One benefit of our Affiliate network is significant experience and achievement in some of the military's toughest disciplines. If you or someone you know aspire to a career in the military, especially as a Military Aviator or another highly selective career field, please shoot us an email and tell us what sort of advice you are looking for.
Most of us are happy to give advice and don't want to charge cash-strapped kids for a couple pointers while aspiring to follow in some of our footsteps, so again, email and we'll do our best to get back to you. There's no charge for just corresponding. Please realize that we are busy and responses may take a little while, and they'll be necessarily brief for the most part just to try to reply to everyone.
Formal Mentoring Program
If, however, you do want a more involved, personalized goal-setting program, where we can take structured time to understand where you're starting from and what your specific aims are, that is available for an hourly fee. Please contact us with your situation and what you kind of advice you are looking for, and add "Formal Mentoring" in the subject of the email. We'll get you scheduled for an in-depth discussion of steps you can take to move yourself down the right path.
Featured Program - How to Become a (Fighter) Pilot
Warfighter Defense Solutions has the deepest ties to the Air Force fighter and aviation community. Anthony Nejman, the Founder and President of WDS, is a former Senior F-35A Pilot and was a graduate of the Air Force's first-ever F-35A Basic Course in 2017. He earned his shot at that class through exemplary performance as an Instructor Pilot in Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training (ENJJPT), and then he solidified his spot by succeeding in a 10-week flying competition to determine the final six class members, earning "Distinguished Graduate" in the competition course. He joined the first combat-coded F-35 squadron in the country, and after demonstrating continued outstanding performance, earned the personal distinctions of being the first pipeline-developed F-35A Instructor Pilot and Evaluator Pilot in the Combat Air Forces.
That was all quite a dream come true from when he sat despondent in a cubicle at 20 years old, fearing that he was destined to do it for the rest of his life, and realizing he had followed everyone else's advice and given up on his childhood dream of being a fighter pilot. The most important thing he realized was that it wasn't too late, and he slowly but determinedly reoriented his life to get back on that path, finally achieving his goal when he took off in an F-35 at the age of 30.
When he started his journey, he didn't know anyone else who had ever done it, so it required quite a leap of faith. The road was filled with ups and downs, and he received a lot of false advice along the way. He managed to stay on the path, but without a mentor, there were many opportunities where it would have been easy to give up on it. This program is one way he'd love to give back to others who aspire to Air Force aviation but don't know who to ask about it.
What You Can Use Us For
The short answer is any advice or insight you desire relating to Air Force aviation, at any stage on your journey. We guarantee we can make your goals seem more tangible and achievable! We'll tailor it to you, and you'll have complete confidentiality.
Here's how we think we could be particularly helpful:
Orientation toward the goal of aviation
Understanding what opportunities exist in Air Force / Fighter aviation - your chances are better than you think!
Setting pre-application goals: Understanding selection process, criteria, and how to maximize your chances.
Choosing your method of accession (Academy, ROTC, OTS, Active Duty vs National Guard, etc).
Advice on educational programs and other preparation with respect to your career goals.
What your significant other / family can expect. (Tip: Discuss expectations early and often)
Family members or significant others are welcome to join the talk!
Pilot training
Study organization, tips, and time management.
Mindset, perspective, and attitude management - don't discount this!
Expanded insight to help you fill out your dream sheet.
We can be a sounding board or a shoulder to cry on - we get it.
We also welcome individualized requests after pilot training! (FAIPed? We get that too.)
Depending on your interest, we'd be happy to set up recurring check-ins for goal orientation, whether that's monthly or annually. Again, shoot us an email with a brief background on yourself and your goals for this mentoring program!
Cost
The fee for this program is $50/hr. If we could do it for free, we would, but without compensation, we just can't spend enough time to reach everyone given the demand that exists. This fee is expected to increase in the near future, so lock in now!