Track Selects and Assignment Nights

[Magnum]

  On 3/19/2017 at 6:56 PM, Duck said:

I'm trying to figure out why the kids don't want to be AD fighter pilots as much as they used to when I went through. I don't think you can discount that there is 0% 11F influence in Phase II while the students are at their most impressionable part in their aviation career.

What do you think?

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In the immortal words of Snooze, "being a fighter pilot won't get you pu$$y no more."

And also Top Gun is really old.  The kids these days were born in the late 90's.  They don't even understand the SNL reference...

ICEMAN - The Later Years - watch more funny videos

 

[Duck]

I know of guys on the heavy side gone 280-300 days a year. The mentality was if you weren't on the road, you weren't making money... Granted that was several years ago.


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[VMFA187]

  On 3/19/2017 at 9:15 PM, Magnum said:

In the immortal words of Snooze, "being a fighter pilot won't get you pu$$y no more."

And also Top Gun is really old.  The kids these days were born in the late 90's.  They don't even understand the SNL reference...

ICEMAN - The Later Years - watch more funny videos

 

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Valid.

I'm an instructor at Miramar - Where the movie was filmed, where we still send studs to go land on boats... And some of these kids going through haven't seen it.

Ridiculous.

[the g-man]

  On 3/20/2017 at 5:07 PM, Duck said:

I know of guys on the heavy side gone 280-300 days a year. The mentality was if you weren't on the road, you weren't making money... Granted that was several years ago.

 

 

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As a co in a single sq C-17 base... I was gone probably around 100 days last year. Only TDY, no deployments

 

 

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[Bode]

  On 3/20/2017 at 7:31 PM, the g-man said:

As a co in a single sq C-17 base... I was gone probably around 100 days last year. Only TDY, no deployments
 
 
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Are you at Elmo? Rumor I heard is they are 180% manned because they became an associate unit to the AK guard.


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[Bowser36]

  On 3/20/2017 at 12:07 AM, euser said:

I don't mind a high deployment tempo or anything like that, my end goal is rescue (helicopters).

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Just realize you might not be as excited in six to nine years when you're married with kids and on your sixth deployment.

That said, glad you're excited to get out and contribute to the current fight. No matter the path you choose, you'll be busy.

[the g-man]

  On 3/20/2017 at 11:31 PM, Lstcause257 said:

Are you at Elmo? Rumor I heard is they are 180% manned because they became an associate unit to the AK guard.


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Nope. It's AMC on the east coast


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[Day Man]

  On 3/21/2017 at 1:26 AM, the g-man said:

Nope. It's AMC on the east coast


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Why the pseudo-OPSEC? You already said you lived in Philly in another thread...

[Spaceballs]

  On 3/21/2017 at 12:21 AM, Bowser36 said:

Just realize you might not be as excited in six to nine years when you're married with kids and on your sixth deployment.

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Edited March 22, 2017 by Spaceballs

[Spaceballs]

  On 3/21/2017 at 12:21 AM, Bowser36 said:

J

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What turned a lot of guys in my class off of fighters were the fighter pilots that we did have in phase II. 

Edited March 22, 2017 by Spaceballs

[HossHarris]

  On 3/22/2017 at 12:32 AM, Spaceballs said:

What turned a lot of guys in my class off of fighters were the fighter pilots that we did have in phase II. 

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Only the best of the best get hand selected to go groom the next generation in aetc. 

[Duck]

  On 3/22/2017 at 2:37 AM, HossHarris said:

Only the best of the best get hand selected to go groom the next generation in aetc. 

Hand-picked... like a booger.


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[FishBowl]

  On 3/19/2017 at 9:15 PM, Magnum said:

In the immortal words of Snooze, "being a fighter pilot won't get you pu$$y no more."

And also Top Gun is really old.  The kids these days were born in the late 90's.  They don't even understand the SNL reference...

ICEMAN - The Later Years - watch more funny videos

 

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Magnum,

While I agree with what you're saying, that kind of thinking is dangerous...

You're dangerous.

[hindsight2020]

  On 3/22/2017 at 2:37 AM, HossHarris said:

Only the best of the best get hand selected to go groom the next generation in aetc. 

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Yeah buddy. Sarcasm aside, communities can't complain about perception if their ambassadors suck. Can't blame the kids for that.

 

Edited March 22, 2017 by hindsight2020

[Cooter]

  On 3/21/2017 at 12:21 AM, Bowser36 said:

Just realize you might not be as excited in six to nine years when you're married with kids and on your sixth deployment.

That said, glad you're excited to get out and contribute to the current fight. No matter the path you choose, you'll be busy.

