I get out of BMT and AIT)?
Also, what about the workforce after I get out of BMT and AIT? Is it going to be tough for me? Where do I need to go and who do I need to talk to when it comes to finding the job possibilities? What qualifications, experience, and certifications do I need to obtain before I even look at the jobs? Will my AIT training be enough to find a job?
If you're reading this and went through a similar situation, could you please let me know how you pursued this?
Thank you darlings,
Maria Thompson
Ps. Sorry about the question overload.
Tomorrow I am enlisting in the ARMY Reserve for Air Traffic Control Operator - 15Q. I really, really wanted to go active duty but the job was not available at the time. I leave for BMT at Ft. Jackson, SC on January 4, 2016. I start AIT at Ft. Rucker, AL on March 18, 2016. My unit is located at Ft. Rucker as well.
So here's my biggest concern:
I want to make a career out of Air Traffic Control. But all of the training and ATC background I will have will be from what I learned in AIT. I'm very lost when it comes to figuring out what I'm going to do when I graduate AIT... Pathetic, I know.
I know obtaining my CTO is what I will need to pursue this career; Will I get that certification while I'm in AIT? Does Ft. Rucker even offer it? HOW DO I GET MY CTO???? Is there additional training I will need after I get out of AIT? If so, what is the training and experience I need get after I get out of AIT? After I get out of AIT, do I need to go to a technical college and receive additional training?
Does EVERYONE have to go through the FAA Academy/FAA Training to get their CTO? I'm neutral when it comes to working for the FAA in one of their towers, that'd be rad. But I'm also very interested in just working for a private contractor. How do I pursue working for a private contractor?
My recruiter has been extremely helpful, but there's just some things he can't answer. We've researched stuff up but both of us are kind of clueless on some things. I know I want to be an Air Traffic Controller. I just need your help pointing me in the right educational direction after I get out of BMT and AIT. Are there places that accept entry-level Air Traffic Controllers (like people that will have the training and experience I will have when I get out of BMT and AIT)?
Also, what about the workforce after I get out of BMT and AIT? Is it going to be tough for me? Where do I need to go and who do I need to talk to when it comes to finding the job possibilities? What qualifications, experience, and certifications do I need to obtain before I even look at the jobs? Will my AIT training be enough to find a job?
If you're reading this and went through a similar situation, could you please let me know how you pursued this?
Thank you darlings,
Maria Thompson
Ps. Sorry about the question overload.