AirGuardianC141747

Ahhhhhh Training Wings, sounds like they haven’t gotten any better but a bit worse perhaps. Not all, maybe... Definitely the person in charge or who isn’t checked sets the tone. I am rooting for ya’ll, and hopefully when folks head or return to their War Wings/Squadrons they get the focus they deserve.

Many folks disregard the VA disability benefits. Please do not take them lightly and do some research for your own sake. You are entitled (bad word regarding others) to the benefits of your service. At one time I felt this was not worthwhile pursing (my own negligence), but it turns out the benefits are quite extraordinary. You maybe eligible for healthcare, or at least a co-pay scenario. Granted, your current insurance may be better and in some cases depending on which is designated as primary, the secondary may pick up the rest. VA Home loans. With a disability rating (maybe even 0% I think, you should ask), they will waive the funding fee. *In my case, I didn’t receive my disability rating before I purchased a home; therefore, I paid a funding fee rolled up into the loan itself. Turns out, I submitted my VA rating about 3 months after the purchase. I could not recoup the fee immediately, but when I sold the home they refunded the fee. So you still receive the benefit in some form or another if your proactive. Annually I receive a health checkup at my VA Hospital and they provide a basic physical including bloodwork. I have had special soles for my shoes made, physical therapy appointments, medicines given and sometimes they have tried to give more than I want to take. Example: cholesterol medicine which I thought was overkill since it was at the “limit” per say and I could control it via diet and exercise. Fairly lethargic and a food maniac, I changed my ways plus some additional exercise while on my international trips and have had no further issues whatsoever. They meant well, but I attempt to stay away from any required medicines if at all possible. TMI - Colonoscopy covered as well, it’ll save your life. They provide all the CPAP equipment I require/desire and monitor my performance annually. FAA is far stricter, but it is nice having a invested provider. Prescription refills roll in a week after I order over the phone. My experience has been very good based on the area I live in. *Note: Not all VA hospitals/facilities are created equal. I happen to have two outstanding options nearby. Basically, the VA Disability is a dart board. Throw anything and everything at it, they determine what sticks! If your not content with their findings you can challenge the decision. It doesn’t guarantee you anything, but you may have the ability to provide more information substantiating your claim. Worth a shot!!! One of my friends fought hard for 7 years to finalize/validate his claim (you also have 1 year after you retire/depart service to file a claim). After much strife and relentless pursuit, he was finally awarded the second portion to his rating. In the end they paid him 7 years worth of monetary benefits retroactively = over $80k. It was worth nearly $1k a month additionally x 7 years... plus tax free. And now it’s added monthly to his previous payments. Might be worth your time, might not. It’s all your choice. Just be aware that you need to list this type of benefit on the FAA MedExpress documentation if you fly commercially.

On a separate note. Living in base or at your military installation has its perks which is undeniable. If your base or installation is where you want to live even if you were no longer in the military or working for an airline then that is the perfect scenario. Can you answer the age old question(s): 1.) If you had a million dollars, what would you do with your life? #Besides the Office Space answer 2.) If you had a million dollars, where would you live? To fit our times let’s make it 10 million dollars... Well done Sputnik! Glad to hear it rocks for you. We enjoyed Panama City, but somehow ventured out a year prior to Hurricane Michael in 2018 thankfully. Some of our friends still haven’t moved back into their homes who worked at Tyndall AFB and it’s still terrible there. Dodged that bullet.

