Leaderboard

several great points made in the last couple of pages, though I think we're all just circling the Root Cause. Service? Yeah, Hacker, I'm leaning toward the EABOD crowd on that one; if you want to drive the "service" point home, give Randolph a call, I'm sure you'll have a RIP before you hang up the phone. Well, no, I don't really think that you should do that. Why not? Because right now no pilot in his right mind should volunteer for this black hole. That takes us a step closer to the point. I've spent the better part of the last three weeks getting at best 4-5 hours a night, waking up several times with one central thought every time: "I'm going to UAVs". That thought really sux. But wait, what sucks about it? The mission? Schedule? Stress? Learning/broadening/advancement opportunities? Nope, all of my friends who've been or are there have nothing but great things to say (caveat that they DO want back into a jet), and truth be told, this nerd is actually a bit motivated overall. Getting warmer. So why is every rated Officer that’s worth a shit avoiding this assignment like The Plague? I’ll throw a “service” spear—right at AF leadership. Their actions over the last 5 years have been self serving, myopic, and damaging to this mission. Self serving because their only concern has been to give their Masters short term solutions that were flagrantly flawed over the long term. TAMI-21? Permanent MWS assignment? Non-vol? No ALFA credit? Return to flying boards? YGBSM!!! Where does the buffoonery end? At this point, Leadership and AFPC have ZERO credibility with those in the field who are getting, in, or even considering this assignment. I personally think the RTFBs are a red herring at best, if not completely disingenuous. We’ll see. Here’s two steps toward fixing this problem and giving this a permanent place in our assignment system: 1: this field will be 100% manned. Already been stated by leadership. This IS an important mission: press. 2: this will be a CONTROLED ALFA tour. Exceptions will be voluntary. No compromise. It has to be no compromise, as a contract, made by AF leadership to those that they should want to fill these positions: the best and brightest rated officers. Not the unwilling, kicking and screaming crowd that they have DESIGNATED by design to fill this field right now. 3: You want volunteers? Guaranteed TX course follow on. Assignment of choice for a 1 year extension. Add up #1 and #2 and you have a real personnel problem reaching across the CAF. Not insurmountable though. The rest of the assignment system will be strained by manning and assignment length. The UAV community itself will suffer those same stresses; RTU will go into overdrive in the short term. At some point the 18X AFSC should dovetail to help even things out. The way we’re going right now is toward another bathtub. Oh yeah, there is absolutely no reason that this problem should have ever reached this point. Side note: IMO, 18x aside, this mission should NEVER be completely devoid of rated participation. Separate discussion. BL: Leadership is trying to sell this as a great experience, with great opportunities, while every real action and policy has treated this asset/mission like they don’t really believe in what they’re selling. Leadership doesn’t believe that a promising officer should even want this as a “broadening” tour. From what I’ve read and discussed with friends, this mission is a valuable broadening experience, on par with ALO or UPT/IFF, if not more so. Meanwhile the mission has suffered from the “min qualification O2-converter” mindset of current manning policy. Leadership is treating the “ALFA” poker chip as a personnel management tool, they’ve completely lost sight (or just don’t care) about their greater responsibility to shepherd the development of future officers (at least within this narrow scope). OPR signed, another assignment, another star, UAV manning: forgotten. Those in place right now (Leadership): put your $ where your mouth is.

I know what your point was, but I think you really underestimate the dedication those lowly Army NCOs display when they train to operate their lowly Predator. I also think you really over estimate your training. Yes, you graduated UPT, congrats it's a hard fucking program. On the other hand all it really qualifies you to do is learn the next level. You seem to have a huge chip on your shoulder about being a Pred pilot, how hard is it to actually fly a modern aircraft from A to B? Not very fucking hard. The hard part is learning to employ that aircraft to get the mission accomplished. I bet you I could safely fly a Marine Cobra from A to B with about a week of training. Does that mean I could do the Marine CAS mission? I could probably learn to safely fly a predator from A to B in a week, could I be a successful armed ISR pilot in that time? Flying the stupid thing is not the hard part, being a good tactical aviator is the hard part. I get that you're pissed about not actually getting to fly an actual aircraft. I sympathize. But seriously, what you're doing is very valuable to the grunts on the ground, are you saying you don't feel any pride about the peace of mind you provide them?

