I have been lurking through this forum off and on for a few months, and I have not found this question asked or answered anywhere else. Essentially, I represent all of the minimum requirements for the DCA program; while I may be fully qualified to apply, am I actually competitive enough to be selected? If not, what does having a real chance look like in real life? Hopefully this thread will help other prospective applicants lurking out there like I was.
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Context: I am 27, anticipate no issues meeting the character standards, and I am a U.S. citizen. I have two dependents, 101 college semester hours including college algebra (but no degree), and we are debt free. I have four years of active duty Army service, including over 3.5 as a Warrant Officer. I have a valid flight physical, am 72 inches tall, and have no issues that would prevent completion of a fitness regiment in DCO School. I graduated from Army flight school in July 2018, with just over 2 years of active duty pilot experience since then. I am about 10 hours shy of 500 (not counting flight school, and I should have the full 500 within a few more weeks of garrison flying). I am currently employed as a pilot in the Army, and I do not have any tattoos.
Unique Experiences (good and bad): I am not a pilot-in-command yet (hopefully in the next 6-8 months). I spent a 10 month combat deployment in Afghanistan (about 400 hours of combat time). I fly the AH-64D, so the most complex and power limited of the Army's advanced RW airframes, but also with fewer parallels to a CG mission set. I also have about 4 years of experience as a certified EMT and volunteer firefighter from before the Army. And, whether it helps or hurts, I did apply to the USCGA in high school and was not accepted.