MARCH 20, 2024 – Earlier this month, the Pennsylvania National Guard swore in a unique recruit who, at just 19 years old, will join the Army as a CH-47 Chinook helicopter pilot.
The recruit joined the Pennsylvania Army National Guard through a program affectionately known as “streets to seats” or “high school to flight school.”
As those names imply, the program allows a prospective Army National Guard soldier to enlist and go to flight school after basic training.
Typically, to become a helicopter pilot, soldiers must serve as enlisted personnel for a couple years or become officers before applying for flight school.
However, with the Army’s current recruiting situation, leaders admit that they must open up more opportunities for willing soldiers to serve.
“A lot of us are like ‘I’m not putting a 19-year-old in the cockpit. Let’s send them through Basic, AIT, get them some life experience, and then we can give them that awesome opportunity.’ But with recruiting numbers the way they are today, we really can’t be selective,” said Brig. Gen. Laura McHugh, Deputy Adjutant General-Army of the Pennsylvania National Guard. “We have a kid who is perfect for the program, so we’re going to get him in it.
McHugh pointed out that the responsibility for a multimillion-dollar aircraft, as well as the numerous lives aboard, is not taken lightly. Safety remains a priority of this program, with a rigorous selection process in place to maintain or exceed previous standards for pilot selection.
Interested recruits can expect a highly competitive selection process.
“The 09W program is a way to take highly competitive and qualified candidates from enlistment with a training pipeline into Initial Entry Rotary Wing school where they become qualified as a military helicopter pilot with prior service time as an enlisted Soldier,” said Col. Tim Zerbe, state army aviation officer for the Pennsylvania National Guard. “This is important to the Pennsylvania ARNG as it will allow us to explore more options to recruit candidates into a challenging pilot program as we see higher than normal attrition within our pilot community due to the civilian job markets and increased opportunities with the airlines.”
Prospective recruits interested in the program should contact a Pennsylvania Army National Guard recruiter for more information.
Story by Maj. Travis Mueller
Joint Force Headquarters – Pennsylvania National Guard