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Yes. It's bullshit to call out someone's officership when are not happy about soaking up a completely raw deal. Everyone knows you are not 100% in control. There's also a reason why that finance troop at the MPF doesn't have a 12 year commitment. Just like serving, flying is a calling for some of us, and we go through a lot of shit (including signing for 10+) to do it. I sympathize for someone who jumped through all the hoops to get his wings and then gets permanently grounded and handed a playstation controller. Different story now of course, you know the possible outcomes going into UPT so suck it up. TAMI was an outlier, not your standard one-each "bad deal" assignment. Don't call someone less of an officer because they had a dream pulled out from under their feet, when they still go to work and serve every day. Aside from that, I agree with your overall point. Some people serve by going 6-on, 6-off (or worse) to the desert. Some people serve by sitting in some shithole in the desert (no, not Afghanistan - Creech/Cannon) flying UAVs. Some people serve by bouncing back and forth between Florida, Virginia, Japan and Alaska. It's tough to put yourself in someone else's shoes when their sacrifices have been vastly different. Yes, that's part of the job. I love being tactical. I've been downrange and I will gladly go back. I've had a good run so far, but I will not sit on my high horse and tell someone they are unprofessional because they're frustrated that their path has led to a broken dream/marriage or two.

There has only been one constant over the years when it comes to assignemnts and staying in the jet - the top third of bros on the VML are generally happy, and the top guy usually gets his top pick. Do good, don't suck and you should be OK, bullshit like TAMI notwithstanding. I know several non-patches who have gone ops-ftu-ops, ops-remote-ops or even remote-ops-ftu-ops. I'm sitting at 6+ years in the cockpit and never even applied to WIC. Now the porch is saying that due to the lack of TX classes (2 less SQs at Luke), there will be opportunities for current/qual guys to stay in the cockpit. An old CC pushed the porch's vision at the time, which was that for non-patches your first three tours would be one each remote/ops/ALFA. Two years later I'm kinda glad I didn't put that ALO gig up too high and ended up staying in the cockpit. The outlook at the porch is dynamic, and what they say changes from VML to VML, even moreso from assignment to assignment. Bottom line: Upgrade early and often, compete well on the rack and stack, ask for what you want and never ever volunteer for a bad deal to try and game the system. The big thing severals years ago was "needing to knock out that ALFA" and now they are talking about opportunities to stay in the jet. Question - aside from bro-level WOM, are there any good sources to find the random singleton assignments out there? The mainstream requirements are easy enough to find, but those random 11F billets that are seemingly everywhere are a well kept secret. EABOD. I was slightly older than the guys that were eligible for TAMI. I remember when it happened some CCs were honest, knew it was a bad deal and treated it as such with the bros. Other CCs towed the company line like robots and spouted off like the dipshit generals about what a "good deal" it was and how "excited about these new emerging opportunities" our young wingies should be. One of the foremost differentiations between good and bad CCs is how in touch they are with the guys they command, and comments like that show that you probably fall in the latter group. I'd like to see how those dudes with 3K+ hrs in the F-10X, F-4 and F-16 would have taken the news as punks. Nothing is for sure with the assignments process, just do your best and set yourself up for success. If you can't handle the fact that you don't 100% control your destiny, do something else. One is an officer first if he's kicking ass and taking names regardless of the job he is called to do. It does not mean you have to blindly jump for joy when the AF bends you over.

Easy for you to say. You're not stuck operating predators for a majority of your upt ADSC.

That's seriously your answer to me when you later say, Yes, exactly. None of us were drafted -- we all volunteered. Everyone -- EVERYONE -- knows the score when they sign on the dotted line. Anyone who claims they didn't know are either ignorant or in denial. Too many completely lose that perspective. Not willing to serve in that UAV job? Shoulda stayed a civilian, because everyone knows the bottom line when they sign up to be in service to Uncle Sam. All of us who are line officers, when it comes down to it, can do anything up to and including grabbing the rifle and charging the machine gun nest. We ALL serve at the pleasure and convenience of our leadership, and it's not Burger King where you can "have it your way". Career hasn't gone the way you wanted? Boo-fucking-hoo -- join the club. It's called "the service" because it ain't about you.

Predators have been deployed operationally since 1995. Just guessing but you were probably in high school (or younger) then. Who did you think flew these things? Of course it's an option, and it has been for years before you signed up.