airsigncutter

All of the directed relocations were to McAllen, Laredo, or Puerto Rico. It is my understanding that all three pilots in Montana resigned instead of accepting the relocation.

Three pilots were just Directed out of Montana. It's not an option for new employees.

I heard that it was Puerto Rico and Laredo, and that there were several pilots who were issued directed relocations from various locations, but instead resigned. I agree that emotional rants should be taken with a grain of salt, but sometimes emotional rants just expose the unsavory truths that no one else cares to. Facts are facts, and opinions are opinions. I would be more than willing to discuss either. It isn't a bad job, the pay and benefits are very reasonable. Right now, there is all the flight time a pilot could wish for. I just think prospective employees should be informed. It isn't PC to air dirty laundry, but I believe it is worse to lure innocent prospects into a job without all the facts. New hires are going to "hard-to-fill" locations. Undeniably reasonable. New guys have to put in their time. Every other aviation and law enforcement organization use normal seniority to make decisions in regards to personnel. AMO enacted a precedent that negatively affects the senior employees. By all means, do your research, and by all means apply for the positions, but do it with all the pertinent information. RW_LEO is doing a great job as far as recruiting is concerned, emphasizing the positives, but I believe it is important for someone to enlighten potential employees when their future is on the line. I would like to re-emphasize...by all means, do your research and apply if it is right for you. Just do it as an informed candidate.

Anyone interested in CBP's AIA position needs to be informed of the latest policies and their implications. They have enacted a policy of directed relocations that are based on "first-in-first-out", also known as reverse seniority. The Assistant Commissioner has seen fit to move senior pilots or sensor operators to the "hard-to-fill" locations, thus keeping the newer pilots from quitting and going to the airlines. This is possible because of the lack of a union. The recruitment propaganda says that new hires can move around, or stay in their same location, but the truth is less concrete. If your current location is hard-to-fill, you won't be forced to move. What could have been a great organization has been destroyed by the current leadership, or lack thereof. Pilots are jumping this sinking ship, as they should, at unprecedented numbers. If you don't mind less desirable locations, the work isn't that bad (patrol or surveillance, one or two bags of gas), but the current leadership doesn't care about the employees in the least. Senior Executive Service bonuses take precedence over what is best for the country, and for the government. The non-pilots running the organization don't appreciate the skill level required for the position. There is actually talk of a 10% bonus for all AIA's, and a more imminent 10% bonus for the hard-to-fill locations. I am, admittedly, a bit jaded, but getting your seniority started in the airlines is a safe course of action. On the plus side, for now you can get all the flight time you want. On the continued negative side, there is talk of changing the retirement system to best-of-five instead of best-of-three, and getting rid of the current social security supplemental portion of the retirement, which gives law enforcement retirees the equivalent of social security until they are eligible. If you are set on getting in, better get in soon. I would be happy to expound on any point in this message. I want any prospective recruits to be informed of the current circumstances. I don't mean to sound all doom-and-gloom, there are definitely positives to the job. These days, the negatives seem to outweigh the positives.