VigilanteNav

PM me. I know an ANG pilot who got a VC-### (737) position at Andrews recently so probably has the inside scoop on who they look for. Likely only current Rated bubbas need apply (he was long time 130 guy who was at NGB on staff for awhile).

For you young Bomber wannabee pilots, I suggest scratching the B-1 off the list. It is on the retirement chopping block. Not a done deal but I wouldn't go to Vegas or even Atlantic City and put any money on any future new Reserve B-1 pilots.

In real world Air Force speak, Recce is Reconnaissance. The post you commented on meant recognition so when they show you a picture of an aircraft at the interview you should be able to state what aircraft it is. And based on his comment, there aren't a lot of of units who would do that to you in an interview. So, you may not want to waste too many brain bytes on it but it still will be a good thing to work on as you proceed into your budding AF career.

PM me. Long time ANG C-130 Nav with lots of insights on how the hiring process goes for fully qualified bubbas.

Thread revival, any CSOs who just completed CSO school or in school now have the current gouge on the school as it currently exists? I'm an AFROTC Det CC with a CSO select who is about to commission and head to P'Cola this summer. And, I'm an ol' school Panel Nav (slick 130's) who went through P'cola in '96 so very interested in what the school looks like now.

Not sure if someone posted this one earlier and I missed it but thought it was worthy of more discussion. Can we please stop having CC's who touch another officer's wife inappropriately at an official Air Force function? Is that too much to ask for? Do your F'ing job and just bang your own wife/significant other!!! https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-air-force/2020/01/16/spangdahlem-group-commander-disciplined-for-inappropriately-touching-squadron-commanders-wife/

No first hand experience but I have a buddy who just got picked up by Jet Blue and I know many pilots in the Guard and Reserves who fly for regionals and majors. Buddy at Jet Blue was a C-17 pilot with probably 2 to 3k hours but hadn't flown in the last 3-4 years of his AD time (he retired as an O-6 with 20+ years). He got hired by Air Wisconsin pretty easily and freely admitted to them that he was just going to stay with them until he got enough recent flying hours to get hired by a Major. I think he flew for them for six months before moving on to Jet Blue. So, basically the regionals are so desperate that they will hire guys as short term seat fillers. Plus, you can start with a regional and then go on mil leave when you get orders with your unit and you wouldn't have to feel bad about that since the regional needs you more than you need them. In your case, I'm not sure you have enough total hours to get a look from the Majors yet. But, I'd imagine you'd fill up your log book pretty quick with a regional. I have nothing to add on the other comments that tell you to fly more with your fighter unit. I'm a mobility bubba so flying part time with your unit and full time with a regional or Major is ops normal in that world.

Sorry about the delayed comment but I just viewed this post. The answer to your question is yes but likely only in the ANG. I was a 12M (C-130H Nav) and got hired to be an ALO in an ANG TACP unit. In AD, I haven't heard of any 1XM's becoming ALO's. The ANG is open to it because they need to be. My hiring interview went like this (edited out the stuff that didn't matter): Do you like working with the Army? Yes, I love to camp out under the stars and I have my air assault and army airborne badges. Response: you're hired. After four years of ALO experience, it's the toughest job you'll ever love as the saying goes. Totally recommend and we need great officers in the TACP community! PM me for me deets.

I'm a ROTC Det CC (CSO career field) with a senior (AS400) who is a CSO select so looking to push him info on the current details of CSO training experience at P'cola (other than hit Seville Quarter and the beach at the optimal times). If anyone has the current skinny on this, please post. Note that I went through P'cola in 1996 so the sharing of my experience is quite dated (yet, still love telling stories of my T-34 sorties with Marine Corps Pilots and my escape from the helo dunker).

What? Can't hear you.

The Air Guard, MAFFS, and Herk communities (and world) lost three great heroes on Jan 23, 2020. Captain Ian McBeth (Lt Col, MT ANG), First Officer Paul Hudson ((Lt Col (Ret) Marine Corps)), and Flight Engineer Rick DeMorgan, Jr. (18 year USAF FE vet) perished while fighting the fires in Australia. Personally, I was a Navigator in the Montana ANG with Ian for three years and I can't think of any pilot who I'd rather go into combat with. Please, do not speculate on this thread as to the cause of the crash. I just want this thread to be a memorial for those who knew any of these three aviators. We will find out about the details of the crash in due time. https://www.coulsonaviationusa.com/newsmedia

Concur on all. Do not expect to get promoted early while on a VLPAD tour as the AD doesn't have any "vacancy promotion" process and you'll likely be placed in a position that is at your current rank anyway. Get a "drug deal" for getting rehired with your prior unit if at all possible! I'm six months out from the end of my VLPAD tour and so far so good on rejoining one of my prior ANG units. So far, my AD ISR (in-service recruiter) has been great and the 1288 is in process. Results vary with the ISRs though so I've heard others have been less than helpful. Absolutely do not do a VLPAD tour if you aren't willing to suffer through some of the admin struggles/irritations/etc. It should be a very smooth process but it can definitely be a challenge if you don't get good support along the way. For me, my big wins were to get a command tour (ROTC Det CC) and 3x365 points toward an AD retirement (still about 4 years away but I'm seeing some light at the end of the tunnel) so I'll take the good along with the ugly.

