Originally Posted by
baseball
That is how things work in lots of guard/reserve units.
If orders can't get cut til last minute the military member is left dangling until the schedule and aircraft availability are confirmed. Hence, lots of last minute stuff happens in the guard and reserve today that didn't happen 20 years ago.
The entire guard/reserve system is last minute. So, I don't see it as an intentional screw job. I see it as the federal side isn't giving the guard/reserve enough resources to do the job, staff the operation, and fulfill their missions in a timely manner. The ops tempo and unique unit requirements often mean last minute requests happen all too frequently. It's not just affecting PBS organizations like airlines. Same goes for the postal service, and Mr. Goodwrench.
The other side of it that we lost sight of is that the guard and reserve units are being asked to do much, for too long. Both in sustained operations, and in deployment support.
I completely get that the guard and reserves are way over tasked!
But if you are asking me to accept that a pilot that had a trip trade request in for the 9am run that didn't get awarded (due to coverage I assume) miraculously got a call from his unit needing him the following Monday, which would conflict with the trip he couldn't drop in the above trade, but not conflict with the trip he was trying to pick up, I am going to have to say BS. Is that possible, sure and pigs might fly. I wouldn't have bought such a story when I was in the Military and I won't buy it now.
This is not criminal court and I am not looking for Beyond a Reasonable Doubt. I am just saying that if one of the sailors that worked for me when I was in, pulled this kind of stunt to get out of a duty they were due to have, there would have been hell to pay. Is it criminal? No, but it sure is an example of why articles 133 and 134 of the UCMJ exist! Fortunately for this guy, this is just United, so all he is ignoring is the ALPA code of Ethics!
Again, I am just saying that when you see a couple of these you have to understand that it gives the whole group a black eye. I know most do it right, but those few that don't, make it a bad situation for all!