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Hey bros. Kind of off topic but when I was looking for a slot, I would cruise this board to see who I was going to send my packet off to next. I got a lot of "thanks but no thanks" and it was discouraging. I know of a buddy who found himself in the same situation and eventually gave up on the dream. I sent packets to numerous units. I interviewed at four units before I got picked up. I also know of a dude, who's now in my class, that interviewed 11 times before getting picked up. Long story short, people who want this enough get picked up. Keep at it and keep plugging away. I'm currently BFM'ing my face off in B-course for the Viper and it's the best job I've ever had. Keep applying and keep pursuing this career! I've gotten so much from this board/site and I want to give back as much as I can. Please feel free to PM me for anything! As was once said to me, "Make them tell you no".

This must be old news. I was originally selected by a fighter unit a few years ago and I'm actually not cool believe it or not. The unit ended up getting sequestered. I guess once they figured out the goof they had to shut the unit down just to be safe.

Agree with this sentiment. Why should it be assumed that the AF can't compete financially with airline salaries? Given the relatively small percentage of mil personnel that are pilots, it would seem that even huge bonuses should constitute a relatively small percentage of DOD $. Take a look at some of the unique medical bonuses and then ask yourself why the AF/DOD/Congress refuses to entertain the idea that its pilot force is as worthy of receiving competitive compensation. Sent from my iPad using Baseops Network Forums

Someone is welcome to correct me, but I still think Reserves can hire just like guard units. The unsponsored board thing is a separate entity where you get picked up for a slot, fill out your dream sheet either before or during UPT and/or talk with units you want to fly for during that time, then finish UPT and accept the offer you most desire. Guard does seem more open about hiring. I think the unsponsored thing is what people do when they are more focused on getting into an airplane faster and worrying about what they fly later.

Why the F' don't they just add TSP matching to any AFSC 11X or 12X or Aviation bonus payment used for TSP....the services are allowed to match.... It'd be a small upfront payment from Mother Blue for a possibly big benefit for aviators later when we're old and deaf from flying her planes.

The AF isn't interested in anything other than your indentured servitude. Offering a year to year bonus puts way too much power in the pilot's hands. Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network Forums

13B on the backend of the E-3 here. Don't think there many any E-3 pilots on this forum. I'll give you the data I have though. 1. Ops Tempo You can expect to be deployed for 4 months and then home for a year. (Currently in the desert for my 3rd in 2.5 years, that is rare) Deployments can wear you down with how long our sorties are. TDYs are plenty and go all over the World. You can expect 4 to 5 TDYs during the year off. When my Sq gets back we're doing WTI, Maple Flag, Red Flag, and Green Flag West. That's just the schedule through September. Home station, you can expect to fly at least once a week, maybe less. We have a ton of Co-Pilots flowing in. Home station sorties are standard at 7.5 hours, 10.0 with a tanker. Normally you're home by 1700 unless you have a late show. Just an assumption, but I think we are the only platform that shows as early as we do. Some shows are 0330 to take off at 0600 to meet a morning vul on the East Coast at 0900. I don't mind them. But I'm just hanging out in the back until we get enough altitude to turn the systems on. 2. Life Style/ Family Stability I think AWACS has a great Life Style and its not too bad on the family. Like I said above, most days you're home by 1700. In most cases you know a year in advance when your going to deploy. TDYs are fragged out early. You have plenty of time to plan. We have to plan early since there are 20 people on a crew, If we bring 3 crews, an MPC, Staff, and MX to Vegas, that's a lot of people to put up in lodging so we have to get out in front of it. There is lot's of buffoonery, however. Example: Got married in Sept of 16, we deployed in Nov 16. The CC canceled my Honey Moon because I would miss the Road to War Brief on the first day of Spin-Up (for my 3rd deployment). Wife was not pleased. Also, showing at 0330 to find out the jet is on jacks in Doc 2 with a massive hydro leak. May be ready at 0900 or it may not, but you can't leave the Sq until we know for sure. Things like that happen here and there. 3. Morale Can't speak on the front end morale, but they all seem to enjoy it. I've heard the jet is a beast and fun to fly. The backend morale is damn low. There is sometimes a divide between the front end and back end. The MCC usually an O-4 or O-5 owns the back end. However, the AC usually an O-3 or above owns the jet and is responsible for it's safety. Backend needs to go to the East Coast to get in a Viper SEAD Vul, but flight deck needs to go Dyess to get some off station transition. So training priorities become an issue as well, it's normally hashed out on MP day prior to fly day. If we take off late or something moves in the timeline, it's usually a discussion in the air. 4. Advancements & Future of the Airframe E-3s are getting a flight deck upgrade. Not sure when it will be completed. But the flight deck bros are all excited about it except the Navs. We have old no glass gauges and it's being upgraded to glass(see AWACS Dragon Mod.) There is another upgrade that I'm not familiar with, but it will no longer require a Nav. The E-3 will be around for a while. When we're up and everything is working like it should, there isn't a lot we can't see and can't listen to. With 20 radios and an unlcassed radar range of 250NM, not a lot of platforms can provide that kind of capability. 5. Preferred PCS Location If you're AWACS, "Mother Tinker" will always bring you back. Pilots have 3 locations they can PCS to from Tinker. Elmo, Kadena, and GK. Preferences are all over the place. Just depends on what that individual wants. Most folks say any where but Tinker. And that includes white jets. If you have more questions, feel free to PM me. If I don't know the answer, I'll track down my AC and get the data. Lot of great stuff on this thread. Full disclosure, I'm looking to get to UPT in a year or so. TurnHer

