Hi, Ive just been wondering how the process of becoming an Airman is? Like what do you have to do after basic to become Ast, Aet, or Amt?

you need to get a flight physical, add to one of the list, 4 months prior to A school you will be transferred to an airstation to complete a PQS prior to A school.

that is about as simple of an answer you can get. But that 4 month prior to A school could change and all of that

definitely be ready to hurry up and wait.

after you get your flight physical, you need to have your command send it in for approval. sometimes your command may require you to get qualified first before you can do any of the previous, so if thats the case bust your ass and make it happen. once its sent in, your physical needs to be approved. as soon as your names on the school list, for AET and especially AMT, you are gonna wait a long, LONG time as a non rate before you get cut orders to the airman program. (ive been on the AMT list for a year now, and im 65 as of last month, with only a few convenings the remainder of the calendar year so ill be a non rate for over 2 years by the time i go to A school). when you get to the airman program, you will be an apprentice basically, and they will evaluate you to see if you are worthy and responsible and square enough to be around coast guard aircraft. if not, you will be booted out, and will be reassigned as a non rate and will have to reapply for a new school list. theres a swim test and math test at the airman program. once you prove your worth, after 4 months you will go off to school to become an airdale.
this is all i know about the process. good luck to you and make it happen if you want it!

Thanks, Chris.

Hurry up and wait seems like an understatement.

My son-in-law has his physical and he is towards the bottom of the AST list, but his chief said if nothing changes (others above him don't get their holds removed) he could conceivably get his orders to the airman program.

Richard

Richard, how long has your son been in for?

for all A school lists, everyone needs to instill some semper gumby in them, as A school lists close open, go from 6 months of wait time to 24 months. Pick the rate you want regardless of the wait time, it's worth the wait. Don't be eager to jump on an A school list before checking all rates out, you could end up finding what you really want to do after being on a list for 6 months and have to start over, but dont be afraid later on if you are almost at the top of the list to switch lists to do what you really want. Im top of the IT A school list, but pulled myself off to go to the bottom of the BM A school list.

Just curious if the wait time listed on the A school list for aviation the wait time to airman program, or do you subtract 4 months and thats the time to airman program. I assume it's the first.

My son who is an AST enlisted April 2007 and graduated A School December 2009. He went to his airman program in October of 08, but ended up staying there for approx. eight months due to an injury and back log in the A school classes.

My son-in-law just graduated from Cape May boot camp in December 2009 and just put his name on the list last month. It was his first opportunity to do that after waiting the necessary 4 months. He was able to get his physical done in boot, something about not wearing glasses allowed him to have it. If you count the list there are approximately 15 names without holds and as I understand it they start at the top and find the first available ready. I'm not sure on the time, but the 4 months in the airman program can quickly turn in to a longer stint depending on your health, performance and any backlog in Elizabeth City. Having all of your qualifications and requirements met will definitely make the list shorter.

Both my son and son-in-law went in as non rates and took the opportunity to investigate what all of the rates do. I'm a techno geek and told my son that OS or IT was the way to go, but not for him. Both of them had an opportunity to visit an air station and that was the straw that broke the camel's back. That is what sold them on a career in the air versus the water. Pray about where you are and what God would have you do, if you are a short timer and doing a 4 and out then it doesn't much matter, but if you plan on a career think hard how you want to spend it.

Richard