ART application question

Hello, my fellow weapons/armament professional! There's not much you can do as far as speeding up the Special Examining Unit process, they just do what they do at their own pace. Not much will speed that up. You'll have to get a rating from them. If you did a really good, thorough job on your KSA's & other stuff, you'll get a decent rating. If you just hauled *** through it to hurry & finish, you might not fair so well. The biggest key to getting a job is to be flexible about where you're willing to move to for a job. In order for you to get your foot in, you might have to go someplace you hadn't considered moving to. Not saying this is absolutely what's going to happen to you, but if you're open to going anyplace at all, it might speed up your getting hired. What's your background? Loading, armament shop, both? What aircraft. I do know a few folks, so tell me whatcha got? I can promise you this: It will absolutely help your case a great deal if you can establish contact with the supervisors of the units where you're willing to accept a job. I tell people this all the time....CALL THE GUY and introduce yourself. Tell him about you. You want him to know & recognize your name, so when he sees it along with the other applications he's looking at, yours stands out to him. You want him to associate your app with your name & voice. Familiarity always helps, well, unless you come across as somebody he might not like, but then you've got a different kind of problem. So anyhow, I know folks in a few different units, so tell your story & let's see if you sound like a good fit. Did you select for everywhere on your Geographic Preference sheet, or just one or two locations?

LOL, well, if you're at Barksdale, then you already know the people I know there. I was an ART in the 917th from '96 to '08. I left my ART job in Aug '08 for a non-ART civil service job. At that time, I transferred to a reserve unit at Pope AFB, where I spent 8 months, and now I'm back as a non-ART reservist in the 917th.

So, you may run into me in the armament shop sometime if you come in there. I won't be back there until Sept. when I'll be pulling a couple of weekend drills, and a week of annual tour. I'm retiring in March 2010, on account of I'm too *******' old to do this anymore!

I also know a couple of supervisors at Moody, since you mentioned that outfit. Both those guys left the 917th armament shop last year to take the supervisor jobs over there. Same thing goes for the supervisor at Patrick, I used to work with him in the 917th armament shop & fish with him some. I was offered one as well (Moody), but turned it down to go the "straight" civil service route.

I have a few contacts at some other locations as well, but that doesn't neccessarily translate into a job, just possibly a foot in the door for consideration.

If you applied to the Special Examining unit for a rating for an ART job, unless they've very recently changed the way they do business, you'll have to submit what they call an "ART Package" that includes the OF 612 you mentioned, as well as a Geographic Availability form, plus KSA's, which means Knowledge, Skills & Abilities. That's a detailed description to several specific subject matter items that are spelled out on a form that tell the people who are grading your application just how much you know about certain things.

For example you're asked to give examples of work you do with specialized tools & equipment, examples of those kinds of items you've used, examples of work you can do with only normal supervision, not somebody standing over your shoulder, etc. There are several line items you have to address, not sure about the number but somewhere around 7 or 8 I think.

Anyhow, the required items you have to submit are found through links on the Air Reserve Personnel Center's web site, and you can link to it through AFRC's site as well.

Have you talked to the folks at the 917th armament flight about a job there?

If you're talking about the same JW I'm thinking of, he's a supervisor at Moody now. Did he come from New Orleans?

KSA's/Job Elements mean the same. Maybe they don't use the term KSA anymore, I dunno. Anyhow, I'd advise you just address each one individually in your own words, & just describe in detail your knowledge, skill etc. of that element. This seems to be the area where some up & coming would-be ARTs tend to stall out before they get going. It's a bit of work & a hassle, but if you do it right & expend the effort, it'll pay off in a higher rating from the SEU, and the rating is critical for you getting hired.

Back when I did my ART application, I was like you, near the end of my active duty tour & I was looking to get out of the uniform, but being able to get paid better (at the time I was also a Ssgt) and not have to worry about getting orders for Korea or someplace away from my family, having more control over my life, was very appealing. Also, my hometown didn't have much to offer for jobs, so when I found an ART job down in Austin, TX, I was really fired up.

