US Army Air Traffic Controller MOS 15Q

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hankrausch

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My son is considering US Army Reserves, partly to help pay for college but also out of patriotism. He met the recruiter the other day and she brought up the Air Traffic Controller MOS (15Q) since he is interested in aviation.

Does anyone on this board have experience with this MOS (or have it?)

Is this a good entry point for a civilian career as an ATC? I mean, are the skills transferable? What is the chance of getting mobilized?

My main concern is I want him to be as far away from an IED as is possible in the US Army, I am thinking this is safer than a lot of the line MOSs but would really like to hear from someone who has been there.

Many thanks!
 
As far as that MOS goes, it is absolutely transferable. Quite a few controllers come from the services.
 
Just thinking out loud, how many reserve posts need ATC staff? I suspect that he's either going to be working out of his MOS, or.....
 
Sac Arrow said:
Just thinking out loud, how many reserve posts need ATC staff? I suspect that he's either going to be working out of his MOS, or.....
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there are a few joint civilian/guard use airports, like KLMT where the guard provides ATC services.... I don't know about out east.

If he's going into the guard, it seems like a good way to go and would certainly help in getting picked up by the FAA.

I know a few guard controllers and where they're based they have been deployed before, besides their 2 week drills.
 
Personally, if I were him and the ultimate goal was to go FAA, then I'd go either active AF or Navy.

I knew several controllers in the Army that didn't get any ratings other than GCA. Knew several controllers who didn't even get to do their jobs on deployment. They stick them in the back of a UH-60 working radios for some ground commander runnning C2. Safer than being on the ground I guess. At least you get to see the IEDs going off from the air.

I'm not sure of any facilities in the Army where you can get an approach rating. Even the tower guys, a lot are running portable towers out in a field exercise somewhere and don't have their CTO. Take Ft Rucker for instance. You've got stage fields all over the place with towers. Few of them, except the supervisors, have a CTO. It's boring ATC at that. Field ops are slow. Stage field is busy but it's the same old crap every day.

If his goal is college but still wants to do ATC, then Army is OK but I'd still lean towards another branch though. I think his chances of working decent traffic and getting advanced ratings to make him competitive later in the FAA will be greater in the other branches.
 
I knew I would get get some very good advice from this group. Many thanks.
 
I know nothing about the military atc, but I know almost half of the controllers I've met in the civilian world came from the military, so I'd say it's a good bet that he can get picked up by the FAA.
 
Cheyenne WY KCYS has a guard tower. When they deploy DEN center takes over.
 
Asked a active Army ATC friend about Army Reserve. He agreed, AF is the way to go. He said ANG is the best path. You get your ratings and don't have to put up with the active commitment BS.

One thing I'd recommend your son to check on is the differences between college benefits of part time Guard can full time active. The TA is the same but the GI Bill has differences that could matter. In active, Post 9/11 GI Bill pretty much covers everything.
 
Hank,

Current Army aviator at FT. Rucker. I went to the school house to ask your questions:

The school at FT. Rucker is FAA approved. When he graduates he will get a "certificate of grades" and a "pink card." When/if he goes to to a control tower that he will have the opportunity to checked out and receive his CTO card.

I'm sure some of this was a sales pitch as they even offered for me to set up a tour for your son. Ultimately, I am with Velocity that the AF is a better route to go to just do your job. I consistently remind myself that I am a Soldier first, Officer second, and aviator third.

Food for thought. Best of luck to your son and I applaud his desire to serve in any way.
 
I would second the recommendation for going active duty (Army, AF, or Navy) and funding college through the GI bill. I went that route to fund my college. Only downside is college will have to wait a few years. But, on the flip side, that also gives you four more years to figure out what you want to do.
 
Just to echo what some have said, only only FAA recognized CTOs and RADAR facility certifications will serve as an avenue to employment with the FAA. Stage Field ATC, Carrier ATC and other specialized military functions don't count.

I work with several controllers in the Air National Guard who have deployed at least 5 times in the past 20 years. To hear them tell it, their deployments were far safer than what most other occupations were exposed to, but of course, that's Air National Guard and not Army.