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Just realize you might be MORE than excited after a dozen deployments, a year of school and two years of staff that you'd do anything to get back to that...literally anything.

Be careful what you wish for down the line, those three years combined are enough to make anybody want to suck start a 12-gauge...unless you're ONE of those people.  AND yes I do mean YOU people. 

"Counting down my 13 months to go" Cooter

[brabus]

  On 3/20/2017 at 12:07 AM, euser said:

What turned me off of fighters was how shitty of a life fighter guys I know and have met make it out to be. All I've ever seen is complaining about a plethora of things like the constant getting shafted by big blue and it becoming so restrictive and reg loaded that it was no longer enjoyable and barely possible to do the mission. Most of the guys I knew said they enjoyed their time, but they were all quick to abandoned ship once the obligation was up. I don't mind a high deployment tempo or anything like that, my end goal is rescue (helicopters). I've just seen some big differences between the apparent enjoyment of the job between these two communities, and if I have to be there for at least 10 years I'd like to enjoy it. Obviously I've never experienced either community from the inside so I know I don't totally understand it, but its how its appeared to me from the outside looking in. That being said, I joined to do things no civilian organization is able to do, so I'd still take fighters over heavy.

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That's unfortunate this picture was painted for you.  Recognize you're likely talking to some very jaded fighter pilots at a UPT base who feel screwed over because they're one of the few 11Fs at UPT while a large portion of their bros are still raging in fighters on their 2nd or 3rd CAF assignment (and there certainly is valid reason for why that is) . I recommend you take their views with a very large grain of salt.  I also say this as a warning to any other UPT studs or prospective ones out there reading this.

That said, realize a few things you described above (high deployment rate, getting shafted by the AD, etc.) is common across all aircraft.  The fighter or heavy worlds do not have that market cornered...the AD will fuck everyone over equally for the most part.  FWIW, my heavy friends have spent significantly more time away from home than I have...as a general statement.  They may not do as many 6 month deployments, but they're routinely on the road 200+ days/yr.  Maybe that's not true every single year over the past decade, but it certainly is true for a large chunk of that period...at least amongst some friends I keep in touch with who fly anything from -17s to KC-10s.  Of course basing, timing, etc. all drive flexing in said numbers, but the point is I am home more as a fighter guy on average than my peers in several other communities.

Lastly, the lifestyle/job is fucking awesome, and that's why I'm going to continue to do it.  The AD is the problem and what makes life/work suck, it has nothing to do with community type.  In my opinion of course.

[HossHarris]

It's  like having the most awesome job in the world, with an awesome team of coworkers. But having to do that job in a prison. 

Its a sweet gig. But you're still in a prison. 

[SocialD]

  On 3/23/2017 at 3:34 AM, brabus said:

Recognize you're likely talking to some very jaded fighter pilots at a UPT base who feel screwed over because they're one of the few 11Fs at UPT while a large portion of their bros are still raging in fighters on their 2nd or 3rd CAF assignment (and there certainly is valid reason for why that is) . 

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Not enough Christmas party planning?  

Edited March 23, 2017 by SocialD

[hindsight2020]

  On 3/23/2017 at 1:35 PM, HossHarris said:

It's  like having the most awesome job in the world, with an awesome team of coworkers. But having to do that job in a prison. 

Its a sweet gig. But you're still in a prison. 

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Yeah but in here, I can get you cigarettes. On the outside, I'm some washed up G-suit wearing has been. :D Life is simpler in Shawshank, never mind we men may find ourselves a bit, 'institutionalized'..

[brabus]

  On 3/23/2017 at 5:34 PM, SocialD said:

Not enough Christmas party planning?  

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Christmas isn't enough, you better have at least one change of command under your belt. 

 

Edited March 24, 2017 by brabus

[matmacwc]

White jets was a terrible deal, I couldn't leave fast enough.

[Guardian]

Has to be better than RPA. Has to be. And a lot of other assignments too.


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[PlanePhlyer]

  On 3/24/2017 at 2:25 AM, matmacwc said:

White jets was a terrible deal, I couldn't leave fast enough.

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We love it, so I guess...to each their own 

[xaarman]

  On 3/24/2017 at 2:25 AM, matmacwc said:

White jets was a terrible deal, I couldn't leave fast enough.

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Disagree. Had the time of my life talking about my favorite subject all day to super motivated students, flying 3-5 times a week, going all over the United States. I'm disappointed I left earlier then planned. 

As said above, to each their own.

Edited March 24, 2017 by xaarman

[Ulysses]

SNAP question: are white jets VIP transport or an IP gig?