Van1

I was twice passed over to O-5 in Jun 2011 and was given a check for $130k and was told to GTFO of the AD in Nov 2011. Had no problem swearing into the NYANG the very next day in Dec 2011. In Feb 2012 my unit told me that I was going up to a mandatory ROPMA board in Jun 2012 since I would have 7 years TIG for the period the board covered. Package went to the board with no Guard OPRs in it. Got the news in Jul 2012 that I was selected for 0-5 and pinned on Apr 2013 (when I actually hit 7 years TIG).

1.5 years into my VLPAD tour and qualified and received the FY19 CSO AvB payment last month. An extra $30k for doing what I was going to do anyway. Haven't asked about extending this tour as I think being 50 with 24.5 years I'll be ready for something else when my tour is up Aug 2020.

Already posted in this thread earlier. Yes, transition from Guard to VLPAD was pretty easy looking back. Currently back flying a platform I flew AD 10 years ago. Weird that Reserve guys are having issues since technically those of us on VLPAD are Reserve officers on EAD. Good news for me in regards to VLPAD is I crossed the 20 year AD days point this past Tuesday. Paycheck of month club is now guaranteed. Of course I owe much credit to my former Guard unit as I was able to obtain over 3 years AD time over the last 5 years. This after being kicked out of AD in 2011 as an O-4 with almost 16 years. The next 2 years of my EAD tour plus my my IDT time in the Guard are 7.5% gravy at max 0-5 pay. Bad news is I’m currently on a 2 day notice, non-vol 30-60 day TDY. Yes, VLPAD info says no deployments unless you volunteer but a SIB isn’t considered a deployment. So if you have any safety stink on you beware.

11F Guard Baby I know just got a base of his choosing in Europe via VLPAD. Was initially offered a position at a base in NM but said no way.

Applied 1 Jun requesting 12R position at Offutt, got VLPAD offer on 11 Jul, and after clearing up some issues with my TAG endorsement finally got orders today to start AD on 21 Aug. Anyone else care to admit they're going or attempting to go back in?

I'm in the 152 AOG. I can get you in contact with the folks you need to talk to there about getting hired. Shoot me a PM with your contact info and I'll get you to the right place. Or feel free to ask me any questions.

Are enlisted guys flying RPAs now?

I've been on orders for under and over 180 days and have not had to pay back my Sep Pay.

Separation Pay, whether gained through vol or invol methods, will be recouped if one goes on to achieve a military pension.

I heard this as well second hand from a coworker. What I don't understand is that if you pass up the opportunity for a good deal, and are then handed a bad deal, what impetus is there for the AF to give you another shot at the good deal? Sure, I'll bet you could apply for TERA once RIF'd but I wonder what the selection rate would be. My guess is zero. Something TERA and RIF eligibles will want to clear up before passing up their opportunity to TERA before being RIF'd.

See above. TAMP is Transitional Assistance Management Program. This gives you 180 days of Tricare following invol sep. TAP is Transition Assistance Program. This is a program that is mandated by congress for all military member separating or retiring from the military. This is where you learn to be a civilian and write resumes and do job interviews, etc. VSP is the same as Invol Sep Pay when it comes to a future military retirement. They both need to be paid back.

I'm one of the 157 Majors that was not continued in 2011. Currently a Lt Col going on over 2 years of AD orders in the Guard. 2 to go until AD retirement. Figure my wife and I (DINKs) have about $550k+ between stocks, mutual funds, IRAs (both Roth and traditional), 401ks, checking, home equity, and paid off cars (the invol sep pay helped there). My biggest problem is that I have $100k in checking. Need to figure out what to do with it. Cause its not doing me any good there.

Yes, that's right, $60k+. For one year in my life I lived beyond what Obama considers rich ($250k+ income). I didn't/haven't done this. Jughead, I sent you an IM. I'm a former Offutt guy.

I'm one of the 157 that got booted a couple of years back and got a check for $131k (actually around $96k after taxes) as I was shown the door. When I retire from the Guard there is a formula that will reduce my retirement pay for the first 6-9 years until that $131k is "paid back". Works out that I'll only get a around 50% of my retirement pay during those years. Think of VSP and ISP as interest free, up front loans from your future retirement pay, should you go on to achieve a military retirement. Sort of like those 2 month basic pay loans you got as LTs PSCing into your first assignments that you had to "pay" back over the next year. I paid off our cars and stashed away the majority of my ISP. Between a years worth of Maj pay, my wife's salary, and the ISP, I had a federal tax bill of over $60k for 2011. I had to re-characterize my Roth IRAs into Traditional IRAs before I filed taxes.

