Attitude of Reserves vs Guard

[Guest spankey]

Does anyone have a comment on the relative attitudes of the Reserve guys vs the Guard guys? I'm specifically talking about heavy units. I wondered if the Reserve guys were more locked on than the guard guys. Do they know how to have a good time?

Thanks-

[JarheadBoom]

We're not AD, so of course we know how to have a good time.

*Applies to both AFRC and ANG.

edit: spelins

Edited June 15, 2011 by JarheadBoom

[Guest spankey]

yeah, thats kinda been the expereience I've had with the varied units, however I was at a Guard unit over the weekend, and they didnt think much of the reserve side's ability to have fun. Flying/job aside, enjoying the people is a HUGE part of the deal.

[StainedClass]

So you're lookin' for a good time??

Try Vegas.

25 year reservist watching it go down the shitter...

[Guest spankey]

I'm getting out of the Navy after 7 years. You bet I'm looking for a good time.

[JarheadBoom]

I'm getting out of the Navy after 7 years. You bet I'm looking for a good time.

Congrats. I finally wised up after 11 years in the Corps...

[Guest spankey]

Congrats. I finally wised up after 11 years in the Corps...

Thanks...Wish I had these things figured out a while ago, but its not too late yet!

[HerkFE]

I was an AD squid for almost six years, got out and went to an Air Guard unit. Spent nine years there and then went to an AF Reserve unit, spent eight years there and will be retiring in three days. Obviously I have a few years experience with both the Guard and Reserve and I have worked with other Guard and Reserve units as well. Whether the unit has the label of "Guard" or "Reserve" attached to it doesn't seem to matter. You will find good and bad units in both.

[millertime]

I'd recommend taking a look at the AFRC side of the operation as well. Since there's only one AFRC/ANG associate wing that I know of, the AFRC unit there has alot of solid dudes. I think you'd be pleasantly surprised. There is definitely a more AD approach to things today in AFRC, but it's still a lot more laid back.

[HerkFE]

Since there's only one AFRC/ANG associate wing that I know of, the AFRC unit there has alot of solid dudes.

Are you talking about the Oklahoma -135 unit?

[millertime]

No, it was a Herk unit/association that I was referencing. I wasn't aware of the OKC dudes. My apologies.

[HerkFE]

No, it was a Herk unit/association that I was referencing. I wasn't aware of the OKC dudes. My apologies.

I did some inter-flying with the OKC Herk unit before they went across town to combine with the Reserve 135 unit. Great unit. Hated to see them lose the Herk.

[thecloser2144]

I've been in the guard for over 10 years now and as of late I believe that we are getting more and more like AD everyday. The new AEF cycle, the Bureau taking anything that AMC seems to give us, proliferation of Academy (the one in C Springs, not the former one in Knoxville) Grads that came from AD to the guard, have all added up to a condition that many of us are waiting until the day that the airlines start hiring in mass numbers. I can say that we still have good attitudes and most units have really good people there, but after 10 years of crap being funneled down our throats, most of us are looking for a way out. I believe that if the job markets for pilots turn around, things will change dramatically....the 65 rule can't come soon enough.

[Marco]

Completely agree. Well spoken.

[kapilot]

So you think that once the 65ers create the mass hiring it will force the guard/reserve to revert back to the culture they had 10yrs ago?

[Marco]

IMO, not necessarily. But as the airlines begin hiring, and dudes quit acting like AD since they are AGR, etc. and more are Traditional guys, it might help kickstart a mindset change. Or, the reverse will happen with the budget reduction and you might see more TFI and we're all ######ed. I'm a Guard Baby, and am proud of it. If

I wanted to be on active duty, I would have joined active duty. My $.02, cheers!

[thecloser2144]

So you think that once the 65ers create the mass hiring it will force the guard/reserve to revert back to the culture they had 10yrs ago?

It will help, but with budget cuts, and a draw down in the future of forces/aircraft I think that the days of the guard are numbered.

[Guest jmatthicks]

So, in theory, this "65 Rule" couldn't actually benefit applicants in the sense that more pilots could be needed to fill Guard/Reserve slots of guys jetting for the airlines?

And when exactly does the 65 Rule go into effect?

Please excuse my ignorance, just looking for insight and clarity!

[matmacwc]

So, in theory, this "65 Rule" couldn't actually benefit applicants in the sense that more pilots could be needed to fill Guard/Reserve slots of guys jetting for the airlines?

And when exactly does the 65 Rule go into effect?

Please excuse my ignorance, just looking for insight and clarity!

And I've been looking for google.

[Guest jmatthicks]

* could actually benefit...typo in my first reply.