For Sputnik - Got it, makes sense not living in someone else’s shoes. I need to give some back ground info that pertains to my situation specifically. Skip to the bottom for the quick answer and avoid the personal fluff below. See *** Note: *If your a Guard baby from the beginning and have never left your hometown/state OR have visited areas you would like to retire in than it’s probably easy to figure out where you want to live since Uncle Sam probably deployed you, but never really PCS’d/moved you. Or, you have kids in school and it doesn’t make sense to uproot yet again, etc. kind of a no brainer. Having Friends and Family nearby since birth is a luxury and I envy this position - granted, that’s based upon great friends and good family members of course in a good location. It’s all eye of the beholder of course. As for me: Consider yourself fully retired having served over 24 years of military service in the active duty AND Guard or Reserve Components. Moved 9 times fulfilling 9 assignments in 6 of our great states. Lived overseas during my younger (high school) years. Have family in Europe and the Far East. No real responsibilities such as kids, schools, universities grandparents, parents, spouse employment etc. tying my wife and I down. Our immediate families live in NOT so nice areas, basically a lot of America has changed these past few decades as it always has and not always for the better. Company I work for has domiciles, but we also have the option to commute (paid ticket) and hotel waiting for you prior to launch if you will. It’s a huge plus as we can pretty much live anywhere in the US and quite a few of our folks live overseas. May cost you a day commuting, but you get to live where you want. If you call HOME places like New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle, Miami, etc (some of our domiciles) then it’s a perfect situation no doubt. ***I retired from Pan Handle of FL which was very nice and we moved to TN (1st move) summer of 2017, then moved to Atlantic side of FL summer of 2018 (2nd move), pulled chocks after 6 months and right back to TN to a familiar area for now. Bottom Line: Uncle Sam has told us where to live for a very long time. Most people live where their jobs/livelihood/family thrives or have anchors they cannot break. We are blessed to be able to live almost anywhere (no complaints). Despite the cost/headaches, we have been striking out in search of somewhere we can settle down comfortably which meets our particular needs. Our Home towns of decades ago are no longer what we consider a great town today. While definitely not my hometown - I graduated from San Jose State University and thrived in “The City” (San Francisco) 89-93. How does “The City” look now? Never will return to the Left Coast. Definitely <1st world problems and not a bad one to have if you can afford it. It’s probably a quick an easy answer for most, but it’s been perplexing at best. We’re still in the hunt for what we can only answer!

Made some life long friends, some Grand memories and proud to have served. As Black Rifle Coffee Company dude titled his book: Thank You for MY Service! After reading these latest monkey mounting pig skin scenarios, very fortunate to be retired and enjoying the Freedom our forefathers, my fellow peers and current rank holders provide/provided. Nice looking inside from the outside for once as a fully retired card holder. 2 Rules: Leave at the Top of Your Game AND Never stay at the party too Loooong.... Keep Up The Good Fight!

Referencing HossHarris website post, definitely interesting data points. Something we’ve been watching as one of the hired guns for Amazon for quite some time now. FedEx has thrown some hurdles and speed bumps in front of them, it was just a matter of timing before a wrench was thrown back. Business is war, and the Fred vs Bezos show has quite the history dating back many years. Unsure what the future may bring, but the facility construction in CVG is well underway and judging by the footprint of phase I, FedEx and UPS will take/have taken notice and planned accordingly/or may not be able too. Visibly, it’s just scratching the surface what lies ahead. We’re just contracted and if gobbled up during the expansion, Bezos doesn’t take prisoners which is worrisome at best. What happens when we’re all assimilated??? ———————————————————————————————————— ***Regarding the Domicile info. Totally agree, nothing compares to being in Domicile convenience wise or at least being near your Guard unit. **Having retired from the Guard over 2 years ago, I have moved 3 times just trying to figure out where it feels right to actually settle down for awhile. Domicile living is exceptional if it is really where you want to be. It does conjure up old AF assignments memories you didn’t want due to the location you were in. *Domicile matters somewhat, but not as important as our company provides ticketing to our Domicile or wherever they need us (you keep the points). You may lose a day here or there (Lost 1 last year, but I normally bid lines where commute days count as work days), but nothing like having to commute with no responsibility whatsoever. Aircraft maintenance issues, weather delays, airline cancels, etc. matter not, not my problem. Before I started the airline gig, a Delta friend let me know - “Getting to work is half the pressure of doing your dang job!!!” I really appreciate no crash pad, airport car or stranger room mates. And while the company still exists, it’s nice not having to relive college in the aforementioned scenario and touring the world. BONUS: I cannot recall/witnessing a time where a pilot could choose where they want to live first, and then get hired by an airline that supports it. Carry on and Fly on!