Where to start...perhaps with some empathy, I get it, trust me...I get it. I could tell you horror stories about getting banked, no fighter slots, nonsensical rated force management, and on and on. Bottomline brother, sometimes life is not fair. I will not throw service in your face, I won't patronize you with the "satisfaction from the mission" speech, and I won't ignore the fact that you got a bad deal. Perhaps the best advice I can give you is to deal with it and move on. Not trying to tell you tough love is the answer, just saying that if you can't change it, do the best you can and move on so you can enjoy your life. Having myself been a victim of some past rated force management issues (banking), I watched some of my friends go through some very destructive over a three year period. When I showed up to my non-flying job I was lucky enough to have a navigator as a squadron commander who listened to my sob story and gave me a few minutes to play the martyr. He understood my situation at the end of the meeting he told me I had two choices, I could wallow in it, or I could make the most of this assignment and forward. I went home that day and spent the weekend doing a little soul-searching. Ultimately, I decided to make the most of it and I while I wanted to be out flying, I actually enjoyed my banked job and it ended up opening a lot of doors for me down the road. If there is one constant in the Air Force it is "things change". We probably change too much, but situations change, policies change, and people change. Don't let your bitterness prevent you from making a difference and being ready when things change. I wish you the very best.

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.

So much for "Officers First".

Got it, but word right now (and has been for some time) is that the last four DYS tails are not coming off the assembly line. They will be transfer tails that are already in the fleet. I have heard the same about stubbies going to the schoolhouse. The last four DYS tails have not been identified yet as far as I know, so they could be anything at this point.

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.

I'm an old(somewhat) Vietnam Era Army officer who has had the privilege of watching my daughter grow into her dream of flying by first getting her PPL in High School, then getting commissioned a 2lt in the USAF with a pilot slot after a great college run, doing IFS, UPT and FTU and loving every minute of it and now finally returning after her first deployment last week from the desert. My hat is tipped to all of you young pilots(and the rest of you like me)who do what you love and make this country safe for the rest of us. Our family is blessed to have been a part of this journey so far, meeting everyone we have along the way and watching in awe as to what you all are doing...Yes, I am a proud dad and forgive me if I sound a little corny. Thanks again to you all and also for this great forum.

I appreciate the "thanks", but you guys are the one's earning the Kudo's now and I am glad my daughter is part of it with you. BTW, there are a lot of us "old Army guys" around...we get to read the forums now and remember that a lot of it is the same old stuff, just a new day.

Dyess has more J-model aircrew than C-130J(s). Expect lots of Other time, perhaps even a TDY to another base to remain current. ~90% of Herk drivers are airdrop qual'd. Senior leaders, Puerto Rico ANG, and Staff bubbas about about the only airland guys I know (even then the Staff guys at USAFE are airdrop qual'd).

I new nothing about UAVs until after I got to my first operational assignment. They weren't being dropped at pilot training and dudes weren't getting nonvol'd left and right to them until recently. All of you who think I'm a whiner because I hate my job can EABODs. As I said before, you're not the one stuck wasting your "flying career" sitting in a GCS operating a POS. I have the worst "flying" job in the air force and you know it. I signed up under the impression that I'd be flying SOMETHING for 10 years, not wasting my skills and training doing a job the other services let their junior enlisted do with a fraction of the training. Do I still give 110% in the hopes the air force will let me leave the UAV community one day? yes.. but that doesn't mean I have to happy about it. And yes I regret it. There is nothing wrong with that. I just want dudes who are thinking about pilot training to know that flying NOTHING for a large portion of it is a very real possibility.

I would have never signed a 10 year commitment if I had known there was a UAV possibility. I hate UAVs with a passion. Had I known I would have went to a different service that lets their enlisted fly UAVs.

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