Originally Posted by
Tummy
I respectfully disagree. The GS's at my last squadron (Navy training command) were significantly better at their administrative support function jobs than any pilot I ever met, because it was their only job, they had been doing it for 10+ years, and they actually wanted to do the job.
Every time I got good at my "ground" job, the Marine Corps decided it was a good idea for me to switch jobs and learn another ground job. I did all of this while flying 6-8 hours per month. It was one of the most blisteringly offensive examples of belligerently intentional mismanagement of human capital resources that I have ever seen. It was the defining reason for my decision to get out. I couldn't in good conscience stand by and watch the utter failure in leadership anymore.
Experience aside, the continuity they provide is huge. If you fly a night line you're out of the office for about 36 hours and you are completely out of the loop when you get back and god help you if your coworkers who did know what was going on are flying when you get back. The laziest, most stereotypical government worker who sits in the office from 9-5 but knows what is going on will get more done than any flyer could dream of.
Sure keep scheduling, training, safety, tactics and stan eval in the hands of the flyers, but if you can throw a dozen plus bodies at each shop the workload would be manageable even with a the present level of qweep.