Great stories about a great man. Thank You all for the insight/memories. Rest In Peace / Godspeed!

Totally agree! Us 4 holers (74 Drivers) always make fun of those flying in a constant state of emergency with 2 (our fellow company 76 and triple 7 Drivers). But the AF did resurrect another B-52 from the boneyard recently...

Thanks iRobot your right on the money, F-15X or EX was old news I thought. These past few decades we rarely if ever procure initial numbers of aircraft our services request/set out for . F-22 fell far short, F-35s will fall further as budgets tighten most likely. Supposedly the new F-15 variant will carry 16 or up to 22 Air-2-Air missiles; therefore, it will be the “Hammer” even if it fell short to a mere 12 compared to stealthy F-22/35 being less than 6 or 8. Granted, I guess you hard mount and bring more to the fight but what’s the point... 22s/35s clear the way/targeting for the Hammer. Either way, there’s mention of keeping 2 companies in the Fighter business for diversification as well. Cheaper proven upgraded aircraft to help sustain the fleet while 35s come on line, F-15 platform seems like a great choice. Just an opinion. *Its like when we bought C-17s to replace C-141s, they weren’t thinking to replace nearly 300 C-141s one for one. Buys were something like 60, then another 60, then another 60, how about another 40... While the C-17 is more capable, AMC just forgets that they could NOT be in 285 locations around the world with 120 aircraft... need more and more, dang it... Gotta figure footprint at some point, can’t be everywhere.

I would have agreed 4 months ago regarding the BUFF, but having flown thru Europe (won’t mention where we stopped) looking down from our cockpit upon the backside of a cordoned off BUFF with a security team around it I question just how Bad Ass it is now... It was the WG bird too... Apparently had a double engine 🔥 🔥, yup 2.... and diverted there. We kept our vintage 747 going on to the next stop and next, but the oven was a bit sketchy I must say. I will say that it was Bad Ass enough to shutdown 2 engines and flutter on in for MX. Best BUFF quote I have ever heard: “Everyone grab a throttle, we’re going around!!!” At least the F-15 is being produced yet again to bring the Hammer that the F-22/35 could not. >Payload, very impressive.

“In what other scenarios would one be committed to the ANG, but not doing the thing they initially signed up to do?” - BigBlueSky Medical School perhaps? It normally incurs a 4 year commitment after residency. Granted certain specialties may incur more. For them it’s basically a 1 for 1 ratio of support given if you will. 1, 2, 3... years of schooling incurs 1, 2, 3... years of commitment evenly. Plus Bonuses and stipends may apply. What about Law school? While not a scholarship, there is the “Funded Legal Education Program (FLEP) to officers on active duty.” Dentist falls into the medical criteria I presume. None of the above have the UPT commitment of approximately 1 year of training = 10 years of useable servitude. Their physical qualifications are not as stringent either so they are much easier to keep within their profession as support personnel, or if they were unable to finish or pass their training/qualification early on, they could sub category into many of the opportunities the military has to offer is my guess. Either way, time served for the military to get their money back vs the individual paying for whatever training they received is most likely a no-go for the individual anyway. Otherwise these individuals would obviously have just paid the bill or incurred the loan from the start as civilians like most airline types have done. USAF Aerospace and Operational Physiology (AOP) is there to keep pilots up and running as a front line asset. They vetted your physical prowess at the beginning and put the cash up front into you, so it’s pennies to keep you airborne for a long time. Normally you are recategorized into another AFSC (profession) and you serve your time out. Granted, the need for pilots is a cyclic event so we have seen folks released early which happened decades ago due to drawdown. Right now the Military is hemorrhaging pilots/airlines are soaking them up, but then again - if your rated, but not flying due to lack of MDS qualification do you fall into the Flying Class 1 Physical requirements for actual flying pilots? It’s not like you accrue OFDA/gate months which very very basically means - the more months you fly the more months or years you can serve in a non-flying position and keep your flight pay going. As far as disqualifying events. Heart attack, Stroke, Psychosis, failing your PT test 3, 4, 5 times - I don’t know, but it’s probably drastic. They prefer to fix you up as if you were the 6 million dollar man. If they can’t like having MS which if I recall one of my friends had later on during his flying career, he was released and it was a long time before he managed to finalize the FAA medical and now flies for American fortunately. And do you require a Flying Class 1 as you are not on flight status??? I would post on the medical forum to be sure. Weird example: we had a female fully qualified pilot who became apprehensive to flying. Several of us instructed/flew missions with her and she was a good enough pilot but it became just too much. Flew about 2-3 years with us and she transitioned to our medical squadron at our ANG unit where she found her niche somewhere in the management section of it all. We sent her back for some schooling to validate the transition. Her new AFSC training commitment runs concurrent and not consecutively so Pilot commitment will be the shackle.

