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Military Pilots

Employment Prospects

Employers

Military pilots are employed by the U.S. government. Nearly 1.3 million active duty personnel served in the armed forces as of June 2019, with 468,783 individuals serving in the Army; 330,949 in the Navy; 327,039 in the Air Force; 186,814 in the Marine Corps; and 41,250 in the Coast Guard.

Starting Out

Once you've decided to become a military pilot, you should contact a military recruiter. The recruiter will help answer questions and suggest different options. To start out in any branch of the military, you must pass medical and physical tests, the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery exam, and basic training. You must also sign an enlistment contract. This is a legal agreement that will bind you to a certain amount of military service, usually eight years. Active duty comprises two to six years of this agreement, and the remainder is normally spent in the reserves.