Because then we could abandon this idiotic, childish idea that all officers at the O-3 level are the same, and should be compared as such. Captains are not generals, and nobody should give a fvck about SOS or the other "common discriminators." The very idea goes against the AF's own doctrine of CGOs getting in-depth knowledge and experience in their specialty.

PC Approved. 13 months off TA ADSC. Package was at SAF/PC for just over 5 weeks. Non-rated ops to Guard ALO Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network Forums

TK nailed it. AFRC does and can hire independently. The BUFF/BOne guys are good/recent examples of this. Most of your average heavy units in AFRC will direct you towards an "Officer Accessions Recruiter" in their area who helps them organize the paperwork and vet applicants. That same recruiter can prepare and send you forth for the unsponsored board if you so choose. So, I'd call that area recruiter... or find a number for the Ops desk and go that route.

I'm not saying that it will happen anytime soon (or ever knowing how Big Blue works) but the 1 and 2 year contract options were/are being considered. Here is an excerpt from within HAF regarding a way forward on the Aviation Bonus...date of info was ~19 Jan 17. MAJOR INITIATIVES, ACCOMPLISHMENTS, CHALLENGES (2-4 Weeks): • Aviation Bonus: A1 and A3 plan for tiering the Aviation Bonus based upon new $35K cap was presented to CSAF (did not get briefed to MAJCOM/CCs). CSAF approved next step of socializing various COAs with Congress to gain feedback. LL working to set those meetings up starting next week. The proposal includes tiering of annual amount based on input from the A1PF Aviation Bonus Model and a contract length baseline of 5 years along with 9 and 13 year contract length options for the greatest mission needs. New options will look at 1 and 2 year contracts as well.

Think of it more as a mortgage with you as the bank rather than "rent to own." It's a seller financed loan. That will help keep your head in the right place. Are they hesistant to buy because of "feelings" or did they their credit get destroyed on the last house? Why are you willing to sacrifice an appreciating asset? If they're dropping hints to your agents, they aren't hesitant to buy...they may just be unable to buy the "regular" way. Why is that...and are YOU willing to shoulder a risk that a bank may not be willing to bear?

Are they? I didn't get a DP because the people I was stratified against were the DO of the SFS squadron and a flight commander with 200 people reporting to him in CE. It would be in our favor if boards actually cared about combat time or flying hours, but what they seem to care about is exec time and SOS DG.

Why the odds are stacked in our favor?

Here is an idea, stop having rated officers be part of the normal Line Officer promotion system. Might just solve some minor issues

So? Senators care more about an airlines' bottom line than they do national security?