Yes, the entire program is under review. As a current VLPAD/ROTC Det CC, we were told that there are a combination of things going on that caused the pause in the program. First, the AFRC is not meeting total end strength numbers so they wanted a pause of all the VLPAD accessions to take a look at this and ensure they can continue to meet mission reqs. Second, the AD is already at their authorized end strength number for FY20 (as of Oct) so taking on new VLPADs only makes sense for basically the most critical fill positions. As of today (Jan 1st), I think ROTC was able to get at least one new VLPAD tour approved since the pause went into effect so I believe it is a very case by case approval process. If you have applied for the program but are waiting to hear on it, IMO, I wouldn't hold your breath/make any firm plans/etc....unless you know your position is a very critical fill and the POC has advised you they are sending up a waiver to the HAF (no guesses by me on what is critical and what isn't in the eyes of the AF). As far as ROTC goes, the ROTC Leadership is telling us the VLPAD program is in a sunset mode so the openings will be few and far between going forward. They plan to get down to about 10% of the total postions filled by VLPADs. The AD has a new process of filling the ROTC positions and after the first round this year it seemed to provide a lot more qualified candidates and fills than in years past. I'll try to repost anything I hear out of ROTC on this going forward.

Yes

What happens when the Dets are left to be run by mostly non-rated bubbas. As a rated bubba, my cadets come in not necessarily wanting to be rated but then I convert them! Moohahaha!

Pawnman, I'm a rated bubba ROTC Det CC so been here done this with the flight records, physicals, etc. Hasn't been too bad actually as long as the HARM office is ok and mine is at Wright Patt so you should be good to go. I even got a two year bonus while in the seat here and doing exactly the same thing I would have done anyway. If I remember correctly, your Det has a good set up of simulators so you'll be a great asset there. PM me for more deets.

FWIW (coming from a long time C-130 Nav familiar with all the units in question), the CSprings Reserve unit is historically one of the hardest to get into and most hires (that I know of) are of peeps with Herk time already. The CA ANG (Channel Islands) might be the next toughest but I'd be guessing as to which one of the three ANG units (CA, WY, and NV) with the MAFFs mission is the toughest to get into at the present time. If Reno would be a good location for you to commute to, I'd shoot for that unit first. Be advised that you don't get to fly MAFFS right away. It will take you several years and many flying hours before they'll give you the shot to join the MAFFS bubbas. So, better have a long term outlook on this or you'll be disappointed. Good news is that it appears they are hiring soon...https://www.152aw.ang.af.mil/MEMBERS/Current-Job-Openings/ Good luck!

As a former ANG member who is currently on a VLPAD tour, you are only in the AFRC promotion cycle and you only go back into the AFRC (IRR specifically) when the tour ends unless you proactively search for a job in the AFRC or ANG and get hired by a unit before the tour ends. I'm in my last year so working the rejoin to an ANG unit so PM me if you have questions on that process. I've done AD to ANG to AFRC to ANG to ANG to AD so I'm getting a bit experienced on this process (for good or bad!).

I'd be skeptical this would be an option. As KP stated, the real need in the VLPAD program is for IPs or experienced MPs to fill the holes that the just completed their ADSC bubbas are vacating in droves. From my (albeit limited) recent peek into some of the AD units, there are plenty of new faces in the units but not enough flying time and IPs to go around. My 1.5 cents.

FWIW (I'm long past any ADSC commitment to my rated career field), but, when you go on a VLPAD tour from the ANG you separate from the ANG and you have no rehire rights to that unit or any commitment to that unit when the VLPAD tour ends. When the TAG signs that MFR, they are basically saying goodbye and godspeed. When the tour ends, if you do nothing in terms of trying to join a new unit, IMA position, rejoin your ol' ANG unit, etc, you just fall into the inactive ready reserve (IRR) system (to the best of my knowledge from where I sit on a VLPAD tour with one year left on the clock). So, I would think that any existing ADSC would likely just sit there untapped (if you favor beer as your preferred cold beverage). I have no knowledge that anyone has actually gone this route if that's your goal in trying to jump onto an AD tour and then skip out on the remaining ADSC. Someone might chime in if they have executed this go around? FWIW (part deuce), I've been on a VLPAD tour for two years and it's got plusses and minuses (like every job) but all and all it's 365 points per year. I'll be around all day for PMs with specific questions. Cheers!

Anyone know if water survival training (initial qual) is all consolidated now to Fairchild AFB?

NodakMaryland, Being a Guard guy and currently on a ROTC tour, your main issue with getting a pilot slot with a Guard unit will be that you haven't completed your degree yet. Most units I know want the degree in hand plus a bunch of civilian flying hours and a PPL (especially if you aren't already an enlisted dude in that wing). Now, if a unit is desperate enough, maybe they'd take a look at you. If you are in Maryland, I seriously doubt the Maryland ANG A-10 or C-130 units or any of the Andrews AFB units would be that desperate. If I were you, I'd keep the AFRES slot in hand, finish ROTC, finish UPT, find a AFRES unit, attempt to transfer to the ANG later. I just learned that there are only 2 ROTC cadets nationwide in this FY who will commission and go straight into the Guard (point being: it is a hard route to take).

Case by case I assume. In my case, for a ROTC Det CC position, it took about 9 months from app submittal to orders starting (notification that I was approved was about 2 months prior to the orders starting). I would assume some other tours such as just going back to being a line flyer in a squadron would be much shorter.

Sweet irony: the attempted refresh of the "What's right with the Air Force?" thread to get it back on track and out of the DTS, GTC, and Email ditch shows a real sweet re-enlistment of a Vermont Guardsman. Go Guard!!

Yes, I did. I'm currently on an AFROTC Det CC tour so 100% non-flying. I got in under the FY18 expanded bonus program and got 2 years of the bonus to the end of my VLPAD tour (ends July 2020). Several others in AFROTC got it as well. The consecutive VLPAD tour option seems to be in flux depending on which way the wind is blowing. I've heard some have pulled it off. Currently, I'm hearing that there is policy at HAF that consecutive VLPAD tours are a no go. I may try for one anyway. I figure if the position is critical enough and they have no schlitz on AD to fill it then they might be willing to break with the policy if it still exists at that time.