The 114th and 123rd Fighter Squadrons are always looking for the best. They convene boards to evaluate candidates to attend Undergraduate Pilot Training with subsequent assignment to the 173rd or 142nd Fighter Wings.
For those selected by the 114th Fighter Squadron at Kingsley Field in Klamath Falls, Ore., they will go on to become instructor pilots due to the base's mission... training the best F-15 Eagle pilots.
The 123rd Fighter Squadron pilots are a mix of full-time, part-time and Air Sovereignty Alert pilots allowing flexibility with full time jobs and other careers. All are dedicated to the base's mission... providing the highest caliber F-15 squadron in the world.
When the 114th Fighter Squadron selects a candidate to attend UPT there are significant differences with other traditional guard units. The squadron is entirely made up of instructor pilots due to the base's mission of training F-15 pilots. The normal flow of events for a UPT hire is to go to officer school (if necessary), complete UPT, complete Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals, complete F-15 Formal Training Unit at Kingsley Field and then perform required seasoning duty at another Air National Guard F-15 unit for three to four years. During this time the candidate must develop the proficiency required of an instructor pilot. Once the candidate becomes an IP and a pilot position opens in the 114th Fighter Squadron, the candidate returns to the squadron as a full-time instructor pilot. This is a very non-traditional flow and all candidates must be aware of the initial instability in their career during the first four to six years.
The mission of the 142nd Redhawks is to provide Air Sovereignty Alert for the Northwestern United States as well as project air power to foreign theaters as an expeditionary arm of the U.S. Air Force. The normal flow of events for a UPT hire is to attend officer school (if necessary), complete UPT, complete Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals, complete F-15 Eagle Formal Training Unit at Kingsley Field and then come back to Portland for approximately two years of seasoning/upgrades. After that, the needs of the wing and the performance of the pilot will dictate what career path the new pilot will follow.
The next Oregon Air National Guard Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT) Selection Board will be March 7 & 8, 2020 at Portland Air National Guard Base. Electronic application packages are required and may be sent to tyler.r.cox2.mil@mail.mil starting January 1, 2020. Packages must be received by February 1, 2020 or they will not be considered. Send electronic packages in a PDF format not to exceed 8Mb. Packages will be named with "Last name, First name, OR UPT 2020", For example, "Cox, Tyler, OR UPT 2020.pdf". The Oregon Air National Guard UPT Selection Board selects highly qualified applicants for interviews. Not all applicants will get an interview. Selected interviewees are assigned a UPT slot from the either the 142nd Fighter Wing, Portland Air National Guard Base, Portland, Oregon, or the 173rd Fighter Wing, Kingsley Field, Klamath Falls, Oregon, based on the needs of the Oregon Air National Guard. Point-of-contact for information regarding Oregon's UPT Selection Board is Lt. Col. Tyler Cox, email: tyler.r.cox2.mil@mail.mil. UPT - TBAS Testing AF Form 24 Application content and format are at the discretion of the applicant but will include as a minimum: - AF Form 24, Application for Appointment as a Reserve of the Air Force - AFOQT, TBAS, PCSM Scores - Resume - Educational Background (including TRANSCRIPTS and GPA) - Military Background (if applicable) - Letters of Recommendation - Current Photograph