I still disagree, and fraud is one of them fightin' words. USERRA gives citizens the right to voluntarily perform military duty in the service of their country/state. The law does not require one to have such duty "be a surprise" or otherwise take place only after somehow earning enough longevity to earn the RIGHT to take that leave.

Folks who get upset about this seem to be irritated that someone else is getting a good deal they never got or never will. For them (may or may not be true in your case), I say get over it! Any military member who has sworn to give his or her life in defense of our nation has earned the protections afforded under USERRA. Many of them signed up anticipating little risk, but continued serving even after the threat of dying in a desert sh1t hole became a very real possibility. Thousands have paid that price, leaving children and spouses behind.

If the complainers want the same opportunity, they can Google "military recruiter" and go sign up tomorrow. I thank you in advance for doing your part to rid the world of evil like ISIS or otherwise working to better your local community. You don't even have to have perfect eyesight - the number one reason I hear people tell me they couldn't or didn't serve.

If you are worried about inefficiencies and company costs, consider white slipping your butt off and commit to avoiding greenies or premium pay. Otherwise, you're guilty of doing what the MLOAer is doing - working within the law and company policy for the betterment of his life and that of his family.

Instead of attacking your aviator brethren (who will only be military for a small and early portion of their career before returning to the flight deck trenches for perhaps decades), consider focusing instead on the management-driven anti-pilot policies. You'll find no shortage of inequities that dwarf any effects from a handful of full-time MLOA.