I worked several days on those KSA's & ended up with a 100 rating. They're rating tougher these days, and I'm hearing of guys getting 70-75 or so. Back in the day, you wouldn't have a chance in hell of getting an ART job with that rating, but things are different now. Still, you need to get the highest rating possible, so you can stand out from the crowd. You most likely will also get at least a 5 point vets preference added to whatever your score is.

I tell people all the time that whenever you get your numerical rating, whatever it is, unless you get hired immediately, don't sit back & wait. Write down some more stuff that you "forgot" to put down the first time around, & submit it as an update to your initial application. You'll most likely find your original score increased because of the additional info you submitted.

Of course, all of this might be a moot point if you are able to make the right personal contact by phone or otherwise with the selecting supervisor for the position you're interested in. You gotta use that phone! Oh yeah, now that I think about it, I think we are talking about the same guy, I believe JW spent some time at Pope on active duty. Seems like maybe he told me that.

What I'd reccommend you do is talk with one of the ARTs there where you are who recently came from active duty, and there are 2 or 3 right now in the 917th back shop on both sides, and see if they'll let you take a look at their KSA/Job Elements. I'd stick to those guys, not really the "TR's" (never been active, only reservists". Also, well...that's enough.

If you're right there already, you can drive right up to the door & go talk to the Flight Chief. He's a good guy and you would be well advised to start there.

Also....I'd give SMSgt JW a call if that's where you want to go. You can find him in the global. Tell him I said hi.

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Originally posted by wpnssgt:
Yep that's the same JW! I will definitely give him a call, since Moody is close to home as well. I think I did ok for the KSA portion, but it seems I could have put a ton of stuff just not sure who reads it. I used alot of my bullets from years back and some current stuff. Here is a sample.

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ELEMENT B -- Installation of LAU-105 Missile Launcher for AIM-9 missiles on A-10 and F-16 aircraft. Upload of SUU-67 Pylon loaded with 6 AGM-86B cruise missiles using MHU-196 trailer on B-52 aircraft. Use of Common hand tools and locally manufactured tools required to complete aircraft specific tasks. Use of MHU-86 Life Truck for the installation of Heavy Stores Adapter Beam on B-52 aircraft.

ELEMENT C -- Knowledge of F-16, A-10, and B-52 aircraft weapon release equipment and alternate mission equipment such as the inspection, installation and repair of aircraft pylons and Line Replaceable Units (LRUs). This includes B-52 Heavy Stores Adapter Beam and required task of reconfiguring for conventional Mk82 or Integrated Conventional Stores such as the GBU-31 JDAM. Also experienced with A-10 MAU-40/50 and F-16/B-52 MAU-12 bomb rack inspection and installation.

ELEMENT F -- Shift supervisor and weapons equipment custodian for newly created Weapons Support section. Provided input and direction for creation of storage area for weapons equipment and maintained 100% ready to use equipment for flight-line crews. Maintained and strived to exceed required weapon loading time standards and maintained attention to detail for conventional and nuclear weapons loading.

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I can't thank you enough for all this info, glad I found this forum and a fellow weapons guy. I will be sure to give JW a call and see if I can get some more info on the KSA stuff from the guys in the 917th.

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I would reccommend personalizing your responses the elements, for instance "I performed the duties of shift supervisor and Weapons Equipmnet Custodian....". And "I performed scheduled and unscheduled maintenance on USAF fighter and bomber aircraft weapons release systems equipment including MAU-12 bomb racks, Heavy Stores Adapter Beams, Pylons, LAU-117 Missile Launchers, Triple Ejector Racks, GAU-8/A 30 MM Guns, etc. etc. You should go into some detail about things like inspecting, repairing, troubleshooting, replacement of components, soldering, testing etc. I know it's more work, but the more detail you go into, the better the outcome of your rating. Instead of generic bullets, you want to make this about you specifically. I'd steer away from the Air Force way of using bullet statements, in the world of applying for civilian federal government jobs, you want this to be more personalized. That's something that's hard for long-time military folks to get used to when they're first getting started. Tell you what, email me at thisguy9488@gmail.com I'll send you something that might give you some ideas.

The best way to get an ART job is to go to the base where you want to work. And join as a Traditional Reservist. Do some man days. And when the next position opens up. You will be ready to go.