Kelly may not have reduced anything, but Jen did...

Better to be a flying O-6 than the original desk jockey vampire in the Rear Admiral. Ed Harris the 69 year old “2 Star” Admiral; definitely had some age waivers approved... Took him long enough to promote from BGen in “The Rock” 23 years ago. Good actor though.

Good article. Remember being deployed to Dhahran Khobar Towers just prior to the bombing as well as taxing the vast concrete while supporting the war effort during the last year of our C-141s at PSAB. Dejavu lately as I have taxied the new Kuwait ramp which reminds me of that vast concrete. Memories...

You answered it yourself in the first paragraph regarding the “They’re stupid to limit the target audience to retirees only.” Not so stupid from the bean counter perspective. You just guaranteed a 10 year, 20 year or even 30 year plus bill to pay in your scenario that has been playing out for years now. Multiply that retirement cost as long as the individual is alive. They have been closing the 15 year AD time or greater loop hole for getting orders for several years. 2010 was about when the first big AD orders cutback hit if I recall correctly. They have plenty of data of what it’s costing them now.... They’re stupid not to hand folks $300,000 or even $400,000 plus (half up front/other half when done) who left at the 10-12 year point and abuse them for 5-7 years. No indefinite continuous bill to pay. Basically paid for your services and be off with yourself. Selecting the “retired folks” is getting a $50,000 plus benefit on a bill that was already being paid..... think about it. Basically getting a Lt Col for $100,000. Even doing 4 more AD years and getting 10% more in retirement pay won’t catch up until decades upon decades for the $200,000 plus paid as a retiree during those 4 years if you stayed retired. Quality of life will dictate decisions differently for everyone. What does make sense is a retiree who recently was hired by an airline, has small children, finally has become a newly-wed (after the fact), tons of debt, a dog who has separation anxiety, etc. then it works out as better pay for a couple of years or so and then getting your $50,000 plus annual retirement bonus upon exiting the AD yet once again. (Better be non-deployable🙂

Well, at least having similar seat time should help while in training. Should be able to feel right at home and sleep thru half the course is my guess.

Same General wrote this on his white board as well... Let’s issue 1 copy for all the families to share!

Good to see the hornets getting out of the hive. Keep it up! Go to your Commanders, be a Commander, push your State HQ, press your TAG! If your young in the game and you don’t know what a TAG is or who, TAG is not doing their job... *Work with neighboring units (initially select parallel mission units), states, connect the dots with data/ impact statements, monthly reports, do your due diligence if not for yourselves but for the others coming up thru the ranks. Everything else leads to separations or units unable to fulfill their doc statements and that will lead to an undesirable event however defined. Its always an uphill battle with bean counters, budget and self-proclaimed we know best Bureaucrats (Bureau). Do something and something might happen. If you do nothing, expect nothing. Fight for honor and good sense. (I chose honor as American English, don’t get hung up on it below 😉 ) Never give in. Never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in, except to convictions of honour and good sense. ... - Never Give In. - Winston Churchill

