so.it.goes

Thanks, man.

Just for clarification, the ACSC "top-up" is only required if you do the Leadership/O-3 track, and you get full credit for ACSC if you do the Joint Warfare/O-4 track, correct? Also, anyone worked on and or/completed the OLMP version since the ASU migration?

Do it...

Seems like that would be a pretty good deal for most guys who lived mostly within their means, and/or have only one wife on the record.

Thanks, man. Good advice (which I feel like I have mostly adopted already). The only "tough" part about doing so, is that when you're in a guard unit in a domicile (Louisville/UPS), the numbers are WAY skewed toward that particular employer, and it can be difficult to get an idea of what everyone else is like. We've added a few Delta folks, one/now two United, and have a couple AAL/SW guys in the ranks, but the vast majority are UPS, so that's about all I hear. I'll have to be a little more proactive about the other companies, but, ultimately, I guess it comes down to who calls first anyway.

Quick question for you guys who have read this book: I'm a Guard baby and also a Regional Captain who is trying to get his s**t together and get apps/profiles published for several companies by 1-January... Since I have a pretty good grasp of 121 life and the differences between the Mil and Civ side, would this book still be a useful supplement to my current efforts? I don't mind to spend money on good stuff, and it sounds like it's fantastic info for guys coming off AD careers, but I don't want to blow hard-earned cash on something that doesn't really pertain to me... especially since I'm dropping all kinds of coin for Emerald Coast, app reviews, etc. Any opinions welcome, and thanks in advance.

You, my friend, must have the most hard-working and efficient support personnel in the entire Guard... I have never had that experience in ANY of my in/out-processing situations. ...except, I suppose, the one time I (literally) said, "F**k it, you figure it out", left the paperwork at home station, and went to school with no issues. Maybe I got lucky, or maybe none of that shit matters anyway.

So, is the AF good now, or is everyone tired of bitching? No action in more than a month...

That's what I was thinking... Must have been egregious. We have ART's on base I'd LOVE to get rid of, but apparently being terrible at your job is somehow NOT an offense worthy of dismissal.

Real talk: Why would you consider AD if you can rush Guard units in this climate? Fighter discussion aside, go Guard all day, every day.

Yes... Yes, THE would have.

I'd add to that that if you're flexible with your ROUTE to a destination, that helps as well. I'm with one of the AA Wholly-owned regionals, so have full AA Non-Rev bennies... My wife and I have hopped all over, and we've taken the kids many places as well. We were batting 1000 until an ice storm trying to get back from a London-Paris trip. Stayed an extra day in Paris (poor us), and struggled to get the four of us home once stateside, but I don't mind the process when you factor on what you're getting. Business class both ways, and between the eight legs for the entire trip, we would have spent $40K... Yes, that's a correct value. I'm heading to London again in a couple weeks just to watch a soccer match... It's awesome.

Like I said, it's crazy how much things have changed so quickly. Two other things I forgot to mention about the Regionals: Big bonuses (some with strings, some without), and a paid-for ATP/CTP course. Gone are the days when you have to go drop serious coin on the big rating. As stated, I'm not saying I want to be here forever (hope to be gone in a year), but it's not a bad gig. Big caveats to that: Live in/near domicile, and do research on Reserve rules. Those two things alone can be the difference between being content and being miserable... I've seen it within my squadron first-hand.

By the way, I know no one wants to STAY at a Regional, but my point is simply that you could do much worse than that as you build time for the big boy job.

Since Hacker brought up the Regionals, I'll add some more (current) information, since I think the incredibly recent turn of the Regional industry (read, last two years) is going to be the nail in the coffin for the Guard/Reserve side of the house. I'm a Guard baby (Captain) and quickly got sick of only being able to snag 150-300 hours of flying time a year, due to the increased AD-Lite mentality of the Guard and all the extra admin duties and responsibilities that get thrown on you. I snagged a job at a Regional (that takes me an hour-and-fifteen-minutes to get to the employee parking lot) just after they more than doubled pay from what Hacker was talking about. Since that time two years ago, two-to-four other Regionals have jumped their pay WAY up... Endeavor is currently leading the way with $50/hr first year FO, $60/hr second year FO, and $93/hr third year CA pay. In 2018 I deployed for a couple/few months, took a two month AGR gig, and flew the line at the Regional as an FO... I live in my Guard city, take a short drive to the airline, and between the two gigs I made $100,000 and blocked ~700 hours... Let me reiterate, I'm an FO at a REGIONAL. They're FORCE upgrading people here at like 18 months (due to the shortages), so by the time I upgrade to the higher money in a couple months, I'll already be able to hold a line in domicile, due to all the guys junior to me already being forced to the left seat. I was doing the math with the CA I'm flying with on this trip yesterday, and (assuming I do the minimum AFTP/RUTA count for 2019 and maybe another month's worth of Orders at some point, and then upgrade around April) I'll probably make close to $120,000. This guy's a LCA who drops trips every month and he makes $120K. Add the minimum amount of Guard work and you're pushing $150,000... at a REGIONAL. Just wanted to throw that out there, because I keep trying to tell my leadership that THIS may be an even greater threat to our ranks than the imminent mainline hiring... I know we're losing senior IP/EP types, but what's going to happen when that trend continues, and then the young guys are bouncing AS WELL? No longer is it a huge pay-cut for the younger Lt's/Captains to hit the Regionals for the block hours. It's a pay bump (not to mention a GUARANTEED paycheck vs. Guard bumming), and it's infinitely easier to build those hours as well. I'm doing 85 block this month, and 90 next month. I was the high-time pilot in the Squadron at one point this year with 75 hours... in three months. Big AF, the Guard, and the Reserve have no idea...

