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Coast Guard Liaison Office: Flight School - How to Apply
So, You Want to Be A Coast Guard Aviator
The Coast Guard gets its aviators from 2 primary sources:
- Graduates from Naval Flight Training
- Direct Commissioned Aviators from other services
This document deals with how to apply for flight training from within the Coast Guard. If you are in another service, currently rated as a military aviator, talk to your local recruiter and ask about the Direct Commission Aviator (DCA) program. He/she can be reached at 1-877-NOW-USCG or www.gocoastguard.com.
Typically, Coast Guard field personnel apply for Flight Training while they are at the O-1 and O-2 level. Due to our present growth in USCG aviation, Ensigns graduating from either Officer Candidate School and/or the USCG Academy can compete to come directly to Flight Training. Periodically we get applications from O-3’s. Be advised that only if the O-1/O-2 pool is exhausted for viable candidates will we consider offering a Flight School slot to an O-3. There are several reasons for this, but mainly it is to ensure an officer maintains a promotable career path after we invest the time and money associated with Flight School.
An individual’s first stop for applying to Flight School should be his/her chain of command. Talk to your supervisor, your department head, or your command and control (CO/XO). Discuss with them your desire. These folks will be writing your command endorsement. You want to be open and frank with them concerning your career goals.
Now that your command knows what you want to do, you need to set up a plan. Flight School selection panels occur in March and December. Typically, complete application packages are due to Coast Guard Personnel Command on 01 February prior to the March panel and 01 November prior to the December board. Check the most recent solicitation message for updates. Next, you want to consult the Training and Education Manual for the process and required documentation needed for your package. Make sure you include a copy of your anthropometrical measurements, as described in the CG-113 website, with your package. Flight physicals can take as long as three months to complete and get your results. The aviation aptitude test takes some time to get the results back as well. Plan accordingly!! Having a complete package is your responsibility.
A big part of your package is your cover letter and your command endorsement. A positive command endorsement is required for all successful packages. That is why it is so important to include your command early on in the process. With regard to your cover letter, the Training and Education Manual lists the required items. Aside from covering the required items, you have 1 or 2 paragraphs to tell the panel why you want to be an aviator. What do you want to do with a career in aviation? What have you done to prepare yourself for Flight School? Have you taken flight lessons? Have you visited Coast Guard Air Stations? What drives you to be a part of the elite cadre of aviators?
Once you have your package together, have a peer review it. Check it for spelling/grammar. Now forward it up your chain of command. This is where contacting your chain of command early, pays off. Be prepared to discuss when you could consider leaving your unit. Have your command include this in their endorsement. Someone who is qualified and available right away may stand a better chance of selection over someone who cannot leave his or her unit for another year.
Once your entire package is complete, make a copy for yourself before you mail it. Wait about three-four weeks and then contact CGPC-opm-2 admin support to verify the receipt of your package, and to ensure its completeness. If you were advised that you were going to need any type of waiver, be sure to update your contact information with the admin staff to ensure they can get a hold of you if any more medical tests or paperwork are required. Once notified of any deficiency in your package, it is your responsibility to get the required documentation into CGPC-opm in time for the selection panel. This is why it behooves you to get your package in early, especially if you are on a deployable unit.
As a last resort, you can contact the aviation assignment officer. Only do this if you have exhausted every other means.
Good luck!
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