Might as well make a Masters degree a commissioning requirement. That's were the AF is heading anyway.

For all you young ones who think that not doing a worthless AAD simply means you might not get promoted need to think harder. It pretty much means that you might not make it into the check of the month club. I thought the same thing when I was young about AADs. I figured I'd be rather be a crusty 0-4 line flyer anyway. Problem is after being passed over for the second time to 0-5 I was given a check for $130k and told to GTFO just 4 years shy of making it into the check of the month club. Fight the fight if you feel it worth it but you may not win. In my case, I turned lemons into lemonade and am now an 0-5 in the Guard and have been trucking along on AD orders more or less since I separated AD and future is bright for continued long term orders. Still no AAD. All I wanted to do was retire as an 0-4 but instead I'll have to retire as an 0-5 with an even bigger monthly retirement check. Maybe I did win?

I've been in a flying wing that had a 14N at the helm. Not sure it went so well for the wing but said individual now has 2 stars.

Why offer 15-16 year Majors an early retirement when Big Blue can simply give them a check for $130k and tell them to get the puck out.

I wouldn't say that OTS is easy to get into, especially if you don't have some kind of technical degree the AF desires.

7305 AD points is the magic number to be able to collect the AD retirement check right away. (365 x 20 = 7300 + 5 leap years) Getting there from here depends on where your "here" is. Agree that it's probably not reasonable for an 8-10 year 0-3 jumping from AD to the ARC as a TR or ART to expect a full AD retirement before they turn 60. But for somebody departing the AD fix with 16 years it is entirely possible. Thanks to all the days I'm getting out of Big Blue for FY12 and FY13 I'll be a little over 6300 points by the end of FY13. I don't think that it will be too hard to get 1000 AD points over the next 11 years before I hit my MSD at age 54. I'd like to get them done while in my 40's. One statuatory tour at Guard Bureau and could be done. Would rather stay in the ops world though even if it takes longer. Unit is in Syracuse, NY. Probably no chance of AGR for the next 5-7 years (only 3 officer AGR postions) but there is at least one if not maybe 2 GS-12 positions open. TR is no problem. PM me if you want more details.

Yep, I am one of the 157 who got booted last year and am now a 0-5 select in the Guard. Getting a twice passed over waiver was a non event. I know of 4 others from the 157 in the same boat who are now all 0-5 selects - 3 pilots who went reserves, 1 space guy who was in my Guard unit, who now landed an AGR gig as a DO of a space squadron. I'm a 12R nav in an AOC unit as a traditional Guardsman. Nice thing is I'm currently TDY on 120 day AD orders with a 1 year PCS that will start in Oct. When I'm done with that next year I will have just over 2 years left of AD time to acheive to get a full AD retirement. I hope to get that wrapped up within 5 years of bumming it. Nice thing is I will be able to retire as an 0-5 vice 0-4 had I been continued in the AD. I think that I'm playing the game well. It is curious that there hasn't been much word on what happened with this years twice passed over dudes. Maybe its back to continuation as usual in the AD. Perhaps cutting 157 majors last year was all Big Blue needed to do to get the manning back on glide slope. By the way, my unit would hire a few 11F, 11B, 12F, 12B types in a heartbeat. We are hurting for kinetic guys.

I'm making an assumption that you are a rated dude. Keep in mind that according to AFI 36-2005, Table 2.2, Note 9, rated dudes are ineligible for commisioned appointment in the Res of the AF if they failed to be selected for promotion for the first time. People get focused on the twice passed over bit found on Table 2.2, Item 25 and fail to read the notes. So you would need a waiver even if you are once passed over. Having said that, getting a twice passed over waiver to go Guard last year seemed to be a non issue for me. I know a few guys that went AFRES last year after getting twice passed over without much issue. From what I gather, getting the waiver approved is not a big deal. Just a matter of finding a unit willing to insert your name on the waiver template and sending it up.

Not sure it's fair to blame your woes on RIF'd AD folks like me. Nobody had to ask me to leave the BS behind when I was involuntarily separated from AD and signed on with the Guard. I did that on my own and it felt good. And I'm willing to bet that 99% of folks who have recently been RIF'd from AD and been hired into the Guard or Reserves feel the same way.

Who uses whiz wheels anymore? And why would you want one on your wrist?

I thought pilots all wore Breitlings.