Bottom Line:
Airlines initiated first contact from where we sat. Maybe one of ours code-called them? Hmmm.
Maybe the government should keep at arms length - is this a violation of some sort in assisting/supporting a business under no contractual bid or otherwise? / I am no lawyer obviously.
*CIP seems across the board, pilot or not, so that was executed correctly whether agreed upon or not.
Kind of like having to pay for your “flight boots” now... Non-flyer highlights they paid for the same type of boots available - why were they categorized as pro-gear and free for the flyers? Everyone should pay, officer wise at least. I get the argument this day and age vs uniform requirements were different back in the day. Unsure about the enlisted, but I believe they should NOT pay period - that’s me and it may already be covered in their uniform allowance I hope.
Regarding all these programs (common sense or not, unfair or not, like them or not) it’s still there for the warfighter as an opportunity.
Until your letters to congressman/senators are heard, cases presented to your bosses are acknowledged, program abuse or eventually the cycle shifts as always and the budget $$$ declines to impact / administration changeover - it will remain.
For the war fighting commander it’s a hair pulling event I’m sure: deployments, training, hiring/end strength reports, etc. Probably why AFPC shutdown those trying to avoid 365 orders when they dropped using retirement orders and separation requests several years back. Now your requested paperwork must be stamped approved at some stage prior to any 365 drop.
Overall, the Bureaucracy is astounding and too complicated for me to ever understand. Heck, there were more ways to get paid (16 if I recall, 9 I can remember now sitting here in China lackadaisically) in the Guard than C130 variants (13 at one time). We have our messes don’t we.
I expect(ed) more from the government as well in many ways Sir Rickair, but after those 24 yrs I learned all the government ever does is manage our expectations as they see fit.” We do/did try our best to mitigate the constant “new-normal.”
*USAF problem. 11F (Fighters) and 11M (Mobility) in dire straights experience wise. 11F’s departing quicker. Stoploss is an answer, but NOT the right answer from my meager point of view. ANG wise, it was getting so bad in the tanker community that their WG/CC & OG council briefed my team in 2014 that a couple of units were holding their AGR commitments to the end vs letting them resign for greener pastures upon being hired. Hopefully that dive has been rectified with new blood desiring gainful employment vs Guard Bumming which worked for me when flying was phat.
In the end, shoot for the opportunity presented. Remember, whether it’s CIP/Stat Tours/alternate deployments/Early Retirement Redux /ANG/AFRC/VA stuff/all orders, etc. - you throw the darts on whatever it may be and they determine what sticks. Commanders or program managers/AFPC flesh peddlers have the final say, it’s up to them hence the extra dollar. You never make the shot you never take.