P-8, very good choice and most likely with the 737 type rating to boot. Whats not to like as a great transition to the airline community as the most successful platform ever produced (sales). 10,000th delivered as of last year I believe. Had a tour on a P-8 and it was impressive. Very nice, but definitely still too tight of a tin can to be loitering around on/with long legs (both meanings). Great for many, but interstate hopping would be miserable as well for my fat @ss. My buds flying the Airbus A320s seem to have a much more enjoyable/spacious/ergonomic experience. Good advice alwyn2d, get that lite twin rating for future prospects.

While this 2 cents may belong on a retirement thread I will state a viewpoint that has reinstated itself during the past decade plus of increasing AD retirements and “I have 20 good years” by the Guard & Reserve. Increase pay types such as AFTPs gains more proficiency for our forces without any backpay towards retirement. Very smart bean counter strategies. If you achieved an AD retirement via the separate point system, then your other points are thrown on top of your total AD points and it is a significant increase of retirement pay dependent upon how many you have. As supporting info, the DoD will not offer or change retirement systems to benefit the individual. Giving you cash now without any strings attached (not having to pay you til you die) is a business model. Hence, only one makeup RUTA is a screw job... More AFTPs not RUTAs = cost savings, Redux, Blended retirement system, RIF, etc. Military spends money, civilians make money - but the military is getting better at their oversight and starting to parallel the civilian sector regarding cost savings, but forgetting we are here to break sh*t...

Maybe your life insurance is in question. Some airlines have stipulations via insurance companies regulatory policies. Life/limb catastrophic issues demand payment, but airlines are good at circumnavigating this arena so be aware. Makes sense that is your time and many pilots fly recreationally as well and do more high exposure activities if you will. Your a loss Manning wise, but the insurance might be a plausible note. One of our folks had an issue/death on the road and it seems there was much contention regarding payment of insurance. Company time vs off company time (flying), but the issue was he was on a trip. I hope to believe this wouldn’t happen in the Big 3 or other biggies. I am not going to say beyond company... Many know though. Just some thoughts... While your an asset, you can be a liability as well.

If that is the case, then it seems it’s unit dependent. GAZMOs post indicates units have Carte Blanche to give bonuses out so that may have or still bleeds into hiring wage practices as well. I am just trying to put the Humpty Dumpty pieces together from several of the previous posts to gain a better picture. Not the source here, just a historian at this point.

ANG units are the focus of discussion I believe, NGB probably not as they are either AD folks or Guard folks on Title 10 AD orders for a set period or have earned career status which brings them to a minimum of 20 years at higher headquarters. Our unit was Co-Piglet GS-11, Aircraft Philander GS-12 and the Destructor Pilot & Devaluator Pilot GS-13s. Several of us were grandfathered in as GS-13s prior to this mandate so we were lucky. Now it looks like it’s MDS hours driven vs position, but most likely both since the GS-13 isn’t listed on Jetpowers post. 750 hours total time (waiver required at the time since those hours included UPT was the issue) was one of the lowest thresholds I had seen transition thru the school house during AC upgrade so that tier level of experience seems to fit as a graduating scale of pay and experience. I recall many folks pushing for AC and then IP hard to get the pay increases despite not really being ready to perform. You must have a good prep process within the unit prior to sending them to upgrade school. At least get your Co-pilots some hands-on supervised tanker time prior to upgrade.

Instead of throwing rocks at them like seagulls to get them to fly, throw $$$ at them. Nice millennial adjustment. Cool, my stranded buds can focus on other things finally. Good stuff.

Someone has got to be at Admin/Finance right now or at least by tomorrow as they are “Closed for Training” or it’s an “Off Monday” 10hr working day unit... Too big of a retroactive clam bake not to check it out... Bueller? Maybe Tomorrow Guardian, I’m pulling for ya!