Okay... Cool, I guess. The admittedly conservative number he gave in that article still seems like a pretty big f**king number to me... and a lot of money to get paid to NOT deal with bullshit.

I'm not saying this to be antagonistic, but I think I'm genuinely a little confused about which "side" (for lack of a better term) you are supporting now.

...Motherf---er, thank you. Career AGR, well done. Seriously. To substantiate my statement I will say that I meant the Regional gig is "better" apropos the QOL issues that get discussed here ad nauseum. Obviously this is dependent on things like ease/lack of commute and what company you saddle up with for the stop-gap to the Majors, but I stand by my comment. I think, strike that, I KNOW that most AF guys are unaware of the changes in the regional industry that have occurred in the past year and that are continuing every month. I know this because dudes in my squadron who have been Guard their whole career and have their finger on the pulse of the aviation industry don't even know, so I'm sure AD guys are unaware. I actually really enjoy my Regional gig... So much so that I get annoyed hopping back to the Guard anymore. I like the flying, I LOVE the efficiency, and the money (in conjunction with burning minimum Guard days) is not only livable now, it's more lucrative than just bumming. Is it still on the low-side compared to AD pay? Yes, on the FO seat, but upgrade times are at record-lows at most good companies, CA pay is pretty decent now, and for Mil guys, you know you should only be there for a few years, at most. I like knowing that I WILL get home on my last day of a trip... If we break, there is always another jet and I won't be stranded hundreds/thousands of miles from family with another important event missed. I like working for an organization that values saving money, rather than spending capriciously. You hear it all the time, but there is something incredibly satisfying about having all the details in place, ironed-out, and ready to go before you show-up to the jet, 30 minutes prior to push. Arrive, do your job, leave = Paycheck... Hindsight, I'm pretty sure you put your time in as a Bum, so I know that you're familiar with how poorly that equation unfolds for a Traditional guy or someone trying to bum. You spend half your day (like I am today) trying to figure out where your rightfully-earned money from last week/month is, and the other half wondering why you came in at all. So, while I certainly agree that your AGR career spot is a sweet deal, I stand by what I said, and I know there are a lot more who agree with me... I am certain of this because you can now see all the other young guys like me who are turning down the full-time Guard/Reserve gigs that people historically stabbed each other in the back to snag. A year ago I would have jumped at the chance for one of those "Holy Grail" jobs. Now that I've seen the other side, how the regionals have improved, and what the future holds, my response is (and has been to three job offers) "No, thank you". We have new 1Lt's in those spots now. Interesting times, my friends.

Exactly... I'll say it again: Dollars and/or QOL... It is not close. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

That doesn't appear the case to me at all... Everyone knows the remuneration is better for the airlines, and everyone has always known it. Your acquaintance is the one making the extraordinary claim that it's a closer curve than most have assumed, and he has provided his version of the evidence. "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence." What pilotguy showed in his flippant reply is reality... Even if AD and the airlines were a dollar-for-dollar equivalent, the airlines have the killshot with the quality-of-life and (more importantly) CONTROL of life. He doesn't need to provide further verifiable evidence or numbers; he is simply declaring that, even in a best-case scenario for the AF, Big Blue still can't win. Anecdotal "facts" from a decade reading this forum and interacting with fellow aircrew: Reserve is better than AD; Guard may be slightly better than Reserve. Anecdotal "facts" from a shorter time of personal civilian flying experience and experience of most of my Mil peers: (The previous facts remain in place, unequivocally) Regional airline life (with the new pay scales) is better than Guard/Reserve; mainline airline life is better than Regional life. I've enjoyed my military career thus far and I know everyone on here has an innate sense of duty and service within them. However, when you're talking about continuing your life beyond your commitment and maximizing dollars, time, and freedom, Mainline airline wins... And, for those who haven't experienced both worlds yet, it is not a close race. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

It's already better than me...

That's one of my favorite things I've read on the forums in a long time... Here's how mine always goes: Medical- "How many drinks, on average, do you have per week?" Me- "I don't" (and struggle to maintain straight face) Honest answer- "All of them..."

The guy in our class who switched to -38's, despite being a heavy guy, DESTROYED everyone (it was not close), finished first overall in the class, and apparently outflew several pointy-nose instructors. He did so well the leadership was trying to figure out how to get him a fighter billet, so who knows what could happen? Small sample size and all that.

Or you could just benefit from luck... When I was about six months out from UPT, the Guard bureau came down and said they had nine "paid-for" -38 spots that were essentially going to go to waste, for whatever reason. I have no idea how I ended-up on the distro list, but myself and eight others were emailed and asked if we wanted a part of it. After some soul-searching I declined (and have NEVER regretted it). Saw another situation occur where two Guard guys (one slated for heavies, the other for fighters) did a clean swap through NGB when some personal issues came up with the fighter guy. The point is, is your goal of flying -38's likely? Not necessarily, but crazy shit can and does happen sometimes. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

True story... Go to the Veteran's Advantage website and use their calculator. It was very accurate as a predictor of my final number, and you can change it for active vs. Guard/Reserve.