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Wing CC: "Why would you not sign this bonus, you're leaving $35K on the table!" Pilot: "I grossed $35K last month in my other job" Wing CC: "....fuck"

“RIFed officers who are deployed, but are scheduled to return after Jan. 1, have the option of cutting their deployment short and returning home by Jan. 1, in which case they would separate no later than April 30. Their other option is to complete some or all of their current deployment and return home after Jan. 1, as long as their deployed commander agrees. Those airmen who remain on deployment will have to separate between 30 days and four months of their return date, and must leave no later than Nov. 30, 2015. They also must separate before they complete 18 years of total active federal military service Deployed officers who are RIFed and scheduled to return on or earlier than Jan. 1 will separate no later than April 30, like other RIFed officers.” i remember RIF/VSP. Funny don’t recall hearing about a crisis when big blue was telling pilots to GTFO. Or when generals/wing commanders were telling pilots “if you don’t like it, leave you’re replaceable” or that morale was “pretty darn good” Feels good hearing the machine squeal...couldn’t happen to a better bloated bureaucracy. Know your worth. https://www.airforcetimes.com/education-transition/jobs/2014/11/19/air-force-begins-notifying-rifed-officers/

Funny story that wasn't funny at the time. We were flying the mighty whistlin shithouse (AC-130H) out of Guam practicing for the Iran hostage rescue. Our live fire range was basically a big rock sticking up out of the water somewhere near Guam. We were shooting our regular 20mm HEI rounds down at 2500ft. Bomb dump says they have a "shitload" of tracers they need to get rid of and ask if we can shoot it. We said sure, link it up, a mixture of tracer and HEI. So we are over this rock at 2500ft and the pilot lets loose with the first burst of the tweak, immediately followed by "CEASE FIRE, CEASE FIRE!!!!. Tracers were ricocheting back toward the airplane, some of them went past us.

I’ll have to think about it but “cutting” warfighting capability sounds stupid and agenda driven.

Leadership when they lower the bonus 10G. They might not be saying it to the masses but that is what they are saying. Like it or not the value of your labor is largely determined by your investment from your employer.

I've talked to several bros who have been asked by OG and or WG/CC about not taking bonuses...they all say the general reaction is surprise. In 2019, leadership is still "surprised" a $15-35K bonus isn't worth shit to us.

Anyone else get pinged by leadership as to why they didn’t sign/renegotiate? I was considering renegotiating from my current 25k to 35k but this year they reduced the renegotiated amount to 25k which buys me nothing except commitment. I am truly puzzled by the mismatch between those who say it’s critical to retain experienced pilots and the message of, “You are worth $25k per year down from $35k last year.” Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network mobile app

Other airline bubba: “Oh damn dude, you must have only worked 16-19 days last month!”

True, but I think whoever was looking at it from HAF (if anyone) probably bit off on the flattening of the bonus vs takers chart at the $30-40k mark. That would indicate that above that amount, the bonus will sway fewer people per dollar added. It would still keep getting more takers through $100k, but the "efficiency" of bonus money goes down above that $30-40k mark. The AF is calling it a crisis, but still wants to pay as little as possible, even if that means prolonging the crisis and losing more experience along the way. Based on the ACTF Reddit AMA, it's because the AF is too afraid to ask Congress to up the bonus to the RAND results. (Left unsaid is that they won't even pay people the full flight-pay amount because reasons...?)

The min engagement distance (for training) for the GAU-18 was 300m for this reason. Plus the baby-BRRRR of the mini-gun is so satisfying.

I’ll tell you that being a Patch should not mean you just PA to O-5. I’ll also tell you that you do not have to be a Patch to be a shit hot tactician. Some of the most lethal aviators I know are not Patches and some of the most garbage officers I know are Patches. Don’t let labels define who you are in the AF.