Originally Posted by flensr

Don't forget, most of the USAF resents the heck out of the pilots and would freak the hell out if mil pilots were paid what they were actually worth (like doctors are, both mil and GS). People understand doctors getting paid a lot, but they absolutely freak out with jealousy and resentment if pilots get compensated at market value.

USAF absolutely HATES their pilots. Resentment is far too mild of a word. No way they'll ever get paid enough to retain them, so either the JOB is cool or the JOB sucks. Right now, the JOB sucks because it's mostly queep and very little flying, while working within an organization that hates you and twists the rules to ensure that pilots are measured for promotion with the exact same criteria as some shoe clerk desk jockey who works in a clean office, has nothing more stressful in their day than ensuring the coffee pot is cleaned occasionally yet still wears a utility uniform, and who might deploy once in their career to a rear echelon staff job.

Edit - This is nothing new. Look up Bill Mauldin's comics and his references to the stereotypical "REMF".