Only if it wasn't related to a commitment. I would be more willing to stick around it the pay was built more in line with the medical bonuses of not signing a commitment (at least from my understanding). Shoot just bumping flight pay up to $1k max per the new NDAA would help some. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Just be aware that the people who took the bonus and stayed on AD during the late-90s/very early 2000s airline hiring boom are the folks we like to bash on these forums today. Bonus takers between FY97-02, when ACP take rates were really in the crapper, would have been from the '88 to -93 (ish) year groups (who now comprise many of today's AF generals and colonels). - Given the costs associated with training up experienced pilots, the Air Force can't afford not to try to better compete financially with the civilian alternatives. Furthermore, improved monetary incentives might've kept some really great leaders on AD back in the late-90s. Had better incentives been offered, we might have better leadership today Comparatively low-cost options to improve morale have been discussed on this forum extensively already. I won't repeat those, other than to say that--speaking from the heavy driver perspective--it would help if AF senior leaders quit with their public handwringing over fighter pilots, when pilot communities across the Air Force are suffering. That myopia comes across as ignorant and/or condescending. TT

Fixed it for you.

Looking for a great unit close to DC, Baltimore and Philadelphia? Delaware is your spot. We are looking to hire a few CSOs this fiscal year. Email me for information. Chris Esterline, Maj, DANG christopher.m.esterline.mil@mail.mil

Is it possible? Yes. Will it provide more options in the future? No. And I don't think you have a solid grasp of the -38/T-1 thing. I definitely wouldn't say that one track is "better" than the other. Just focuses on a different skill-set. I understand why a heavy unit would want you to go to T-1s (they risk losing you to a fighter unit at the end of -38s) but I recommend to our guys to go -38s if they can for the sole reason that formation in that setting is the most fun you can have with your pants on and you'll never get to do it again once you're out of UPT.

FYI getting to a fully autonomous car is a much more difficult problem than a self-flying airplane - basic reason, the driving environment is drastically more complex than the aircraft environment.

Good, I was beginning to wonder what happens when you go TDY where there is no base.

A few points to ponder: 1. It is NOT a foregone conclusion that the Russians hacked anything. Shockingly the mainstream media is starting to push back on the administration narrative that it was the Russians...technically things don't add up and a lot of insiders have been not so quietly questioning the recently released report. I don;t give a lot of value to wikileaks statements but they do deny getting information from the Russians. There are also reports, suggesting it was a disgruntled DNC insider, I absolutely agree we need a bipartisan investigation to help shed some light on what happened. 2. I don't think anyone wants a foreign power hacking our "stuff" but it is EXTREMELY ironic that you are more upset about external criminal action that the fact that the DNC rigged the election. Truly that should be the story of the year, the DNC under Wasserman Schultz fixed the primaries in order to secure the election of a chosen candidate rather than the will of the people. 3. Where do you draw your foreign influence line in the sand? When expressing outrage that another nation might have tried to shape our election how do you response to Obama less covertly tried to hack the Israeli election, not just with words, but with a LOT of money and behind the scenes action. 4. I also find it extremely ironic that liberals are convinced the Russians hacked the DNC emails and are equally convinced there is no possibility they could have hacked HRC's bathroom server. Truly UNREAL! 5. We have been in a cyber war for years and expressing outrage over what might have happened seems to ignore the likely fact that we have done the SAME thing to many other adversaries...

NS, overall I agree with and appreciate your post. The one place I disagree is quoted above, and it's semantics. Did they really hack our democratic institutions and processes? They didn't actually change any votes, influence voting machines, or manipulate the election day vote counts. Certainly they maliciously uncovered and exposed the dirty laundry of one of the political parties, but the laundry was already made dirty (and hidden) by that party. Had our investigative media done what is arguably their job and been willing to bring this information to the fore, we'd be celebrating the exposure. In the absence of an independent media, however, average Americans were left to rely on normally unthinkable sources, and the DNC's arrogant reaction certainly didn't help things.

I'll echo the above sentiments. I too got picked up on that board, and it seems like my strong points mirrored his. I'm also a rated guy and DG'd my training program, have my PPL, didn't get the best wing strat as far as application packages are concerned, but I had a 99 PCSM and a 97 Pilot AFOQT. So it seems to me that's the common theme, as well as as the fact that most of the people that got picked up come from rated backgrounds. If you don't have good AFOQT scores, go get a study guide and retake it. Then retake the TBAS if you need to, build some flight hours, and your PCSM should shoot up pretty high. I also have an ETP, but for a medical issue. So between the two of us, shoot questions our way if you got em.