Originally Posted by
Roadkill
Here's another datapoint about the mil leave returnees: there were several official statements, I can't remember where now but I read them on Deltanet, that the mil leave list included folks who were not coming back and/or had passed their eligibility date. It was stated that the list would be purged. I remember this as I was interested in the list as it showed over 200 mil leave guys above me, and my USERRA reading said they had all passed the ability to return via the 5 years etc... I later heard on this forum that there had been extensions to the company policy etc.
In any case, sometime during the last year the company published via an official outlet that the mil leave list was being reduced/purged of known bogus names, and there were several months after that when I saw the numbers drop. Again, can't remember exactly when.
HOWEVER, I am sure from those official statements that NOT ALL of the reduction of the mil leave list is due to returning guys. I watched that list every month from 2007... they didn't all return. Here's how you get the correct data: look at the total pilots, and subtract those who have retired. The difference between what the number from the last hiring total was, and what it actually is (minus retirements) is by definition returning guys from mil leave.
I suspect it's NOT as big a factor as some folks on here keep making it out to be... as if all our stagnation and lack of hiring can suddenly be blamed on mil leave returnees that we just had NO IDEA were out there, after keeping a list of them for 11 years. WOW we just got totally blindsided there, so you can understand how some of those things that were said about hiring have been delayed...
disclosure: I'm a mil returnee, god bless them all etc., no disparagement intended here, just some vague data analysis.
RK;
You may be onto something here. I also remember DAL putting out some communiques within the past year that sounded like they were sharpening their USERRA pencil. However, the 5 year limit does not apply if you are in support of a contingency. I can't think of a single active mil job that can't be linked to contingency or contingency support. (reserve yes - USAFA liaison, CAP liaison (these guys don't get long term orders anyway); active no).
If the proper verbiage is on your orders, you are exempt. Also, DAL past policy was that if you had a letter from an O-6 or above stating you were in support of, you were exempt...This is the part that may have been fine tuned. (Mil guys, don't take my word for it, the actual current DAL policy from the horses mouth is what you need to follow).
IMO, the whole mil returnee arguement is moot. They were always on the list and by extension, they had to be expected to return.
Now, there are an element of that demographic who were furloughed and went back on active duty. Those guys had their furlough time free and clear, if they bypassed to complete their careers -- they have furlough time free and clear plus a minimum of 5 more years (userra) plus they have to wait for hiring to come back as furlough bypasses.