Flamer

Keep waiting around for the "Air Force to decide" and let me know how that works out for you. Long tour in UAVs and now on a short notice non-vol non-flying AEF.....you've had a peach of a career.

My advice is talk with your feet....it's the only message the AF hears....and they barely hear that one.

Or stay in, and keep taking those good deals and have no recency at retirement with no ability to get hired. Either way I guess.

FLY6584

^^^ this. I can't tell you how many guys I told to at least knock out the ATP written while they could and get the practical done later and it fell on deaf ears for many. How many times do you have to watch guys like the original poster get bent over before you realize the Air Force will always do what's best for them and you should always do what's best for you and ALWAYS set yourself up for other options when the AF inevitably lets you down.

I don't understand having no time at UAVs. I always wondered if I got stuck going to a UAV what would I do and my plan would have been to CFI at a local airport and continue building hours.

FLY6584

And for the record to get TERA at 15 years, especially at this point in airline hiring, is about as good as it gets provided you did what you could to set yourself up for an airline job.

Jetjok

Arouth,

I have only one thing to say to you today …

It’s a jungle out there.

You gotta look out for number one.

But don’t step in number two.

And so, to all you guys getting out, as you go out into the "real" world, my advice to you is …

Don’t go! It’s rough out there! Stay in the military."

A little poetic license was taken with the above quote, by Thornton Melon in the movie "Back to School."

Seriously, best of luck with whatever you decide!

arouth

I've been in 14 years and even my "peach of a career" assignments have had positives. For example, when I instructed in UAVs, it was two years of Monday-Friday, normal hours, and no deployments.

I'm going to go with a Air Force retirement first and then trying my hand at the airlines after that is a much better idea.

arouth

Agreed on all points. I don't have a choice in anything though. I'll simply be told if I'm being retained or not next June. I'm signed on for 3 more years from right now anyway, so if I'm retained I'm in for 20. If not retained, regional airlines here I come!

arouth

I decided to focus my extra time on getting a Masters Degree and then completing Air Command and Staff College. ACSC in particular will help with getting a part time guard job in addition to flying for the regionals.

Combine that with additional duty jobs and there really was not time to focus on instructing on my days off.

FLY6584

Dude I hate to sound like a dick, but what did your Masters or ACSC do to help you? I chose not to do the Guard/Reserves after I VSP'd but the vibe I get from that culture is a Masters degree or ACSC doesn't mean crap. All I'm saying is that you're still bleeding blue and it's time to get serious about an airline job which it sounds like you're doing. Just don't wait until the Air Force decides for you.

In today's world of airline hiring TERA is the best deal going. An extra five years in AD as an O-4 far fails in comparison to what 5 years of additional seniority at an airline will give you. Monetarily, quality of life, everything.

If I were in your shoes it wouldn't be "I hope they retain me until 20", it would be "I'm a lucky guy to have the chance to TERA, walk away with Tricare for life, and get my seniority number 5 years earlier." You have no idea the blessing you have.

I'm approaching one year post AD and the absolute only thing I miss about AD is Tricare.

arouth

Actually my top choice in the decision to retain me by the Air Force (in which I have no influence at all) is TERA. That being said, if I am retained to 20 I am fine with that. If I get it I already know to count my blessings, bc not many people do get it. Especially on Tricare...

If I could go back in time I'd still have gotten the Masters and ACSC. The masters put me over the top for 0-4, and if I stay in having ACSC done is a very good thing. I'm not sure about GS jobs (some of which are flying jobs), but at one point I interviewed with with a guard unit to fly tankers and one of the first questions was "Do you have ACSC done"?

TankerDriver

You still need ACSC done to make O-5 in the ANG, but you can do it by correspondence.