And Google is telling me it went into effect on in '07...but reading a few responses it sounds like the 65 Rule hasn't "arrived" yet. Maybe I should read the above posts as the mass of people hitting the 65 Rules hasn't happened yet as opposed to the rule going into effect? Makes sense, just making sure something hasn't changed that I was unaware of.

Edited September 28, 2011 by jmatthicks

[Junglejett]

Think of the AD/Guard/Reserve as beer. Your gonna have fun either way..just how much.

AD=Non-Alcoholic Beer The taste sucks and you do not get much out of it. Why bother?

Reserves= Lite Beer. Taste is marginal and it is right between full flavored and non-a beer. But make no mistake, it beats non-a. But not by a wide margin.

Guard=Full flavored middle of the road beer. More alcohol, better taste..but still a product of the USAF.

The USAF (Llc) is becoming way to corporate. Less focus on work performance and more on dress blues and pushups.

I am AFRC now but trying to get back to the ANG as soon as I can.

[Guest 12XU2A3X3]

Hey all, I hope I'm not getting too far off topic but: I'm a guard fighter crew chief. I've been talking to some of the pilots who crossed over from the MX side and they've said that right now the preference, in house, is to hire externally. The thought process being that young ivy leaguers are more desirable long term then some kid the guard sent to school in his mid twenties for a liberal arts degree (e.g. me). Is this kind of thinking systemic, unit specific or unique to the unit I'm describing?

Edited January 5, 2012 by 12XU2A3X3

[Loach]

Junglejett: I agree with what you said. I've been in 2 different guard units and am now in my second AFRC unit. I too want to get back to the ANG. Way too much a$$pain in both AFRC units I've been in. The guard could be a little difficult in terms of it's incestuous nature, but as long as you're a decent person, do your job well and help the unit out when needed, it's not a problem. The reserves though ... just to do a friggen FTP required 2 separate pieces of paper that all had to be signed beforehand to authorize the FTP! Both guard units I was in didn't require anything like that -- just tell the scheduler you wanted to fly (or fill a hole he had) and come on in and fly and fill otut the FTP log and you'll get paid! Much to anal in AFRC, in my opinion.

[Loach]

12XU2... My experience was that if you were from within your unit, you had a leg up on outsiders. This was definitely the case for me when I was selected for a UPT/UNT slot. I did the interview, and at the end of the interview, one of the board members asked what unit I belonged to (I said the ###th LMS). He looked kind of shocked and said "oh, you're one of us?". I thought they knew that, but I guess not (was wearing blues for interview, so no patches). As I got up to leave another one of the board members slapped me on the back and said "Don't worry, we take care of our own here!". I felt pretty good about things, especially when I saw the other two people (civilians) who were also waiting to interview (1 was a female). I got picked up for both a UNT and UPT slot at that interview (but could only get a UNT slot before I turned 27 1/2 a few months later).

Good luck to you -- I really think being in the unit in some capacity will help, as you'll have a "track record" there, and it's easy for someone in the ops group or flying sqdn to call over to a friend in mx and ask for a real assesment of you, vs. what they learn from a stranger in a 45 minute interview.

[HerkFE]

Junglejett: I agree with what you said. I've been in 2 different guard units and am now in my second AFRC unit. I too want to get back to the ANG. Way too much a$$pain in both AFRC units I've been in. The guard could be a little difficult in terms of it's incestuous nature, but as long as you're a decent person, do your job well and help the unit out when needed, it's not a problem. The reserves though ... just to do a friggen FTP required 2 separate pieces of paper that all had to be signed beforehand to authorize the FTP! Both guard units I was in didn't require anything like that -- just tell the scheduler you wanted to fly (or fill a hole he had) and come on in and fly and fill otut the FTP log and you'll get paid! Much to anal in AFRC, in my opinion.

I agree 100% with this. I was ANG (F-16 MX) then went to an AFRC C-130 unit. While I liked my time in the Herk unit better (for obvious reasons...bending wrenches-vs-flying), the AFRC is much more uptight on the paperwork. For example, when I left the ANG the rule on UTA's was: You get 48 UTA's a year. If your boss said you can do all 48 in a row, you could (never saw it happen but it could, in theory). You just showed up when your supervisor said you could, fill out a simple form, drop it in the pay box and money would appear a few days later. In the AFRC you needed a GD flowchart to figure out if/what/how many you could reschedule then had to submit ~69 pieces of paper to get it approved. Still, as far as which is better ANG or AFRC, I think it comes down to the individual unit. Over the years I have seen good and bad under both commands.

Edited January 6, 2012 by HerkFE