If the end goal is civilian employment as a controller my suggestion is Air Guard or active duty Air Force.
 
ejensen said:
Cheyenne WY KCYS has a guard tower. When they deploy DEN center takes over.
Click to expand...

Guard does approach. I believe the tower is civilian.
The approach control is in a trailer out front
 
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Oh yeah, having dealt with the recruiters to get ATC, don't trust any of them and their promises. They have certain low manning MOSs to fill first. I actually went through the AF and the Navy before finally getting ATC in my contract with the Marines. AF offered 5 MOSs and could only guarantee one. Navy recruiter tried to get me to go Operations Specialist. Finally the Marine recruiter told me straight up that I didn't have the GT (110) score for ATC. Took the ASVAB again, got a 125, and got ATC.

Also, tell him that there is still time in the day to take classes while active. Full time won't happen but I took 2 classes per semester. My supervisors approved me to leave work 2 nights per week. Usually I stayed late on approach or something to make up for getting off for class.
 
I've known several controllers in the military. One, Air Force, now works for Boston Center. The others, Army, worked outside their MOS's as operations specialists in line units. I, personally, would push him towards the AF.
 
PeeGee said:
there are a few joint civilian/guard use airports, like KLMT where the guard provides ATC services.... I don't know about out east.
Click to expand...
ejensen said:
Cheyenne WY KCYS has a guard tower. When they deploy DEN center takes over.
Click to expand...
ATC at KLMT and KCYS is provided by the Air National Guard.

PeeGee said:
Guard does approach. I believe the tower is civilian.
The approach control is in a trailer out front
Click to expand...
The ANG employs some civilian controllers in its facilities.
 
A good friend of mine was a controller in the marine corps and he is now ATC in boston. The FAA loves prior service controllers.
 
I'm a retired USAF controller checked out in towers, approach controls, and GCAs. USAF has the most facilities, basically almost every AF Base has an approach control/tower. Most AF controllers either check out in the tower or approach during their first enlistment because of the time it takes to become certified. Some bases are slow, others busy and complex, usually fighter bases.

I spent the last couple years in the AF as an ATC advisor to a ANG ATC outfit. After active duty for training and ATC school most of them never actually worked as controllers. They came in one weekend a month and two weeks a year for annual training. There were a couple of ANG bases (Volk Field WI & Alpena MI two I can think of) that had full time ANG controllers, sometimes augmented by other ANG controllers. There are a few combat communication squadrons that have mobile ATC radars and towers that are subject for world wide deployment. Shoot me a PM if you have any questions.
 
kkoran said:
ATC at KLMT and KCYS is provided by the Air National Guard.
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KCYS is a contract tower, no info on who has the contract. It could be contracted out by the guard or the FAA, in either event they are not guard controllers like the rapcon.

KCYS - FAA Cheyenne FCT


KCYS - FAA Cheyenne FCT
243 ATCS/AT 217 Del Range Blvd.
Cheyenne, Wyoming
82009

Phone: 307-772-6485
Fax: 307-772-6047
 
As a veteran of the army. Although I was a ground pounder I have agree with everyone else. Send him to the air force for his atc
 
Go Active for the GI Bill and accumulating retirement points, switch over to a State Guard with a State retirement. Do thirty years with Guard and FAA. Retire with retirement benefits from the State (Guard), Federal (Guard) and Civilian (FAA) plus your Social Security.
 
PeeGee said:
KCYS is a contract tower, no info on who has the contract. It could be contracted out by the guard or the FAA, in either event they are not guard controllers like the rapcon.

KCYS - FAA Cheyenne FCT


KCYS - FAA Cheyenne FCT
243 ATCS/AT 217 Del Range Blvd.
Cheyenne, Wyoming
82009

Phone: 307-772-6485
Fax: 307-772-6047
Click to expand...
The towers at CYS and LMT are part of the FAA Contract Tower program. The FAA essentially contracts with the ANG to operate them (and some other towers).
 
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